UN's Ban to Combat U.S. Republican Critics as Funding Questioned

click here to view this on Bloomberg

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he will try to blunt a threat by Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives to withhold financial support for the world body by meeting with them to defend his record.

Republican Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, new head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, last July called the UN a “stew of corruption, mismanagement and negligence.”

Ros-Lehtinen is holding a hearing featuring UN critics on Jan. 25. She plans legislation to increase congressional scrutiny and to make the U.S. financial commitment voluntary, rather than an annual amount stipulated by a formula based on national economic output.

“I am sure I will be able to talk with Republicans in Congress and try to explain my priorities,” Ban said in an interview yesterday at Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York. “I think their priorities and my priorities are the same. The only complaint they may have is the lack of much faster progress than they might have expected.”

Ban, 66, is seeking to make the case for his efforts to improve UN management and provide protection of civilians in conflict-ridden countries as he enters the final year of his five-year term in office. He declined to declare that he is seeking a second term.

UN Image

The former South Korean foreign minister said he is struggling to overcome what he called a “fixed, framed image” of the UN as ineffective and mismanaged over the course of its six decades of existence.

“I am also sometimes frustrated by a lack of progress, but if you look at my four years as secretary-general, we have made quite significant progress in terms of transparent work, accountability, more efficiency and mobility,” Ban said. “It was me who for the first time in UN history had all senior advisers disclose their financial assets.”

Ros-Lehtinen was elevated to chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee following the election of a Republican majority in the House last November. Ban has had good relations with President Barack Obama’s Democratic administration, which moved in June 2009 to erase all U.S. debts to the UN for the first time since 1999.

“I’ve met with Secretary Ban in the past and I look forward to meeting with him again to discuss what I believe is a critical need to bring sweeping reform to the UN,” Ros-Lehtinen said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. “Not nearly enough has been done to address the across-the-board lack of transparency, accountability, and resistance to reform that is seen throughout the sprawling UN apparatus.”

Ban said he has met Ros-Lehtinen many times, knows her “very well” and will travel toWashington soon to meet with congressional leaders of both parties.

Punishing the UN

Asked about the threat to withhold U.S. funding, Ban said that “rather than try to punish by cutting the budget, continuing with robust and proper financial support will be better for the long-term interests of the U.S.”

The U.S. last year contributed $517 million to the UN’s operating budget of $2.17 billion and $2.68 billion of the $9.67 billion peacekeeping budget, the most of any nation.

Republican control of the House will “create difficulty for the UN in a way that Ban has been spared,” Jeff Laurenti, a UN analyst at the New York-based Century Foundation research group, said in an interview.

Republican President George W. Bush “became a little more reliant on the UN as he was bogged down in Iraq, Obama got the arrears paid off and Ban has had two years of a free ride,” Laurenti said. “Now there is the question of whether Ban is capable of defending the UN in the U.S. public debate when its enemies have power to wield against it.”

UN Reform Act

The first significant push for improvements in UN management came during the administration of President Bill Clinton, who signed the Helms-Biden United Nations Reform Act of 1999. It tied U.S. payments to specified steps to improve management. Republican Representative Henry Hyde of Illinois, a former Foreign Affairs chairman, tried unsuccessfully in 2006 to pass legislation tying payments to UN management changes.

U.S. debts, erased in 1999, began to build up again through late payments and underfunding during the Bush administration.

“Ban is continuing modest incremental steps on transparency and accountability, but nothing substantial,” Mark Lagon, a former aide to Republican Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolinaand now an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, said in an interview. “There is sincere concern on the part of Congress and the consistent position that voluntary funding works with agencies such as the World Food Program.”

UN Accomplishments

Ban and senior advisers who attended the interview cited such UN accomplishments as efforts to save lives in Myanmar following the 2008 cyclone there, success in Sudan in deploying a joint UN and African Union peacekeeping mission in the nation’s Darfur region, and assisting with the recent peaceful referendum on Southern Sudan’s independence. Ban also noted work helping Haiti recover from natural disasters and Iraq from the civil war that followed the 2003 U.S. invasion.

“There should be some fair appreciation and understanding of what the UN is doing and has been doing,” Ban said. “The UN is an organization of 192 member states. The U.S. makes the largest financial contribution, but there are many other member states who have different views who have made the work of the UN sometimes very slow.”

Human Rights Council

Referring to Ros-Lehtinen’s criticism of the UN’s Geneva- based Human Rights Council for allowing the membership of China, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Libya, all accused of human rights abuses, he said this was an issue of the governments that chose them rather than his responsibility.

