|
|
| by Christopher
Spencer |
Former Senior
Advisor International Organizations, Canadian Department of
Foreign Affairs and International Trade |
| Updated: 25 MAY
09 | |
ACCESS TO HIV PREVENTION: CLOSING THE GAP, A 40 page Report by Global HIV Prevention
Working Group, (distributed after May 03 as Supplement to Foreign Affairs):-brief statement of
Working Group's accomplishment states that it is region-by-region analysis of gaps in access
to HIV prevention interventions; it examines current spending levels versus projected need; and
it recommends funding and programmatic activities to avert 29m of 45m new HIV infections
projected between 2002 and 2010.Worldwide comments; then analyses regarding regions:
Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia/Pacific, Eastern Europe/Central Asia, Caribbean/Latin America, North
Africa/Middle East. Conclusions: HIV Prevention Resource Gap; RECOMMENDATIONS.
Latter(each followed by argumentation) are: Global spending on HIV prevention activities from
all sources should increase three-fold by 2005 to $5.7b, and to $6.6b by 2007. Because
prevention efforts currently fall short of what is needed in every region of developing world,
prevention scale-up must be central priority in each region. In immediate future, prevention
efforts should aggressively focus on bringing to scale especially cost-effective, high-impact
interventions. As both prevention and treatment programs are brought to scale, these initiatives
should be carefully integrated to create singlecontinuum of services. In addition to funding
prevention interventions themselves, donors should, in collaboration with multilateral agencies,
provide extensive additional support to build long-term human capacity and infrastructure.
Development assistance and policy reforms should address social and economicconditions that
increase vulnerability to, and facilitate rapid spread of HIV/AIDS. Research into newprevention
strategies and technologies should be strengthened and accelerated. Substantial and sustained
efforts by all donors should focus on improving data collection regarding magnitude and nature
of HIV/AIDS spending in low- and middle-income countries.
F.H.Abed, "Micro-Credit, Poverty and Development: the Case of Bangladesh" in Behind the
HeadlinesVol.57/ No.2-3 (Winter/Spring 00):-micro-credit -small loans made to poor
households/individuals to finance small-scale entrepreneurial activities- has expanded
rapidly(world target is now $20b), and encouraged hope for major cost-effective global
poverty-reduction. "NGOs in Asia, Africa, and Latin America are largest providers of micro-credit
to those sections of society - rural landless, disadvantagedwomen, marginal farmers, and wage
labourers - who depend largely on selling their labour for a living" (12). These target groups
reflect the fact that it is often the only way very poor can break cycle of povertyresulting from
a lack of collateral and exorbitant local interest charges. It produced high success ratesnot only
in poverty-reduction(and repayment:98%)but in social reform, economic development,
education/training, and growth of assets for both borrowers/lenders, which is reinvested. Abed,
director ofBangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, among world's largest NGO's, offers
much globally-relevant information:big issues/questions; scale/approach/result;
specialties(income-useful education, social development).
Virginia D.Abernethy Population Politics: The Choices that Shape Our Future(New York: Insight
Books 93):-an influential source, frequently cited for its study of human incentives. It takes now
widely-held view that developing an informed motivation to lower fertility rates(e.g. perception
of limited resources)must often precede active use of contraceptives. It also makes radical
proposal: total US immigration ban.[In fact, current migration from poor to rich countries barely
affects demographic pressures or trends, although short-distance, large-scale movements (such
as from Bangladesh to Assam)can have local impact.] G. Pascal Zachary, "An Unconventional
Academic Sounds Population Alarm" in Wall Street Journal 31 Jul 98, reports that Abernethy
opposed most aid to poor countries since, contrary to "demographic transition" theory(that
fertility falls as living standards rise), prosperity increases fertility.[Most experts probably feel
that while" transition" is much more complex than once thought, perceiving its complete
reversal would:(1)confusesome immediate, with major long-term, effects of rising living
standards (low OECD fertility);(2)ignore many other factors, e.g. female education; women's
choice; cultural imperatives.]
Masood Ahmed & Cheryl Gray Helping Countries Combat Corruption: The Role of the World
Bank(Washington: IBRD 97):-produced by World Bank's Poverty Reduction and Economic
Management Network(PREM). Bank's World Development Report 1997: The State in a Changing
World(op.cit.)also deals with global corruption issues in government context but mainly
descriptively, while PREM reportconcentrates on how Bank can help governments address
corruption as serious development constraint. Daniel Kaufmann(op.cit.)lists more articles and
books on this issue.
Salman Ahmed"No Size Fits All: Lessons in Making Peace and Rebuilding States"Foreign
AffairsVol.84/No.1(Jan/Feb 05):-Review Essay by Senior Political Officer, Office of UN USG for
Peacekeeping Operations who served in Cambodia, South Africa, Bosnia/Herzegovina,
Afghanistan and Iraq. Providesanalysis of the argumentation of three books: Roland Paris At
War's End: Building Peace After Civil Conflict(Cambridge: Cambridge Univ.Press 04); Kimberly
Zisk Marten Enforcing the Peace: Learning From the Imperial Past(New York: Columbia Univ.
Press 04); John Mueller The Remnants of War(Ithaca: Cornell Univ.Press 04). All three
draw"attention to important lessons that deserve serious consideration from policymakers and
practitioners...Still, these authors make too much of similarities among cases they study and not
enough of differences. And by using them to extrapolate bold models for state reconstruction,
authors belie inherent complexities of task...Specifics of...conflicts - their scale as well as their
historical geopolitical/socioeconomic roots - should inform how peace brokered/maintained. Yet
none...pays enough attention to such fundamental considerations."Essay is worth reading - as
a survey of all the issues faced by the UN when easing post-crisis problems.
AIDS: THIRD WORLD: COST-PATENT DILEMMA; GLOBAL ASSISTANCE
AIDS: THIRD WORLD: INFECTION RATES AND SOCIAL-ECONOMIC ISSUES
AIDS: THIRD WORLD: MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND CHALLENGES
AIDS: THIRD WORLD: POLICY ISSUES AND CONFERENCES
The HIV/AIDS pandemic is viewed increasingly as the most serious challenge facing global
society. Almost all material on this subject is found in the media and is included in RECENT
DEVELOPMENTS. To reach all media selections relating to AIDS, click on AIDS Third World.
John B.Alexander Future War: Non-Lethal Weapons in Twenty-First Century Warfare(New York:
St. Martin's Press 99):-excellent study of immense potential of non-lethal weapons, and impact
of global trends on aims of security. Assumed US/NATO must(via UN)be world police force.
Emerging threats for armed forces/police are: powerful criminal/terrorist organizations, together
with transnational/religious bodies/ groups seeing themselves as politically, economically or
socially deprived. Wide range of non-lethal weaponry includes acoustic, biological, chemical,
electromagnetic weapons, physical restraints, low-impact projectiles, information warfare.
Useful scenarios: peace support(UN)operations; technologicalsanctions; strategic paralysis;
hostages or barricades. Issues addressed: practical limitations, strategicimplications, moral
opposition, legal considerations, and constraints on "winning" .
Graham AllisonNuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe(New York: Owl
Books/Henry Holk & Co 05):-extremely expert/influential report argues in INTRODUCTION
that:"Given the number of actors with serious intent, the accessibility of weapons or nuclear
materials from which elementary weapons could be constructed, and the almost limitless ways
in which terrorists could smuggle a weapon through US borders, [i]n my own considered
judgment, on the current path, a nuclear terrorist attack on US inthe decade ahead is more likely
than not"(15). First chapter concludes:"What all [major terrorist] groups have in common is a
hatred of the US or the West, along with sophisticated organizational structuresand access to
technical know-how. [U]ncomfortable fact is that being the world's only superpower isinevitably
going to breed resentment of one form or another - and it is impossible to mollify every single
group. Challenge to US is to prevent these organizations from acquiring the means to threaten
us with nuclear attack"(42).Then describes"unique destructive power of these terrible weapons",
how/where they could be obtained, and where/when/how attacks might take place(43-120). Then
describes policy changes to reduce chance of attack. List: priority to issue; standard for secure
nuclear weapons/material; globalalliance against nuclear terrorism; global clean-out of all
dangerous fissile material; stop new national production of fissile material; shut down of nuclear
black markets; block emergence of nuclear weaponsstates; full review of global nonproliferation
regime; revise nuclear weapons' postures/pronouncements;global prosecuting war on
terrorism(205). Emphasis is on US but essential involvement must be global.
Mark Almond, Europe's Backyard War: The War in the Balkans(London: Heinemann
94):-combination of background information on post-Yugoslav conflicts and military/political
conduct to publication date. Highly critical of diplomatic actions of virtually all involved,
including most Yugoslav groups, UN and European bodies. Gives prescient warning of ominous
precedent set by failure in Balkans.
Lawrence K.Altman "Study Finds Drop in H.I.V. Cases in South India"NYT 31 Mar 06:-"Prevalence
of new HIV infections has fallen significantly in southern India, region of that country where the
disease hasoccurred most often, scientists reported. Many health officials have predicted major
increases in HIV in India, which has world's second highest number of infected people, after
South Africa. But new infections among young aduts declined by more than a third from 2000
through 2004, according to astatistical study. [Article contains selected statistics from study and
varied information about sources.]Authors attributed favorable trend to an increasing use of
condoms by men and an insistence by prostitutes that their partners use them. That decline, in
turn, reduced transmission of HIV to spouses.Experts cautioned against drawing too firm a
conclusion from one study and added that the new findingsdid not mean India's HIV epidemic
was over. Still, the study has two key implications, researchers said.One is that strategies that
emphasize education about how HIV can be transmitted and the use of condoms offer the best
hope for reducing the spread of the virus in India. Second is that routine monitoring of HIV and
other sexually transmitted diseases are powerful and cost-effective ways to control AIDS in
India. But experts urged constant vigilance for signs of a reversal of the favorable
trend...Reductions were more modest in 14 northern states, where prevalence of HIV infections
is about one-fifth that in the four southern states".
Lawrence K.Altman "Chimp Virus Is Linked to H.I.V." New York Times 26 May 06:- "By studying
chimpanzee droppings in remote African jungles, scientists reported [25 May] they have found
direct evidence of amissing link between a chimpanzee virus and the one that causes human
AIDS. Scientists have long suspected that chimpanzees are the source of the human AIDS
pandemic because at least one subspecies carries a simian immune deficiency virus closely
related to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS... The genetic and immunologic tests were developed
in stages over the past seven years to help tracethe evolution of HIV and solve the mysterious
origins of AIDS. [S]tudy combined genetics and epidemiology... Team's findings show 'for the
first time a clear picture of the origin of HIV-1 and theseeds of the AIDS pandemic'. HIV-1 is the
virus that causes the vast majority of AIDS cases in the world... Studies estimate that the human
AIDS virus jumped species 50 to 75 years ago. But no one knowswho the first infected person
was or how that person acquired HIV. The earliest HIV infection wasdocumented in 1959 in an
unidentified man in Kinshasa[, Congo]. Team theorized that HIV was first transmitted locally
somewhere in west-central Africa. Because the subspecies of chimpanzees... livesin the wild in
Cameroon, Gabon and Congo Republic, the first infection could have been in any of those
areas... The communities with a high prevalence of infected chimpanees were located south of
theSangha River, which flows into the Congo river and on to Kinshasa. That led... to the theory
that someinfected person carried HIV from a remote area to Kinshasa, where it was then passed
on. It is not known whether chimpanzees infected with SIVcpz become ill... More collections
were needed in other vast areas of Africa to provide a clearer picture of the evolution of AIDS
and to determine if there wereother viruses that could cause epidemics like AIDS" .
Lawrence K.Altman "Report Shows AIDS Epidemic Slowdown in 2005"New York Times 30 May
06:- "Newsurveys suggest that global AIDS epidemic has begun to slow, with decline in new HIV
infections in about 10 countries, leader of UNAID program said. Outside of those countries,..
number of new AIDS infections continues to rise or hover at its current pace. Meanwhile, public
health efforts are reaching only a small proportion of people at risk, Dr.Peter Piot, executive
director of UNAIDS, said at news conference in UN NYC ...India has 5.7m infected people and
South Africa 5.5m, but India's population far greater. Showing no sign of decline, South Africa
has a prevalence rate of about 19% of 47m people.In India, rate is less than 1% of its population
of 1.1b. Progress against AIDS in some regions represents dividends from a surge in financing
since 2001, when UN pledged its commitment to stem epidemic by 2010. Declaration called for
countries to report regularly on their responses to AIDS. This week, UNGAwill receive the
progress that 126 countries have said they have made. Report(op.cit.), most comprehensive
survey ever compiled from country data, pointed to the 2001 UN meeting as a turning point for
AIDS financing. In 2005,.. world spent $8.3b on AIDS, compared with $1.6b in 2001. 'We areseeing
the impact', Piot said. He cited increased condom use, a rise in postponement of sexual
intercourse and a decrease in number of sex partners as factors in slowing of epidemic.
Summarizing report's findings, Piot said '2005 was least bad year in the history of the AIDS
epidemic'... Despite thepositive trends, Piot reported grim findings from China, Indonesia, Papua
New Guinea, Russia andVietnam(op.cit.), with signs of outbreaks in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Ending the pandemic will depend largely on changing social norms like empowering women,
reducing stigma of the disease andencouraging a greater reduction in the number of sex
partners, report said. Most countries have strong foundations for building an effective response
against AIDS, report said, but systems to carry out plansremain inconsistent. Thoroughness of
the individual national reports varied, and many countries did not provide data for all
categories... Still, replies identified significant weaknesses, he said. Fewer than 50%of young
people achieved comprehensive knowledge levels about HIV, far fewer than the 90% goal.
Only9% of gay men and fewer than 20% of intravenous drug users received any kind of HIV
prevention help in 2005. Services to prevent HIV infections in infants have not scaled up as
rapidly as programs to provide antiretroviral therapy. Just 9% of pregnant women were covered...
Report shows that epicenterof the epidemic remains in sub-Saharan Africa. There epidemic has
reached peak, but incidence remains unacceptably high, Piot said. Across most of Africa, HIV
prevalence among pregnant women attendingclinics has remained roughly level for several
years. UN disputed contentions by some observers thatthe leveling off showed a turning point
in the AIDS epidemic in Africa... Piot said, 'actual number of people infected continues to rise
because of population growth'" ; Reuters "25 Years On, Anti-AIDS Drive Still Falling Short" NYT
30 May 06:- "Twenty-five years after AIDS first recognized, world still falling shortin its battle
against the disease with severe gaps in prevention and treatment, UN said [30 May].'Response
to AIDS epidemic to date has been nowhere near adequate', said UNAIDS... Since...1981,AIDS
and HIV virus that causes it have spread relentlessly from a few widely scattered hot spots to
virtually every country in the world, infecting 65m and killing 25m, UNAIDS said in 630p report...
Anti-AIDS initiatives and their results vary widely from country to country, and many are falling
short of benchmarks set in a landmark high-level UNGA session in 2001, UNAIDS said... Dr. Peter
Piot of UNAIDS... expected long-term commitments at this week's meeting...and hoped for $20m
annually by 2010... Global AIDS incidence rate is believed to have peaked in 1990s. About 1.3m
in developing world now on life-extending antiretroviral medicines, which saved about 300,000
lives last year alone. Still, some 4.1m were newly infected and 2.8m died in 2005... Global supply
of condoms was less than 50% of what was needed, and antiretroviral drugs, while more widely
available, remained costly and hard to get. Ignored in many countries are prostitutes, said...
ex-dir of UN Population Fund... However, final statement by governments at conference this
week not expected to refer to prostitutes, drug users orhomosexuals, due to objections from
Islamic nations, some Catholic countries and US, which fear thatmerely mentioning these groups
would endorse their behaviour. Infected individuals still suffer fromostracism and discrimination,
while vast majority of world's 40m infected have never been tested for HIVand are unaware of
their status, report said. While $8.9b expected available in 2006, $14.9b will be needed, UNAIDS
said. By 2008, it predicted $22.1b would be needed, including $11.4b for prevention plans alone.
Report called for more and better-targeted education and prevention strategies, more treatment
opportunities, and more drug research, particularly on drugs for children, whose needs 'have
been largely left out of the research agenda'" ; Lawrence K.Altman "U.N. Urges Tripling of Funds
by '08 to Halt AIDS" NYT 01 Jun 06:- "Stopping epidemic of AIDS will require $22b/year by 2008
and possibly more in following years, officials of UNAIDS program said. The $22b is nearly triple
the $8.3b spent 05 by all sources, including governments and private sector. Urging that
countries spend more, UNSG Kofi Annan said a costlier and more sustained effort needed
because AIDS 'has spread further, faster and with more catastrophic long-term effects than any
other disease'... Of projected figure, half is needed for prevention and a quarter for treatment and
care of infected people. Remainder is for care of orphans,children at risk of becoming infected
and program costs. UNSG and Piot of UNAIDS spoke as UNGAbegan meeting aimed at renewing
political commitment and setting new goals for expenditures and formeasuring progress...
Annan urged delegates to challenge countries trying to avoid goals that mention gay people,
prostitutes, intravenous-drug users and others at high risk of becoming infected.'Governments
concerned need to be realistic and responsible', UNSG said. He also said that 'if we are here to
try to end the epidemic, we will not succeed by putting our head in the sand and pretending
thatthese people do not exist or they do not need help'... Report cards showed that most
countries missed more goals than they met. More than 20m have become infected since 2001
meeting. Now countriesmust fundamentally change the way they think and deal with epidemic,
moving from crisis managementto 'sustained attention and the kind of "anything it takes"
resolve that member states apply to preventing global financial meltdowns or wars' , Piot said...
Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS released a study showing that private companies have
become more likely to provide treatment for employees as cost of antiretroviral drugs has fallen
over last six years, to $140-$300/year, from $10,000. In African countries with a high prevalence,
more than 70% of companies surveyed are fully subsidizing access to HIV treatment, coalition
said. Study...found increasing trend to expand such treatment to employees' dependents.
Companies also offering access to voluntary testing/counseling" ; Lawrence K.Altman &
Elisabeth Rosenthal "U.N. Strengthens Call for a Global Battle Against AIDS" NYT 02 Jun 06:-
"[UNGA]adopted strongly worded declaration [02 Jun] aimed at pressing nations of the world
to strengthen theirbattle against AIDS, global pandemic [UNSG] called 'greatest challenge of our
generation'. Language of document surprised even anti-AIDS groups, which said that while it
did not satisfy all their objectives, they had feared it would be watered down... Nonbinding
declaration reaffirms commitments made in 01,when UN defined AIDS as far more than a medical
issue, framing it in terms of political/human rights/ economic survival... New document is
political blueprint, not plan of action. Calls for strong commitment to bolster the rights of
women/girls so they can protect themselves from infection with HIV... Declarationcalls on
countries to: use scientifically documented prevention strategies, including condoms;make
clean needles accessible to drug users; take steps to provide universal access to prevention
programs/ care/antiretroviral drugs. Includes politically charged terms like 'condoms'
/'vulnerable groups' , thoughthose groups not specified... Countries expected to measure their
progress over next 5 years against targets to be determined by UN... Said world will need to
spend up to $23b/year by 2010... Earlier in day,UNSG Annan delivered a gloomy assessment,
saying world was losing the battle. 'The epidemic continues to outpace us' , he told packed
UNGA. 'There are more new infections than ever before; more deaths than ever before; more
women/girls infected than ever before'... [US' s] Mrs.Bush speech steered away from many of
the criticisms that have been labled against administration, notably that it promotes sexual
abstinence over scientifically proven strategies, particularly condom use. Indeed, she said,
'ABC'model - initials stand for abstain, be faithful and use condoms - had brought sharp declines
in infections in Africa. Britain's international development [minister] said in interview: abstinence
alone did not work...Dr. Peter Piot [UNAIDS]said: while no docu could make anyone'100% happy',
final version was 'major advance'and far stronger than weaker drafts circulating earlier in week".
