国际组织动向－安南公布联合国全面改革计划

 

Annan Unveils Comprehensive UN Reform Plan

 

Secretary General Kofi Annan has unveiled a sweeping¹ plan to reform the United Nations and sharply increase its authority in world affairs. From U.N. headquarter the proposal is being offered as a starting point for an international debate that will culminate² with a summit of heads of state and government in September.

 

Mr. Annan outlined a broad vision for change in a report to the U.N. General Assembly. Among other things, it includes ideas for expanding the Security Council, restructuring the widely criticized Human Rights Commission, and settling a debate over the definition of terrorism, as well as establishing new rules on when military force should be used.

 

The secretary-general laid out his proposal Monday in an address to the General Assembly.

 

Secretary-general: What I am proposing amounts to a comprehensive strategy. It gives equal weight and attention to the three great purposes of this organization -- development, security and human rights, all of which must be underpinned⁴ by the rule of law.

 

The secretary-general's report is a refinement⁵ of two earlier studies. The first was done by a high-level panel he appointed last year to make recommendations on U.N. reform. The second involved recommendations on how to meet goals set in the year 2000 for cutting poverty in half by 2015.

 

The report presented to the General Assembly is divided into four main sections. The first three set out priorities in the fields of development, security and human rights. The fourth is a plan for transforming the United Nations into what Mr. Annan calls "a more effective instrument for pursuing those priorities."

 

In his address to the assembly, the secretary-general placed the expansion and strengthening of the Security Council at the top of his list of recommended reforms.

 

Annan: First, I urge member states to make the Security Council more broadly representative of the international community as a whole, as well as of the geopolitical realities of today.

 

Mr. Annan also urged the Security Council to ensure that there would be no more disputes like the one that divided members over whether to go to war in Iraq.

 

Annan: And I suggest that the renewed Security Council should make clear in a resolution the principles by which it intends to be guided when deciding whether or not to authorize⁶ use force.

 

Mr. Annan urged the world leaders to consider his 63-page proposal as a single package. But U.N. officials have underlined that the document is being offered as a starting point for an international debate on how to make the world body more relevant for the 21st century.

 

That debate is expected to culminate in approval of a reform package at a gathering⁷ of heads of state and government in September, marking the organization's 60th anniversary.

 

Peter Heinlein, VOA news, the United Nations.

 

注释：

unveil [Qn5veil] vt. 公开

underpin³ [7QndE5pin] v. 巩固

refinement [ri5fainmEnt] n. 精致

priority [prai5Criti] n. 优先权

geopolitical [7dVi(:)EupE5litikEl] adj. 地理政治学的

authorize [5C:WEraIz] v. 批准

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 culminate   

v.到绝顶，达于极点，达到高潮

参考例句：

• The celebration of the centenary will culminate with a dinner.百年庆典活动将以宴会作为高潮。
• Everyone feared that the boundary dispute between these two countries would culminate in a war.人人都担心,这两国间的边境争端将以一场战争到达顶点。

3 underpin   

v.加固，支撑

参考例句：

• China needs regional stability to underpin its continued economic growth.中国需要地区稳定来巩固其持续的经济增长。
• These developments are underpinned by solid progress in heavy industry.重工业的稳固发展为这些进展打下了基础。

4 underpinned   

v.用砖石结构等从下面支撑（墙等）( underpin的过去式和过去分词 )；加固（墙等）的基础；为（论据、主张等）打下基础；加强

参考例句：

• The report is underpinned by extensive research. 这份报告以广泛的研究为基础。
• The statue of Diana was underpinned with charred piles. Diana雕像是建造在炭化了的木桩上的。 来自辞典例句

5 refinement   

n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼

参考例句：

• Sally is a woman of great refinement and beauty. 莎莉是个温文尔雅又很漂亮的女士。
• Good manners and correct speech are marks of refinement.彬彬有礼和谈吐得体是文雅的标志。

6 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

7 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。