U.N. head’s criticism of U.S. is unjustified

Given the rising tide of protectionism in this country due to the national economic crisis, use of the word “deadbeat” to describe the United States is an invitation to rumble. And that’s what happened last week when U.N. Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon tossed out the “D” word in a meeting in Washington with members of the House Foreign Relations Committee.

To add insult to injury, Ban did not retract his characterization of the U.S., the single largest donor to the United Nations, when asked about it by reporters.

The secretary general said he wanted to draw attention to the fact that the U.S. agrees to pay 22 percent of the U.N.’s $4.86 billion operating budget, but is perennially late with its dues — and now is about $1 billion behind on its payments, according to the Associated Press.

Ban said that the unpaid amount will soon rise to $1.6 billion.

He did issue a statement Wednesday night that sought to quell the anger on Capitol Hill, saying the U.S. “generously supports the work of the U.N., both in assessed and voluntary contributions.” He added that he “enjoys an excellent working relationship with the United States and appreciates the many ways that it supports the United Nations.”

If this were an isolated incident of criticism directed at America by high-ranking U.N. officials, it would not be so offensive. But, the fact remains that despite all it does for the world organization, this country is looked upon with disdain by many members, especially those from the Third World and the Middle East. There is no doubt that envy is a major reason, but given the current climate in the U.S., Secretary-General Ban and his staff should do all they can to tamper the criticism.

Backlash

“He used the word ‘deadbeat’ when it came to characterizing the United States. I take umbrage [over] that,” said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Foreign Relations Committee’s senior Republican. “We certainly contribute a whole lot of U.S. taxpayer dollars to that organization. We do not deserve such a phrase.”

What make Ban’s characterization even more unacceptable is the fact that the United Nations has failed miserably in matters of fiscal accountability, criticism of rogue nations and even its peacekeeping role.

Indeed, the U.N. Human Rights Commission is a stark example of how dysfunctional the organization has become.

How credible can the commission be when its members include the People’s Republic of China, Zimbabwe, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, which view human rights in their own countries as a distraction?

Past members of the commission have included Algeria, Syria, Libya, and Vietnam.

Critics have said that these countries had extensive records of human rights violations, and one concern was that by working against resolutions on the commission condemning human rights violations, they indirectly promoted despotism and domestic repression.

The millions of deaths attributed to ethnic cleansing, civil wars and even religious conflicts are a direct result of the U.N. failing to react quickly or forcefully.

Thus, when the secretary-general takes a shot at the United States for not living up to its commitment in a timely manner, he opens himself up to harsh criticism of the organization’s record of managing the billions of dollars from donor countries.