IN THE NEWS - United Nations Reform Plan

IN THE NEWS - United Nations Reform Plan
By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Saturday, December 04, 2004

I'm Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.

A high-level United Nations committee has released a report about reforming the world organization. The committee presented the report to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan Thursday.

Mister Annan appointed the sixteen-member group a year ago. He did so because of sharp divisions over the American-led war in Iraq, which the Security Council refused to approve. Former Thai Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun led the group.

 
Kofi Annan
The committee's report contains one hundred one proposals. They call for several steps designed to make the Security Council more effective. The report is considered the biggest reform effort since the U.N. was founded in nineteen forty-five.

The report identified six areas as the greatest threats to worldwide security and proposed ways to deal with them. These are continued poverty and environmental destruction, terrorism, civil war, conflict between countries, the spread of nuclear weapons and organized crime.

The group also proposed a definition of terrorism. That is an effort the U.N. General Assembly has tried unsuccessfully to do for years.

The most divisive issue was the proposed enlargement of the U.N.'s most powerful group, the Security Council. The committee presented two proposals.

Both proposals would increase the size of the Council from fifteen to twenty-four members. One proposal would add six new permanent members -- two from Africa, two from Asia and one each from Europe and the Americas. Three additional members would be elected for two-year terms.

The other proposal would create eight temporary members chosen for four-year terms and open to re-election. They would include two each from Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. An additional non-permanent seat would also be created.

Currently, the Security Council has five permanent members and ten temporary members with terms of two years each. The five permanent members are the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France. These countries can veto resolutions. Neither proposal would extend veto powers to any new Security Council members.

The report also proposed guidelines to establish when the use of force is necessary. The committee decided¹ there is no need to change the U-N charter, which permits the use of force for self-defense to prevent an immediate² threat. However, it said any good argument for preventive military action should be put to the Security Council in the future.

Secretary General Annan wants to use the report as a basis for a plan he will present to the General Assembly in March. But Mister Annan's leadership is being questioned because of charges of dishonesty in the U.N. oil for food program in Iraq.

A United States senator has called for his resignation. President Bush on Thursday called for a full investigation³ into the program.

In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Steve Ember.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。