Roger C.Altman "The Great Crash, 2008: A Geopolitical Setback for the West"(2-14) Foreign
Affairs Vol.88/No.1(Jan/Feb 09):-official summary:"The economic collapse of 2008, the worst in
over 75 years, is a major geopolitical setback for the West. It has stripped Wshdc and European
governments of the resources and credibility they need to maintain their roles in global affairs.
These weaknesses will eventually be repaired, but in the meantime they will accelerate trends
that are shifting the world's center of gravity away from the US". Emphasized extracts:"The
crisis' underlying cause was the combination of very low interest rates and unprecedented levels
of liquidity". "US deficit for the fiscal year that began in Oct 08 will approach $1 trillion - or 7.5%
of US GDP". Altman is Chair/CEO of Evercore Partners. Was US Deputy Treasury Secretary 93-4.
Kofi A.Annan "Peacekeeping, Military Intervention, and National Sovereignty in Internal Armed
Conflict" in Jonathan Moore edit. Hard Choices: Moral Dilemmas in Humanitarian Intervention
(Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield 98)(for book see Moore op.cit.):-UNSG notes how UN operations
forced to change radically since end of Cold War. One change been UN involvement in internal
armed conflicts. "Often do not lend themselves to traditional peacekeeping treatment," requiring
difficult coordinated political, military, andhumanitarian response. Meanwhile "understanding
of sovereignty undergoing significant transformation" : "matter of responsibility, not just
power." "[M]ust not be allowed to obstruct effective action to address problems that transcend
borders or to secure human dignity." Author then provides illustrations, drawing mainly on UN
role in Bosnia.
Kofi A. Annan, "Two Concerns of Sovereignty: International Intervention in Humanitarian Crises"
The Economist18 Sep 99(49-50):-UNSG gives his views on basic issues. Inaction in Rwanda and
interventions in Kosovo(no authority) and East Timor(too little too late)all justify criticism. We
need consensus "not only... that massive and systematic violations of human rights must be
checked...but also on ways of deciding what action is necessary, and when, and by whom."
Critical points: "intervention" should not be understood as referring only to use of force; we
need redefinition of sovereignty and broader definition of national interests that "would induce
states to find greater unity in pursuit of common goals and values...today,collective interest is
national interest" ;if force is necessary, Council must uphold Charter; act "in defence of our
common humanity" ;ceasefires do not end commitments.
Kofi A. Annan, "Preventing War and Disaster: A Growing Global Challenge" , Annual Report on
the Work of the Organization 1999, by the Secretary-General of the United Nations(New York:
DPI/2058; Sales No: E.99.1.29-Sep 1999):-after a convincing plea for more cost-saving global
efforts to foresee, prevent, or reduce human and natural crises, Annan summarizes all major UN
activities over year to Sep 99, and selected plans and problems(in 130pp). Chapters address:
peace and security; development; humanitarian issues; globalization; legal order; human rights;
administration. Overall impression: hard-won progress implementing UN
obligations/reforms/savings are frustrated by Members' selfishness/lack of political will/financial
irresponsibility. HUMANITARIAN ISSUES and how they are handled merit a special
chapter(64-75). The year under review was described as "fraught with humanitarian disasters"
(64)both natural and created, many of which involved deliberate targeting of UN/NGO workers.
Inter-organization coordination was improved, and study of prevention expanded, but funding's
been short/imbalanced. The refugee situation(72-5) initially improved, but was then hit hard by
Kosovo's complex needs.
Kofi A. Annan, "UN Committed to Ensuring World Water Security and 'Blue Revolution', Says
Secretary-General, in Message to World Water Forum" in UN Press Release SG/SM/7334 21 Mar
00:-urgent global problem is finding huge additional quantities of affordable water to meet
increasing needs of population growth/concentration and rising agricultural/industrial demand,
and to make up for global pollution andfalling water tables(see Worldwatch Institute: Lester R.
Brown, "Water: Emerging Constraint on Growth" (123-5)in State of the World(1999)op.cit.). Hence
"world's impending water crisis" was theme of UNSG's text. He reported that "every year, more
than 5 million people[over 50% children]die as a result of poor water quality - 10 times the
number killed in wars...[W]ithin 25 years two out of every three people on Earth will live in
water-stressed conditions. Indeed, the declining state of the world's freshwater resources, in
terms of quantity and quality, may well prove to be the dominant issue on the environment and
development agenda of the new century" . UN Newservice 21 Mar 00: Klaus Toepfer, UNEP head,
at the Forum: "The battle for the conservation of water will be won or lost in the mega-cities of
the world" .[Technology can help:]Douglas Jehl, "Tampa Bay Looks to the Sea to Quench Its
Thirst" in New York Times12 Mar 00:-US appears to be just reaching the stage when many
high-density areas need, or find it economic, to desalinate sea or brackish water. Tampa
Bay(2.3m residents)will be the first large urban areato do so, planning the largest(25m
gallons/day)desalinization plant outside Saudi Arabia(whose economics are totally different). As
of writing, five states(cheaply)desalinate brackish water, while two cities which built sea-water
plants decades ago, now use them for backup due to cost. But Tampa cost estimates have fallen
from $4-6 per 1,000 gallons to $2.08. With several cities planning desalinization, and many more
facing the need, economics/technology may now produce a global cost breakthrough. [World
FDI and ODA may soon include large expenditures on desalination.]
Kofi A. Annan, "Common Destiny, New Resolve" , Annual Report on the Work of the Organization
2000, by the Secretary-General of the United Nations(New York: DPI/2153;Sales No.E.00.1.22-Sep
99):-UNSG begins by noting report to Millennium Summit, "We the Peoples: The Role of the
United Nations in the 21st Century" (op.cit.), includes his assessment of humanity's progress
and challenges at turn of millennium,and suggests ways in which international community can
work together to" better lives of people still left behind" .Introduction, summarizing 130-page
report on major UN activities over year to Sep 00, highlights: (1)Demands on UN humanitarian
agencies far exceeded worst-case predictions; (2)Living standards in sub-Saharan Africa still
declining; (3)AIDS pandemic spreads with frightening rapidity; needs stronger commitment to
action; (4)Three new peace missions were created, straining UNHQ resources.
(5)Reviewsanalysed UN failures in Srebrenica and Rwanda; offered recommendations. (6)
controversial economicbenefits of globalization must be more inclusive/equitably shared.
(7)Must be cooperative management ofglobal economic affairs through more effective
governance. (8)Informal global policy networks involving governments, international institutions,
civil society and private sector have great potential. Chapters: Peace/Security; Humanitarian
Commitments; Development; International Legal Order/Human Rights; UNManagement.
Kofi A. Annan "Courage To Fulfil Our Responsibilities" The Economist 04 Dec 04(23-5):-UNSG
offers global action-urging essay built on his immediate reaction to report of the High-Level
Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change. Following his urgent introduction is a brief summary
of Annan's alreadyconcentrated and rearranged version of the panel report's many
concerns/proposals. Its value is less to summarize the panel's views than to identify subjects
they and/or he discuss. "We face a world of extraordinary challenges - and of extraordinary
interconnectedness. We are all vulnerable to new security threats, and to old threats that are
evolving in complex and unpredictable ways. Either we allow this array of threats, and our
responses to them, to divide us, or we come together to take effective action to meet all of them
on basis of a shared commitment to collective security. I asked the 16 members of [panel]-
eminent people representing many nations and points of view - to analyse the threats to
peaceand security our world faces; to evaluate how well our existing policies and institutions
are meeting them; and to recommend changes to those policies and institutions, so as to ensure
an effective collective response to those threats. Their report...makes 101 far-sighted but
realistic recommendations. If acted on, they would address the security concerns of all states,
ensure that UN works better, strengtheninternational rule of law and make all people safer" .
First: threats. Event/process leading to deaths on large scale/lessening life chances or
undermines states, should be viewed as threat to innatl peace/security.Clusters:
economic/social, including poverty/disease; inter-state conflict/rivalry; internal violence: civil
war/state collapse/genocide; nuclear/radiological/chemical/ biological weapons; terrorism; innatl
crime.Threats interconnected to unprecedented degree; no state alone can defeat. Highly
enriched uranium at size of 6 milk cartons could level medium-sized city as nuclear device. Such
attack in US/Europe isstaggering cost for world economy. Security of developed states only as
strong as ability of poor statesto respond to/contain new deadly infectious disease. Incubation
period for most is longer than most air flights, so any one of 700m who travel airlines in year
could unwittingly carry lethal virus to unsuspecting state. Today, virus similar to 1918 influenza
could kill tens of millions in fraction of a year. In today's worldany threat to one is truly threat to
all; applies to all categories of threats. Since real limits on self-protection,all states need
collective-security system, committing all to act cooperatively against dangers.
Givengravity/interconnectedness of threats, world needs more active prevention. Prevention can
be highly effective(Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty);WHO helped halt SARS. Best prevention
agents: capable states, acting/cooperating with others. Best preventive strategy: is development
support. Millennium Development Goals to halve poverty/hunger by 2015 states' best security
investment. It will save lives/reduce violentconflict and radicalism/bolster state ability against
threats before real harm. HIV/AIDS shows danger ofinadequate prevention. Slow/ineffective
global response allowed 20m killed/20 years; spread continues andworst to come. Ultimate cost
will include shattered societies. Still not taking all needed steps to bring under control. Also
need public-health facilities built in poor world. Not only poorer states benefit
diseasetreatment/local prevention; whole world has better defence against
bio-terrorism/large-scale naturalepidemics. UNSC should work with WHO to strengthen
biological security via prompt, effective responses.Equal: greater environmental collective
action, including beyond Kyoto protocol to better resources management in states at risk.
Prevention also vital to protect against terrorism. New isrange/scale/intensity of threat(al-Qaeda
can kill around world/has struck in 10+ UN members).Could acquire instruments of massive
destruction: unprecedented danger. UN must better use assets in fight against terrorists:
articulate a strategy respectful of laws/human rights. Definition of terrorism offered: any action
intended to kill/seriously harm civilians/non-combatants, with purpose of
intimidatingpopulation/compelling action by government/innatl organization. States should use
to build consensus andstrengthen UN response to deadly scourge. Also urgent
recommendations on non-proliferation/disarmament/curbing supply of materials to reduce risk
of nuclear/chemical/biological attacks by states/terrorist groups. States encouraged to end
development of domestic uranium enrichmentand urged to voluntary time-limited moratorium
on reprocessing plant construction. IAEA ability to monitorcompliance with Non-Proliferation
Treaty strengthened by standards in protocol for safeguards inspections. Since Cold War, UN
far more engaged in preventing/ending civil wars; ended more through negotiationsince 90 than
in previous 200 years; developed expertise/learned hard lessons. As demand for UN blue
helmets grows, need to boost peacekeeper supply/avoid 90s worst failures. Rich states should
hastenefforts transforming existing forces for UN peace operations. UN must invest in
mediation/support peace agreement implementation. Demobilize combatants/reintegrate into
civil life; otherwise civil wars not successfully ended/other goals(democracy/justice/
development)remain unmet. Often innatl community lost focus if crisis high point
past/peacekeepers left. Propose UNSC create Peacekeeping Commission; to givestrategic focus
for work in states under stress/emerging from conflict. If prevention/peaceful resolution fails,
UN must be able to rely on force. Whatever reason: all states/UNSC should bear in mind basic
guidelines/questions: (1)Seriousness of threat: does it justify force?(2)Proper purpose: does
proposed force halt/avert threat?(3)Last resort: all non-military options explored/exhausted? (4)
Proportional means: force proposed minimum necessary?(5)Balance of consequences: clear
action not worse than inaction? No need to amend Art.51 of UN Charter: any state's right of
self-defence against armed attack/pre-emptive action against imminent threat. However if states
fear threats, neither imminent nor proximate, but which could culminate in horrific violence if left
to fester, UNSC already powered to act/must be prepared to take action earlier than past, when
asked/reliable evidence. Protection of civilians inside states long fraught with controversy. Yet
recognized more widely that question better framed, not as intervene-right but
protection-responsibility - borne first/foremost by states. Panel agreed principle of
non-intervention in internal affairs cannot protect committing genocide/large-scale ethnic
cleansing/othercomparable atrocities. I hope UN members agree/UNSC will act. UN(now nearly
60)born in very different time/world, so has under-appreciated record of adapting to new
dangers, e.g. peacekeeping in world's civil wars/response to attack of Sep 01. Clearly needs
far-reaching reform to prevent/respond to all current threats. Some propose via-UN collective
response too difficult/not necessary. But all anti-threat actions impact beyond immediate
context/all states benefit from shared global framework. Not mean UN needs to do everything.
It must learn of share burdens/welcome help from others/work with them. Already does so;
report recommends strengthened UN partnerships with regional organs/individual states. Great
attention: UNSC reform. Objectives: make UNSC more effective/authoritative. Permanent
membership devised(1945)to ensure active engagement of big powers to maintain
peace/security. New permanent members matter of controversy/debate. Two suggestions, both
expanding membership to 24; aim at: add those who contribute most to UN
financially/militarily/diplomatically; ensure UNSC represents UN as whole;not expand veto, which
would render decisions more difficult. Proposals offer chance breakthrough in year ahead. If
acted on, UNSC more representative/better equipped for decisive action. Need strengthened UN
secretariat that can support Peacebuilding Commission; implement UNSC/ committee decisions
better on peacekeeping/mediating civil wars. Report envisages more concerted-action
secretariat, with UNSGmore responsible for management/accountability. Equally important:
ECOSOC overhaul to strengthen role in social development/improving knowledge on
economic-social dimensions of security threats. Also, recommends Human Rights Commission
better defender of rights of all. After 60 years, once again findworld mired in disillusionment and
all too imperfect. Easy to stand at sidelines and criticise/talk endlessly about UN reform, but
world no longer has that luxury. Time to adapt collective security system so it works
efficiently/effectively/ equitably. Next year UN states reviewing progress on Millennium
Declaration; world leaders' summit in Sep. Appropriate moment to act on some of most
important recommendations in report.I will indicate which call for decisions at that level.
Fervently hope world leaders will rise to challenge. Have all lived through period of deep division
and sombre reflection. Must make 05 year of bold decision; all share responsibility for each
other's security. Let's summon courage to fulfil responsibility." Complete text of "A More Secure
World: Our Shared Responsibility" Report of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and
Change, plus initial comments by requester/addressee, UNSG Kofi Annan, can be read and even
copied(99pp Acrobat Reader)from Secretary General's part of UN file (www.un.org). Executive
Summary(8pp Acrobat)also available at same address. Capturing the 21st Century Security:
Prospects for Collective Responses(Oct 04)collects reports from six Stanley Foundation
conferences in 04 that dealt with UNSG panel. Report at http://reports.stanleyfoundation.org.
Council on Foreign Relations "Q&A: Reforming the United Nations" 01 Dec 04:-originally
available either by NYT>CFR>International>[title] or via CFR directly. This is expert interview with
Lee Feinstein who" has spearheaded Council work on the United Nations" and studied the
important UN report and its UNGA prospects.
Clair Apodaca, Michael Stohl, George Lopez, "Moving Norms to Political Reality:
Institutionalizing Human Rights Standards through the United Nations System" (185-220)in The
Future of the United Nations System: Potential for the Twenty-First Century(New York: UN Univ.
98):-extremely useful study of UN human rights structures, treaties and activities, employing a
new sense that state legitimacy derives from internal order and regard for standards. Four main
UN purposes include promotion of human rights, set down in Universal Declaration(48)and
amplified in two International Covenants(76).All three now binding on all states. Many more
specific UN System treaties, with recent emphasis on Humanitarian Law.Growing human rights
roles of NGOs, High Commissioner and complex UN structures are explained.Reform proposals
involve structure, NGO protection and regional action.
Reza Aslan No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam(New York: Random
House 05):-The widely-read author defines his aim in the Prologue: "This book is not just critical
reexamination of the origins and evolution of Islam, nor is it merely an account of the current
struggle among Muslims to define the future of this magnificent yet misunderstood faith. This
book is, above all else, an argument for reform"(xx). William Grimes, in his New York Times 04
May 05 review, quotes the book:"What is taking place now in the Muslim world is an internal
conflict between Muslims, not an external battle between Islam and the West"(248). Grimes
himself argues: "[Islam's] history, grippingly narrated and thoughtfully examined, takes up nearly
all of 'No god but God'. Aslan... has written a literate, accessible introduction to Islam.,. carefully
placing its message/rituals in historical context. Complete with glossary/annotated bibliography,
it could easily serve as a college textbook". The 310-page book includes 21st century arguments:
"[T]he attacks of 11 Sep 01 were not a defensive strike against a specific act of aggression
against Islam. They were never sanctioned by a qualified mujtahid. They made no differentiation
between combatant/noncombatant.,. indiscriminately killed women, children, and approximately
200 Muslims. In other words, they fell far short of the regulations imposed by Muhammad for a
legitimate jihadi response, which is why, despite common perception in the West, they were so
roundly condemned by the vast majority of the world's Muslims"(87). "Tragic events of 11 Sep...
initiated a vibrant discourse among Muslims about meaning/message of Islam in 21st century...
It may be too early to know who will write the next chapter of Islam's story, but it is not too early
to recognize who will ultimately win the war between reform/counterreform... But the cleansing
inevitable, and tide of reform cannot be stopped. Islamic Reformation is already here"(266).
Associated Press," Researchers Produce a Healthier Rice" in New York Times 14 Jan 00: -item
reports that " scientists have genetically engineered a type of rice that could end vitamin A
deficiency in the developing world" . About 14m children worldwide are deficient; so besides
reducing widespread blindness, raising vitamin A levels could prevent 1-2m deaths a year. Swiss
researchers successfully spliced three genes into rice to make it rich in beta carotene, a source
of vitamin A. While tests are ensuring the original nutritional value is maintained, the famous
International Rice Research Institute(IRRI) is working tobreed the trait into popular rice varieties.
New developments are reported in David Barboza, "AstraZeneca to Sell a Genetically
Engineered Strain of Rice" NYT 16 May(Note to Anthony DePalma," Super Seeds Sweeping Major
Markets..." ).