“The United States has worked very constructively and productively with this secretary-general,” U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said this week. “We have been grateful for his leadership on a number of important issues, and we continue to talk about the ways we can work together to strengthen this institution, to make it more efficient, more cost effective, and to improve its performance.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Varner at the United Nations atwvarner@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mark Silva in Washington atmsilva34@bloomberg.net

The humanitarian situation in Haiti

Briefing on “The humanitarian situation in Haiti”, by the Deputy Director of the Coordination and Response Division, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the Director of the Office of Emergency Programmes, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (co-organized by OCHA and UNICEF)

Friday, 21 January 2011, at 1.30 p.m., in the conference room of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General, OCHA (380 Madison Avenue (between 46th and 47th Streets)).

[The briefing is open to members of permanent missions and observers missions. For further information, please contact Ms. Corazon dela Pena, OCHA (e-mail penac@un.org; tel. 1 (917) 357-2998).]

United Nations Forum on Forests - Ninth Session

The United Nations Forum on Forests will hold its ninth session from Monday, 24 January, to Friday, 4 February 2011, at United Nations Headquarters. The session will open on Monday, 24 January, at 10 a.m. in Conference Room 2 (NLB). The annotated provisional agenda is contained in document E/CN.18/2011/1.

The session will include a high-level ministerial segment, which will be held on Wednesday, 2, and Thursday, 3 February 2011.

There will be two parallel high-level round tables (1 and 2) in the afternoon of Wednesday, 2 February, and two parallel high-level round tables (3 and 4) in the morning of Thursday, 3 February 2011, each discussing a specific topic, as follows:

Round table 1: Forests for people;

Round table 2: Finance for forest-dependent communities;

Round table 3: Forests-plus: A cross-sectoral and cross-institutional approach; and

Round table 4: Forests and Rio+20.

The round tables are open to the participation of all Member States and observers. Delegations are kindly requested to indicate, as soon as possible, their preference for the participation of their head of delegation in one of the above-mentioned round tables by e-mail or fax to the Secretary of Forum, Ms. Vivian Pliner (e-mail pliner@un.org; tel. 1 (212) 963-5724; room IN-628B). Priority for making statements will be given to the heads of delegation in the order of inscription. Each round table accommodates forty statements. The time-limit for each statement is three minutes for individual Member States and five minutes for delegations speaking on behalf of a group of States. For further detailed information on the forthcoming session, please visit the following Web site: .

Registration for Member States and observers to obtain photo identification badges will be open at the United Nations Pass Office (room U-100, 801 United Nations Plaza (corner of First Avenue and 46th Street)), as follows:

Sunday, 23 January: from 12 noon to 6 p.m.; and

Monday, 24 January, and weekdays thereafter: from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Registration for non-governmental organizations, international and regional entities without observer status, and major groups accredited to the Economic and Social Council will be open at the United Nations Forum on Forests registration desk in the United Nations Visitors’ Lobby, as follows:

Monday, 24 January: from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2.30 to 5 p.m.;

Tuesday, 25 January, to Tuesday, 1 February (excluding the weekend): from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.;

Wednesday, 2 February, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2.30 to 5 p.m.; and

Thursday, 3, and Friday, 4 February, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Delegations wishing to attend the session and be included in the list of participants are requested to communicate, as soon as possible, the composition of their delegations to the Secretary of the Forum, Ms. Vivian Pliner (e-mail pliner@un.org; room IN-628B), with copy to Ms. Barbara Tavora-Jainchill (e-mail tavora-jainchill@un.org; room DC1-1258).

The United Nations: Urgent Problems that Need Congressional Action

Full Committee

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN (R-FL), CHAIRMAN

The United Nations:
Urgent Problems that Need Congressional Action

You are respectfully requested to attend the following open briefing of the Full Committee to be held in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

DATETuesday, January 25, 2011

TIME10:00 AM

LOCATIONRoom 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building

BRIEFERSMr. Brett Schaefer
Jay Kingham Fellow in International Regulatory Affairs
Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, the Heritage Foundation

Mr. Robert Appleton
Former Chairman
United Nations Procurement Task Force

Ms. Claudia Rosett
Journalist-in-Residence
Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Mr. Hillel C. Neuer
Executive Director
UN Watch

*** Mr. Peter Yeo
Vice President for Public Policy
United Nations Foundation

*** Mr. Mark Quarterman
Senior Adviser and Director
Program on Crisis, Conflict, and Cooperation
Center for Strategic and International Studies

NOTEBriefing has been rescheduled from a previous date.
***New briefers added.

How many DESA managers have conflict of interests?

REFORM U.N. DESA is embarking in a new quest - in the coming days, weeks and months we will publish proof of direct conflict of interest and collusion of many UN-DESA Chiefs of Branches, Directors of Divisions as well as ASGs and USGs.

We will also disclose how many of them have complied so far with the United Nations Financial Disclosure Policy and make transparent to the naked eye of every UN-DESA staff as well as public the falsity of U.N. system.

