United Nations Sumit Declaration, September 2005

At the opening of the United Nations 60th General Assembly, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice noted that the UN Summit Declaration endorsed by more than 170 heads of state and government "expresses a global consensus that UN reform is imperative." The final Declaration was the product of four months of discussion, two weeks of intense negotiation, and several compromise drafts tabled by UN General Assembly President Jean Ping. The United States is pleased that the Member States have agreed to denounce terrorism in all its forms, advance the cause of development, reform the management of the UN, establish a Peacebuilding Commission, and create a Human Rights Council.

The Summit Declaration represents an important step in a long process of UN reform. The United States wants the UN to be strengthened and to be effective around the world. The United States is committed to working tirelessly during the 60th session of the General Assembly to implement the goals expressed in the Declaration and, as Secretary Rice said, to "launch a lasting revolution of reform."

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE UN SUMMIT DECLARATION

UN Reform

Management Reform: Member States took important first steps in approving management, budget, and administrative reforms that can provide a basis for a more effective and efficient institution. The Declaration supports a UN system-wide code of ethics, stronger whistleblower protection, more extensive financial disclosure for UN officials, creation of an independent ethics office, review of mandates that are more than five years old, and enhanced, independent oversight of internal UN operations.

Human Rights Council: The Declaration endorsed a successor to the discredited Commission on Human Rights. The creation of a Human Rights Council will represent the achievement of a long-standing goal to ensure that the protection of human rights gets the immediate and effective attention that it deserves. The Summit Declaration focuses on grave human rights situations in particular nations. An immediate priority for the United States during the 60th UNGA session will be passing a detailed resolution establishing the new Council.

Peacebuilding Commission: Member States endorsed a Peacebuilding Commission that would more effectively galvanize international efforts to help countries to recover after conflicts and to develop the institutions of civil society
and democracy. During the 60th UNGA session, the United States will work to formally establish this Commission.

Security Council expansion: The Declaration supports a goal of an expanded Security Council, and creates a target for the General Assembly to review progress by the end of the year.

Additional Key Issues

Anti-Terrorism: The Summit Declaration contains a strong condemnation of all forms of terrorism. The United States was able to prevent the inclusion of language that would have condoned terrorist acts by national liberation movements. In addition, the Declaration stresses the need to conclude a Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism.

Development: The Declaration recognizes actions and commitments made by donors since the 2000 Millennium Summit and the 2002 Monterrey Consensus. It calls on developing countries to promote the rule of law and good governance, improve investment climates, encourage business formation, and protect property rights. This is consistent with the underlying principle of the Monterrey Consensus -- that developing countries bear primary responsibility for their own development and that developed countries will support developing countries in their efforts to create an enabling environment for development.

Responsibility to Protect: Member States underscored the responsibility and readiness of the international community to act where national authorities fail to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. Perhaps most important, the Document clearly rejects the argument that the principle of non-intervention precludes the Security Council from taking such action. In the wake of Srebrenitza, Rwanda, and Darfur, the United States believes this statement is an important step towards stopping such deliberately-caused suffering.

October 7, 2005