[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 172 (Thursday, November 10, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S7373]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. RUBIO (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, and Mr. Crapo):
  S. 1848. A bill to promote transparency, accountability, and reform 
within the United Nations system, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations.
   Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, I rise to speak about legislation I 
introduced today to encourage comprehensive and long-lasting reforms at 
the United Nations. I want to thank my colleague Senator James Inhofe 
from Oklahoma for joining me on this effort. I also commend the Chair 
of the House Foreign Affairs' Committee--and fellow Floridian 
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for leading on this effort in the 
House of Representatives.
  The United Nations was created in 1945 with the specific mandate of 
maintaining the hard-fought peace that followed the end of World War 
II. Just as it was then, today our nation's security and prosperity is 
influenced by conflicts and events taking place in various near and 
far-flung places. The United States cannot and should not attempt to 
address these conflicts on its own. More than six decades later, we 
still need a U.N. with resolve, a U.N. that acts with effectiveness and 
purpose. Sadly, the U.N.'s persistent ethics and accountability 
problems are limiting its role. Until the organization addresses these 
important issues, the stature of the organization will continue to 
suffer in the eyes of the world.
  Examples of this troubling situation abound, from the ongoing efforts 
to circumvent direct negotiations to end the Israeli-Arab conflict, to 
the discredited Human Rights Council led by the world's most notorious 
tyrants and human rights violators, to the proliferation of mandates 
that have clouded the organization's mission and effectiveness.
  My hope with this legislation is to provide an incentive for the 
United Nations and the President, to modernize that international body 
along a spirit of transparency, respect for basic human freedoms, and 
effective nonproliferation. This legislation would also attempt to 
address the anti-Semitic attitudes that have become so prevalent in 
certain corners of the U.N. and seriously diminish the credibility of 
the entire U.N. system.
  At the core of these reforms is an effort to instill a sense of 
transparency and competition at the U.N. by its adoption of a budgetary 
model that relies mostly on voluntary contributions. This legislation 
would also strengthen the international standing of human rights by 
reforming the U.N. Human Rights Council in a way that it would deny 
membership to nations under U.N. sanctions, designated by our 
Department of State as States Sponsors of Terrorism, or failing to take 
measures to combat and end the despicable practice of human 
trafficking. Other provisions seek meaningful reforms at the U.N. 
Relief and Work Agency that provides assistance to Palestinian refugees 
of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.
  This legislation is needed because the structure and bureaucratic 
culture of the organization often makes it impossible or, at best, 
downright difficult to achieve meaningful reforms. It follows on the 
steps of previously successful Congressional initiatives on this 
matter. Every previously successful American effort for reform at the 
U.N. has been accompanied with the threat of withholding our valuable 
contributions. I wish this wasn't the case, but this is the record, so 
it is part of our legislation.
  In closing, the United Nations has served as the primary multilateral 
forum to address peace and security issues throughout the world, and I 
look forward to working with my Senate colleagues in achieving 
meaningful transparency and accountability reforms at that 
international body.
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