Today our question is:

IS THERE ANY MANAGER IN DESA WHO HAVE NOT DISCLOSED YET A DIRECT CONFLICT OF INTEREST ?

Financial disclosure and declaration of interest statements

United Nations

ST /SGB/2006/6

Secretary-General’s bulletin

Financial disclosure and declaration of interest statements

The Secretary-General, for the purpose of implementing staff regulation 1.2 (m), staff regulation 1.2 (n), as amended by the General Assembly in its

resolution 60/238, and staff rules 101.2 (o) and 101.2 (p), promulgates the following:

Section 1

Definitions

The following definitions shall apply for the purposes of the present bulletin:

(a) Spouse : an individual whose personal status has been recognized as such for purposes of United Nations entitlements;

(b) Relative : a spouse, father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister;

(c) Stock option : a right or option to buy a specific number of shares at a later date and price.

Section 2

Obligation to file a financial disclosure statement or a declaration of interest statement

Financial disclosure statement

2.1 The following staff members have an obligation to file an annual financial disclosure statement:

(a) All staff members at the D-1 or L-6 level and above;

(b) All staff members who are procurement officers, or whose principal occupational duties are the procurement of goods and services for the United

Nations;

(c) All staff members whose principal occupational duties relate to the investment of the assets of the United Nations, the United Nations Joint Staff

Pension Fund or of any accounts for which the United Nations has fiduciary or custodial responsibility;

(d) Other staff members whose direct access to confidential procurement or investment information warrants the filing of a financial disclosure statement;

(e) All staff members serving in the Ethics Office.

2.2 The relevant head of department or office shall determine, in accordance with

guidelines issued by the Ethics Office, the staff members who shall file financial

disclosure statements under sections 2.1 (b), (c) and (d) above.

Declaration of interest statement

2.3 Staff members on “when actually employed” (WAE) appointments, $1 per year appointments or serving on appointments of short duration who fall within the scope

of section 2.1 above, have the obligation to file a declaration of interest statement instead of a financial disclosure statement.

Section 3

Scope of financial disclosure statements with respect to staff members, spouses and dependent children

3.1 Staff members who are required to file a financial disclosure statement under section 2.1 above, shall report the following in respect of themselves, their spouse

and dependent children (if any):

(a) Assets held that have a market value of $10,000 or above per asset, or the equivalent in local currency at the operational rate of exchange. Assets include but

are not limited to stocks, bonds, mutual fund investments and real estate. Personal property1 should be reported only if it is held for investment or business purposes;

(b) Any profit of more than $10,000 on the sale of personal property that is held for investment or business purposes;

(c) All stock options, publicly listed or private, regardless of value;

(d) Income earned from sources other than the United Nations in the reporting period, including from investments listed in subparagraph (a) above, any

form of deferred emoluments from prior employment (but excluding United Nations pension benefits received from prior employment), or profit shares from prior

employment partnerships, if the total of all such income is over $10,000 in the reporting period;

(e) Any form of supplement, direct or indirect, to United Nations emoluments, including provision of housing or subsidized housing, or any gift, per

diem, reimbursements, entertainment or travel expenses, favour, benefit, remuneration or in kind contribution from any Government, governmental agency or

other non-United Nations source2 aggregating $250 or more from a single source during the reporting year, other than dependency benefits under national laws, travel

and per diem for approved outside activities and residential accommodation that has been accepted by the United Nations for its staff. Gifts from relatives are not

required to be reported;

(f) Liabilities over $50,000 owed to any creditor, including a mortgage on the staff member’s personal and/or vacation residence, as well as liability to a

former spouse. Liabilities owed to a parent, sibling, or dependent child are excluded;

(g) Involvement in any other activity, whether or not the activity is subject to approval by the Secretary-General under the applicable Staff Regulations and Rules,

that could have an impact on the objectivity or independence of the staff member in the performance of duties for the United Nations or otherwise affect the image or

reputation of the Organization;

(h) A spouse’s or dependent child’s financial or other interest in, or association with, any entity with which the staff member may be required to have

dealings on behalf of the Organization, or any entity which has any commercial interest in the work of the United Nations or a common area of activity with the

United Nations.

3.2 Staff members who are required to file a financial disclosure statement under section 2.1 above shall also report the following:

(a) Any leadership or policymaking role of the staff member in any non-United Nations entity (including membership on any corporate board);

(b) Any relatives employed in the United Nations system.

3.3 Staff members who are not able to comply with the disclosure requirements in respect of their spouse shall submit a detailed justification to the Ethics Office. The

Ethics Office shall consider whether such justification is reasonable, with regard to the particular circumstances of each case, and may make recommendations to the

staff member and/or to the Secretary-General in respect of each case.

