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Rapid Responses: Rapid Responses published:
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Avoid Being Humpty-Dumpty
- A.A.W. Amarasinghe,MD, (9 September 2005)
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Time for reform
- Paul W Keeley (9 September 2005)
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Celebrate the UN's Accomplishments at 60
- Alex Otieno (10 September 2005)
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UN peace forces may protect Peace in conflict areas but also need to protect public health
- Faisal MA Mihaimeed (10 September 2005)
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Re: UN peace forces may protect Peace in conflict areas but also need to protect public health
- Fatou F Mbow (16 September 2005)
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A.A.W. Amarasinghe,MD,, Physician 102 Bayberry Hills, McDonough, Georgia 30253 USA
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The very existence of a permanent, common forum for nations of the world is a magnificent achievement of the present society. This is its sixtieth year. Time has come to seriously look at its future. Your evaluation, " UN is good at holding big meetings," is not only accurate but also is pertinent. Words are only words. However, words can be costly and at times very costly. The funds the UN recieves are transparent. Source of every penny is in the public domain.In contrast, how the UN disburses its funds is opaque . A vivid example is the Food - for - Oil Programme. Unless the UN conducts its financial affairs in an exemplary fashion it may evolve to be a dysfunctional behemoth at best. Competing interests: None declared |
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Paul W Keeley, Consultant Palliative Physician Glasgow Royal Infirmary, G4 0SF
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The UN in three lines:
Not exactly exuding "moral authority" to use Clare Short's now laughable phrase. Competing interests: None declared |
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Alex Otieno, Instructor Arcadia University, 450 S. Easton Rd, Glenside, PA . 19038 USA
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The dicsourse on the United Nations(UN)can be compared to the concept of culture- means multiple things to different people. Although the UN's work on human rights promotion has been undertaken over the last 60 years of the UN's existence. The UN's work seems more likely to elicit negative commentary from various stakeholders. Although the UN has not been a beacon when it comes to accountability and transparency, those who detract it tend to have their own vested interests in the UN and its inner workings. To be sure, the UN's administartive role has come under criticism for its failures in different sectors. The UN is routinely assailed by nation-states that are intent on reneging on their previous commitments such as the United State of America's (U.S.) whose perspective on the Convention Against Torture and the International Criminal Court (ICC) are a flagrant violation of the principles of the UN. Given the levels of funding that the UN receives from the US, the US can demand specific concessions from the global body. Others such as Zimbabwe are likely to see the UN's special agencies such as the UN Human Rights Commission and the Programme on Human Settlement (UNHABITAT) as intruding in their internal affairs. Rather than viewing UN specialized agencies as part of a behemoth, the global attention that the agencies generate for specific issues should be viewed as progressive. The obsolescence debate is therefore misplaced and weak since it does not address the root causes as well as manifestation of myriad economic, social, cultural and technological issues of concern to many of the world’s citizens. It is therefore imperative that those of us who see value in the UN’s work educate our fellow citizens about the UN’s Charter, its human rights instruments, its global programs as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), UN HABITAT, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), etc. Awareness on the operations and scope of the UN’s work is likely to result in greater understanding and respect for its work. Competing interests: None declared |
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Faisal MA Mihaimeed, Consultant Surgeon & Clinical director Newham University Hospital NHS Trust London - E13 8SL
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UN & its various organisations have to live up to the challenges and reform the way it conduct its work. Million of pounds have been spent on these organisations and their staff. I recently read in the news that two of the UN soldiers from the peacekeeping force in Sudan died with AIDS. Surely UN has the full responsibilities when they send Peace keeping forces to conflict zones around the globe. Many of these are poor countries & have enough troubles with their own public health in addition to the on going conflicts that drain and deplete their resources. I believe that UN has to have tighter control on the selected soldiers for these forces by careful selection & checking on their health. UN has to supervise the medical checking and perform the required tests in reputable and respectable laboratories. This is particularly important when soldiers are chosen from countries that known to have epidemic & communicable diseases. Almost all of these soldiers are deployed with out their families. They will have the need to fulfil their sexual & contact activities that may have grave implications with in the forces and on their surrounding local communities that they were supposed to protect! Competing interests: None declared |
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Fatou F Mbow, HIV Technical Adviser Kenya POBox 62727,00200
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I beg your pardon Sir...are you suggesting that HIV positive UN peackeepers should not be recruited by the UN or that the UN should ensure that the highest standards of care are provided to its staff? From your comment I understood the former. I hope that you meant the latter. Competing interests: None declared |
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