Associated Press, "Number of Refugees Grows Worldwide" New York Times 13 Jun 00:-World
Refugee Survey 2000, issued by prestigious US Committee for Refugees, claims that at end of
20th Century there were35m people worldwide "uprooted and in need of protection." Conflict
contributed 7m to this in 99 alone, and despite UN success in ending some long-term disputes
following end of Cold War, this estimated total had risen from 29m in 90. Moreover, of these,
13.7m are found in Africa(4.4m in Sudan alone).Another trend has been continually growing
number of refugees that for various reasons remain in their own countries:Internally Displaced
Persons. Identified IDPs now number at least 4m, and clearly demand higher priority from
UN-UNHCR since they are not afforded same legal protections and care as" international"
refugeesunder Geneva Conventions. On other hand, there is hope that some sources of refugees
and IDPs may bein sight of permanent solution. Elizabeth Rosenthal, "Famine in North Korea
Creates Steady Human Flow into China" NYT 10 Jun:-report on motives and stratagems of North
Korean refugees within/outside their country. Any moves towards Korean reconciliation could
have major and rapid effect on this crisis. For evenlonger-term look at issue of unwilling
migration, AP reports "Conference Addresses Migration" NYT 10 Jun:-experts Paris meeting
organized by Universal Academy of Cultures concluded "globalization demands greater moral
responsibility and intervening in sovereign nations is plausible response to misery that drives
populations beyond their borders." Those seeking political asylum increased from 250,000 in 87
to 900,000 in 92, but then declined to 388,000 in 98,perhaps reflecting growing influence of such
perceptionin UN. Meanwhile, if Europe's population falls 100m by 50, migration waves may
become beneficial.
Associated Press, "Activists Seek Cluster Bomb Ban" New York Times 08 Aug 00:-British arm
of International Campaign to Ban Land Mines has called for global moratorium on use,
manufacture and sale of cluster bombs, pending in-depth review of their legality and impact.
While designed to scatter immediately-exploding "bomblets" over large area, significant
numbers of bomblets fail to explode on first impact; so effectively become land mines. By
causing civilian casualties for years after hostilities end, charged their use is "indiscriminate and
in clear breach of international humanitarian law." Group calls for laws requiring clearance after
combat, compensation of civilian casualties and deployment records.Reuters, "UK Anti-Land
Mine Group Seeks Ban on Cluster Bombs" NYT 8 Aug :- gives similar facts, but adds bomblets
can blight farmland, impede economic recovery, grow in lethality over time.
Associated Press "Nations Vow to Fight Urban Blight" New York Times 09 Jun 01:-results of
five-year-review of progress in meeting UN Habitat Agenda, agreed upon at 96 global summit on
urban issues in Istanbul. New York review conference produced UN Declaration on Cities and
Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium which reaffirmed commitment to Agenda
principles regarding "adequate housing for all and sustainable development of world's cities"
-no easy task since many countries" openly admit they have made little progress since Istanbul
meeting. More than 1b...still lack adequate housing[out of 3b(50%)global urban population, and
since f]ast-growing slums are common on outskirts of Asian, Africa and Latin American cities"
.Textual crises overcome involved Palestinian proposal to criticize Israel, and US refusal to
reaffirm adequate housing as "human right" .
Associated Press"Ugandans Report Mixed Messages on AIDS Plan"New York Times 18 Mar
06:-"Question of why Ugandans didn't use a condom is at the heart of a dispute between some
health activists and US government. Activists, as well as some Ugandan officials, accuse US of
blunting the condom message in favor of abstinence, while the Americans say they are victims
of misinformation and have actually increased nearly tenfold the number of condoms they
supply to this African nation of 26 million...Billboards urging condom use have disappeared from
the capital, Kampala. In their place are posters, some funded by US government, urging youth
to delay sex until marriage... HIV prevalence crept up to 7.1% in 2004-5, after stagnating at
around 6% preceding three years, according to government figures";
Associated Press"AIDS Said Orphaned 1.5M Asia - Pacific Kids"New York Times 22 Mar
06:-"AIDS hasorphaned an estimated 1.5m children in Asia-Pacific region, but they are often
overlooked in the mix of other issues surrounding a disease that has historically focused on
adults, officials told a regional conference... About 121,000 children in the region have been
infected by the disease, according to UNAIDS figures from 2004. Another 35,000 also need
anti-retroviral drug treatment to survive. Three-day meeting has drawn some 250 delegates from
UN agencies, governments and NGOs to Hanoi to discusswhat can be done to limit spread of
the disease among youth and how to help children already infected or orphaned by it... UNICEF
regional director... said there needs to be increased prevention efforts targeting youth, more
focus on prevention of mother to child transmission, provision of drugs to children suffering
from the disease, and creation of support groups for kids infected with the virus or orphaned by
it... A Save the Children survey... found that many children cannot go to school becausesomeone
in their family is sick with the disease, they are commonly ridiculed and ostracized by society
and are sometimes forced to work as slaves or sex workers after becoming orphans"; AP"Group
Warns of More Child AIDS Deaths"NYT 24 Mar 06:-"Number of children orphaned by AIDS in East
Asia-Pacificregion could grow from 450,000 to 1.7m in less than a decade if resources aren't
increased for prevention and treatment, UNICEF official said... Also said number of child deaths
could reach nearly 20,000 a year during that time if more isn't done... It would take up to $5.5b
annually until 2015 to lessen effects of HIV/AIDS on children in the region, in increasing to an
estimated $6b a year after that, he said... [UNICEF epidemiologist also said] there are an
estimated 450,000 children in the region who have lost one or both parents to the disease, and
that could grow to 1.7m by 2015 without more funding... A documentreleased at end of
conference called for reducing the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV,boosting steps
to prevent mother-to-child transmission, and enhansing care and protection for children. Other
provisions included more pediatric HIV testing and greater access to anti-retroviral drugs for
children.HIV/AIDS epidemic is growing faster in East Asia than anywhere else in the world. In
many countriesepidemic still largely concentrated in high-risk groups.
Associated Press"AIDS Conference Ends With Appeals"New York Times 26 Apr
06:-"International AIDS conference [in Cape Town, of 1,000 scientists/researchers,] ended [26
Apr] with impassioned appeals to political/pharmaceutical industry leaders to fund development
of a virus-killing [vaginal] gel to protect women from the disease and so save millions of lives.
Peter Piot, head of UNAIDS,.. said safe/effective microbicides could be ready in 5-7 years, with
only minimal additional funding, and thus turn the dream of saving millions of lives into reality...
In the hard hit African countries, women account for nearly 60% of infections. Most are infected
through heterosexual intercourse... UNAIDS/WHO have long promotedmicrobicides as a
potentially valuable weapon in fight against the epidemic, not least because it allows women to
protect themselves without having to rely on partners who refuse to wear a condom or befaithful.
Yet despite this, research has proceeded slowly. [Piot] said investment in microbicide
development should be doubled - and even then would still only reach about US$150m per
year...Microbicides can take the form of a gel, cream, sponge or ring that releases an ingredient
that can kill or deactivate HIV during intercourse. There are currently five different products
being tested[, mainly in Africa on thousand of women]. Dozens of agents that could interrupt HIV
transmission have so far beenidentified. There are also hopes that the microbicides could be
used to prevent other sexually transmitteddiseases and unwanted pregnancies. One of the
products, cellulose sulphate, has the potential to bea contraceptive and shield against HIV...
Another microbicide, Carragard, coats vaginal cells and preventsthe virus from entering...Much
of funding for research comes from Gates Foundation and US government... Trying to dismiss
fears that microbicides would mainly be used in developing countries and therefore offer only
low profit margins, [WHO] cited their potential for use in contraception in wealthy countries".
Associated Press "Annan Paints Grim Picture to Assembly"New York Times 19 Sep
06:-"Addressing world leaders for last time as UNSG, Kofi Annan painted a grim picture of an
unjust world economy, global disorder, widespread contempt for human rights, and appealed
for nations/peoples to truly unite. As theannual UN General Assembly [UNGA] ministerial
meeting got under way, 192 UN member states facedambitious agenda including trying to
promote Mideast peace, curb Iran's nuclear ambitions, get UN peacekeepers into
conflict-wracked Darfur, promote democracy... Annan, whose second five-year term ends 31 Dec
06, said the past decade has seen progress in development, security, rule of law - the threegreat
challenges he said humanity faced in first address to UNGA in 97. But UNSG said too many still
exposed to brutal conflict, and fear of terrorism has increased clash of civilizations/religions.
Terrorismbeing used as pretext to limit or abolish human rights, and globalization risks driving
richer and poorer apart, he said. 'Events of last 10 years have not resolved, but sharpened, three
great challenges - unjust world economy, world disorder, and widespread contempt for human
rights and rule of law', Annan said.'As result, we face world whose divisions threaten very notion
of an international community, upon which this institution stands. I remain convinced that only
answer to this divided world must be a truly United Nations' , he said. In annual report, UNSG
touched on some of most difficult issues confronting leaders... [Arab-Israeli conflict; Iraq;
Afghanistan; Sudan/Darfur]. 'Together we have pushed some big rocks to top of the mountain,
even if others have slipped from our grasp and rolled back. But this mountain... is best place on
earth to be',UNSG said.'I yield my place to others with an obstinate feeling of hope for our
common future', Annan said. [UNGA] loud applause/rose in sustained standing ovation".
Enrico Augelli & Craig Murphy"Lessons of Somalia for Future Multilateral Humanitarian
Assistance Operations"Global Governance Vol.1/No.3 (Sep-Dec 95):-detailed account of what
went wrong in Somalia, and why. For another analysis of this important case, see Sapir and
Deconinck in Weiss (1995) op. cit.
Séverine Autesserre"The Trouble With Congo: How Local Disputes Fuel Regional Conflict"(94-110)Foreign Affairs Vol.87/No.3(May/Jun 08):-official summary:"Although the war in Congo
officially ended in 2003, 2m people have died since. One of the reasons is that the international
community's peacekeeping efforts there have not focused on the local grievances in eastern
Congo, especially those over land, that are fueling much of the broader tensions. Until they do,
the nation's security and that of wider Great Lakes region will remain uncertain". Emphasized
extracts:"Congo is now the stage for the largest humanitarian disaster in the world - far larger
than the crisis in Sudan. [I]nternational actors must tackle situation in Congo from the ground
up". Autesserre is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia Univ.
Deborah Avant "THINK AGAIN: Mercenaries" Foreign Policy No.143(Jul/Aug 04):-a correction of
ten public (mis)concepts about the current activities and value of (mainly US-employed)
PRIVATE SECURITY FIRMS vs (traditional) MERCENARIES. (See also Sarah V.Percy op.cit.)
Avant first offers widely-believed view about such firms ("Quoted/Under-lined Phrases"); then
states a FIRM ONE/TWO-WORD REACTION; then says at length her views of the actual truth.
"Private Security Companies Are Mercenaries" -NO. "'Mercenary'describes wide variety of
military activities, many of which bear little resemblance to those of today's... corporate
endeavours that perform logistics support, training, security, intelligence work, risk analysis,
and much more". "The Bush Administration Has Dramatically Expanded Use of Military
Contractors" -WRONG. "US ramped up military outsourcing during 1990s, after end of Cold War
brought reductions in force size and numerous ethnic and regional conflicts emerged requiring
intervention" ."Contractors Don't Engage in Combat or Other Essential Military Tasks" -FALSE.
"Although... Rumsfeld said Pentagon would outsource all but core military tasks, these tasks are
changing, and military contractors perform many of them. Contractors have technical expertise
to support increasingly complex weapons systems [and intelligence services for war on
terrorism]". "Military Contractors Are Cheaper than Regular Soldiers" -PROVE IT. "Two
conditions must be present for private sector to deliver services more efficiently than
government: competitive market and contractor flexibility in fulfilling their obligations.
[G]overnments frequently curtail competition to preserve reliability and continuity [and] impose
conditions that reduce contractors' flexibility" . "Contractors Are Accountable to No One" -AN
EXAGGERATION. "Many governments regulate security contractors to greater or lesser degrees
... Contractors are accountable to range of employers and respond most effectively to market
incentives... Use of contractors to avoid governmental accountability is more worrisome.
"Contractors Value Profits More than Peace" -NOT ALWAYS. "Although many critics argue that
military contractors have economic interest in prolonging conflict rather than reducing it,
employees of private military companies rarely have been accused of aggravating conflict
intentionally to keep profits flowing". "Contractors Operate Outside the Law" -FREQUENTLY
"Legal status of contractors varies considerably. Sometimes they are subject to laws of territory
in which they operate and other times to those of their home territory, but too often distinction
is unclear... Status of contractors is even more contentious under international law. Most...
activity falls outside purview of 1989 UN Convention on Mercenaries" . "Only Governments Hire
Private Security Companies" -WRONG. "Security contractors work for governments,
transnational corporations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Oil, diamond, and other
extractive industries hire contractors to guard their facilities, and UN and NGOs employ convoy
guards. In Iraq, nearly every foreign entity... requires private security". "UN Should Outsource
Peacekeeping to Private Contractors" -NO. "Those who advocate that UN hire private contractors
are not looking to replace UN peacekeeping forces. Rather, they hope to make them more
flexible and easier to use... Outsourced peacekeeping is... unlikely. UNSC and UNGA have been
reluctant to consider it because of weak governments' concern that private security forces could
be used against them". "Private Military Contractors Undermine State Power" -NOT ALWAYS.
"Contractors undermine states' collective monopoly on violence. Fact that US, Britain, Australia
and UN hire private security makes it hard for nations that oppose military contracting to restrict
security firms based in their country" . For another excellent (different) description of current
use of mercenaries, see The Economist 04 Nov 06"Mercenaries: Blood and Treasure" (70-1)
:-Highlight is: "In recent decades, mercenaries... pushed to the wilder edges of global conflict:
the 'dogs of war' who fight nasty little campaigns in Africa. But for a new kind of soldier of
fortune, the fighting in Iraq has proved to be a pot of gold". Item's own summary:"After the
windfall of Iraq, where is the next fortune to be found?".
Lloyd Axworthy and Sarah Taylor, "A Ban for All Seasons: The Landmines Convention and Its
Implications for Canadian Diplomacy" International Journal Vol.LIII/No.2(Spring 98):-almost
entirely on techniques used to persuade 122 governments to sign Convention(Dec 97)to
eliminate the manufacture/use/export of anti-personnel landmines. Thrust: "Ottawa process"
required governments and civil society to work together as team. This "soft power" approach
is more appropriate because of changed international issues/relations/outcomes that also call
for more focus on human(vs state)security and humanitarian law.(See Hampson-Oliver
op.cit.)The Economist 04 Dec 04 "Lifting Landmines: Easy To Lay, Hard To Dig Up"
(46):-describes how one of world's worst minefields being cleared, and reports on
techniques/global issues, at the time of an international landmine conference in Nairobi. "Rats,
sniffer dogs and armour-plated bulldozers can help, but most mine-clearing still done by hand,
usually by man with pointed stickand plastic mask." Those in Angola use no metal detectors
since ground scattered with bullet casings as well. De-miners are rarely killed. "In five years
since global ban agreed in Ottawa, nearly 40m landmines ...destroyed. Most were in stockpiles,
but some 4m were painstakingly found and dug up. Nonetheless,devices still kill or maim 40
people/day...Some armies, such as Sudan's, continue to plant them.Guerrillas and rebels respect
no treaties. Only complete destruction of existing stocks and end to manufacture would cut off
supply. But that would require all countries to sign up to Ottawa treaty. So far144 countries have,
but China, Russia, Pakistan, India, US still refuse. China...considering signing, butUS will not,
mostly because minefields help keep North Koreans out of South Korea...US plans to switch to
using mines that self-destruct after a few weeks(though not always reliably)will be used as
excuse never to sign treaty. Men...will be prodding gingerly for long time yet."
Robert Baer"THE FP MEMO:- Wanted: Spies Unlike Us"Foreign Policy No.147(Mar/Apr
05):-former CIA case officer 1976-97, and author -See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier
in the CIA's War on Terrorism(New York: Crown Publishers 02), drafts a MEMORANDUM from
himself to Porter Goss, U.S. Director of Central Intelligence, entitled"Getting the CIA Back in the
Game". He writes"CIA is clearly broken, and you have a chance to fix it... Reform is needed
across the board, but the Directorate of Operations(DO) should be your first target. Its mission
- recruiting and running foreign spies - should be the agency's core function.Give DO the tools
it needs, and intelligence analysis will take care of itself...Here are my suggestions(forming
remainder of the MEMO under following headings): Reform the Promotion System; Know Your
Sources;Recruit on College Campuses; Lower the Retirement Age; Stop Relying on Foreign
Governments;Change the Security Clearance System; Recruit on the Dark Side. [I would myself
disagree with the proposed total lack of cooperation with the world's 200 or so "Foreign
Governments". Even the US could not gain unilaterally all the global information it is going to
need. The global danger of all types/sources of terrorism in the world can only be constrained
if all governments ideally/ostensibly work together.Genuine intelligence activity abroad
could/would lie on top of that.]
Sydney D. Bailey and Sam Daws, The Procedure of the U N Security Council (Third Edition)(New
York: Oxford Univ. Press 98):-clearly most complete, authoritative and readable reference book
on how UNSC works(or doesn't). With Council often in news and Canada member, knowing
better what going on, and why, of practical value. There are 400 pages, but all can be read
through quite painlessly as sprinkled with amusing anecdotes. For reference, chapters address
distinct topics: The Constitutional Framework(how and why extraordinary Charter role);The
Council Meets(ever more secret huddles; what about; how methodschange);The People(S-Gs;
Presidents; dreaded P5; from polite quips to slugfests);Diplomacy and Debate(how debates are
won -or stalled while your side wins war);Voting (various species of votes;skullduggery with
veto);Relations with Other Organs(phantom Military Staff; UNGA hordes; TrusteeshipCouncil
immortality; eternal votes over ICJ judges; more skullduggery over S-Gs);Subsidiary
Organs(planting acorns or pulling weeds);New Charter, New Members, New Rules, New Working
Practices, or New National Policies?(UNSC reform deadlock and how to ignore it).Plus 200 pages
of Appendices, on everything. To complete picture, Election of Nonpermanent Members
described by Malone(op.cit.).
Carter F.Bales & Richard D.Duke "Containing Climate Change: An Opportunity for U.S.
Leadership"(78-89) Foreign Affairs Vol.87/No.5(Sep/Oct 08):-official summary:"Greenhouse gas
emissions are harming the environment and the global economy. After cleaning up its own act,
US must enlist developing countries in a new climate-control regime that promises to
dramatically reduce emissions and encourage energy efficiency and the development of clean-energy technology". Emphasized extracts:"A cap-and-invest strategy would allow US to develop
a clean economy at little or no net cost". "Time has come for US to lead the fight against global
warming at home and abroad". Bales: Managing Partner Emeritus of Wicks Group of Companies.
Duke: Director of Natural Resources Defense Council's Center for Market Innovation.
Ben Barber"Feeding Refugees, or War? The Dilemma of Humanitarian Aid"Foreign Affairs
Vol.76/No.4 (Jul/Aug 1997). - describes the standard techniques used increasingly by combatants
to exploit refugees for cover and to obtain aid supplies. Recommends: disarming camps; careful
siting of refugees; aid distribution by selected agency and recipient; barring aid from interested
parties; full information.