Section 4

Scope of declaration of interest statements

Staff members who are required to file a declaration of interest statement under section 2.3 above shall report the following:

(a) Any financial or other interest in, or association with, any entity with which the staff member anticipates or should reasonably anticipate he or she may be

required to have official dealings on behalf of the Organization, or any entity that has a commercial interest in the work of the United Nations or a common area of

activity with the United Nations, in respect of themselves, their spouse and dependent children (if any);

(b) Any leadership or policymaking role of the staff member in any non-United Nations entity (including membership on any corporate board);4

(c) Current or past involvement of the staff member in any other activity, whether or not the activity is subject to approval by the Secretary-General under the

applicable Staff Regulations and Rules, which could have an impact on the objectivity and independence of the staff member in the specific performance of the

functions for which the staff member has been contracted by the United Nations or otherwise affect the image of the Organization;

(d) Any relatives employed in the United Nations system.

Section 5

Applicable date for values and rates of exchange

For the purposes of making the statements required pursuant to the present bulletin, the applicable date for all values and rates of exchange is the date of

disclosure.

Section 6

Forms

Staff members who are required to file a financial disclosure statement under section 2.1 above shall do so in the Financial Disclosure Form. Staff members who

are required to file a declaration of interest statement under section 2.3 above shall do so in the Declaration of Interest Form. These forms are available to staff

members on the Organization’s Intranet or from the Ethics Office.

Section 7

Filing procedures

7.1 Staff members who are required to file annual financial disclosure or declaration of interest statements pursuant to the present bulletin shall do so by

31 March, in respect of the period from 1 January to 31 December of the previous year. All statements shall be lodged with the Ethics Office, except for the statements

of staff in the Ethics Office, which shall be submitted to the Secretary-General.

7.2 Any person offered an appointment at a level or position that would require disclosure pursuant to sections 2.1 or 2.3 above, shall file an initial financial

disclosure or declaration of interest statement. Such a statement shall be submitted to the Ethics Office and shall be made in respect of the immediately preceding

12-month period. Failure to submit an initial statement may result in a withdrawal of the offer of appointment.

Section 8

Confidentiality

The financial disclosure and declaration of interest statements shall be kept in a secure location. The statements are confidential and will be accessible to and used

only by the Secretary-General, the Ethics Office or by offices or persons specifically authorized in writing by the Secretary-General.

Section 9

Obligations of staff members

Staff members making disclosures pursuant to the terms of the present bulletin shall certify that the information disclosed is true, correct and complete to the best

of their knowledge and belief.

Section 10

Final provisions

10.1 As a transitional measure for 2006, annual financial disclosure or declaration of interest statements for the period 1 January to 31 December 2005 shall be

submitted by 31 May 2006.

10.2 Secretary-General’s bulletin ST/SGB/2005/19 is hereby abolished.

10.3 The present bulletin shall enter into force on 1 May 2006.

(Signed ) Kofi A. Annan

Secretary-General

A branch-chief in UN-DESA doesn't speak english - continue to exercise duties thru a secretary translation

A COMIC REALITY SHOW HAPPENING NOW IN DESA

in UN-DESA the ridicules and falsity of internal Human Resource policies and management have dictated that a Branch Chief (D1) in a prominent Division continue to exercise the Chief's role thru hand-notes and emails written in english from a secretary, because this Chief cannot speak and neither write in official english. Nor the Chief can write in any other official UN language that would have somehow excuse the Chief from the handicap in English.

The Chief who was hired thru a completely non-transparent process and was brought into the department from outside the system (forced in), has resulted in a total failure of the branch to the point that the whole branch is now at a stand still and does not now how to function. The only thing this Chief care is the 2(two) cellphones - which the Chief uses all day to send SMS and emails. One wander in what language they are.

The situation is so laughable that staff has to speak to the secretary to get anything done.

At least, the minimum this Chief should do is pay some extra overtime for the secretary who is "de-facto" servicing as Chief. As a matter of fact a 25% increase would do. Or since its UN's money let's go crazy - make it a 35% increase, no one will notice.

Does Phony UN Organization Employ Obama’s Family?

source of this article is llphfreedom.blogspot.com/

The controversy involving a United Nations-affiliated organization that uses members of President Barack Obama’s Kenyan family to tout its anti-hunger campaign deepened this week, when Fox News learned that the two treaties upon which the group bases its U.N. credentials may be fakes.


The government of Italy, which supposedly signed the treaties used to give the organization international standing, told Fox News this week that it never did so. And neither treaty is included in a database maintained by Italy’s Foreign Ministry of treaties that Italy considers binding and valid.


