UN Reforms Called By Annan

Fire of Liberty

Secretary General Kofi Annan of the United Nations proposed sweeping reforms Sunday, recommending the expansion of the Security Council to reflect modern realities of global power and need, the restructuring of the discredited Human Rights Commission to keep rights violators from becoming members, and the adoption of a definition of terror that would end justifying it as an act of national resistance.

The above passage is from an article in The International Herald Tribune on the various reforms of the UN that Kofi Annan will announce in a speech tomorrow. I have to give the people at the UN a hand for proposing these reforms. The only problem that I have with these reforms is that they won't be enacted until after a special session of the UN General Assembly gathering in September where the 193 member states will vote to approve/disapprove the changes. I can foresee some problems arising during this gathering, expect some of the Outposts of Tyranny nations and the other rouge regimes/kleptocracies to put up a fuss. Expect John Bolton to shine during such debates.

I'm looking forward to the changes to the UN Security Council. If I had my say, I'd choose the first option of adding six new permanent members namely Brazil (Largest and only South American nation), Germany(Don't know, prefer Poland), India (Large population and a democracy), Japan (Second Largest economy/aid donor), Egypt(Prefer Turkey or even better Iraq at least their greater democracies than Mubarak's Egypt), Nigeria or South Africa(prefer Nigeria) along with 3 new two year term members. At least we'd have more allies on our side in the Security Council. Should be fun. We'll see if something comes out of this. It's about time.