[Mb-civic] U.S. Wants Changes In U.N. Agreement - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

U.S. Wants Changes In U.N. Agreement

By Colum Lynch
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 25, 2005; Page A01

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 24 -- Less than a month before world leaders arrive 
in New York for a world summit on poverty and U.N. reform, the Bush 
administration has thrown the proceedings in turmoil with a call for 
drastic renegotiation of a draft agreement to be signed by presidents 
and prime ministers attending the event.

The United States has only recently introduced more than 750 amendments 
that would eliminate new pledges of foreign aid to impoverished nations, 
scrap provisions that call for action to halt climate change and urge 
nuclear powers to make greater progress in dismantling their nuclear 
arms. At the same time, the administration is urging members of the 
United Nations to strengthen language in the 29-page document that would 
underscore the importance of taking tougher action against terrorism, 
promoting human rights and democracy, and halting the spread of the 
world's deadliest weapons.

Next month's summit, an unusual meeting at the United Nations of heads 
of state, was called by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to 
reinvigorate efforts to fight poverty and to take stronger steps in the 
battles against terrorism and genocide. The leaders of 175 nations are 
expected to attend and sign the agreement, which has been under 
negotiation for six months.

But Annan's effort to press for changes has been hampered by 
investigations into fraud in the U.N. oil-for-food program and 
revelations of sexual misconduct by U.N. peacekeepers.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/24/AR2005082402321.html?nav=hcmodule
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