Fox News questions to the U.N. about the matter earlier this week produced one immediate result: by January 13, the two documents had disappeared from the U.N.’s official registry of international treaties, where they were installed in 2001, as ordered by the U.N. Charter itself, which ordains in Article 102 that “Every treaty and every international agreement entered into by any Member of the United Nations…shall as soon as possible be registered with the Secretariat and published by it”…


The strange case of the tainted treaties adds a new dimension to the controversy surrounding the Intergovernmental Institution for the Use of Micro-Algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition (IIMSAM), which claims its main purpose is to make spirulina, a type of algae, “a key-driver to eradicate malnutrition, achieve food security and bridge the health divide with a special priority for the developing world and the least developed countries.” Fox News first raised questions about the organization’s supposed connection to the United Nations earlier this year.


IIMSAM has reinforced its claim of U.N. affiliate status with a steady flow of press releases since 2006, urging support for its work; extolling the health and nutritional advantages of spirulina platensis, a common algae that is used as a dietary supplement and fish food; issuing elaborate statements on various U.N. issues; and announcing partnerships and projects involving various organizations, corporations international institutions and individuals—including the Obama family. IIMSAM claims an office address in Rome and maintains a suite of offices in mid-town Manhattan…


IIMSAM not only advertises that President Obama’s grandmother, Sarah, and his uncle, Saidi, are “goodwill ambassadors” for the organization, but told Fox News in an interview last month that President Obama himself knows about IIMSAM and his family’s involvement. The White House has denied any knowledge of the organization.


After Fox News publicized the White House position, IIMSAM removed a photo from its website showing a youthful Barack Obama with his grandmother in Kenya, but continues to tout the Obama family connection. The Obama photo currently remains in a video clip extolling spirulina on the IIMSAM website.


IIMSAM claims something called “de facto diplomatic status on U.S. soil,” something a State Department official told Fox News he had never heard of.

An amazing UN DESA's Scandal of phony treaties (another one for Sha Zukang)

the NGO section of UN-DESA (Department of Economic and Social Affairs) has failed to establish and uphold minimum security, transparency and most important to safeguard one of the main mandates that the founding fathers of the U.N. had in mind - UN TREATIES (see FoxNews story).

The NGO and ECOSOC section seem to have "let down their guard" and allow an "italian job" to file on behalf of a phony treaty - on which the Italian Government claims now that they never signed.

Imagine that this scandal happened at UN-DESA the only United Nations specialized body who was actually led and managed by mostly Italian representatives in the past 10 years. Where the highest numbers of italian staffers were stationed and worked.

And still, somehow very strangely an NGO manage to claim "Italian Government participation in a fake Treaty". And go "undetected" for almost 9 years.

1. The question now is - who had such balls that inside the only "Italian House" within the UN (this was DESA nominative from 1998 - 2009) managed to infiltrate, file and become a member of ECOSOC with fake paperwork?

2. Who was that master mind that managed to bypass all check-points within the UN-DESA's bureaucracy and FALSELY declare :

• the fake participation of an independent member state,
• the fake participation of a member of NATO,
• the fake participation of a member of G7 and G20,
• the fake participation of one of the main donors of the UN;

3. How can that person or group of persons be so sure that no one in DESA's NGO or ECOSOC's support section would ever know or suspect of a phony treaty?

HOW MANY OTHER PHONY TREATIES ARE RIGHT NOW BEING "SAFEGUARDED" BY U.N. - DESA ?

Phony Treaties?

FROM CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW - CLICK HERE TO GO THEIR LINK

I shrunk and italicized my massive digression from the topic, for your convenience.

Say what you want about Fox News, love them or hate them, but this story seems pretty troubling to me.

I don’t feel that the specific circumstances are so troubling. We have an organization that is, at least allegedly, involved with advocating some type of algae to fight world hunger. Good for them. I don’t really care about what they are doing, its more how it appears they are organized that troubles me.

Now I have a natural and, I feel, reasonable distrust of the UN and most international organizations created by and in many cases affiliated with it. You have a group of unelected representatives making decisions that potentially affect the entire world and everyone on it.

My concerns don’t really lay with the US representative, being appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate they are changeable by us, pretty easily and regularly. Even with the reps from other democracies, I see a parallel with our legislative bodies here in the US, they are appointed by elected officials and thus have some accountability. I don’t elect the reps from other districts or the senators from other states, but they are accountable to the people.

Many member states are dictatorships, one party states such as communist countries and multitudes of other countries no one would want to be a citizen of, at least if they value basic freedoms. So here my concern lies. All of these countries have equal say as they should in such a body. Whether or not having a body like that is advisable.. I dunno. As usual I have gone way off course, so lets get back to it.

This organization, The Intergovernmental Institution for the Use of Micro-Algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition (IIMSAM), is apparently based upon treaties that don’t actually exist, namely with Italy.