Scott Barrett Why Cooperate? The Incentive to Supply Global Public Goods (New York: Oxford
Univ Press 07):-surprisingly well written -considering the complexity of issues- in: (1) describing
the existing global challenges (e.g. climate change, nuclear proliferation, worldwide pandemics)
and those that threaten the entire planet (e.g. terrorism, physical/chemical/biological instabilities,
asteroids); and (2) reporting on how such problems have been successfully or badly handled
in the past, the rationales involved, and the various cooperations that would/might work best in
future. Barrett's "threat" approach differs from my item "EARTH MUST COOPERATE...", mainly
in stressing "Global Public Goods" actions of the recent past (e.g.often successful United
Nations; wonderful "Montreal Protocol" ozone treaty), whereas my gloomy and concentrated
"page" is designed almost solely to identify: (1) the exploding scale/variety of global threats; (2)
the human tendencies that have created/will create them; and (3) why we must change a number
of very old human views/feelings. Both press broader global diplomacy as essential tool. Most
chapters focus on distinct types of issue/solution. [Even a study of brief bit(s) of 275p would be
valuable.] Titles: Incentives to Supply Global Public Goods [GPG]; (1) Single Best Efforts: GPG
that Can Be Supplied Unilaterally or Minilaterally; (2) Weakest Links: GPG that Depend on States
that Contribute the Least; (3) Aggregate Efforts: GPG that Depend on Combined Efforts of All
States; (4) Financing and Burden Sharing: Paying for GPG; (5) Mutual Restraint: Agreeing What
States Ought Not to Do; (6) Coordination and Global Standards: Agreeing What States Ought to
Do; (7) Development: Do GPG Help Poor States?; Conclusion: Institutions for Supply of GPG.
Felicity Barringer "Nations Ranked as Protectors of the Environment"New York Times 24 Jan
05:-2005 has produced"index of environmental sustainability, which ranks nations on their
success at such tasks asmaintaining/improving air and water quality, maximizing biodiversity
and cooperating with other countries on environmental problems...Report is based on 75
measures, including rate at which children die from respiratory diseases, fertility rates[of what?],
water quality, overfishing, emission of heat-trapping gases, and export of sodium dioxide,
crucial component of acid rain. Report also cited statisticallysignificant correlation between
high-ranking countries and[those]with open political systems/effective governments."Top ten
out of 146 countries studied were(in their order):Finland, Norway, Uruguay, Sweden, Iceland,
Canada, Switzerland, Guyana, Argentina, Austria. US ranked 45th, behind such countries as
Japan, Botswana, Bhutan, most of Western Europe. Lowest-ranking country was North Korea;
others near bottom were Haiti, Taiwan, Iraq, Kuwait. Index is second produced in collaboration
with World Economic Forum(Davos, Switzerland).
Warren Bass "The Triage of Dayton" Foreign Affairs Vol.77/No.5(Sep/Oct 98):-highly critical
account of US/UN actions and inactions relating to 95 Dayton Accords on Bosnia.(Full account
of negotiations: Holbrooke op.cit.)Seems to take it as given that" Serbs"and they alone
committed both aggression and ethnic cleansing, and hence required punishment, not
mediation. Argued that early "lift and strike" policy by US against Serbs(regardless of UN ground
forces' vulnerability as decided by UNSC)could have let US(sic) "stay true to its avowed ideals
of multiethnic tolerance, liberal democracy and reversing aggression."
Jean-Francois Bayart, Stephen Ellis and Beatrice Hibou The Criminalization of the State in
Africa(Oxford:James Currey 99):-inevitably researched unscientifically, seeks to explain multiple
political-economic crises of Africa(i.e.south of Sahara)as whole. "African specialists" after
lamentingdemography/stagnation-acerbated poverty/hyper-urbanization, highlight certain
developments: facade of democratic transition/structural adjustment/other reforms; armed
conflicts' continuation or spread; above all, elites' massive involvement in corrupt/criminal
activities(drugs/other smuggling; political-financial/other fraud; coercion/violence).While driven
by change, these African reactions show historicalinfluence of approving accumulation of power
and wealth through devious personal initiative. Thusnationalism, government and law are simply
used; their criminalization culturally-rooted.
Barbara Beck "The Economics of Ageing: The Luxury of Longer Life" The Economist 27 Jan
96(Survey 1-16):-longer average lifespans worldwide are raising global, and not simply national,
problems in fields like economics and finance, travel and migration, medicine and health care,
social and cultural change, and even moral standards.
Elizabeth Becker "Number of Hungry Rising, U.N. Says" New York Times 08 Dec 04:-UN agency
Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)makes ominous report: for first time in almost decade,
estimated number in the world going hungry has increased. Despite overall increase in global
wealth, FAO states, after slow/steady decrease, chronically hungry rose to nearly 852m(18m
increase since 00); 5m children aredying of hunger annually. FAO senior claimed world now
producing more than enough food, so problemis access to jobs/resources/land/money to buy
food. UN's International Labor Organization(ILO)reported that record 1.4b(half world's
workers)earn less than $2 daily. Oxfam reported that global aid budgets now total half of level
in 60. Yet UN's Millennium Development Goals, pledged by all the world's governments, set
targets to halve extreme poverty/hunger by 15." At least 80% of world's chronically hungry live
in rural areas and over half...subsistence farmers. Competition from world's wealthiest farmers,
heavilysubsidized by rich governments,...blamed in part for the inequity. Trade ministers have
promised to continueworking to reduce agricultural subsidies/supports at global trade talks next
year[WTO].In measuring hunger [FAO]considers calorie intake/amount of food
available/inequities in access to food supplies. Thirtycountries [Asia/ Africa/Latin America]cut
percentage of hungry people at least 25% over last decade byreducing conflict/focusing
...programs on rural areas/small farmers.[This is fundamentally critical, since]children under
three most vulnerable to disease/death. Without proper nutrition, it is difficult for these children
to ever recover/lead productive lives."
Samuel R. Berger "Foreign Policy for a Democratic President" Foreign Affairs
Vol.83/No.3(May/Jun 04):-aimed at those concerned about weaknesses in US foreign policy of
Bush regime, andneeds/opportunities in modified policies of any Nov 04-elected Democratic(or
amended)regime. Most issues discussed of global relevance, and many stress US relations with
foreign entities, particularlyNATO/UN/international law. This mentions those of global
importance discussed in some detail. US administration's "high-handed style and its gratuitous
unilateralism" about its military, economic and cultural aims, embittered even those abroad
most likely to embrace US values. New US regime "no moreurgent task than to restore...global
moral and political authority, so when we decide to act we canpersuade others to join us.
Achieving reversal will require forging new strategic bargain with closest allies...Democratic
approach to resolving disputes with Europe over treaties should be pragmatic, focused on
improving flawed agreements rather than ripping them up" .US policy towards Israel-Palestine
conflictmust return with energy/urgency. Regarding Afghanistan/Pakistan and Iraq," Bush
administration'sunilateralist approach has let allies off hook: given them excuse to shirk these
and other global responsibilities. Democratic administration would not be so dismissive of allies
on issues that matter to them" since exercises truly international rather than exclusively US.
Similar approaches are relevant to spread of weapons of mass destruction(WMD)." Democratic
administration should use every tool at disposal to prevent WMD threats from arising before
force becomes only option" . Listed issues include Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction
Program with Russia, and "global effort to secure nuclear materials at all such sites" .Others
sites described are North Korea and Iran. Non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT)might add "new bargain"
helping non-nuclear countries develop nuclear energy. Many more issues are brief.
Richard K. Betts, "The New Politics of Intelligence: Will Reforms Work This Time?" Foreign
AffairsVol.83/No.3(May/ Jun 04):-while relates to optimal improvements to US top-level
intelligence use, much of discussion/advice relevant to relationship between policy-makers and
intelligence-commanders in any country. "Danger stems from gap between urge to do something
and uncertainty about just whatsomething could be...At end of day, strongest defense against
intelligence mistakes will come less from any structural or procedural tweak than from good
sense, good character, and good mental habits of senior officials" .Not mentioned in FA, but
relevant to both intelligence and diplomatic/defense/securitystaff effectiveness is ability to speak
relevant foreign languages. The Economist 15 May 04 "ARABIC: Speak Up" (56):-how British and
other governments need to ensure sufficient national facilities to train civil servants/university
students that need special language ability. Economist 17 Jul 04 "Sincere Deceivers"
(Edit.11-2)and "Intelligence Failures: The Weapons That Weren't" (23-5):-both US and British
governments analysed positions of intelligence forces in giving President Bush and PM Blair
respectivelyreports that made their bosses announce need to attack Iraq because it constituted
regime both able to use/pass to terrorists weapons of mass destruction(WMD)and, in case of
Bush, willing to support attacks by al-Qaeda. Both governments' reports criticize their
intelligence forces as hinting more positive threats than should have been derived from their
information, influenced by views/desires of heads of government. But US system considerably
worse in this respect. Gives full information about two analyses and comments on politically
inclined intelligence, and mentions future effects. Efraim Halevy "In Defence of the Intelligence
Services" Economist 31 Jul 04(By Invite 21-3):-author was head 98-02 of Mossad, Israel's
intelligence service. Essence of well-written thesis: "Committees of inquiry into US and British
intelligence failures may have left West less secure." Basic critique is that of professional
intelligence officer, and views are of expertise/relevance. However, one does get background
implied of support for attack on Iraq, even if intelligence is ambiguous - an Israeli need?
Economist 07 Aug 04 "New Non-Fiction: The al-Qaeda Code" (69):-favourable review of famous
government document published as book 567pp long: The 9/11 Commission Report: Final
Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
(Norton).Something to be emulated by all future government reports. Economist 14 Aug 04 "The
CIA: The Right Man?" (26):-short item regarding politically hot issue in US. Criticism of
intelligence produced recently by CIA resulted in: (1) criticism of CIA director who also had acted
as coordinating national head of all US intelligence groups; (2)resignation of CIA director in
reaction to criticism. President Bush has nominatedCongressman Porter Goss as friend and
experienced eight-term Republican, once CIA agent and recently chairman of House Intelligence
Committee. Already controversy over Goss' appropriateness, although Bush agreed coordination
of all US intelligence services will in future be carried out by another, new, separate position.
Economist 28 Aug "The CIA: For the Scrap-Heap?" (28):-another short item reports on proposal
of Pat Roberts, Republican chairman of Senate Intelligence Committee. He recommended new
National Intelligence Service "run by hugely powerful director, backed by four assistant
directors, each responsible for different phase of intelligence process. CIA would be dismantled,
and its departments assigned to relevant assistant director. Control over other intelligence
agencies would be wrested from Defence Department and FBI." Many experts claim proposals
are wrong; some prefer more: diverse recruits, work with foreign agencies, and human
intelligence-gathering.
Jagdish Bhagwati "Free Trade Today"(Princeton: Princeton Univ Press 02):-while only 140pp
long (including Preface and Index), and presented in the form of three Lectures (with multiple
footnotes - mainly identifying sources), this famous book is often described as the greatest
defense for global free trade ever written. Dustcover claims:"Forcefully, elegantly, and clearly
written for the public by one of the foremost economic thinkers of our day [Professor at
Columbia Univ. and a special adviser to UN and particularly GATT/WTO], this volume is not
merely accessible but essential reading for anyone interested in economic policy orin the world
economy". Titles: LECTURE 1: "Confronting Conventional Threats to Free Trade: The Postwar
Revolution in the Theory of Commercial Policy"; LECTURE 2: "'Fair Trade', Income Distribution,
and Social Agendas: Using Trade Theory to Meet New Challenges"; LECTURE 3: "Getting to Free
Trade: Alternative Approaches and Their Theoretical Rationale". While 1 is difficult for those
without economic training, 2 and 3 can be easily handled by any who regularly read international
affairs. Editor's own summary: "Bhagwati applies critical insights from revolutionary
developments in commercial policy theory... to show how the pursuit of social and
environmental agendas can be creatively reconciled withthe pursuit of free trade. Indeed, he
argues that free trade, by raising living standards, can serve these agendas far better than can
a descent into trade sanctions and restrictions. [H]e argues in support of multilateralism and
advances a withering critique of recent bilateral and regional free trade agreements". Bhagwati's
also famous"In Defense of Globalization"(Oxford Univ 04), offers a 300+pp broader approach.
Matthew Bishop, "Social Insurance: Privatising Peace of Mind" in The Economist 24 Oct
98(Survey 1-22).-a matter of growing concern for the OECD states, the NICs and - in desperate
terms - the LDCs, is how best to ensure basic social needs. The areas of greatest concern are
health (and related social aid), pensions, help for the unemployed, and ensuring minimum living
standards. Ever-growing dilemmas vary from finding thebasic funds and facilities in the LDCs
to selecting the best ways, in terms of efficiency and financing, to organize the large-scale
programs in the rich welfare states. Two major issues mainly in the latter relate to the growing
demographic ratio of recipients to contributors, and the relative advantages of state and private
schemes. The Survey studies all these carefully.
Tony Blair "A Year of Huge Challenges" The Economist 01 Jan 05(By Invitation 44-6):-British PM
presents two major global initiatives, to urge G8 to organize and substantially pay(Britain: 05
president).Essay makes strong cases in favor since, "with threat from international terrorism and
spread of weapons of mass destruction.,. they are most serious problems facing world today
[and] problems beyond power of any single country...Solution requires co-ordinated
international action, and above all leadershipwhich G8 is uniquely placed to give. The two
initiatives relate to solving African issues and attacking climate change. Here the only material
summarized is on Sorting Out Africa. "[P]lagued with problems - debt, disease, conflict,
corruption, weak governance - so embedded/widespread that no continent, no matter how
prosperous, could tackle on its own.[Details of problems provided.]Should this matter to rest of
world?For democratic governments, it should, because it matters to our citizens.[I]t can't be
morally right, in world growing more prosperous/healthier,..that one in six African children still
die before fifth birthday. Worldwide campaign to make poverty history rightly challenges us to
act...We must now all accept utter futility of trying to shut our borders to problems
abroad.[Famine/conflict]create conditions for terrorism/fanaticismto take root and spread[to
globe.]Prosperous Africa, where people have chance to fulfil their talents, is in all our
interests[while] sheer scale of Africa's problems can induce understandable sense
ofhopelessness. Governance been improving faster...than in many other areas[,and]Africa Union
playingincreasing role in settling conflicts.[B]est way to reduce poverty is through economic
growth.[This]can be increased by aid[that involves greater donation/effectiveness.] But to help
Africa continue progresswe need...coordinated global effort[,including]concerted action to
improve opportunities/growth, reduce debt, tackle HIV/malaria/TB, fight corruption, promote
peace/security. We also need to tackle trade barriers...I hope G8 will agree not only to plan of
action but also to its implementation, a process of monitoring and review. We all need to be
accountable for carrying out commitments we have made." Changing Climate is on "twin" item,
to keep their lengths reasonable. Starts are similar, but theirmain texts/distributions differ.
Tony Blair "A Year of Huge Challenges" The Economist 01 Jan 05(By Invitation 44-6):-British PM
presents two major global initiatives, to urge G8 to organize and substantially pay(Britain: 05
president).Essay makes strong cases in favor since, "with threat from international terrorism and
spread of weapons of mass destruction.,. they are most serious problems facing world today
[and] problems beyond power of any single country...Solution requires co-ordinated
international action, and above all leadershipwhich G8 is uniquely placed to give. The two
initiatives relate to attacking climate change and solving African issues. Here the only material
summarized is on Changing Climate. "[N]o country will escape its impact. And there can be no
doubt...world getting warmer. Temperatures already risen by 0.7C over past century, and ten
hottest years on record all occurred since 91[;] fastest rise in temperatures in northern
hemisphere for thousand years. This...has meant rise in sea level that, if continues as predicted,
will meanhundreds of millions...increasingly at risk from flooding[, plus]other
extreme/increasingly unpredictable weather events such as rainstorms/droughts will also have
heavy human/economic cost... Overwhelming view of experts is that climate change, to greater
or lesser extent, is man-made and, without action, will get worse...But just as technological
progress/human activity have helped cause problem, also within our power to lessen impact/
adapt to change.[N]eed to act now. Delay will only increase seriousness of problems...and
economic disruption required to move to more renewable energy and sustainablemanufacturing
in future. G8 needs to lead. Kyoto protocol[coming into force]is good
news,but...change/ambition required will be far more[and, with US refusal to sign,]makes
measures we could secure through G8 even more vital." US/Britain have national/state
legislation and leading investment/research under way, and firms' lower-emission status gaining
commercial advantage." We are at stage where role of government/global policy must encourage
development/commercial viability of new technologies that have potential to mitigate effects of
climate change...G8 can take global lead both inmaking world aware of scale of problem and
proposing ways to tackle. G8[also]opportunity to agree onwhat most up-to-date investigations
of climate change are telling about the threat[, and]engage actively withother countries' growing
energy needs...to ensure they meet needs sustainably and adapt to adverse effects of climate
change, which seem inevitable. Sorting Out Africa is on a "twin" item to keep their lengths
reasonable. Starts similar but main texts/distributions differ.
Sandra Blakeslee "A Decade of Discovery Yields a Shock About the Brain" New York Times 04
Jan 00:-US Congress declared 90s "Decade of the Brain" to support research. Most
startling/scientifically-upsetting discovery was that long-held assumption human brain cells are
fixed at birth and cannot even be renewed, apparently false. "In fact, from birth through late
adolescence, brain appears to add billions of new cells...In adulthood, process...slows down but
does not stop...Mature circuits appear to be maintained by new cell growth well into old age."
News demands "total revision of how scientists think human minds organized,..shed new light
on mechanisms of learning, memory and aging" and creates major opportunities in
neurosurgery and treatment of brain injuries and disorders. Events/trends in neuroscience
surveyed; see Goode(op.cit.)for those in brain medications. Blakeslee reports another
revolutionary discovery about brain in "'Rewired'Ferrets Overturn Theories of Brain Growth" NYT
25 Apr 00:-MIT scientific team appears to have reopened question of relative contributions of
genes and experience in building brain structure. It "rewired" newborn ferret brains so animals'
eyes hooked up to brain regions where hearing normally develops, and found ferrets develop
fully functioning visual pathways in auditory portions of brains,contradicting assumption that
brains have specialized regions for different functions set at birth. It appearsbrains develop
specialized functions based on information flowing into them and wire themselvesaccordingly:
"experience shapes the brain." Also explains long-perceived "adjustments" to new brain
needs/constraints/damage.
Davis B. Bobrow and Mark A. Boyer, "International System Stability and American Decline"
International Journal Vol.LVIII/No.2(Spring 98):-concludes relative decline of US power "has not
led to prolonged across-the-board decrease in international efforts to maintain stability of
international system" . "Muted optimism" from recent trends in foreign aid, debt relief,
peace-keeping. Reveals crucial roles of states like Canada and institutionalized co-operative
arrangements, to success of international initiatives. Meanwhile US policy tending toward an
evolving, more specialized and narrowly focused activism in world. All developments direct
relevance to UN aims/activities.
Elise Boulding and Jan Oberg "United Nations Peace-Keeping and NGO Peace-Building:
Towards Partnership" in Chadwick F. Alger edit., The Future of the United Nations System:
Potential for the Twenty-First Century(New York: U N Univ. Press 98):-argues NGOs worldwide
can contribute to UN peace-keepingeffectiveness by developing networks of "civilian peace
teams that co-function with military/civilian peace-keepers." Also detailed proposals about
integrating such teams into Department of Peace-Keeping Operations complete with appropriate
organization charts.[Rather unrealistic, given political objections to NGO inclusion in UN
decision-making; NGOs' proud autonomy. Urgent need for all NGOs to cooperatemore, with both
others and UN/government bodies in complex emergencies. More expert "practitioners
inmediation/negotiation/conflict resolution" also welcome, but case for NGO teams weak.]
