Posted on Sustainabilitank.info on October 24th, 2006
by Pincas Jawetz (PJ@SustainabiliTank.com)
UNITED NATIONS - / www.MaximsNews.com, UN/ - 24 October 2006 — Most Americans continue to support the United Nations according to a new national poll released yesterday by The Better World Campaign on views of the world body. Public Opinion Strategies, a Washington DC-based polling firm, conducted a national survey of 800 registered voters September 22-26, 2006 for The Better World Campaign. The margin of error is plus or minus: 3.46%.
The Key Findings include:
78% of Americans believe “it is in America’s best interest to continue to actively support the United Nations.” (Percent Agree: 61% Republicans, 78% Independents, 91% Democrats)
76% of Americans believe “recent events prove we need to make the United Nations stronger so it can do more to address problems like terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.” (Percent Agree: 69% Republicans, 71% Independents, 85% Democrats)
74% of Americans believe “the U.S. needs the UN now more than ever because we cannot bear all the burden and cannot afford to pay to go it alone around the world.” (Percent Agree: 59% Republicans, 75% Independents, 86% Democrats
74% of Americans agree with the following statement: “The U.S. right now has the power to influence what happens at the U.N. and make sure America’s interests are protected through its position on the UN Security Council. It would be a mistake for the U.S. to withdraw from the UN.” (Percent Agree: 61% Republicans, 71% Independents, 87% Democrats)
73% of Americans agree with the following statement: “The United Nations was created after World War Two to help put an end to global warfare. It is frustrating, but it works. There have been no world wars since then and the United Nations has played a critical role because it provides each nation a forum to air grievances and to work out problems to help stop major conflicts. That is a role no other organization plays and it is a role that is more important than ever today.” (Percent Agree: 56% Republicans, 73% Independents, 87% Democrats)
“It is clear that Americans recognize the value of the United Nations, believe in its mandate to promote a more peaceful and cooperative global society and value the U.N. as vehicle for sharing the risks and costs of global security,” said Timothy E. Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation and the Better World Fund.
“This confirms that a majority of Americans have a favorable image of the U.N. and that they strongly believe the United States should continue to belong to the U.N.” he said.
“Americans understand that working with and through the UN allows for the promotion of our core values—like promoting democracy, universal education, and using law rather than violence to settle national disputes,” said Deborah Derrick, Executive Director of the Better World Campaign.
“They also understand that the UN supports America’s goals and objectives in fighting the global war on terrorism,” she said.
The Better World Campaign, an initiative the Better World Fund, works to strengthen the relationship between the United States and the United Nations.
The UN Foundation was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and also works to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach.
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In final UN Day message, Annan warns that much still needs to be done.
Kofi Annan
23 October 2006 – In his final message for United Nations Day as Secretary-General, Kofi Annan warned today that much still needs to be done in the common struggle for development, security and human rights, and he urged world leaders to work with his successor, Ban Ki-moon, to make the world body ever stronger and more effective.
“I have spent almost my whole professional life working for the United Nations – so this day, and the values that it stands for, will always be special for me,” Mr. Annan said in a message released ahead of the Day, celebrated on 24 October – a UN holiday this year celebrating the Muslim festival marking the end of Ramadan.
Citing progress made since he assumed office 10 years ago, Mr. Annan noted that aid and debt relief has increased, the world is scaling up its response to HIV/AIDS, there are fewer wars between States than there used to be, many civil wars have ended, and more Governments are elected by, and accountable to, the people whom they govern.
“And all States have acknowledged, at least in words, their responsibility to protect people from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity,” he said. “But there is so much that still needs doing,” he added, citing the growing gap between rich and poor.
He stressed that very few countries are on track to reach all eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which seek to slash a host of social ills such as extreme poverty, hunger, maternal and infant mortality, and a lack of access to education by 2015.
Many people still face atrocities, repression, and brutal conflicts, the nuclear non-proliferation regime requires urgent attention, and terrorism and the reaction to it are spreading fear and suspicion, he added.
“It seems we don’t even agree which threats are most important,” Mr. Annan declared. “Those who live in small islands may see global warming as the biggest danger. Those who live in a city that has suffered terrorist attacks – like New York, or Mumbai, or Istanbul – may feel that confronting terrorism is more urgent. Others again may cite poverty, disease, or genocide.
“The truth is, these are all global threats. All of us should be concerned about all of them. Otherwise, we may not succeed in dealing with any of them.”
Mr. Annan, who steps down on 31 December at the end of two five-year terms, called on the peoples of the world to urge their leaders to work with Mr. Ban for the betterment of the UN.
“Long live our planet, and its peoples. Long live the United Nations!” he concluded.
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Annan stresses ‘vital’ UN partnership with business to advance responsible globalization.
23 October 2006 – More than ever before, the United Nations is making the business world, as well as civil society and the academic community, “vital partners” in advancing international peace and development, but much more remains to be done, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today in a message to a forum of business leaders.
“Just 10 years ago, the relationship between the United Nations and the private sector was burdened with mistrust,” he told the forum, ‘Business as an agent for world benefit – management knowledge leading positive change,’ organized by the Case Western Reserve University and the UN Global Compact in Cleveland, Ohio, US.
Mr. Annan stressed the importance of the Compact, the initiative he launched six years ago to advance good corporate citizenship and responsible globalization in such areas as combating corruption, safeguarding the environment, ensuring social inclusion and building markets.
“Today, UN engagement with business can be seen in countless day-to-day initiatives around the world encompassing most of the pressing problems of our time, from poverty and hunger to HIV/AIDS and water supply,” he said in the message, delivered by UN Global Compact Executive Director Georg Kell.
“By aligning corporate activities with UN goals, the Compact’s stakeholders have generated improvements in governance and built up the capacities of suppliers and small enterprises. And by advocating universal principles as a core part of corporate strategies and operations, the Compact has sought to make global markets more sustainable and inclusive,” he added.
“But there remains much to do. Globalization remains an imperfect process. Business continues to face tremendous pressure to uphold its social responsibilities. There is a pressing need to sustain the momentum of the corporate responsibility movement. And the academic community has an important role to play in this effort.”
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