Prologue This report is submitted pursuant to the ―United Nations Participation Act of 1945‖ (Public Law 79-264). Section 4 of this law provides, in part, that: ―The President shall from time to time as occasion may require, but not less than once each year, make reports to the Congress of the activities of the United Nations and of the participation of the United States therein.‖ In July 2003, the President delegated to the Secretary of State the authority to transmit this report to Congress. The United States Participation in the United Nations report is a survey of the activities of the U.S. Government in the United Nations and its agencies, as well as the activities of the United Nations and those agencies themselves. More specifically, this report seeks to assess UN achievements during 2007, the effectiveness of U.S. participation in the United Nations, and whether U.S. goals were advanced or thwarted. The United States is committed to the founding ideals of the United Nations. Addressing the UN General Assembly in 2007, President Bush said: ―With the commitment and courage of this chamber, we can build a world where people are free to speak, assemble, and worship as they wish; a world where children in every nation grow up healthy, get a decent education, and look to the future with hope; a world where opportunity crosses every border. America will lead toward this vision where all are created equal, and free to pursue their dreams. This is the founding conviction of my country. It is the promise that established this body. And with our determination, it can be the future of our world.‖ The United States believes that the United Nations should be a place where diverse countries and cultures of the world work together for freedom, democracy, peace, human rights, and prosperity for all people. In 2007, the United Nations continued to face many challenges in living up to those founding principles. This report treats thematically UN activities that most significantly affected U.S. interests. It is divided into six Parts: Part 1, on Political and Security Affairs, focuses on activities undertaken by the United Nations to maintain international peace and security. Under the UN Charter, the primary responsibility for this task lies in the Security Council, which is empowered to take various actions to maintain international peace and security, such as adopting resolutions authorizing peacekeeping and special political missions or employing coercive measures, including sanctions. The activities of the UN General Assembly and other UN bodies are also described. This chapter also covers security-related thematic issues, such as disarmament and international terrorism. 1 United States Participation in the United Nations – 2007 In 2007, the United States continued to push in the Security Council for a resolution of the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, and to end obstruction by the Government of Sudan against the deployment of a robust UN peacekeeping force in Darfur. In July, the Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1769 authorizing the deployment of a hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) with the protection of civilians at the core of its mandate. The Resolution called for a phased transition of authority from the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to UNAMID, which took place December 31, 2007. By that date, UNAMID had yet to deploy the bulk of its forces and did not have commitments from troop- contributing countries for certain key assets, such as helicopters and transport units. In Chad, the European Union force and the UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) began deploying in 2007 to help provide security for refugees from Darfur. The United States also continued to push for nuclear disarmament in 2007. Regarding Iran, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1747 to impose additional Chapter VII sanctions. Resolution 1747 built upon Resolutions 1696 and 1737 by extending the asset freeze and travel restrictions to individuals and entities. It also prohibited Iran’s export of arms and called upon the international community not to enter into new commitments for grants, financial assistance, or concessional loans with the Government of Iran, except for humanitarian and developmental purposes. In November, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran continued not to meet its international commitments. Regarding the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) in 2007, the United States led disablement activities, which progressed although the D.P.R.K. did not provide a declaration of its nuclear program by December 31, 2007. The United States remained committed to peace in the Near East. The United States stood by its vision for the creation of the new state of Palestine to live harmoniously next to the state of Israel. The Security Council adopted press statements expressing grave concern at the breakdown of the Mecca Accord ceasefire and renewed fighting in Gaza in May. In December, the Council welcomed the international donor’s conference for a Palestinian state. In the General Assembly and other UN bodies, the United States continued to speak forcefully to ensure that Israel was not excluded nor isolated at UN meetings, with Israeli interests given fair consideration. The United States also continued its active support of Iraq. Security Council actions included the adoption of Resolutions 1770 and 1790, which extended the mandates of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) and Multinational Force in Iraq (and certain arrangements for the Development Fund for Iraq), respectively. In addition, with respect to Lebanon, the Security Council adopted Resolution 1757, which decided that the provisions of the agreement to establish a Special Tribunal for Lebanon to prosecute those responsible for the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and others would enter into force on June 10, unless the Government of 2 Prologue Lebanon provided notification that the legal requirements for entry into force had been complied with; it did not. The United States donated $5 million to help the start up costs of the Tribunal’s operations. In 2007, the Security Council also adopted Resolution 1773, which commended the positive role of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in critically improving the security situation. Part 2, on Economic and Social Affairs, assesses the work of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and various subsidiary bodies and commissions on issues that involve economic development, the status of women, humanitarian aid, and crime prevention and control. The UN Human Rights Council held three regular sessions, one special session, and also met informally throughout 2007. Despite the Council’s successful special session on Burma, its performance during the year was extremely disappointing. The Council pushed through, despite a lack of consensus, a resolution establishing its flawed institutional procedures and agenda; continued its unbalanced treatment of Israel, including by establishing a permanent agenda item on the situation in Palestine; eliminated the Cuba and Belarus human rights special rapporteurs; took only very weak measures on Sudan; and took no action on the D.P.R.K., Iran, Cuba, or Belarus. Violence in Zimbabwe in March 2007 resulted in a statement by some Council members and observers (including the United States) but no resolution. The United States supported the Council’s special session on Burma and helped to ensure the technical cooperation mandates for Liberia, Haiti, and Burundi were renewed in the Council’s September session. Part 3, on Specialized Agencies, describes the activities of a host of agencies, from the Food and Agriculture Organization to the World Health Organization, and assesses how they served U.S. interests. Part 4, on Legal Developments, highlights the work of the judicial bodies, such as the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, and the International Court of Justice Part 5, on Reform of the UN System, describes progress on reform of the United Nations and of the main UN bodies. The United States and other member states supported the UN’s focused efforts on improving management practices. Delegates worked to modernize the UN Secretariat; strengthen oversight, ethics, and accountability systems; and review UN program mandates. For example, the General Assembly appointed the first members of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee and passed a resolution to create a new two-tier formal system for adjudicating grievances. In addition, the United States launched a system- wide UN Transparency and Accountability Initiative which seeks to apply reforms already adopted for the UN Secretariat to UN funds, programs, and specialized agencies so that all UN entities are held to the same standards. In addition, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presented proposals for restructuring the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). The General Assembly passed a resolution approving the proposal with some 3 United States Participation in the United Nations – 2007 modifications. The restructuring created the Department of Field Support for administrative and logistic support, with DPKO responsible for military, police, and stabilization planning. Part 6, on Administration and Budget provides an overview of the current UN financial situation and resource management issues. The UN General Assembly adopted a $4.2 billion biennium budget in December – against U.S. opposition due largely to the piecemeal approach to budgeting being used by the UN and the unrestrained growth a potential 25% increase would represent. This budget for the 2008-2009 biennium is slightly below the final budget for the previous biennium, but the General Assembly deferred to the resumed session of 2008 proposals that, if approved, could increase the budget substantially, perhaps by an additional $1 billion. Finally, the report’s appendices include the President’s 2007 speech to the UN General Assembly and information about the principal organs of the United Nations and their membership.