Italy has no record of ever signing the treaty setting up IIMSAM. Almost 2 years ago Italy requested that the UN remove its name from the treaties on record, as they were never actually signed by Italy. There is more, but its even more boring, the link at the top takes you to the fox story which goes on forever with the specifics.

Like I said, I don’t really care what these guys are doing. Even if they did fudge some documents and somehow get the UN to register a treaty that was never signed by the country the treaty says signed it, I don’t think they are smuggling nuclear weapons around or poisoning wells anywhere.

The concerning thing is that IIMSAM appears to have gained legitimacy through illegitimate means. If they can do it, who else can? What are the ramifications of an organization being able to base itself on a non-existent or un-ratified treaty and actually have that ‘treaty’ be on hand, appearing legitimate, at the United Nations? I don’t really know and I won’t pretend to. It really concerns me though.

Treaties often have the force of law. In fact in the United States any treaty that doesn’t conflict with the Constitution can change federal law. There is also the added caveat that treaties can be made which take precedence over those powers which were reserved to the States, see the case law here.

To put that in a simpler perspective, the Constitution gives the states the power to regulate alcohol, Congress has pretty much no say what the states do, the drinking age in a given state for example. Congress has threatened to withhold funds if a states drinking age is below 21, but a state could still make it 18 or 16 or whenever you can see over the bar. Congress could do nothing about this. Were the President to sign and the Senate to ratify a treaty requiring the drinking age in the respective countries to be 12, that would become the law of the land.

A scary thought, at least to me.

Fue la U. N. Protección de los Tratados falso?

Haga clic aquí para ver esta historia en Foxnews.

La controversia que involucra una organización afiliada a las Naciones Unidas que utiliza los miembros de la familia keniana del presidente Barack Obama para promocionar su campaña de lucha contra el hambre se profundizó esta semana, cuando Fox News se enteró de que los dos tratados en los que el grupo basa sus credenciales de las Naciones Unidas pueden ser falsificaciones.

El gobierno de Italia, que supuestamente firmó los tratados para dar el pie organización internacional, dijo a Fox News esta semana que nunca lo hizo. Y no tratado se incluye en una base de datos gestionada por el Ministerio italiano de Exteriores de los tratados que Italia considera vinculante y válida.

Fox News a las preguntas de la ONU sobre el asunto a principios de semana produjo un resultado inmediato: el 13 de enero, los dos documentos habían desaparecido del registro oficial de la ONU de los tratados internacionales, donde se instalaron en 2003, según lo ordenado por la Carta de las Naciones Unidas misma, que ordena en el artículo 102 que "Todo tratado y todo acuerdo internacional concertados por cualesquiera Miembros de las Naciones Unidas ... Tan pronto como sea posible, se registrará en la Secretaría y publicados por ésta."
última serie de Fox News de preguntas a las Naciones Unidas sobre los tratados fueron enviados en la mañana del 12 de enero.

Pero la repentina desaparición de los documentos sólo se agrega a las cuestiones relativas a los tratados y la custodia de la ONU de ellos. Fuentes diplomáticas dicen a Fox News que la ONU ha sabido que Italia considera que los tratados que supuestamente firmó como falsa por casi dos años-desde el 26 de febrero 2009, cuando Italia solicitó formalmente que la ONU retire su nombre de los documentos. Sólo después de que Fox News inició su última pregunta se la ONU hacerlo.

El deseo de Italia de que su nombre sea removido bien pudo haber sido parte del registro oficial de fuga también, puesto que los expedientes de archivo previamente obtenidos por Fox News que muestran una "comunicación" de Italia se registró con el tratado de febrero 27,2009-el día después de Italia Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores emitió su solicitud de eliminación. (Hace semanas Fox News le preguntó a la colección de tratados de las Naciones Unidas una copia de la "comunicación", pero no obtuvo respuesta.)

Haga clic aquí para obtener el registro de la "comunicación"

El 12 de enero, fuentes diplomáticas le había dicho a Fox News que Italia seguía a proseguir su campaña de que la ONU corregir su registro oficial a través de los canales diplomáticos discretos, con el objetivo de tener su nombre borrado por completo de los documentos.

Añadiendo aún más al misterio, fuentes diplomáticas dicen a Fox News que fue la propia ONU que planteó por primera vez preguntas con Italia sobre los tratados y las organizaciones que crean, en octubre de 2008. La naturaleza exacta de que la comunicación sigue siendo confidencial.

¿Cómo los tratados contaminada a formar parte del disco más importante del mundo jurídico, en primer lugar? ¿Qué sabemos de las Naciones Unidas sobre ellos antes de que Italia lo hizo?

Fox News ha pedido a estos y una serie de preguntas relacionadas de la Secretaría de las Naciones Unidas sobre los últimos días, pero aún no ha recibido respuestas.