Newton R. Bowles, United Nations: Less is More? A Report on the Fifty-Third General Assembly:
September-December 1998(Report to Group of 78/United Nations Association in Canada)(New
York:www.unac.org 99):-author is inter alia UNICEF Senior Advisor on Children/War/closely
involved in UNGA/other UN meetings. Excellent report covers not only highlights of 98 UNGA but
variety of related UN issues over year e.g. Security Council developments. Topics covered
selectively but analytically:Overview; General Debate(tone/highlights);Globalization
(dialogue/business-liaison);ODA/FDI Resources;Human Rights/development/UN casualties;
Humanitarian Intervention; Security Council(evolution);Conflict Prevention(education);
Peacekeeping; Disarmament(new trends);Africa(war/
poverty);Crime(ICC/Tribunals/terrorism/drugs);NGOs/Civil Society; UN Management/Funding.
Newton R. Bowles, United Nations: Hedge or Taels? A Report on the Fifty-Fourth General
Assembly: September-December 1999(Report to Group of 78/United Nations Association in
Canada)(New York:www.unac.org 00):-valuable impressions of tone/highlights of UNGA Regular
Session/related developments, particularly in Security Council. Subject titles(and main points):
World in 99(better prospects than 98; praise for UNSG/UNGA President; radical UNSG speech:
humanitarian law before sovereignty(text: Annex 1);no UNSC reform but more open; progress
on UN human rights and development role); General Debate(main value:
networking/stage-setting; main theme: massive human rights violence, armed conflict within
states; major points of notable speeches);Human Security Issues(follow-up to "Agenda for
Peace" particularly prevention; key: broad "international approach to poverty, human rights and
social/economic development" (UNGA President Statement: Annex 2);UNSC renewed activism
but no progress on membership or veto; special problems of Africa); HIV/AIDS(stress on Africa
where death toll 10 times that of wars; Statement by UNAIDS Executive-Director: Annex 3);
Conflict Prevention(improved early-warning/prevention strategies; seek social/economic root
causes); Peacekeeping(major forcesin Kosovo, Sierra Leone, East Timor, DR Congo total well
over 30,000 in 00(Operations in Annex 4);International Justice(international criminal law fairly
controversial compared with civil law; Yugoslavia and Rwanda Tribunals started from scratch
but improving; International Criminal Court: 30 Jun deadline will be met; current: new
convention on terrorism financing, working on conventions re nuclear terrorism and
comprehensive anti-terrorism; planning international conference and transnational crime
convention;Disarmament(gloomy: START II stuck in Duma; CTBT refused by Congress; ABM
may be weakened or ignored; Conference on Disarmament is paralysed; Special Assembly
Session on Disarmament unlikely;NPT review conference also unlikely; Resolution on Peaceful
Uses of Outer Space passed, but US resumed anti-missile tests; practical progress on
implementing/completing agreements on Chemical and Biological weapons, Landmines, Heavy
Weapons register, Small Arms Trade; Development(of LDC needs-investment, markets, debt
relief, only ODA is responsibility of UN proper(and aid is declining),but UN-Bank/Fund relations
closer; North-South dialogue also less confrontational; "Agenda for Development" stresses
good governance/ accountability/participation/social security; UNSG WTO speech(Annex
5)highlights LDCs' need to share globalization; 01 all-issue conference on financing
development will bring in all stakeholders); UN Aid(of $50b annual ODA, $5b through UN and $5b
World Bank; UN stresses social concerns/human development; UNDP major effort to coordinate
multilateral aid better); Business and Labour(UNSG challenged big business at Davos to "Global
Compact" tocooperate with UN on human rights/labour standards/environment; positive
response from ICC; ICFTUalso undertook to support);Humanitarian Activities(natural disasters
cost $500b in 90s; armed conflicts cost $200b in external aid, so probably over $1 trillion overall;
UN priority to avoid or mitigate natural disasters or conflicts);Human Rights(most humanitarian
law written since WWII; much being added; all aspects of human (mis)behaviour come together
at UN under human rights; UNSC adopted strong/comprehensive policy on protecting
civilians(Annex 6); in Kosovo/East Timor, UN creating entirecriminal justice and human rights
systems; UNHCHR investigating standards in 21 fields worldwide);Women's
Advancement(Special UNGA Session on Women(Jun 00)will examine implementation of
BeijingConference decisions; UNGA studied new report on role of women in
development);Children(Tenth Anniversary of Convention on Rights of Child; UNSC resolution
"strongly condemns targeting of children in situations of armed conflict" );Finance and
Management(main focus again US budget arrears followed by highly-conditional part-payment;
00-01 biennium budget $2,535m, up a symbolic $3m; staff managementstill slow/cumbersome;
excellent final report of 5-year "Internal Oversight" (quoted));Civil Societies(getsmore into basic
issues of development-globalization; UNSG for tripartite "Global Compact" :UN-business-civil
society);(Annex 7:Current Membership of UN Organs).
Charles G. Boyd "Making Bosnia Work" Foreign Affairs Vol.77/No.1(Jan/Feb 98):-international
community's greatest problem, years after Dayton Accord: how to achieve aim of creating unified
Bosnia. After intense local investigation, concludes this impossible for foreseeable future, and
only solution is de facto partition, with security and economic aid provided to all groups,
continuing foreign presence, and long healing period.Letters Vol.77/No.3(May/Jun 98):offer some
counter-arguments.[My own inclination is to agree, and give up trying to create traditional
sovereign state where one has never existed before and at time when feelings are so intense.
Emphasis should be on down-grading significance of any borders in area and increasing
economic modernization/integration of Balkans so ethnicity becomes "private"
matter(again)while all benefit from working together.]
Duane Bratt "Peace Over Justice: Developing a Framework for UN Peacekeeping Operations in
Internal Conflicts" Global Governance Vol.5/No.1(Jan-Mar 99):-while UN's "purpose" is to
"maintain international peace/security" ,many Charter references to human rights make clear
second objective to improve political/economic/social justice. Priority and resource dilemmas
arise when aims equally demanding or mutually exclusive, mainly in facing internal conflicts.
Argues that, besides Charter ranking, obvious precedence of saving lives and doing most urgent
first, means peace must have priority. Moreover, thisreduces perception of UN "imperialism" and
alien priorities as well as criticism UN forces "helping" one sideby(aiding in)delivering
humanitarian assistance or seizing war criminals. Still, agonizing global "triage" may be only
solution to choosing among "peace" options.
Harry G.Broadman"China and India Go to Africa: New Deals in the Developing World"(95-109)
Foreign Affairs Vol.87/No.2(Mar/Apr 08):-official summary: "Economic activity between Africa and
Asia, especially China and India, is booming like never before. If the problems and imbalances
this sometimes creates are managed well, this expanding engagement could be an
unprecedented opportunity for Africa's growth and for its integration into the global economy".
Broadman is Economic Adviser for the Africa Region at the World Bank, and author of Africa's
Silk Road: China and India's New Economic Frontier(World Bank 07). Views in FA are his own.
George Brown, "Debt and Development: Time to Act, Again" The Economist 21 Feb 98(77-8):-on
behalf of British government, author makes number of proposals to deal urgently with LDC debt.
Proposed: G7recommit themselves to accelerated debt relief; donor countries support IMF-IBRD
initiative for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries(HIPCs); areas stressed: macro-economic stability,
IMF-IBRD transparency, fullprivate sector contribution, more investment in education and health,
provision of productive export creditsonly; and elimination of gaps and overlaps in IMF-IBRD
activities. The Economist 20 Mar 99(19, 51):-updates situation by reporting US President Clinton
has supported an acceleration of HIPC initiative since only 8 of 40 HIPCs have so far "qualified"
and only two have received debt relief. Yet their debts have now reached$170 billion and on
average exceed their annual export earnings more than fourfold. In total, Clinton
proposedmeasures to forgive a further $70 billion HIPC debt.
Lester R.Brown"Feeding Nine Billion"(115-32)in State of the World(1999)(New York: W.W.Norton,
99):-main points: World grain harvests grew from 400m tons in 1900 to nearly 1.9b in 1998, aided
by massiveirrigation (40% of food), chemical fertilizers, huge plant-breeding advances,
short-stem wheat/rice, hybridcorn - such cropland assets being globally available. Yet 840m
people are hungry/malnourished(19,000 children die daily from effects of malnutrition). Other two
basic food-supply systems - oceanic fisheries andrangelands - appear to have reached global
carrying capacity, and per capita grain production hasdecreased 7% since 1984. Meanwhile the
current 6b world population is expected to grow to 9b about 2050, during which period net global
harvested area is expected to be almost unchanged, and to continuedropping per capita to 0.07
hectares(1950=0.23). Mounting water scarcity has reduced irrigated area per capita by 6% since
1978, simultaneously lowering fertilizing capacity - and levelling off for lack of further benefit.
Remaining route to increased food productivity - plant breeding - could raise drought-, disease-,
insect-resistance and salt-tolerance, but now little gain is physiologically possible for wheat,
corn and ricein terms of further raising crop yields. It all means that eradication of hunger and
malnutrition now may depend heavily on demand-side initiatives: slowing population growth and
using grain and water more efficiently.
Lester R.Brown Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization(New York: Earth Policy Institute 08):-brilliant accounts of: (I)climate change crises; (II)needs/means to take counter-actions; (III)urgent
worldwide programs. Any of 400pp could be consulted individually. Here are Chapters(plus sub-headings): 1. Entering a New World (A Massive Market Failure; Environment and Civilization;
China: Why Existing Economic Model Will Fail; Mounting Stresses, Failing States; Civilizational
Tipping Point; Plan B - Plan of Hope); (I) 2. Deteriorating Oil and Food Security (Coming Decline
of Oil; Oil Intensity of Food; Changing Food Prospect; Cars/People Compete for Crops; World
Beyond Peak Oil; Food Insecurity and Failing States); 3. Rising Temperatures and Rising Seas
(Rising Temperature - Its Effects; Crop Yield Effect; Reservoirs in Sky; Melting Rice and Rising
Seas; More-Destructive Storms; Cutting Carbon 80% by 2020); 4. Emerging Water Shortages
(Water Tables Falling; Rivers Running Dry; Lakes Disappearing; Farmers Losing to Cities;
Scarcity Crossing National Borders; Water Scarcity Yields Political Stresses); 5. Natural Systems
Under Stress (Shrinking Forests -Many Costs; Losing Soil; From Grassland to Desert; Advancing
Deserts; Collapsing Fisheries; Disappearing Plants and Animals); 6. Early Signs of Decline (Our
Socially Divided World; Health Challenge Growing; Throwaway Economy in Trouble; Population
and Resource Conflicts; Environmental Refugees on Rise; Mounting Stresses, Failing States);
(II) 7. Eradicating Poverty, Stabilizing Population Universal Basic Education; Stabilizing
Population; Better Health for All; Curbing HIV Epidemic; Reducing Farm Subsidies/Debt; Poverty
Eradication Barrier); 8. Restoring the Earth (Protecting and Restoring Forests; Conserving and
Rebuilding Soils; Regenerating Fisheries; Protecting Plant/Animal Diversity; Planting Trees to
Sequester Carbon; Earth Restoration Budget); 9. Feeding Eight Billion Well (Rethinking Land
Productivity; Raising Water Productivity; Producing Proteir More Efficiently; Moving Down Food
Chain; Action on Many Fronts); 10. Designing Cities for People (Ecology of Cities; Redesigning
Urban Transport; Reducing Urban Water Use; Farming in the City; Upgrading Squatter
Settlements; Cities for People); 11. Raising Energy Efficiency (Banning the Bulb; Energy-Efficient
Appliances; More-Efficient Buildings; Restructuring Transport System; New Materials Economy;
Energy Savings Potential); 12. Turning to Renewable Energy (Harnessing Wind; Wind-Powered
Plug-in Hybrid Cars; Solar Cells and Collectors; Energy from the Earth; Plant-Based Sources of
Energy; River/Tidal/Wave Power; World Energy Economy: 2020); (III) 13.The Great Mobilization
(Shifting Taxes and Subsidies; Summing Up Climate Stabilization Measures; Response to Failing
States; Wartime Mobilization; Mobilizing to Save Civilization; What You and I Can Do).
Bill Bryson A Short History of Nearly Everything(New York: Broadway Books 03):-pre-bestseller
author of many/widely-varied books, undertook "informative journey into world of science,.. his
greatest challenge yet: to understand - and, if possible, answer - oldest, biggest questions...
about the universe and ourselves... Result is a sometimes profound, sometimes funny, and
always supremely clear/entertaining adventure in the realms of human knowledge"(publisher).
Even new "lavishly illustrated" Nov 05 hardcover edition of 624pp available from Barnes & Noble
to all @US$28.00. Favourable Ed Regis NYT review(18 May 03)states:"Bryson achieved exactly
what he'd set out to do, and, moreover, [did] it in stylish, efficient, colloquial and stunningly
accurate prose... The basic facts of physics, chemistry, biology, botany, climatology, geology -
all these and many more are presented with exceptional clarity and skill". My own reaction is that
this easily available/readable reference on all not-personally-specialised scientific subjects
should ideally be read - or at least be used for topic-reference - by all in this very unstable world.
Zbigniew Brzezinski "Hegemonic Quicksand" The National Interest Winter 03/04(5-16):-long
article on future instability excerpted from The Choice, Global Domination or Global Leadership.
Claims unstable but new "Global Balkans" (developing similar to past "European Balkans" )is
region between Europe and Far East. "For next several decades, most volatile and dangerous
region of world - with explosive potential to plunge world into chaos - will be crucial swathe[from
approximately Suez Canal to Xinjiang, and fromRusso-Kazakh border to southern
Afghanistan]...Here that America could slide into collision with world of Islam while
American-European policy differences could even cause Atlantic Alliance to come unhinged.
Two eventualities together could then put prevailing American global hegemony at
risk.[C]hallengeAmerica now confronts, dwarfs what it faced half-century ago in Western Europe
[since]to promote global security will be pacification and then cooperative organization of region
that contains world's greatest concentration of political injustice, social deprivation,
demographic congestion and potential for high-intensity violence. But region also contains most
of world's oil and natural gas...In 2020 area projected to produce roughly 42m barrels of oil per
day - 39% of global production total...No self-evident answers to such basic questions as how
and with whom America should be engaged in helping to stabilize area, pacifyit and eventually
cooperatively organize it." Then notes that some states in area could be US potential key
partners: Turkey, Israel, India, and Russia. All four are then examined in detail but ruled out for
various reasons. "Ultimately US can look to only one genuine partner...:Europe. Although it will
need help of leading East Asian states like Japan and China...neither likely at this stage to
become heavily engaged. OnlyEurope...potential capacity in political, military and economic
realms to pursue jointly with US task of engaging various Eurasian peoples...US and Europe
together represent array of physical and experientialassets with capacity to make decisive
difference in shaping political future of Global Balkans...European engagement will not occur,
however, if expected to consist of simply following US lead" .Latter portionof paper discusses
whether and how US and Europe can work together in improving issues of area. Specific
attention made to problems: Arab-Israeli peace, Iraq, Iran, Gulf states, Caucasus and Central
Asia, Caspian Basin. Final comments relate to" need to contain both proliferation of WMD and
terrorist epidemic." Paper ends:" One should not forget that struggling alone makes quicksand
only more dangerous."
Robert Buckman, Can We Be Good Without God? An Exploration of Behaviour, Belonging and
the Need to Believe (Toronto: Penguin 01):-while author both medical doctor/atheist, not
designed to criticize religionor to scientifically support atheism. One major concern: religions
generate specific/competinginterpretations of "goodness" , developing critical link between
"good and god." Also offers perspective "onconnection between behaviour and belief -
connection between ethics and religion." Such diversified convictions held by each faithful
group have produced unrealistic and unjust frictions. "The world will be better place if we all
believe whatever we wish, but behave as if there is no deity to sort out humankind's problems."
Global issues described may indeed become worse or easier.
Hedley Bull, The Anarchical Society: A Study of Order in World Politics(Second Edition)
(Houndmills: Macmillan Press 95):-new edition of seminal work on state system surprisingly
retains original 77 text. ItsUN-relevant aim was to determine whether system would/should
survive -and alternatives. Concluded very little change was possible or needed. Interest today
derives from how much of original argumentundercut by extraordinary changes of past 20 years,
particularly constraints on state sovereignty by:globalization of information/manufacture/
finance; new global imperatives/power centers/vacuums; novel capacities/threats. For firm
support see Hoffmann(op.cit.).
Barry A.Burciul"UN Sanctions: Policy Options for Canada"Canadian Foreign Policy Vol.6/No.1
(Fall 98):-thorough, global effort to improve sanctions, in response to tough facts:(1)sanctions
rarely achieve ends, and often cause unnecessary pain;(2)serve as relatively cheap and risk-free
ways to meet pressurefor "action" ;(3)targeted sanctions often work better than comprehensive.
Priorities: discourage sanctionsif more constructive, humane alternatives exist; ensure strong/
targeted; always consider innocentcivilians. Ideas: wider range of threats, but sanctions
high-cost, so need broad multilateral coalition plus regional/NGO support; humane sanctions
more effectively gain essential support; target states/personsmust be fully understood, to avoid
counterproductive action and find optimum means (travel, sports, culture ban, arms embargo,
even violence); better as deterrent/preventive/threat than as coercion; "sanctions forum" studies
options/support/strategic planning using pooled intelligence to judge hot spots/time
limits/temporary tariffs/lessons learned/finance levers; "humanitarian limits" must protect NGOs,
determine and police exemptions; enforcement must be rapid/specific/coordinated/
committed/informed, and include border surveys.
Richard Butler "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered: Repairing the Security Council" Foreign
AffairsVol.78/No.5 (Sep/Oct 99):-former UNSCOM Executive Chairman(Iraq disarmament
supervision)on most urgent problems facing UN Security Council. Sees as particularly dismaying
last 12 months, "during which council was bypassed, defied, and abused" by misuse/threat of
veto. This was granted to permanent members(P5)solely" to allow them to prevent council
decision authorizing use of force against them[yet they]weighted their narrow national interests
over collective responsibility." Council must address two key areas:(1)new informal rules should
reduce matters subject to veto(US initiative critical);(2)P5 should not judge Council's ultimate
role in enforcing arms control treaties on subjective political basis. Must also keep their NPT
promises.
Barry Buzan and Gerald Segal, Anticipating the Future: Twenty Millennia of Human
Progress(London: Simon & Schuster 1998):-this book is both stimulating and misleading -points
made in Reviews in both The Economist 14 Feb 98(12)and Foreign Affairs Vol.77/No.2(Mar/Apr
1998)(134-9). In spite of its title, almost entire book deals with broad sweep of human past and
present, in order to put 1998 and our possible futures into focus. It does it clearly/usefully if in
fairly orthodox terms. "Future" section anticipates UN system stymied, mainly by US, requiring
replacement. My criticism is that it underestimates depth and acceleration of current global
change(INTRODUCTION or Bull-op.cit.).
