UNITED NATIONS PROJECT
Statement of Purpose

back

Statement of Purpose

1. RATIONALE

The United Nations is in a major transition in its history. A shift in power has occurred since the end of the Cold War, moving the UN into a new political configuration. The United States has become the de facto manager of the Organization, and will continue to serve in that role for the foreseeable future. There is a tacit acceptance of this fact of global life among the other major nations of the world.

Meantime, within the US, there is a growing understanding that the UN is central to the US national security interests. But the US continues to believe that the UN must be made a more workable and effective agency to keep the peace around the world, and hence it must redefine itself and revamp its operations. This need for reform has been recognized by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and the General Assembly has given Annan a strong mandate to achieve real changes at the UN. Indeed, at its 52nd session, the General Assembly passed most of Mr. Annan's reform package. But the Secretary-General and his team are still seeking ideas and initiatives to complete the effort.

In addition, at a moment in history when the United Nations is under intense fire from anti-internationalist elements within the United States, many Americans nonetheless still show general support for the Organization even while not knowing exactly what it does and how it serves American interests. In turn, the UN has traditionally been reluctant to publicize its work and hesitant to draw attention to itself. Indeed, the UN does not know and has never figured out how to make itself part of the mainstream of American life.

  top

2. THE UN PROJECT AT THE WORLD POLICY INSTITUTE

Thus, the UN Project at the World Policy Institute at New School University in New York City will serve several different purposes in critiquing the aims as well as promoting the values of the United Nations. The various purposes are:

a) Think-Tank

The UN Project will hold round-table discussions, seminars, panel sessions, and other meetings to discuss topical issues related to the United Nations and its agencies. Such gatherings, among a number of objectives, will be expected to bring to the fore new approaches to issues, to generate original ideas, and to articulate needed changes. Such assemblages will also give fresh exposure for the UN to the New York media world. Among the people invited to participate in these sessions will be UN officials, academics, policy makers, journalists, technical specialists and other practitioners.

b) Promotion

The UN Project will also have an overriding goal of educating Americans about the UN as an informed observer of the Organization. It is generally assumed that most US citizens do not know much about the UN, and some do not like the Organization, but that a majority are open to being informed about the nature of the UN's role. Hence we expect to start a national dialogue with Americans about the UN. The Project will seek to connect people's lives to what the UN is doing as an organization, for example, in the area of drugs, terrorism, environmental protection, HIV/AIDS, communications revolution, etc. The Project will focus on these and other contemporary subjects and hold full-day conferences on them. It will also acknowledge the flaws of the body and serve to highlight the reforms that are needed. Finally, the Project will sponsor radio and TV broadcasts, documentaries, Internet web-sites, and panel discussions with the media to expand the knowledge and consciousness of Americans about the Organization.

c) Advocacy

The Project will concentrate its resources and energies on explaining the policy side of issues-for example, on the need for internal change or the necessity for financing-to power centers around America. That means, in particular, that the Project will pay attention to the places where major decisions on foreign-policy are likely to be made, including Congress, the White House, the Federal government and its agencies, and mayors' offices, particularly those in the northeast. Officials from the Project will testify before Congress, be present at hearings on UN-related matters, submit studies and planning documents to governmental leaders and diplomats, take part in debates over UN questions, and partake in regular speaking engagements around the country. The Project will, in effect, act as an advocate for issues that relate to the UN within the US-the most obvious example being our encouragement of the US government to pay its dues to the UN-all the while retaining its objectivity about the Organization.

d) Liaison

As distinct from its involvement with specific UN issues, as outlined in the previous section, a major role of the Project will be to maintain daily channels of communication with important entities in the United States, including universities, NGOs, corporations and financial institutions, governmental bodies, and elected officials (especially those along the Atlantic seaboard), in order to demonstrate how the UN operates for those who know little or nothing about the Organization. This may involve, in an objective, non-judgmental way, explaining its policies, defusing misunderstandings, elaborating on its achievements, describing its defects, and conveying its ideas and missions. The Project also will play a role in bringing skeptical Americans to the UN to judge for themselves about what the Organization accomplishes and in helping American citizens and US-based NGOs to approach the UN with new proposals.

e) Policy

Finally, the Project will attempt to contribute policy ideas within the UN itself, both at the Secretariat level and at the General Assembly level. The Project will supply the Secretary-General, where appropriate, with recommendations, critical assessments, explanations on American constituent reactions, polling data, experts on issues, names for appointments to commissions, and other forms of aid. The Project will also be expected at times to offer ideas in the policy debates at the General Assembly level, providing advice when needed to UN legislative bodies, testifying before the Economic and Social Council and its committees, and offering its experts as witnesses. The Project will be ready to help UN agencies like UNICEF, UNFPA or the UN Development Programme to formulate policies on their areas of concern. The Project's experts may, on occasion, do subcontracting work for the UN.

  top