El extraño caso de los tratados contaminada añade una nueva dimensión a la controversia en torno a la Institución Intergubernamental para el uso de micro-algas Spirulina contra la Malnutrición (IIMSAM), que afirma que su objetivo principal es hacer que la espirulina, un tipo de algas ", una clave -controlador para erradicar la desnutrición, garantizar la seguridad alimentaria y reducir la brecha de salud con una prioridad especial para los países en desarrollo y los países menos desarrollados ". Fox News planteó por primera vez preguntas sobre la supuesta conexión de la organización de las Naciones Unidas a principios de este año.

IIMSAM ha reforzado su alegación de la condición de afiliado de la ONU con un flujo constante de comunicados de prensa desde el año 2006, instando el apoyo a su labor; ensalzar la salud y las ventajas nutricionales de Spirulina platensis, un alga común que se utiliza como suplemento dietético y la alimentación de peces; la expediciónelaboración de declaraciones sobre diversos temas de las Naciones Unidas y las asociaciones de anunciar y proyectos de diversas organizaciones, empresas instituciones internacionales y las personas-incluyendo a la familia Obama. IIMSAM reclama una dirección de la oficina en Roma y mantiene un conjunto de oficinas en el centro de Manhattan.
IIMSAM habitualmente ha afirmado que es "registrados en las Naciones Unidas, Treaty Series Número 37542-37543 séptima fecha de junio de 2001", que son los números de índice de la Colección de Tratados de los documentos rechazados por Italia.

Se ha emitido esporádicamente notas de prensa anunciando nuevos adeptos a la "tratado IIMSAM", que no aparecen en el registro de las Naciones Unidas. En mayo de 2009, por ejemplo, anunció que el canciller de Kenia Moses Wetang'ula lo habían hecho, lo que "el pleno reconocimiento diplomático de IIMSAM por Kenya".

Tiene también, en el pasado, se exige entre otras cosas que se llevaron a cabo operaciones en la República Democrática del Congo con la ayuda de organizaciones como el departamento de Ayuda Humanitaria de la Comisión Europea de Ayuda. Cuando fue contactado por Fox News, la oficina de Ayuda Humanitaria de la CE Comisario, Kristalina Georgieva, negó haber tenido contacto con IIMSAM bajo ninguna circunstancia.

IIMSAM no sólo anuncia que la abuela de Obama, Sarah, y su tío, Saidi, son "embajadores de buena voluntad" para la organización, pero le dijo a Fox News en una entrevista el mes pasado que el propio presidente Obama sabe IIMSAM y la participación de su familia. La Casa Blanca ha negado cualquier conocimiento de la organización.

Después de Fox News a conocer la posición de la Casa Blanca, IIMSAM sacó una foto de su sitio web que muestra un joven Barack Obama con su abuela en Kenia, pero sigue para promocionar la conexión de la familia Obama.La foto de Obama en la actualidad permanece en la espirulina clip exaltando video en el sitio web IIMSAM
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IIMSAM algo reclamaciones llamado "estado de facto diplomática en territorio de EE.UU.", algo que un funcionario del Departamento de Estado dijo a Fox News que nunca había oído hablar.

IIMSAM también se ha cobrado en la página principal de su sitio web que es un "Observador Permanente ante la Comisión Económica y Social (ECOSOC)-una denominación que no existe. Hasta la fecha, la ONU no ha respondido a las preguntas formuladas por Fox News sobre lo que está haciendo para prevenir IIMSAM el uso de la denominación ficticia.

Temprano en la mañana del 13 de enero, sin embargo, IIMSAM bruscamente se llevó el reclamo de que el estado de su página de inicio, pero dejó el reclamo en una carta a los lectores en la misma página.
Haga clic aquí para ver la página anterior IIMSAM casa "observador permanente"

Sin embargo, es IIMSAM admitidas a cotización oficial en los registros de las Naciones Unidas en calidad de observador Consejo Económico y Social intergubernamental "en forma permanente", junto a instituciones tan conocidas como la Organización de Países Exportadores de Petróleo (OPEP) y la propia ONU Mundial del Turismo Asociación.
Haga clic aquí para ver el registro de estatus de IIMSAM de Consejo Económico y Social

Las credenciales no son permanentes, sino que debe ser renovado periódicamente por la ONU, sobre la base de los tratados intergubernamentales que los establezca. Implican la Oficina de la Secretaría de las Naciones Unidas de Asuntos Jurídicos, cuyo trabajo incluye la descripción de "la preparación de convenios y otros instrumentos jurídicos que regulan las relaciones de las Naciones Unidas con los Estados Miembros, las organizaciones intergubernamentales, organizaciones no gubernamentales y otras entidades legales."

