lord of the blog

« Freedom of Information | Main | Responses »

Thursday, February 10, 2005

Kofi Annan and the UN

I listened to Kofi Annan's speech in Whitehall. Together with Tony Blair, Jack Straw and members of the High Level Panel he spoke about the need to reform the UN and of the challenges we face today. See www.un.org/News for reports on the speech.

The United Nations Association is going to arrange meetings in various parts of the country to try and increase interest in the future of the UN.

I went back to the House of Commons hoping to see it get first place on the news and what did I see? The Royal marriage! Have we no sense of priorities?

I'll be very interested in attending a few of those 'United Nations Association' meetings actually - if/when you get details, could you post them?

"I went back to the House of Commons hoping to see it get first place on the news and what did I see? The Royal marriage! Have we no sense of priorities?"

I think the UK publics prioritise Royal bashing over UN bashing.

I will admit though, it's a close call

;-)

Btw Clive, do you see yourself working for the UN after being an MP?

Regards,

Andy

Andrew: The UNA has been debating the future of the UN long before British government started attacking Kofi Annan for not supporting the occupation of Iraq. At least, the UNA has the best interests of the UN and its founding principles at heart. This is in contrast to the current drive for "reform" which is led by the agenda of the American Christian Right that still views the UN as some communist plot for world government. The idea of the far-right is to force the UN to accept the US's desire to invade resource-rich countries on the pretext that they are "failed states" and "unfree". Unfortunately, there are well-meaning people in the UK who are being influenced by the rhetoric, without recognising the underlying profit-driven motives. It is better to stay with the UNA, which tends to be far more objective in these matters.

Clive,

When you get a moment, please follow the attached link. It leads to a site run by Dahr Jamail, an Arab American independent journalist working in Iraq. Unlike your average BBC/CNN/ITN chappie, he actually travels outside his hotel, reporting on what he sees with his own eyes, rather than recycling official statements put out by the occupying forces (the practice of the majority of European and American "journalists").

Given your arguments in the House for the need to pacify the residents of Fallujah, I thought you might want to take a look at some of these people after your Special Friends were finished with them. Beware though, it's not the sort of thing that looks very nice on a New Labour manifesto. Just out of curiosity, and given your oft repeated concern for what "Arabs and Iraqis" think, what would be your advice to the relatives of these people?

Please look clive. Please follow the link. Please read the reports, if only as a counter-weight to what we all usually hear. It's the least you can do.

http://dahrjamailiraq.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album28&page=1
S.

Here's one story of many Clive. Do you think that this might warrant a mention in the House? Even if you don't immediately believe it, does this sort of report warrant a one line question to the Prime Minister, in public? Just to suggest that it might need to be looked into? It's not long, so please read it.

http://dahrjamailiraq.com/weblog/archives/dispatches/000196.php#more

Cheers Dan