David Callahan Unwinnable Wars: American Power and Ethnic Conflict(New York: Hill & Wang
97):-while addressed to US leaders, fine analysis/recommendations apply to UN and its active
members. Thesis: recent trend for intra-state ethnic violence will continue - if decrease. All
states have interest in ending - ideally, preventing - such wars. UN must be empowered to play
more effective role, and greater capacity for using standing forces, in managing internal
conflicts. Regional bodies, UN financing, arms-trade control, cooperation with NGOs, and aid
to failed states, must all be strengthened. Diplomacy/intelligence(mainly analysis)must be
updated - and cooperate with UN.
Ted Galen Carpenter edit. Delusions of Grandeur: The United Nations and Global Intervention
(Washington: Cato Institute 97):-Cato aims to further "traditional American principles of limited
government, individual liberty, and peace." Libertarian view inclines it to oppose
multilateralism(it inter alia limits US global freedom of action)and all constraints on free
enterprise. Topics: UN in Perspective; Peacemaker-Peacekeeper; Bureaucracy-Funding-
Corruption; Social and Environmental Agenda; Economic Development Role. 18 essays clearly
stress Cato views. Only five sympathetic to UN aims/activities; 10 or so reasonable, even if bit
selective or broad, in criticism. Last deliberately distort, and in their narrow-minded, selfish
jingoism, exhibit true "delusions of grandeur": John Bolton: " [Clinton] forgot that UN was
instrument to be used to advance America's foreign policy interests, not to engage in
international social work..." (51; his emphasis)! Provides rationales of many US anti-UN views.
Geoffrey Carr, "The Alchemists: A Survey of the Pharmaceutical Industry" in The Economist 21
Feb 98(1-18):-Survey claims scientific/technological revolution is sweeping this industry. It
describes new technologies being developed and used, examines huge present/probable future
changes in industry'sstructure, and asks what this could mean for future health care.
Anticipates:(1)increase in range of diseases treatable with drugs; (2)increase in drug precision
and effectiveness;(3)increase in ability to anticipate disease. Each trend is accelerated by new
genetic insights and will have major global impact. But terriblerich-poor economic issue of drug
patents/costs: unprobed.
Peter, Lord Carrington et al. Words to Deeds: Strengthening the U.N.'s Enforcement Capabilities
- Final Report of the International Task Force on the Enforcement of U.N. Security Council
Resolutions(New York: UNA-USA 97):- ten world figures reached constructive and expert
consensus with genuine prospects of implementation. Among 29 conclusions: give priority to
preventive diplomacy and strengthened enforcement machinery; UNSC primacy for enforcement
to be respected and reinforced; Chapter VIIresolutions to be clear, specific, consistent,
unambiguous, realistic and well-supervised, to includeoperational plans, regular consultations
with states involved and world-class experts, and securely use and share all sources of relevant
information; resolutions on non-military sanctions to be specific, fully costedfor all affected,
monitored, given a timeframe, focused if possible, and to draw on expert advice; military
operations to have very clear mandate, strategic oversight, post-conflict follow-up and be
decisive; overhaul Military Staff Committee to give UNSC best advice, and to consult with others
involved; since for now ad hoc coalitions more likely than standing UN or stand-by forces,
develop capability inventory, a roster of earmarked units, a common doctrine, rules of
engagement and training, and tighter UNSC oversight; support regional bodies with preventive
measures, financial, material, and logistic help, and better inter-group coordination.
Ashton Carter, John Deutch & Philip Zelikow "Catastrophic Terrorism: Tackling the New Danger"
Foreign Affairs Vol.77/No.6(Nov/Dec 98):-distillation of Universities Study Group on Catastrophic
Terrorism reportpublished by Stanford University. Version will also appear as chapter in
forthcoming Preventive Defense: An American Security Strategy for the 21st Century by Ashton
Carter and William Perry. All(distinguished) members of Study Group are listed in footnote.
Conclusions are: terrorism using weapons of mass destruction has moved "from far-fetched
horror to a contingency that could happen next month" ; particularly with biological weapons,
"technology is more accessible, and society is more vulnerable" ; elaborate "networks have
developed among organized criminals, drug traffickers, arms dealers, money launderers,
[thus]creating infrastructure for[such]terrorism around the world" . While recommendations
directed mainly at urgent US action, all fall into universal categories: intelligence/warning;
prevention/deterrence;management of crises and consequences. All needs international/global
cooperation.
Ashton B. Carter "How To Counter WMD" Foreign Affairs Vol.83/No.5(Sep/Oct 04):-ex-US
Assistant Secretary of Defense (under Clinton)and currently Co-director, Harvard Preventive
Defense Project, writes just when:most are concerned that US attacked Iraq by mis-claiming
WMD threat; US presidential election imminent. Concerned that since 11 Sep crisis, US
"counterproliferation policies have not been overhauled" ,and" it has made no new efforts to
prevent nonstate actors such as terrorists from getting their hands on WMD." He truly decrees
much reliable advice on countering the serious terrorist/WMD dangers to the entire global
audience, and not to Washington only. His basic view:" WMD generally applies to nuclear,
biological, chemical weapons; ballistic missiles; more recently'dirty bombs,'ordinary explosives
containing some radioactive material. But this definition is too broad. Chemical weapons are not
much more lethal than conventional explosives/hardly...WMD label. Similarly, long-range ballistic
missiles especially destructive only if they have nuclear or biological warhead, and so should
not be considered separate category. Dirty bombs cause local contamination and costly priority.
Primary focus of counterproliferation policy, therefore, should be nuclear and biological
weapons...True overhaul of counterproliferation policy would recognize that, like defense against
terrorism, defense against WMD must be multilayered and comprehensive. Such reforms would
aim to eliminate threat of nuclear terrorism entirely by denying fissilematerials to nonstate actors
and...prepare to contain scale of most likely forms of bioterrorism to minor outbreaks. It would
revamp outdated arms control agreements, expand counterproliferation programs,...improve way
intelligence on WMD is collected and analysed.[W]ould favor countering WMD with non-nuclear
rather than nuclear measures. And it would at last develop coherent strategies for heading
off...most pressing nuclear proliferation threats." Substantial article then amplifies all these
points.
Thomas Carters, "Democracy Without Illusions" in Foreign Affairs Vol.76/No.1(Jan/Feb 97):-notes
that recent hopes for almost universal establishment of democratic governments have been
disappointed by revival in many states of authoritarian regimes or practices. Yet some
retrenchment does not eliminate underlying trend of progress.
Nayan Chanda Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Adventurers, and Warriors Shaped
Globalization(New Haven: Yale Univ Press 07):-this fascinating survey of the development of
globalization since 6000BCE is valuable as a unique reminder - to specialists in history, politics,
economics, religion, movement, technology, science, etc - of how their own knowledge relates
to other specialized information, and to the present/future of the intense/expanding relations
across this planet. (This aim corresponds exactly with my purpose in this information source.)
Style is amusing, and novel in all areas but one's expertise, so it is delicious/constructive in all
unstudied fields and hence globally constructive. Final para offers view that fits closely with that
in Christopher Spencer Oct 06(op.cit.):"We benefit from all that the world has to offer, but we
think only in narrow terms of protecting the land and people within our national borders - the
borders that have been established only in the modern era. [All that separates us] from the rest
of the world... cannot change the fact that we are bound together through the invisible filament
of history. [W]e know how we have reached where we are and where we may be headed. We are
in a position to know that the sum of human desires, aspirations, and fears that have woven our
fates together can neither be disentangled nor reeled back. But neither are we capable of
accurately gauging how this elemental mix will shape our planet's future. Still, compared to the
past... we are better equipped to look over the horizon at both the dangers and the opportunities
...There is no alternative to rising above our tribal interests: over the centuries to come, our
destinies will remain inextricably bound together. [W]e can attempt to nudge our rapidly
integrating world toward a more harmonious course - because we are all connected".
Erskine Childers edit., Challenges to the United Nations: Building a Safer World (New York: St.
Martin's Press, 1995). - a useful but uneven collection of essays on the various elements of the
UN's responsibilities. Although most of the authors included tend to blame the selfish, rich world
for all the UN's failures and imperfections, those dealing with human rights and humanitarian
challenges are both informative and balanced.
Jarat Chopra edit."Special Issue on Peace-Maintenance Operations"Global Governance Vol.4/
No.1 (Jan/Mar 98):- since Cold War end, UN has undertaken many peace-related operations of
new complexity and scale(often called second-generation). Several(Bosnia/Rwanda/Somalia)
deficient for multiple reasons(mandate/management/resources). Papers analyse peace-
maintenance system where UN exercises(some)political authority to harmonize diplomatic/
humanitarian/military/other civil aspects of operations if local systems fail.Authority-Knight;
Administration-Morphet; Humanitarianism-Donini; Law-Plunkett; Military-Cousens; Accepting
Authority-Adibe.
Jarat Chopra, "United Nations Peace-Maintenance" (312-40)in Martin Ira Glassner edit. The
United Nations at Work (Westport: Praeger 98):-more uniform/all-embracing case for idea of
flexible UN multi-functional governance role than made in Global Governance(Jan/Mar
98)(Ibid.).Hedges "failed states" / "trusteeships" as politically sensitive terms, although many
analysts suspect these may be toughest UN "peace/order/good government" challenges for 21st
century, particularly in Africa. Surveys history of all UN "peace" operations, and concludes its
greatest current problems weak orchestration of complex emergencies, and inclination to act
as mediator when creation of order is first priority, followed by nurturing of stable democratic
society. Kosovo(which post-dates writing)would seem more what Chopra has in mind, though
with full UN political authority.
Jarat Chopra and Tanja Hohe "Participatory Intervention" Global Governance
Vol.10/No.3(Jul-Sep 04):-both authors served in UN Transitional Administration in East
Timor(UNTAET)and offer thoughtful ideas abouthow UN should optimally build/modify political
systems in troubled/new states - a responsibility that isgrowing in UN numbers and importance
globally. Experience with administration intervention in Cambodia, East Timor, Kosovo, Namibia,
and Somalia has been imperfect, but educational as to how future responsibilities could be
improved by more carefully considering what actually constitute the "front lines" - "the level
of local administration. Here, Western-style paradigm of state building, which ispreoccupied with
forming a national executive, legislature, and judiciary, confronts resilient traditional structures,
socially legitimate powerholders, abusive warlords out to win, or coping mechanisms
communities rely on under conflict conditions. Options for establishment or reconstruction of
governing institutions seem stark: either reinforce status quo and build on it, further
empowering the already strong;or replace altogether what exists with new administrative order.
But there may be middle road." Essay analyses latter.
Amy Chua WORLD ON FIRE: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and
Global Instability(New York: Doubleday 03):-this easy-to-read 350page survey of special
political/economic/social problems in many parts of the world has generated good reviews and
more influence. Its strong warning is not against either globalization trade or pure democracy
in developing countries, but against pressing these ideas too quickly when rich but unpopular
minorities dominate their economies - widely common situation that is carefully described. She
concludes by first naming three goals: "[1] the best economic hope for developing and
post-socialist countries lies in some form of market-generated growth; [2] thebest political hope
for these countries lies in some form of democracy, with constitutional constraints,tailored to
local realities; [3] avoiding ethnic oppression and bloodshed must be a constant priority. But if
these goals are to be achieved - if global free market democracy is to be peaceably sustainable
- thenthe problem of market-dominant minorities, however unsettling, must be confronted
head-on. [Finally, four specific "tonics" are addressed:] (1) the possibility of 'leveling the playing
field'between market-dominant minorities and the impoverished 'indigenous' majorities around
them; (2) ways of getting thepoor, frustrated majorities of the world a greater stake in global
markets; (3) ways of promoting liberalrather than illiberal democracies; and (4) approaches that
market-dominant minorities themselves might take to forestall majority-based, often murderous
ethnonationalist backlashes". Chapter sub-titles showwhere and how these major challenges
exist and must be addressed: (1)Chinese Minority Dominance in Southeast Asia;
(2)'White'Wealth in Latin America; (3)The Jewish Billionaires of Post-Communist Russia;
(4)Market-Dominant Minorities in Africa; (5)Ethnically Targeted Seizures and Nationalizations;
(6)Crony Capitalism and Minority Rule; (7)Expulsions and Genocide; (8)Assimilation,
Globalization, and the Case of Thailand;(9)From Jim Crow to the Holocaust;(10)Israeli Jews as
a Regional Market-Dominant Minority; (11)US as a Global Market-Dominant Minority; (12)The
Future of Free Market Democracy.
Walter Clarke & Jeffrey Herbst "Somalia and the Future of Humanitarian Intervention" Foreign
AffairsVol.75/No.2(Mar/ Apr 96):-fine account of errors/lessons of UN operation in Somalia.
Concludes that, in failed states, UN operations cannot be either short or neutral, and may require
installation of full UN administration.
Bruce Clark, "A Survey of NATO: Knights in Shining Armour?" (1-18)The Economist 24 Apr
99:-extremely useful in several respects. Provides history of NATO's gradually - now rapidly -
changing role(s),(un)popularity,(dis)unity. Describes how "most successful military alliance in
history" suddenly lost its raison d'etre; then altered from new trans-European-US security entity,
swamped with new applicants and proud of its Bosnian role, to frustrated military giant in
Kosovo, seen by many as having acted illegally and unnecessarily, with future dependent on
solving complex puzzle of own making. Also outlines functional dilemmas facing military allies
equipped/trained decades apart technologically. Finally, survey coversNATO's split over whether
it plays global role in(UN-sponsored) multilateral combat interventions which it alone has
weapons, training, cohesion to handle.
Walter J. Clemens, Jr, Dynamics of International Relations: Conflict and Mutual Gain in an Era
of Global Interdependence(Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield 98):-well-organized introductory text
on IR, helpful to students or those first looking at global issue(s). Chapters:(1)Is IR
"Winner-Take-All?" Can It Be Mutual Gain?(2)How to Win at Peace: Creating New World
Orders;(3)Foreign Policy Decision Making: Do Individuals Count?(4)Why Wage War? Does It Pay
to Fight?(5)Power and Influence:What Wins?(6)Why Arm?Can Swords Become Plowshares?
(7)Negotiating Conflict:How Can Foes Become Partners?(8)Nationalism and World Order:
Peoples at Risk? (9)Intervention and Mediation: How Can Outsiders Help?(10)Democracy and
Authoritarianism: What Impact on International Peace and Prosperity?(11)Wealth of Nations:
West Meets East(12)Challenges of Development: South MeetsNorth(13) Transitions: Can Second
World Join First?(14)Ecopolitics: Health of Nations(15)Organizing for Mutual Gain:UN, Europe
and Nonstate Actors(16)International Protection of Human Rights:Sham orRevolution?
(17)Alternative Futures.
Harlan Cleveland, Birth of a New World: An Open Moment for International Leadership(San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers 93):-post-Cold War book by a top US diplomat/administrator
who does not advocate a Pax Americana. Offers succinct description of many changes in, and
dynamic characteristics of, post-industrial world.
Roger A.Coate edit.U.S. Policy and the Future of the United Nations(New York: Twentieth
Century Fund 94):-fine essays on UN political/organizational problems and realistic proposals
retain global value sinceissues remain relevant and/or reforms underway. Spiers proposes
administrative/structural/peacemaking/ financial reforms. Coate urges
inter-agency/intra-government coordination of UN system. Blechman looks at new intra-state
conflict/ preventive action challenges. Graham surveys IAEA proliferation/enforcement needs.
Abram urges enforcement of human rights/humanitarian law. Loescher examines new
scale/originsof refugees/displaced persons. Gordenker discusses WHO role/problems.
Sessions/Steever explore challenges/constraints on Commission on Sustainable Development.
Leonard picks UN priorities: security/economy/environment/humanitarian action/human rights.
Richard Cockett"Chasing the Rainbow: A Survey of South Africa"The Economist 08 Apr
06(1-12):-official summary of Survey: "Since end of apartheid, South Africa has moved closer to
becoming the 'rainbow nation'of Nelson Mandela's vision. But not nearly close enough yet".
Highlights of broad introductory essay: "South Africa has plotted its own course to relative
stability, democracy and prosperity[, and is even] beginning to lead continent in entirely new
way. [P]ost-apartheid government [African National Congress(ANC) now under President Thabo
Mbeki] has managed to build 1.9m new homes, connect 4.5m households to electricity, provide
11m homes with running water. Targets for raising living standards aremost ambitious on the
continent. However, South Africa still deeply scarred by legacy of apartheid[- with that]
geography very much intact... Now sense of impatience over pace of change[:] for
many...'rainbow nation'has slowed to a crawl[,so] government well aware of this, and now
intervening in more areas of national life to try to speed up change. [Yet] from education to
foreign policy to crime-fighting, people have found creative solutions to many of their problems.
That creativity is South Africa's most impressive asset, and increasingly comes from poorest and
historically most disadvantagedof communities - nowbuilding their own ladders out of poverty.
[F]or all the good economic news, government is lookingpolitically more vulnerable than at any
time since 1994 [defeat of apartheid] for simple reason: little [GDP]growth has benefited [ANC's]
core supporters - poor and black. [U]nemployment [formally up to] about 27% [as new jobs] not
enough to keep pace with number of new entrants into labour market. [O]ther big problem is
rising inequality[:] number of people living on poverty line may be rising. [ANC
economic]prudence paid off, bringing economic stability and launching consumer boom. But
[it] did not create enough jobs[/investment]. So now ANC looking... at disgruntled activists who
feel let down. [It plans]more money for program of social grants[mainly child support/pensions
to about 10m out of 47m, plus]370b rand over next 3 years on public works, mainly
infrastructure/tourism, to boost jobs and create more [leveling] demand. Longer-term aims:
growth rate to 6% by 2010; halve unemployment/poverty by 2014. [Dangers] twin bottlenecks.:.
severe skills shortage and failure to deliver services at local level".Final points, also in
Editorial"Term Limits in Africa: When Enough Is Enough"(18):"With many leading politicians
discredited, continent needs a strong South Africa. Also needs South Africa prepared to go
beyond its strickly African agenda, and to deliver on its commitments to good governance,
human rightsand democracy enshrined in new vision of African Union and Nepad [New
Partnership for Africa's Development]. These are very much South Africa's creations. It is time
for Africa's leading democracy to cast off its humility and diffidence - and perhaps even to throw
its weight around for these causes".
Richard Cockett "Chasing the Rainbow: A Survey of South Africa"Economist 08 Apr
06(5-6):-Summary of major section on government's HIV/AIDS policy only: "[G]reatest weakness
of [ruling African National Congress] ANC's top-down system is that party is inclined to dismiss
ideas from outside its own bureaucracy. Most obvious example has been [President Thabo]
Mbeki's well-documented response to the HIV/AIDS crisis. For a long time [op.cit.] Mbeki stood
out against the combined weight of world medical opinion on the causes/treatment of AIDS, and
particularly on use of anti-retroviral drugs. Main group campaigning for their use, Treatment
Action Campaign, was made up almost entirely of ANC members, and Mbeki seems to have
resisted their arguments as much because he felt they werebreaking party ranks as for their
prescriptions on AIDS (with which he disagreed). In 2003, government eventually caved in to
domestic/ international pressure and gracelessly introduced a comprehensivemanagement
regime involving anti-retroviral drugs to combat HIV/AIDS. May have signalled change of policy
by government, but not, it seems, much of a change of mind. In a country with 5.2m
HIV-positivepeople on record, the largest number in the world, there is almost no public
acknowledgement of theproblem or public education about it. [M]inisters (with a few honourable
exceptions) still seem loth to talk about the illness, which kills about 900 people a day and
undermines much else the country is trying to achieve. It handicaps the army, with an infection
rate said to be up to 40%, breaks up families and killsmuch-needed teachers. Chillingly, Actuarial
Society of South Africa estimates that it will be another ten years before the pandemic peaks.
