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Tell the US to Join the World Community and
Sign the New Cluster Bomb Treaty!
The Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions, the most significant disarmament and humanitarian treaty of the decade, will open for signature in Norway December 3-4. Heads of State, Foreign Ministers, and senior government representatives from over 100 countries are expected to gather to sign this worldwide ban on the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster bombs. As a member of the Cluster Munition Coalition and Chair of the US Campaign to Ban Landmines & Cluster Bombs, UNA-USA's Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign will also be a delegate at the signing.
Over the past eight years, the United States has again and again distanced itself from the world community. This new treaty presents an opportunity for the US to show a renewed commitment to supporting the development of international law, international civil society movements, and the work of the UN.
You can help support UNA-USA's work in Oslo by writing to President-elect Barack Obama right now to urge the US to sign in 2009!
Click here to send your message now!
For more information, tools, videos, and more, please also visit www.landmines.org.
UNA-USA Strongly Supports Nomination of Susan E. Rice;
She Exemplifies Qualities Needed to Work Effectively with UN Secretariat and Member States
December 1, 2008. Ambassador William H. Luers, president of the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA), issued the following statement today concerning President-elect Barack Obama’s nomination of Susan E. Rice to become United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
UNA-USA strongly supports the nomination of Susan E. Rice to become United States permanent representative to the United Nations. In selecting Dr. Rice for this key foreign-policy position, President-elect Barack Obama is appointing one of his closest advisers to one of the world’s most important and demanding diplomatic posts. The president-elect’s decision to include the incoming ambassador in his cabinet is also important, signaling the key role that the United Nations will play in the incoming administration’s foreign policy.
Susan Rice exemplifies many of the qualities that UNA-USA believes are critical to achieving successful outcomes in the UN post. She has strong diplomatic experience, a demonstrated willingness to listen to others and an abiding interest in and concern for developments in Africa, where some of the most important UN responsibilities rest. At the same time, Dr. Rice has developed a keen knowledge and understanding of the UN’s operational capabilities during the years that she worked both in and out of government.
The Rice nomination adds further to the anticipation at the United Nations that the incoming Obama administration, including Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton, will be cooperating closely with UN member states to manage and resolve many issues that the United States cannot address on its own. Virtually every major foreign-policy issue facing the United States must be dealt with under the umbrella of the UN — climate change, nuclear non-proliferation, global pandemics, achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the prevention of genocide, as well as regional challenges, particularly in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa.
As the new US Permanent Representative to the UN, Susan Rice will be looked to for cooperation and leadership in strengthening the United Nations. The UN is poised to undertake an energetic renewal effort, including a broader UN Security Council more representative of today’s global distribution of power. A sympathetic US role can help move this core shift in how the UN addresses global security issues. A positive and yet not commanding US role in renewing the United Nations in many aspects is greatly needed to help the UN become far more effective in dealing with its ever-growing responsibilities. We look toward a new era of American cooperation at the United Nations to address the global issues that threaten the future of our planet.
The leadership and members of UNA-USA throughout the United States look forward to working closely with the incoming administration and its team to support a robust and effective US presence at the United Nations.
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