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Friday, December 31, 2004
The UN Springs To Action
The Diplomad has several good entries on the tsunami disaster relief, there's no point linking to a single one. Just read all the way down. This bit though, cuts to the chase - in response to criticism of the US by former British International Development Secretary Clare Short that "Only really the UN can do that job, It is the only body that has the moral authority.";
Do I really need to say anything more? "Only really the UN can do the job?" We have US C-130s flying in and out here dropping off heaps of supplies; US choppers arrive today; USAID is doing a knock-out job of marshalling and coordinating US and local resources to deliver real assistance to real people. The Aussies have planes and troops delivering stuff; even the Indians have goods on the way. The UN? Nowhere to be seen. OK, I'm not being fair. Last night they played host to a big "coordination" meeting of donors to announce that the UNDP has another large "assessment and coordination team" team arriving. Our USAID guys, who've been working 18-20 hrs/ day, came back furious from this meeting saying everybody would be dead if the delivery of aid waited for the UN to set up shop and begin "coordinating." The UN types are upset with the US, Ms. Short, dear, not because we're undermining them but because we're showing them up as totally inept.
Which reminds me - any word yet from our Canadian 12-member "reconnaissance team" ?
Posted by Kate McMillan on December 31, 2004 in International Affairs | Permalink
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Comments
Well, Kate, I think I heard on the radio news this morning that the reconnaissance team will be leaving for the striken area soon. Perhaps they shall arrive in time to participate in the next UNDP coordination meeting. The ill and the hungry will just need to wait a bit for the UN and Canada to get their morally authority-act together.
Posted by: keith | 2004-12-31 10:23:00 AM
p.s. I think I also heard that our Not-a-rapid-response DART team may be sent in. Or it might not.
Posted by: keith | 2004-12-31 10:24:49 AM
The UN!!!!! What a joke it has become. They started to slip in the 70's and have not looked back since. Rwanda being their biggest screwup and the Sudan looks no better
If the UN thinks they alone have the MORAL authority I'll eat shit and bark at the moon!!!! When Libya gets on a Human Rights Commission nothing more needs to be said.
Posted by: themaj | 2004-12-31 10:46:13 AM
The UN has become an organization that exists to ensure it's own continued existance, and little more. To that end, they have developed the world's most expensive paper-pushing beaurocracy - (money is included under "paper").
Thus, when "reality based" response is required (Rwanda, the tsunami disaster), the UN scrambles to do what the do best - push even more paper, conduct more meetings, book more diplomatic flights somewhere, until someone else takes care of it, or it takes care of itself.
While the US too, stumbles under beaurocracy, they do have a long, recent history of reacting to international conflict en masse, and in rapid fashion, with real people and real equipment. Also, a high percentage of US lawmakers and decision makers have actually served in the military. In an emergency, they
seem to know how to set aside the red tape, if only briefly, and just _do_ it.
In many ways, Canada has become the UN, writ small. We are governed by professional paper pushers - lawyers, career civil servants, spinmeisters, where "Job One" is to perpetuate the continued existance of their own paper generating departments - the original purpose for which they were formed now only a means to an end. Small wonder they see the UN as a "model". They are looking in a mirror.
Posted by: Kate | 2004-12-31 11:22:43 AM
Members of the 12 are: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ... Oh, it's ten you say? Matthew, John, Paul, Gary, Dalton,
What's-his-name from outwest,......Ralph, Sheila,... Bill, Judy,......? That's all. Meeting in room 2005. BYOB.
Posted by: gg | 2004-12-31 12:11:13 PM
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