[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 46 (Tuesday, April 25, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3515-S3516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 442--EXPRESSING THE DEEP DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE SENATE
WITH RESPECT TO THE ELECTION OF IRAN TO A LEADERSHIP POSITION IN THE
UNITED NATIONS DISARMAMENT COMMISSION AND REQUESTING THE PRESIDENT TO
WITHHOLD FUNDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS UNLESS CREDIBLE REFORMS ARE MADE
Mr. COLEMAN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 442
Whereas the United Nations has continuously failed to meet
minimal reform expectations, including those outlined in the
September Summit Outcome Document;
Whereas the United Nations has allowed member states acting
in defiance of their obligations to the United Nations to
enjoy full participatory rights and leadership positions in
all bodies of the United Nations;
Whereas the mandate of the charter of the United Nations
that protects international peace and security is
significantly hindered by the placement of pariah states in
leadership positions within various commissions;
Whereas the credibility of the United Nations has been
further crippled by the fact that Iran was elected to serve
as the vice chair of the Asia regional group of the United
Nations Disarmament Commission;
Whereas Iran has committed many acts of malfeasance with
respect to its nuclear program that makes it an unacceptable
candidate for the United Nations Disarmament Commission,
including--
(1) developing a clandestine nuclear program for 18 years
prior to 2003;
(2) repeatedly deceiving the International Atomic Energy
Agency about a variety of nuclear-related activities;
(3) failing to provide inspectors from the International
Atomic Energy Agency with access to various nuclear sites;
(4) refusing to answer questions related to its nuclear
program;
(5) reneging on its commitments under the Paris Accords of
November 2004, which included the suspension of uranium
enrichment activities; and
(6) announcing its success in achieving uranium enrichment
capabilities, which represented a brazen affront to the
international community;
Whereas other actions and rhetoric by Iran have perpetuated
its record of terror and tyranny, and warranted its isolation
from the international community at the United Nations,
including--
(1) continuing its calls for the annihilation of Israel,
which is a member state of the United Nations;
(2) actively sponsoring terrorism through groups including
Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, which prompted the
Department of State to classify Iran as the ``most active
state sponsor of terrorism in 2004''; and
(3) continuing its efforts to destabilize neighboring
countries by meddling in the affairs of those countries,
including Iraq, Israel, and Lebanon; and
Whereas, while Iran continues to enjoy full participatory
rights and privileges as a member state of the United
Nations, the overall conduct of Iran is a direct threat to
world security and violates numerous fundamental principles
on which the United Nations is based: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) expresses its deep disappointment with respect to the
failure of the Asia group members of the United Nations
Disarmament Commission to stop the election of Iran as the
vice chair of that body;
(2) asserts that the United Nations Disarmament Commission
has no credibility on disarmament issues due to the
participation of Iran, particularly in light of the defiance
of Iran in disregarding resolutions passed by the
International Atomic Energy Agency and the Security Council
Presidential Statement relating to its nuclear program;
(3) calls on the United States to reject all resolutions
passed by the discredited United Nations Disarmament
Commission;
(4) condemns the continued intransigence of Iran with
respect to its--
(A) nuclear program;
(B) treatment of Israel; and
(C) sponsorship of terror;
(5) shall work to ensure that funding from the United
States is withheld from--
(A) the regular budget of the United Nations in the amount
that is directed towards the activities of the United Nations
Disarmament Commission; and
(B) any commission of the United Nations in which the worst
violators of the principles it claims to promote are included
in its membership, including the new Human Rights Council;
(6) calls on the United Nations to deny Iran from
participating in any commission of the United Nations until
it--
(A) complies with its obligations under the Non-
Proliferation Treaty and International Atomic Energy Agency
resolutions;
(B) halts--
(i) all uranium enrichment activities; and
(ii) all calls for the destruction of Israel; and
(C) withdraws support from terrorist groups; and
(7) calls on the President to--
(A) closely monitor the progress of the United Nations on
reform; and
(B) exercise the option of the President to withhold
funding unless credible reforms are made prior to discussions
on the biannual budget.
Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I rise to submit a sense-of-the Senate
resolution expressing the deepest disappointment of the Senate with
respect to the election of Iran to a leadership position on the United
Nations Disarmament Commission and request the President to withhold
funding to the United Nations unless credible reforms are made.
A couple of observations, Mr. President. In light of the Oil-For-Food
scandal, it was my great hope that we would see a movement toward
reform in the United Nations. The Secretary General had put forth some
proposed reforms. There was some discussion about whether the U.N.
Commission on Human Rights was going to be reformed. Unfortunately, the
energy was there, the hope was there, and we seemed to be moving in the
wrong direction.
On May 9, for the new Human Rights Council, elections will be held.
It appears that Cuba may be appointed to the new Human Rights Council.
The recommendations from the Secretary General for minimum reform are
now coming under attack by something called the G-77, the underlying
nations, which may dismantle those. A little tremor occurred just about
a week ago, and to some people it may be a little thing, but it is not.
It is symbolic of some of the things we face with the United Nations.
Just recently, Iran was elected to the U.N. Disarmament Commission.
