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Statement

American Friends Service Committee Minute In Support of the Purpose and Principles of the United Nations

June 2005

The United Nations was established sixty years ago to uphold human dignity, peace and international security. It emerged out of the rubble of World War II when nation states pledged to unite and live in peace. Nations proclaimed their resolve and declared their intent “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war…” (Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations).

During the intervening years, we have witnessed the steady growth of and respect for the obligations of nations to international treaties, covenants and protocols. International institutions have been established to uphold international standards. These have paved the way to address humanitarian, social, economic, environmental, health, educational, cultural, and communication needs of people worldwide. Much of this effort has been guided by the United Nations through its six major bodies and its specialized agencies. The United Nations has provided the forum for international dialogue essential for these international initiatives and standards to evolve.

We support the concept of the rule of law as a framework which can sustain the world community in its many endeavors. We believe the principles of international law are relevant to all and should not be manipulated by the powerful to serve their particular interests. AFSC is well aware that law in and of itself may not serve justice and we have challenged laws we believe unjust. Yet, we seek to uphold the principles of law where human dignity, social justice and peace are the ultimate objective. We envision the equal application of just principles of international law.

We understand that the United Nations is guided by the strengths and shortcomings of the member states. Having no enforcement capacity of its own, the UN’s achievements are based on the political will of its member states. If its record has fallen short of the world’s hopes, and should we be dissatisfied with a particular decision taken by the UN, we turn our attention to the members’ accountability. When member states accept the UN Charter, they are bound by the principles of the Charter. When any one member relinquishes this responsibility, it breaks its pledge to its people and to the world community. When any one member uses force against another power, it abuses its vow to uphold international law in the resolution of conflicts. Although nations may differ in their adherence to their resolve, they are accountable for their promise to abide by the Charter.

When our own nation stands in the way, when we veto resolutions drafted for the common good, or propose resolutions based solely on our supposed self- interests, when we withhold resources or hold the United Nations hostage to our partisan and political will, we shortchange our best interests and those of the world. For this we hold our own nation accountable.

In this new era, the United Nations is facing Herculean efforts to address current realities and long-standing needs. World leaders will assemble at the upcoming Summit to observe the 60th Anniversary of its founding have been challenged to advance together the causes of security, development and human rights. They address the Millennium Development Goals announced in 2000 with time-bound targets, as well as recommendations for the overhaul of the structures of the UN including the Security Council. They will do so in the context of an emerging consensus on peace and security that responds to new challenges and vulnerabilities.

It is widely accepted that the UN has arrived at a turning point in its history. It is now, in the Secretary General’s words, “at a fork in the road…no less decisive than (in) 1945 itself when the UN was founded.” We support Kofi Annan’s entreaty spoken at the 58th General Assembly in September 2003 in which he said, “The United Nations is by no means a perfect instrument, but it is a precious one. I urge you to seek agreement on ways of improving it, but above all of using it as its founders intended…. History is a harsh judge. It will not forgive us if we let this moment pass.”

The American Friends Service Committee remains wholeheartedly in sympathy with the purpose for which the United Nations was founded. We rededicate our efforts to support its principled endeavors, and we honor those who commit themselves to this undertaking.

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