Tardiness with which government responded to HIV/AIDS crisis,together with Mbeki's own
strange take on underlying science, has tarnished own reputation, as well as that of ANC. Critics
argue government remains ambivalent about its commitment to fighting pandemic with
anti-retroviral drugs. Government's plan to combat HIV/AIDS may be model of its kind in intent,
but it is already falling behind. By end of 2006 about 225,000 patients will be receiving
anti-retroviral drugs, well short of the plan's target of 380,000 by 2005-06. Mbeki's unorthodox
views on causes/cures of HIV/AIDS undoubtedly have something to do with his agenda of finding
African solutions (rather than expensive Western ones) to Africa's problems... But AIDS saga,
together withANC's unresponsiveness to its own supporters and its failure to deliver on its
promises, has diminished aura of moral authority it has earned";
Roberta Cohen & Francis M. Deng Masses in Flight: The Global Crisis of Internal
Displacement(Washington: Brookings 98):-thorough, containing many sound proposals. Written
by Deng as UNSG representative on internally displaced persons(IDP).Numbers are big and
growing(20-25m IDPs vs 20m refugees)affecting multiple UN roles (humanitarian/human
rights/development/peace/sovereignty)and bodies(DMTS/ ECHA/ ERC/ IOM/ OCHA/
ODIHR(UNHQ)/ UNDP/ UNHCR/ UNICEF/ UNIFEM/ UNRWA/ WFP/ WHO).Sections : Global View;
Legal issues; Institutional issues; NGOs (Red Cross/Voluntary Agencies Council/etc.); Regional
Groups; some Strategies/Proposals; IDP Guiding Principles. For excellent summary of book by
authors see "Exodus Within Borders" Foreign Affairs Vol.77/No.4(Jul/Aug 98).
Roberta Cohen "The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement: An Innovation in International
Standard Setting" Global Governance Vol.10/No.4(Oct.-Dec. 04):-includes how and why global
concern about internally displaced persons(IDP) has developed, particularly since Cohen/Deng
source of 98(op.cit.). "It was not until 90s that absence of international system for IDPs began
to be noticed and more traditional notions of sovereignty questioned. One of vivid examples of
change in attitude was new set of international standards to protect persons forcibly uprooted
in their own countries - Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. Introduced into UN
Commission on Human Rights 98, they set forth rights of IDPs and obligations of
governments/international community toward these populations...GPs recast sovereignty as
form of national responsibility toward one's vulnerable populations with role provided
forinternational community when governments did not have capacity/willingness to protect their
uprootedpopulations. Although not legally binding instrument like treaty, GPs quickly gained
substantial internationalacceptance/authority.[Article analyses] origin/development of GPs,
reasons for growing international usage,validity of reservations about them, and question
whether process that developed them truly constitutes turning point in standard setting
reflecting greater role for NGO community in developing internationalnorms of conduct for
states."
Isobel Coleman "The Payoff From Women's Rights" Foreign Affairs Vol.83/No.3(May/Jun
04):-three points strongly: women's full rights critically important not just for women alone but
for entire societies; most negative women's areas of world are both curbed by old-style
religion/culture and blocked economically;US can and must do more to improve this. First
point:" Over past decade, significant research has demonstrated what many have known for long
time: women critical to economic development, active civil society, good governance -especially
in developing countries. Focus on women often best way reduce birth rates/child mortality;
improve health/nutrition/education; stem spread of HIV/AIDS; build robust/self- sustaining
community organizations; encourage grassroots democracy... Women's status advanced in
many countries: gender gaps in infant mortality rates/calorie consumption/school
enrollment/literacy levels/ access to health care/political participation narrowed steadily. These...
benefited society at large/improvingliving standards/increasing social entrepreneurship/
attracting foreign direct investment." Second point: "[S]ignificant gender disparities continues
to exist, and in some cases to grow, in three regions: southern Asia, Middle East, sub-Saharan
Africa. [C]onstraints on women living in areas[are]conservative/patriarchalpractices, often
reinforced by religious values." Third point: "[Deep tensions] between religious extremistsand
those with more moderate/progressive views...evident in Saudi Arabia/Iraq/Afghanistan...to
lesser extent Nigeria/Pakistan/Indonesia. Resolution critical to progress...,for those that
suppress women likely to stagnate economically/fail to develop democratic institutions/become
more prone to extremism." Sourges US to intensify women's rights much more.
Paul Collier The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries Are Failing and What Can Be Done
About It(New York: Oxford Univ Press 07):-reviews praise this brilliant description of the world's
poorest states and how they need unprecedented forms of aid to escape their chronic dilemmas.
Essence of argument by author in Preface (xi):"The problems these countries have are very
different from those we have addressed for the past four decades in what we have called
'developing countries' - that is, virtually all countries besides the most developed, which account
for only one-sixth of the earth's people. For all this time we have defined developing countries
so as to encompass five billion of the six billion people in the world. But not all developing
countries are the same. Those where development has failed face intractable problems not found
in the countries that are succeeding. We have, in fact, done the easier part of global
development; finishing the job now gets more difficult. Finish it we must, because an
impoverished ghetto of one billion people will be increasingly impossible for a comfortable world
to tolerate... But to do so we will need to draw upon tools - such as military interventions,
international standard-setting, and trade policy - that to date have been used for other purposes..
To build a unity of purpose, thinking needs to change, not just within the development agencies
but among the wider electorates whose views shape what is possible". Text (200pp) is essential.
Paul Collier "The Politics of Hunger: How Illusion and Greed Fan the Food Crisis"(67-79) Foreign
Affairs Vol.87/No.6(Nov/Dec 08):-official summary:"The food crisis could have dire effects on the
poor. Politicians have it in their power to bring food prices down. But doing so will require
ending the bias against big commercial farms and genetically modified crops and doing away
with damaging subsidies - the giants of romantic populism, bolstered by both illusion and
greed". [Criticism is particularly aimed at US and Europe.] Collier is Professor of Economics and
Director of Center for Study of African Economics at Oxford Univ. and author of Bottom Billion.
Cindy Collins & Thomas G.Weiss An Overview and Assessment of 1989-1996 Peace Operations
Publications: Occasional Paper #28(Providence: Watson Institute for International Studies,
Brown Univ. 97):-any book ordering/ summarizing 2000-publications about globally critical issue
is invaluable. Although prepared as research aid, concise text worth reading by itself for wealth
of information/views it conveys on many big problems/decisions facing UN. Subjects: Root
Causes of Armed Conflicts and Appropriate Responses; Decisions to Intervene(ethics, and
UNSC/state processes); Planning and Implementing Intervention(UN, state, and NGO
processes/relations).
Commitment to Development Index(CDI), "Ranking the Rich: 2004"in Foreign Policy(Co-Edited
with Center for Global Development(CGD))No.142(May/Jun 04)(46-56):-CDI in 2003 was a ranking
of rich nationsaccording to how their policies help or hinder social and economic development
in poor countries. In2004, CGD/FP unveils...CDI that brings into sharper focus which
governments lead the global community in the challenge of development. "Why should rich
countries care about development in poor ones? For reasons both pragmatic and principled. In
a globalizing world, rich countries cannot insulate themselves from insecurity. Poverty and weak
institutions are breeding grounds for public-health crises, violence, and economic volatility.
Fairness is another reason to care. No human being should be denied the chance to live free of
poverty and oppression, or to enjoy a basic standard of education and health. Yet richnations'
current trade policies, for example, place disproportionate burdens on poor countries,
discriminatingagainst their agricultural goods in particular. Finally, the countries ranked in the
CDI are all democracies that preach concern for human dignity and economic opportunity within
their own borders. The index measureswhether their policies promote these same values in the
rest of the world" .
Carl Conetta and Charles Knight, Vital Force: A Proposal for the Overhaul of the UN Peace
Operations System and for the Creation of a UN Legion(Cambridge: Commonwealth Institute
95):-detailed and fairly technical proposal, employing in-depth knowledge of modern military
organization and capabilities. Like Government of Canada's simultaneous proposal(op.cit.)this
was prepared in response to suggestion by UNSG(Boutros-Ghali)that UN-controlled rapid
response capability needed. After identifying six problems affecting "authorization, planning,
and execution of peace operations" , it proposes creation of four organizations: Military Advisory
and Cooperation Council; multilateral Field Communication and Liaison Corps; strengthened
Secretariat staff structure; four-brigade permanent standing force(UN Legion)plus field support
structure(44,000 personnel).
Gordon Conway, The Doubly Green Revolution: Food for All in the 21st Century(London:
Penguin Books 97):-expert survey of food problems and potential in developing countries.
Specific advice on eradicating hunger/rapidly reducing 750m undernourished(as pledged at
World Food Summit)through complex but realistic second Green Revolution. Topics: global
hunger/poverty; 2020 prospects; specific needs; Green Revolution's successes; where missed
poor; pollution from pesticides/fertilizer; production trends/priorities; biotechnology; sustainable
agriculture; farmers' input; pest control; nutrients; soil/water management; other resources;
food security.
James Cooper"Child Labour: Legal Regimes, Market Pressures and the Search for Meaningful
Solutions"and John English"'Imitating the Cries of Little Children': Exploitative Child Labour and
the Growth of Children's Rights"International Journal Vol.LII/ No.3(Summer 97):-paired articles,
while advocating different approaches to this complex problem - and one that can be locally very
controversial, agree it must be met globally and positively, including through UNGA, ILO, WTO,
UNICEF. For a specific example of where pressure to end child labour locally (making soccer
balls in Pakistan)was successful, but created a number of economic side effects, see The
Economist 08 Apr 00"After the Children Went to School"(72-3).
Robert Cottrell"Meet the Neighbours: A Survey of the EU's Eastern Borders"The Economist 25
Jun 05(1-16):-a cautiously optimistic -and particularly economic - look at European Union's
future, particularly as regards keen but poor countries to its east. The very useful Introduction
is summarized:"EU has been expanding by leaps and bounds. [Author]asks what happens if it
stops". The seven mostly-geographicchapters are carefully identified. "Transformed: EU
membership has worked magic in central Europe". "Climate Change: What post-communist
countries need to flourish". "Taming the Balkans: Could EU accession do the trick?" "A Bearish
Outlook: EU's relations with Russia are bad and may get worse". "Too Big To Handle?: Turkey's
application to join EU is causing anxiety on both sides". "The 4% Solution: Getting closer to
Europe is good for economic growth". "The Shape of Things to Come: EU should go its different
ways". Final section includes: "This survey has argued for best-case result in which EU goes
on using the power of membership to change the countries around it for the better. But Europe
is much less likely to find the energy/generosity for that strategy, now that it has lost its sense
of purpose/confidence in itself."
Timothy Wallace Crawford "Why Minimum Force Won't Work: Doctrine and Deterrence in Bosnia
and Beyond" Global Governance Vol.4/No.2(Apr/Jun 98):-since many diagnoses for failures of
UN role in Bosnia, analyses problem for future through critique of doctrine(s)UN attempted,
particularly "minimum force." Argument: Military deterrence coercion, which entails dropping
peacekeeping rules like participants' consent/minimum force. UN forces' credibility ability/will
to take effective military action key to deterring local parties from attacking each other/UN.Threat
includes offensive.[Approach quite distinct from humanitarian operations; two should not be
confused/result in "mission creep" .]
Tim Creery edit. "Human Rights:How Can Canada Make a Difference?" Report of Conference on
Canada's Foreign Policy by the Group of 78, Cantley, Quebec: 25-7 Sep 98:-contains keynote
speech by Warren Allmand, President, International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic
Development(particular emphasis on decision to establish International Criminal Court);
discussions on Canada's Roles in Protection of Civil and Political Rights(through UN and
OAS)and of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights(through trade and development assistance);
summaries of Discussion Groups on Constructive Engagement or Confrontation towards Burma,
China, Cuba, Nigeria, and former Yugoslavia; and summaries of statements on Rights of
Indigenous Peoples and official views on Progress and Challenges in Human Rights. Report also
contains: Introduction, Summary, Conclusions and Proposals.
Barbara Crossette "A U.N. Watchdog Exits to Applause" New York Times 15 Nov 99:-reports very
successfulcompletion 5-year term by first head UN Office of Internal Oversight Services. Karl
Theodor Paschke, former personnel/ management chief, German Foreign Ministry, appointed
USG level as watchdog to fight corruption/mismanagement. Expanded auditing throughout
UN/sent inspectors around world/uncovered dollars millions in fraud/abuse. UN now dismisses
employees quickly/losses recovered/criminal cases to trial/Annan's management reforms
working. Predictably, Paschke praised by US Congress but criticized by some developing
nations for coming from rich country, and some major reports blocked. Concluded: UN'sfaults
similar to those in other big bureaucracies, even though faces unique challenges(e.g.
inpeacekeeping/emergency relief operations/global procurement, where corruption worst).
Barbara Crossette "Kofi Annan Unsettles Important People, as He Believes the U. N. Should Do"
New York Times 31 Dec 99:-built around frank interview with UNSG, also contributes
background, especially on UN-US relations. Annan, "soft-spoken aristocrat from
Ghana[and]quiet insider with gentle sense of humor welcomed as healer" at time of bad US-UN
relations. Three years after election, "turning out to be one of most provocative leaders[UN]ever
known" . Speeches/reports castigate both UN and major powers "for doing nothing in face of
predictable catastrophes" (Rwanda, Srebenica)and hit fellow Africans for shortcomings. Annan
defends practical need for honest assessments and fault-finding, but has antagonized both Third
World and influential Americans. 99 UNGA speech arguing right to intervene in state affairs if
leaders abusetheir people drew fear from small nations and claims from senior US conservatives
he was exceeding powers. Personal diplomatic initiatives(Iraq, Libya)criticized, but he stressed
he was only doing his job. Much of Annan's independence derives from his selection of strong
and expert advisors.
Barbara Crossette "U.N. Studies How Refugees Qualify to Get Assistance" New York Times 14
Jan 00:-UNSC debate on what Roberta Cohen(Masses in Flight op.cit.)called "absurdity"
;Brookings: "one of most pressing humanitarian, human rights and political issues now facing
global community" . Most of 20m+ internally displaced persons(IDPs) ineligible to receive UN
assistance simply because not(yet)crossed border out of own country. Many forced from
homes(often by own governments who prefer world excluded);most in more danger/distress
than those able to reach border; some interspersed with/indistinguishable from "recognized"
refugees; often far outnumber latter(Angola: 1-2m to 370,000).UNHCR Ogata stressed how
inherent IDP geographic/political/security problems made worse byWWII-vintage definitions.
UNSC supportive of new rules/arrangements for new conditions, with UNHCR in charge.
Barbara Crossette "Advocates for Children Joining U.N. Peacekeeping Missions" New York
Times 18 Feb 00:-for first time, UN will assign full-time children's advocates to top operational
staff abroad of all peacekeeping missions. Announced by Olara A.Otunnu, Special
Representative of SG for Children and Armed Conflict. First advocate assigned for Sierra Leone
where atrocities against(and by)children have been particularly serious, and two will be assigned
to UN force in Congo, so far all from UNICEF. Otunnu explained:" For protection and welfare of
children to be taken seriously, and not be marginalized, we must have[advocates]within central
political structure" .Will advise Mission heads, coordinate all child assistance groups, determine
necessary programs for children and(since civil war combatants may ignore Conventions)also
mobilize public opinion.
Barbara Crossette "The U.N.'s Unhappy Lot: Perilous Police Duties Multiplying" New York Times
22 Feb 00:-describes challenge facing UN in finding/managing very large number of police
officers demanded by new peacekeeping duties and dangers.(For history of UN police activities,
see Oakley op.cit.)UNPeacekeeping Operations' total staff of 400 must find/deploy nearly 9,000
specially qualified officersimmediately(almost 5,000 for Kosovo, 2000+for Bosnia, 1,640 for East
Timor).For first time, UN police in Kosovo/East Timor have direct executive law enforcement
powers and in Kosovo will be armed. Less than half Kosovo force has arrived(and some returned
as unqualified).Thus in assuming responsibility for law and order, UN police activities not only
grown but become more varied/complex/delicate/ hazardous. Many are worried that current
assignments will exceed UN capacity.
Barbara Crossette "U.S. Ready for Much Larger Security Council" New York Times 04 Apr
00:-update on long attempt at UNSC membership reform. In spite of major power shifts and huge
membership growthsince 45, five permanent (veto-wielding)members remain unchanged, while
183 states now share 10 rotating seats. Yet powerful Council must be decisive, and was never
intended to be representative. Fassbender(op.cit.)explains basic dilemma: Council can become
more equal, representative, or effective - but never all three. Article reports some small progress:
US no longer demands limit of 20-1 seats, so 28are now proposed. This may ease deadlock
on(permanent)regional seats. Since France and UK refuseto pass permanent status to EU,
Germany and(?)may be added. Japan plus 2-3 Asian seats become feasible.Africa and Latin
America could also have more flexibility for aspirants.
Barbara Crossette "U.S. Report Says the U.N. Has Improved With Changes" New York Times 29
May 00:-summarizes "surprisingly positive report on...UN" written by US General Accounting
Office for Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Criticisms of UN by committee have been
"frequent and shrill" and it playedmajor role in US' ignoring its legally-binding UN debts, and
unilaterally demanding SG/Secretariat implement wide range of political reforms (Helms, Speech
op.cit.).Yet GAO concludes SG Annan made "considerable strides in
improving[UN]management" , and clearly "differentiates between reform
goals[SG/Secretariat]can meet alone and those that are dependent on decisions of 188 member
nations" .Moreover, GAO notes, "where there are serious failures or lags in putting changes into
practice...shortcomings often related to fuzzy instructions from[UNGA,]...20% in each
year[being]too open-ended or vague to determine what objectives[SG]expected to accomplish"
-often reflecting political compromises. SG is credited with improving coordination and
appointing chief operating officer, who in turn established standard code of conduct. While UN
peace operations now reflect unified policy and integrated planning, overall UN capacity "to
manage, logistically support and respond to rapid changes in...demand" have not been
addressed because "organization, under severe financial handicaps and with demands on it
multiplying, does not have capability to manage scope and scale of activity." Full text of report
can be obtained via GAO home page: www.gao.gov.