Some may say that this is a very minor commission; it is an inactive
forum; it only meets 3 weeks a year, the U.N. Commission on
Disarmament. We have Iran out there thumbing its nose at the
international community hell-bent on getting a nuclear weapon. And by
the way, they said what they are going to do with it. They said they
want to destroy Israel. That is what they said they are going to do.
Hitler told us what he wanted to do and the world didn't listen. God
forbid there is an explosion of an atomic weapon in Tel Aviv or Haifa.
They have already said where it is going to come from, this is what we
are going to do.
So Iran gets elected to the U.N. Commission on Disarmament. In some
ways it doesn't make sense. In some ways it is absurd, but it does
require comment. It does require a response. It does require folks to
say: I don't care whether it meets 3 weeks a year or 1 week a year or
50 weeks a year. This is something that highlights the absurdity of
what is happening today in this international body.
It is interesting that, as expected, Iran is already making efforts
to convert the Disarmament Commission into yet another forum for
antisemitism. Last week, at a working group meeting, Iran's
representative to
[[Page S3516]]
the Disarmament Commission stated that the suggestion that Iran had a
nuclear weapons program was Jewish propaganda fabricated by the Jewish
lobby in the United States. These brazenly antisemitic comments were
objected to by our American representative, but other members,
including the chair of the working group, remained silent.
I am disturbed by the moral indifference that the U.N. has reached
where you have a member state seeking nuclear weapons with the
expressed intention of destroying another member state, and that member
state, Iran, is allowed to serve as the Vice Chair of the Disarmament
Commission. That is completely unacceptable, to say the least. I am
disappointed that the Asian member states did not step up to contest
the candidacy of Iran.
This is what is happening: You have regional groupings, so each
state, regional groupings, pick their members. The United States
doesn't get involved in this. It is up to the member states, the Asian
members. But somebody has to be thinking this doesn't make sense. This
is going to cast a negative pall over the international community's
reflection about what the United Nations community is all about. It is
another step back at a time when we need to be moving forward.
It is the responsibility of member states at the U.N. to step up and
prevent the system from being manipulated by pariah states such as Iran
that are looking to pursue their destructive agendas. Iran is probably
the major state sponsor of terrorism in the world today. Iran says they
want to destroy Israel. Iran supports terrorism and Iran is intent on
getting a nuclear weapon.
We do not control what other member states do, but we should make the
position of the United States clear. The United States should not be
funding institutions that not only undermine the very principles they
claim to promote but directly harm U.S. interests. A disarmament
commission with Iran in a leadership position should be condemned by
the United States and we should make a statement. I have been very
hesitant to talk about holding back funding, but we are going in the
wrong direction. I will be back on the floor if Cuba gets appointed,
gets elected to this new human rights council. I will be back on the
floor. At a certain point in time you have to expect something. Much is
given, much is received. We have given the U.N. a lot of money. We have
given a lot of support. There are expectations then and they are not
being met.
Lest someone has failed to be aware of Iran's deeds, let me review
some of the credentials for being excluded from the commission. Iran
has repeatedly deceived the IAEA about a variety of nuclear-related
activities, failed to provide IAEA inspectors access to various nuclear
sites, and refused to answer outstanding questions that led to its
nuclear program. It reneged on its commitments under the Paris Accord
of 2004, which included the suspension of uranium enrichment
activities.
Again, I talked about the actions and rhetoric of the Iranian regime
to perpetuate a record of terror and tyranny which also warrants
isolation from the international community at the U.N., including calls
for the annihilation of Israel, active sponsorship of terrorism through
groups including Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, meddling in the
affairs of neighboring countries such as Iraq and Israel and Lebanon.
The overall conduct of Iran is a direct threat to world security. It
violates numerous fundamental principles on which the United Nations is
based. Yet it continues to enjoy full participatory rights and
privileges as a member state of the U.N. In fact, it gets rewarded by a
leadership position on the disarmament commission. Such a situation is
beyond comprehension.
The resolution I plan to submit does the following. It expresses deep
disappointment in the failure of the Asian group members of the
disarmament commission to stop Iran's election as the vice chair of the
body. It asserts the disarmament commission has no credibility on
disarmament issues due to Iran's participation, particularly in the
light of Iran's defiance of the IAEA resolutions and the Security
Council presidential statement regarding its nuclear program. It calls
on the U.S. to reject all resolutions passed by the discredited
disarmament commission, condemns Iran's continued intransigence with
regard to the treatment of Israel and sponsorship of terror and,
finally, works to ensure that U.S. funding is withheld from the U.N. in
the amount that is directed toward the disarmament commission's
activities from its regular budget.
We are not talking about a lot of money here. What we are talking
about is making a statement--making a statement. We call upon the
President to closely monitor U.N. progress on reform and to exercise
his option to withhold funding unless credible reforms are made prior
to the discussions of the biannual budget in June.
What do you do? In the U.S. we ask the question, What shall we do
when those who enforce the law break the law? In the international
context we are asking, What do we do when a key voice in disarmament is
given to one of the world's most willful sponsors of terrorism at a
time when they are ignoring the international community in their quest
for nuclear weapons?
The response is just to say no. Civilized nations must speak with one
voice. That statement should begin right here with the passage of my
resolution.
I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this resolution. The
error of the United Nations is serious. To be silent in the face of it
would be far worse.
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