CIAO DATE: 12/02

Enhancing U.S. Leadership at the United Nations

Executive Summary

Enhanced American leadership at the United Nations is beneficial for U.S. interests and can help strengthen the UN and the international system. For many years, however, the United States has not been nearly as effective at the UN as it can or should be.

With this in mind, the members of the Council on Foreign Relations and Freedom House Independent Task Force recommend strengthening U.S. effectiveness at the United Nations around an agenda focused on better cooperation among the UN’s democratic member states, on the promotion of more vigorous human rights initiatives, and on more rigorous counterterrorism efforts. The group believes a precondition for making the UN truly effective is to reduce the leverage of a minority of repressive regimes, which skillfully blocks many American objectives, particularly in the areas of democracy promotion and advancing fundamental human rights principles.

The UN system has given rise to an array of essential and effective programs in the areas of health, education, refugees, food, and development. Moreover, the Security Council has effectively addressed key threats to peace when its five permanent members have been able to work together. The same, however, has not always been true of the General Assembly and other UN structures where politics has made the institution an inconsistent voice for democracy and human rights. Over the years, this has produced a mixed record on efforts to promote peace and security and to deepen international cooperation on counterterrorism. The UN Commission on Human Rights-where many of the world’s most repressive regimes escape criticism and investigation-and such highly publicized conferences as the World Conference Against Racism have been particularly disappointing.

In this context, the members of the Task Force recommend a U.S. policy toward the UN focused on building deeper and more effective cooperation among the democracies. Such an initiative, the Task Force concludes, can strengthen the UN’s credibility, enhance American leadership within the body, and bring greater effectiveness to UN counterterrorism efforts.

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