Re: UN General Assembly President Jan EliassonThu Apr 20, 2006 22:05
C-SPAN
4/20/06 The Aspen Inst. on The Politics of U.N. Reform
In Washington DC, The Aspen Institute talks about "The Politics of U.N. Reform."
4/19/2006: WASHINGTON, DC: 1 hr. 5 min
Welcome to the Aspen Institute. Today is Thursday, April 20, 2006
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UN General Assembly President Jan Eliasson Asserts Need for UN in Combating Global Problems. Jan Eliasson, UN General Assembly President and Foreign Minister-Designate of Sweden, spoke about the politics of reform at the United Nations during the Aspen Roundtable Series on April 19. He began the luncheon gathering, which included about 40 international affairs experts, scholars, and policymakers, by talking about a great paradox that, as he sees it, defines international affairs today. "Today, in the global world, local problems are also national and global, and there is a greater need than ever before to cooperate to find global solutions," he said. "But we today have increasing mistrust and strong tendencies toward protectionism, even isolationism. There is a temptation to see the outside world as more of a threat than a promise."
Eliasson, who has recently been named as the foreign minister for Sweden - a post he'll fill full-time once his UN term ends in September - went on to talk about recent major accomplishments of the UN, such as peace building efforts and the establishment of a new proactive disaster relief fund, as well as the need for various structural and procedural reforms, particularly within the Security Council.
But he insisted that despite the major shifts in geopolitics since the organization's founding, it is still a vital tool in improving the lives of millions around the world - and as important for wealthy countries as for the developing world. "The UN needs the United States; there is no doubt that we would be weaker without it. And I have no illusions: I know that powerful countries have choices. But global problems, like the environment, or bird flu, do not discriminate. I also claim that the United States needs the United Nations."
After his remarks, Eliasson took questions from participants including UN Foundation president Tim Wirth, Institute trustee Tom Pickering, Egyptian Ambassador to the US Nabil Fahmy, and NPR senior commentator Daniel Schorr. Sponsored by DaimlerChrysler, the series takes place monthly from September through May at the Institute's Washington, DC headquarters.
Read more.
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/site/lookup.asp?c=huLWJeMRKpH&b=1562235
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C-SPAN
4/20/06 The Aspen Inst. on The Politics of U.N. Reform
In Washington DC, The Aspen Institute talks about "The Politics of U.N. Reform."
4/19/2006: WASHINGTON, DC: 1 hr. 5 min
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