Note
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio has introduced "The United Nations Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act of 2013," and the bill is now in the hands of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. It was co-sponsored by Republican Senators Cornyn and Risch. As Rubio rightly said in introducing the bill: "today it [the United Nations] is plagued by ineffective leadership, excessive bureaucracy, ethical abuses, misspending and transparency problems...By bringing greater accountability and budget transparency, the U.S. will be able to ensure that American taxpayer dollars going to the UN are actually advancing our national interest." But with a Democrat-controlled Senate, and a President who has embraced the UN as a key instrument of his foreign policy (to avoid leadership, to conduct end-runs around Congress, and to pressure Israel), Congressional watchers give the bill a "7% chance of getting past committee. 1% chance of being enacted." That's unfortunate. As Rubio rightly said in introducing the bill: "today it [the United Nations] is plagued by ineffective leadership, excessive bureaucracy, ethical abuses, misspending and transparency problems...By bringing greater accountability and budget transparency, the U.S. will be able to ensure that American taxpayer dollars going to the UN are actually advancing our national interest."
Here's some of what the bill would accomplish.
Budget transparency and accountability:
· Makes it U.S. policy to shift funding for the UN regular budget to voluntary contributions and includes a mandate to pursue zero nominal growth of the UN regular budget;
· Authorizes the creation of an Inspector General (IG) to investigate and audit the use of U.S. contributions to the UN.
· Requires an analysis that compares countries' voting patterns with amount of U.S. foreign aid received.
· Requires an annual OMB report on all U.S. contributions to the UN.
Substantive reform:
· Withholds U.S. contributions to any UN entity that grants full membership to the Palestinian Authority in the absence of a negotiated peace settlement with Israel.
· Withholds U.S. contributions to the UN system that would have been expended on activities related to the Goldstone Report.
· Withholds U.S. contributions to any UN activities related to the Durban Process, a forum for anti-Semitism.
· Denies U.S. funding to any UN entity that recognizes NGOs that condone anti-Semitism.
· Prohibits U.S. participation on the UN Human Rights Council in its present form
· Conditions U.S. funding to the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA on its implementing counterterrorism reforms, including adequate vetting of their personnel for terrorist connections.
Here's some of what the bill would accomplish.
Budget transparency and accountability:
· Makes it U.S. policy to shift funding for the UN regular budget to voluntary contributions and includes a mandate to pursue zero nominal growth of the UN regular budget;
· Authorizes the creation of an Inspector General (IG) to investigate and audit the use of U.S. contributions to the UN.
· Requires an analysis that compares countries' voting patterns with amounts of U.S. foreign aid amounts received.
· Requires an annual OMB report on all U.S. contributions to the UN.
Substantive reform:
· Withholds U.S. contributions to any UN entity that grants full membership to the Palestinian Authority in the absence of a negotiated peace settlement with Israel.
· Withholds U.S. contributions to the UN system that would have been expended on activities related to the Goldstone Report.
· Withholds U.S. contributions to any UN activities related to the Durban Process, a forum for anti-Semitism.
· Denies U.S. funding to any UN entity that recognizes NGOs that condone anti-Semitism.
· Prohibits U.S. participation on the UN Human Rights Council in its present form
· Conditions U.S. funding to the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA on its implementing counterterrorism reforms, including adequate vetting of their personnel for terrorist connections.