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Italia dijo a Fox News que no había recibido ninguna comunicación de las Naciones Unidas sobre IIMSAM o los tratados de polémica antes de 2008.
estado actual de IIMSAM Consejo Económico y Social que da derecho a asistir y presentar sus puntos de vista en su caso en las reuniones del Consejo de s 'y foros, y en otras reuniones de las Naciones Unidas que reconocen los observadores Consejo Económico y Social. También da a la organización un perfil y el prestigio con los gobiernos e instituciones de todo el mundo que de otro modo no tiene.

Todas estas actividades se derivan de papel se exige IIMSAM como las Naciones Unidas-aprobada por "organización intergubernamental"-que a su vez se otorga sobre la base de los tratados que Italia dice que nunca firmó.
¿Cómo IIMSAM consiguió su "continua" la condición de observador en la base de los tratados es otro misterio, ya que ni el documento menciona IIMSAM específicamente por su nombre. De acuerdo con el documento registrado en la Colección de Tratados de Tratado N º 37.542, una institución llamada la "Institución Intergubernamental para el uso de la microalga Spirulina (Spirulina programa) ha sido designada como un" organismo afiliado "a una nueva organización llamada la Asociación de ColaboraciónIntergubernamental Instituto de Investigación Científica (CISRI), cuya creación es el principal objetivo del tratado.

Un segundo tratado, N ° 37.543 del Registro de las Naciones Unidas, anuncia la creación de "El Centro Internacional para la alimentación de micro-alga contra la malnutrición (ICFAM), con" el objetivo de promover el estudio y la producción de micro-algas alimentos a favor de las personas necesitadas . "Las entidades de segundo, la" Institución Intergubernamental de la Universidad de la cooperación ", también se crea. Una vez más, CISRI de forma destacada el nombre, como el" depositario "del tratado.

Haga clic aquí para los tratados

El segundo tratado también contiene un mecanismo sutil: sólo entra en vigor cuando los signos quinto país que. En este caso, el firmante quinto es Italia. Esto plantea la intrigante posibilidad de que si la inclusión de Italia no es válido, todo el tratado es válido, una especie de fantasma jurídica en los registros de la ONU.

En su propia página web, CISRI se posiciona en medio de una niebla de la tecno-verborrea que podría significar casi cualquier cosa, o nada. Su función, CISRI dice, es "promover la investigación científica, las iniciativas y la educación en favor de la cooperación internacional, tanto a nivel técnico y de promoción y representa una plataforma de relevancia institucional para las cuestiones relacionadas con la cooperación internacional y el desarrollo." Otras declaraciones pueden indicar el sitio web no se ha actualizado desde 2008.
CISRI también alega que es miembro del Pacto Mundial de las Naciones Unidas, que es patrocinado por la ONU "la iniciativa política estratégica para el negocio" que tiene por objeto recabar la adhesión del sector empresarial a los objetivos de las Naciones Unidas.

Un portavoz del Pacto Mundial confirmó que CISRI se convirtió en una ONG (organización no gubernamental ") participante en junio de 2005, y dijo que" no hemos tenido ningún contacto o relación con ellos desde entonces. "

Rio +20 and sustainable development

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In the run-up to the Rio +20 Conference in 2012, twenty years after the ground-breaking Rio 92, a UN report has highlighted the challenges facing both developed and developing countries in making their economies greener on a sustainable basis. The bottom line is flexibility and pooling of resources.

The UN report "Objective and Themes of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development" underlines that there have been many successes since the Earth Summit of Rio de Janeiro in 1992, however, the way in which the planet's natural resources are used continues to create damage to crucial ecosystems.

It is clear from the report that the current cycles of production and consumption are more and more harmful to the environment and that the eradication of global poverty while implementing sustainable development continues to be the main challenge facing mankind, as we realise the startling economic impact of the misuse of our environment.

The report points out that despite the fact that world GDP has risen some 60% since 1992, extreme poverty remains endemic in many areas of the planet. Sha Zukang, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, explains that "Today we will review what we have accomplished so far in preparing for Rio +20, what lessons have been learned and how best to move ahead". He added that he hopes "that the intersessional meeting can help participants reach common ground and focus on those critical elements of an action-oriented, forward-looking outcome of the Conference, which will help launch our world on a trajectory towards global sustainability in the 21st century".

Informal discussions among the parts focus on objectives, themes and challenges, analysing what is going well and also examining the drawbacks. One very positive note in the report is that most countries are incorporating green strategies into their governmental policy guidelines, however, many do not yet have a strategy for a green economy for sustainable development and the eradication of poverty.

The report advises that the approach towards a green economy should be as flexible as possible "allowing governments to define their own paths toward sustainable development, based on national circumstances and priorities". The report underlines a major challenge: while developed countries have the ability to concentrate more resources on environmental questions, developing countries have at the same time to increase standards of living, while trying to contain environmental impact of this.

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

Pravda.Ru