Barbara Crossette "U.S. Report Says the U.N. Has Improved With Changes" New York Times 29
May 00:-summarizes "surprisingly positive report on...UN" written by US General Accounting
Office for Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Criticisms of UN by committee have been
"frequent and shrill" and it playedmajor role in US' ignoring its legally-binding UN debts, and
unilaterally demanding SG/Secretariat implement wide range of political reforms (Helms, Speech
op.cit.).Yet GAO concludes SG Annan made "considerable strides in
improving[UN]management" , and clearly "differentiates between reform
goals[SG/Secretariat]can meet alone and those that are dependent on decisions of 188 member
nations" .Moreover, GAO notes, "where there are serious failures or lags in putting changes into
practice...shortcomings often related to fuzzy instructions from[UNGA,]...20% in each
year[being]too open-ended or vague to determine what objectives[SG]expected to accomplish"
-often reflecting political compromises. SG is credited with improving coordination and
appointing chief operating officer, who in turn established standard code of conduct. While UN
peace operations now reflect unified policy and integrated planning, overall UN capacity "to
manage, logistically support and respond to rapid changes in...demand" have not been
addressed because "organization, under severe financial handicaps and with demands on it
multiplying, does not have capability to manage scope and scale of activity." Full text of report
can be obtained via GAO home page: www.gao.gov.
Ivo H. Daalder and Michael E. O'Hanlon, "Unlearning the Lessons of Kosovo" Foreign Policy
No.116(Fall 99):-test of assumptions to see if Kosovo sets precedent for humanitarian
interventions. NATO Won: air campaign was clearly NATO success in gaining more than
originally asked, but only after Serbs had uprooted 1.3m Kosovars. Airpower Alone Worked:
while" probably most successful use of strategic bombardmentin history of warfare" , vulnerable
Serb infrastructure, 40,000 KLA troops, credible NATO invasion, were also key. Powell Doctrine
is Dead: NATO power was not "decisive" initially, but grew until it was so. UN Is Nice, But Not
Necessary: UN still cannot run military operations itself, but new UNSC unity helped Serbs
concede, and UN political mandate unprecedented. In Military Terms, Europe Is a Dwarf: US ran
war, butEurope now running peace/reordering its armed forces. Lessons: such operations not
cheap/easy; US must still lead and be willing to commit troops.
Suzanne Daley," Rising Rate of Mad Cow Disease Alarms Europe" in the New York Times 07 May
00:-showshow hard it is to stop the spread of fatal diseases even with drastic control measures
in an interdependent world. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy has just turned up in
south-eastern France, having also been detected in native-born cows in 10 other European
countries. While the number of continental cases identified is small compared with the 178,000
reported in Britain, those discovered in France have gone from six in 1997 to one weekly in 2000.
Moreover the true total of cows (and humans) infected may be much larger as transmission
modes and incubation periods remain mysterious. Nevertheless, considerable progress is being
made in other respects: Sandra Blakeslee, " Clues to Mad Cow Disease Emerge in Study of
Mutant Proteins" in NYT 23 May 00:-reports on the information exchanged at an international
meeting on the disease. While scientists still do not know how the disease spreads to humans,
how many more will die from it, and if a similar epidemic could start in the US spread by infected
deer and elk, clues are now being discovered on an almost weekly basis. These are based on
an infectious agent called the prion, normal proteins found throughout the body tissues of
humans and other animals. For unknown reasons thesesometimes transform themselves into
tiny particles almost impossible to destroy, and accumulate in the brains of infected
animals/people, destroying cells and leaving spongy holes in the tissue. Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease is the human version and could eventually kill tens of thousands, -or die out. So far the
death toll is 56 in Britain, 2 in France, 1 from Ireland.
Donald C.F.Daniel, Bradd C.Hayes and Chantal deJonge Oudraat, Coercive Inducement and the
Containment of International Crises(Washington:US Institute of Peace Press 99):-novel look at
various multilateral peace operations since 88. Effort is valuable as new
diversity/complexity/cost brought confused or bad mandates/structures/
resources/motives/aims/hopes. Worse, many overwhelmed(soundermined)UN system both
unprepared and unable to handle them. Address many operations between traditional
peacekeeping(firm ceasefire/both sides' consent/fully impartial/minimum self-defense)and
military enforcement. Middle option termed Coercive Inducement(CI): "judicious resort to
coercive diplomacy or forceful persuasion by international community in order to implement
community norms or mandates vis-a-vis all parties to particular crisis." UN operations in Bosnia,
Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti analysed to show effects of abiding by or contravening principles of
CI:(1)Inducement Contingents(ICs)function under aegis of leading state or coalition in operations
endorsed by UN.(2)CI personnel represent both moral authority andcredible force.(3)While
aspiring for as much universality as possible, ICs primarily reflect capabilities that make for
immediately effective crisis responses.(4)IC personnel assume no more than provisional
consent, so act to impose community will on recalcitrant parties.(5)While not intending to harm
anyone's interests, IC must implement mandates even when doing so prejudices interests of one
or more party.(6)Force may be used for other than self-defense, but should not exceed minimum
to cause desired behaviour.(7)IC mustplan to minimize casualties while preparing for worst. End
offers operational guidelines when following CI principles, and circumstances that make it
essential.
Tobias Debiel, "Strengthening the UN as an Effective World Authority: Cooperative Security
Versus Hegemonic Crisis Management" Global Governance Vol.6/No.1(Jan/Mar 00):-neither as
academic or utopian as title might suggest, looks at very practical/pertinent issue of what UN
can and should do to be more effective in peacekeeping and crisis prevention roles. Such roles
increase in importance as consensus develops: national sovereignty may be curtailed in
exceptional humanitarian circumstances. Argued: world, unready for legally-bound
multilateralism, and widely opposed to superpower-driven coercion,must turn to cooperative
security - willing collaboration of all types of bodies: interest groups/relevantstates/regional
organizations. Core element UN must create "standby capacities for early warning/conflict
management/peacekeeping; reform of non-military sanctions instrument; and speedy institution
ofinternational criminal court" (39).
Louis A.Delvoie "The Kosovo War: A Long Catalogue of Losers" Behind the Headlines
Vol.57/No.2,3 (Winter/Spring 00):-NATO's 99 air campaign against rump "Yugoslavia" has had
many supporters andcritics. Former mainly argue that it succeeded in noble humanitarian aim
of relieving Kosovars from Serbian oppression; latter argue force was itself wrong and/or stress
absence of UN imprimatur. Author seeks those involved that were net losers in conflict. NATO:
hurt its image/reputation/future effectivenessby launching war of aggression, ending its
credibility as purely defensive alliance; United Nations:sidelined/marginalized, lost any post-Gulf
hope it might play its Charter peace/ security role; OSCE:reputation/credibility suffered when its
1,300 Observers had to withdraw hastily when many of OSCEmembers attacked state where they
were to keep peace; Kosovars: NATO's "beneficiaries" sufferedhundreds dead and thousands
displaced before bombing, but thousands dead, hundreds of thousandsdisplaced once two
deterrents(OSCE plus threat to bomb)ceased to restrain; Serbs: suffered "collateral" casualties,
food/water shortages as infrastructure hit, and vast long-term economic loss from bombing/
sanctions; Balkan Stability: lost in refugee floods, revived ethnic tension; "New European
Security Architecture" : Russia reacted with anger/ condemnation, needing much time/effort to
defuse; US: lost instature/credibility e.g. through sudden change in KLA image, public policy it
would not risk ground troops, ominous intelligence error on Chinese Embassy; Western
Governments: caught with double standards over Serbia/Chechnya. Many lessons to be learned.
Francis M. Deng et al. Sovereignty as Responsibility: Conflict Management in Africa(Washington:
Brookings 96):- conclusion of 7-volume project to help governments/international community
deal with conflicts in least stable continent(Reader op.cit.).Probes African states' responsibility:
balance sovereignty sanctity against transborder political/economic/moral relevance of human
rights violations/internal violence. Project concludes UN has unique role to play in Africa as both
mediator and healer.
Anthony DePalma "The'Slippery Slope'of Patenting Farmers' Crops" New York Times 24 May
00:-as noted elsewhere, much of controversy over genetically modified organisms(GMO)derives
from their high costs in R&D and consequent concern of biotechnology companies to ensure
"adequate returns" through patents(or intellectual property rights(IPRs); see Paarlberg)relating
to their products. Most infamous patent defenses were "terminator genes" in cereal seeds that
could not reproduce, and thus prevented re-seeding(Economist 9 Oct 99).This ensured annual
seed purchases -and prohibitive costs in Third World. DePalma reports CIMMYT, Green
Revolution's famous non-profit International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico,
though founded to make high-yield products available free to Third World, has had to start
patenting its work as defensive tactic to block attempts by others to patent its discoveries and
thus keep small farmers from using them. Before companies/countries contribute to CIMMYT's
research, theyalso require patents in own self-defense. Consolation: reproductive genes will be
included in seeds distributed in Third World. Another GMO patent-related development reported
in DePalma/Simon Romero "Super Seeds Sweeping Major Markets, and Brazil May Be Next" NYT
16 May. US, Brazil, Argentinatogether grow 80% of world's 157m tonnes of soybeans annually,
but have different rules for GMvarieties. In US several conditions must be met: for Monsanto,
farmers pay fee for each bag of seed, agree not to save seed for following year ( "terminator"
seeds were dropped after outcry)and accept inspections if claim to have stopped using seed.
In Argentina, where perhaps 90% of soybean crop genetically altered, but its patents not
recognized, effectively no rules. In Brazil, use of altered varieties not(yet)legal, but clearly
smuggled in; to 30% of soybeans may already be uncontrolled GMO. "Global regulatory
mechanism" obviously needed. Meanwhile, US regulations tightened further. Associated Press
reported 03 May "F.D.A. Announces New Steps for Regulation of Biotech Food" according to
which US Food and Drug Administrationwill require biotech companies to notify it at least four
months before releasing "new genetically engineered ingredients for food and animal feed" and
to provide their research data. FDA will also set" truthful and informative" standards for food
processors wanting to label products made with/without such ingredients. Also, mainly
response to new consumer concerns, North American retail food industry/exporters facing novel
problems in separating out GM products, because of explosive increase in use/saving. Some
major food companies stopped sales of selected GM-based products, according to David
Barboza in "Modified Foods Put Companies in a Quandary" NYT 03 Jun. However none has
found it feasible to abandon biotech ingredients entirely, since about 70% of US grocery-store
food may have been made with genetically altered crops. Related dilemma arisen in Europe.
Donald G. McNeil Jr. "Anxiety on Genetically Altered Seed Spreads in Europe" NYT 20 May,
reports on divergent reactions of British, French, Swedish governments on discovering tiny
amount in one seed variety in order of long-planted Canadian canola had inadvertently carried
genetically-modified trait.
J. Raymond DePaulo and Leslie Alan Horvitz, Understanding Depression: What We Know and
What You Can Do About It(New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2002):-UN's World Health Organization
has stressed that mental illness is an overwhelming global crisis against multiple humans' active
lives and even survival. WHO's "study estimates that in the coming decade depression will rank
as the number two leading cause of death in the world; most of those deaths will be primarily
in the form of suicide and secondly from coronary artery disease" (133). The book, by one of the
world's foremost authorities on depression, and coming from the Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine in the US, concentrates on the technically improving but widely undeveloped
situation in that country. However, the clearly written and up-to-date text is among the most
advanced and ideally relevant anywhere on earth. It includes a thorough, accessible guide to
depression's nature, causes, effects, and treatments, and also provides essential advice tothose
responsible for handling those suffering. Aid must do more globally to help.
Daniel Deudney & G.John Ikenberry"The Myth of the Autocratic Revival: Why Liberal Democracy
Will Prevail"(77-93) Foreign Affairs Vol.88/No.1(Jan/Feb 09):-official summary:"After years of
liberal triumphalism, recently fears have grown that autocracies have found new ways to
prosper. In fact, the imperatives of liberal democracy are as strong as ever. The key to defanging
autocracies is bringing them into the liberal order, not excluding them from it". Emphasized
extracts:"There remain deep contradictions between authoritarian political systems and
capitalist economic systems". "War as a path to conflict resolution and great-power expansion
has become largely obsolete". "Emerging global problems will create common interests across
states regardless of regime type". Deudney: Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins
University and author of Bounding Power: Republican Security From the Polis to the Global
Village. Ikenberry: Albert G.Milbank Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton
University, a Global Eminence Scholar at Kyung Hee University, and author of After Victory:
Institutions, Strategic Restraint, and the Rebuilding of Order After Major Wars.
Larry Diamond Promoting Democracy: Actors and Instruments, Issues and Imperatives
(Washington: Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict 95):-report to Commission
describes organizations(including UN), activities, techniques and limitations, all of which help
to promote democracy's worldwide spread and support.
Larry Diamond"The Democratic Rollback: The Resurgence of the Predatory State"(36-48) Foreign
Affairs Vol.87/No.2(Mar/Apr 08):-official summary: "After decades of historic gains, the world has
slipped into a democratic recession. Predatory states are on the rise, threatening both nascent
and established democracies throughout the world. But this trend can be reversed with the
development of good governance and strict accountability, and the help of conditional aid from
the West". Author is Senior Fellow at Hoover Institution and Co-Editor of Journal of Democracy.
Essay is adapted from his new book, The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle to Build Free
Societies Throughout the World (Times Books 08).
Daniel W.Drezner All Politics Is Global: Explaining International Regulatory Regimes(Princeton
& Oxford: Princeton Univ Press 07):-as The Economist 18 Mar 07 admits in specially favourable
review "International Relations: An Interconnected World": book is "too nuanced and academic
for easy reading", but concludes significantly "Drezner... finds that the challenges of the future
will be increasingly transnational. As globalisation intensifies, the rewards for coordination will
increase as well. To achieve success, essential not to eliminate international institutions but
rather to understand their utility... Key to their success lies in convincing leading governments
of the gains from acting in cooperation, rather than isolation, in volatile but interconnected world
-message that surely applies well beyond esoteric world of trade". [Another support for my own -
tough but essential - global urgency: op.cit. Christopher Spencer]. Suggest you read short
Chapter One which summarizes Drezner's book in simplest explanation. "Regulation of global
economy is intrinsically important. Markets rely on rules, customs, and institutions to function
properly. Global markets need global rules and institutions to work efficiently. The presence or
absence of these rules and institutions and their content and enforcement, is the subject of this
book. In a globalizing economy, what are the rules? Who makes them? How are they made?"(6).
Issue areas analysed by chapters to study relative roles of (top) governments/institutions/NGOs:
Internet, International Finance, Genetically Modified Organisms, TRIPS and Public Health.
Celia W.Dugger"U.N. Panel Urges Doubling of Aid to Cut Poverty"New York Times 17 Jan
05:-announces that an"international team[has]proposed a detailed ambitious plan...that it says
could halve extreme poverty and save the lives of millions of children and hundreds of
thousands of mothers each year by 2015. Report[claims that]drastically reducing poverty in its
many guises - hunger, illiteracy, disease - is 'utterly affordable', [but that]to fulfill this goal
industrial nations would need to double aid to poor countries, to 0.5% of national incomes from
0.25%".'Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development
Goals[MDG]'also urges the easing of trade and"sweeping investments in health, education,rural
development, road building, housing and scientific research".Jeffery D.Sachs(op.cit.),appointed
head of this UN Millennium Project by UNSG Annan to revive the 2000-agreed 'MDG'promises,
is"known ascrusader for the idea that within a generation, rich and poor countries together can
end extreme poverty afflicting more than a billion".Other elements are described: the serious
diversity of essential program-related policies among both the rich and poor nations, and the
surprisingly varied analysis of the plan's realism that is found among aid experts -and British
PM Tony Blair(op.cit.). Reuters"U.N. Report Offers Plan to Halve Extreme Poverty by 2015"in NYT
17 Jan 05:-covers same major proposals, although with natural variations in emphasis. Again,
divergences among both aid donors and seekers are stressed. It also reports that in Jul 05 G8,
and in Sep 05 UNGA will, spotlighting global poverty, set a development agenda.The
Environment 22 Jan 05"Development: Recasting the Case for Aid"(69-70):-even longer than the
NYT and Reuters analyses of the Sachs-led UN report, but again offering an objective analysis
of its critically-important aims and prospects. Initial description of report includes:"Document
in full runs to ten supporting volumes and more than 3,000 pages...Overview paper is packed
with high-octane analysis andrecommendations, no waffle, not a sentence wasted. Aim is no
less than to dispel prevailing pessimism on aid - a deeply entrenched attitude, based on years
of disappointment - and to mobilise hundreds of billions of dollars in new help for developing
world. In this, it might succeed. Whether it deserves to is another question." Later:"Question
now - and it is the right question - is what policy inputs will be required to hit the targets[i.e.MDG
final goals]...Given what is at stake, Sach's passion and ambition are entirely warranted - but
does approach he advocates make sense?...Looking only at development aid, report argues, you
find that aid works: it spurs growth...Good-government precondition is crucial, however, and
causes team some difficulty...Poorest countries, including basket-cases of sub-Saharan Africa,
aremost deserving by test of need, but tend to be worst governed".Report challenges problem
by plugging poorer recipients that nevertheless have good government and by claiming aid itself
can improve bad governments, but quick success appears unrealistic in Africa. Warren
Hoge"African Crises Take Back Seat to Tsunami, U.N. Relief Chief Says"NYT 28 Jan 05:-Jan
Egeland, UN emergency relief coordinator, complained to UNSC that impressive aid being given
to those countries suffering from earthquake-produced Indian Ocean tsunami was in fact no
more seriously needed than the unmet African needs. Alan Cowell"Pressure Grows for Rich
Nations to Redouble Efforts to Aid Africa"NYT 28 Jan 05:-report fromWorld Economic Forum in
Davos, Switzerland, records many more pro-African aid demands than usual.
Celia W.Dugger"U.N. vs Poverty: Seeking a Focus, Quarreling Over the Vision"NYT 14 Sep
05:-this itemleads a discouraging collection of inter-related historical articles, most inevitably
summarized by a bit more than their strong titles/introductory sentences. All relate to a globally
critical summit of some 170 heads of state/government. They marked seriously the 60th
anniversary of the United Nations 14-16 Sep 05 when, vital reforms and international poverty
commitments having been discussed, some are adopted- in full or vague status - but many more
are both left required and postponed. Dugger:"The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA)
meeting today was to have been a rare moment when quest to relieve crushing poverty of a
billion people took center stage. But so far that goal has been overshadowed by [current
disasters] and squabbling over reform of UN itself. Even debate about world's common agenda
on global poverty began on an unexpectedly sour note, centred around goals for healing world's
deepest poverty that were to be in meeting's final document. US ambassador, John R. Bolton,
initially proposed expunging any reference to specific goals for reducing poverty, hunger and
child mortality andcombating pandemic of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Known as Millennium
Development Goals[MDGs], they emerged from UN conference five years ago. He favored instead
citing broad declaration from which goals were drawn. US subsequently relented, but not before
US administration's opening in negotiations left some African leaders dismayed... Negotiations
at UN got absorbed by issues around UN reform... It is not clear that much new will emerge at
UN. World leaders are likely to affirm commitment to push forward with MDGs to halve extreme
poverty and hunger, cut child mortality by two-thirds and ensure basic education of each child
by 23015, among other things.Those are same broad goals agreed to five years ago"; Warren
Hoge"U.N. Adopts Modest Goals on Reforms and Poverty"NYT 14 Sep 05:-"UNGA unanimously
approved scaled-down statement of goals [13 Sep] that Secretary General [UNSG] Kofi Annan
said would still give world leaders gathering [14 Sep] basis for recommendation to reform
organization and combat poverty. Loud cheers from delegates, however, could not disguise
widespread disappointment at weakening of 35-page document"; David E.Sanger & Warren
Hoge"Bush Thanks World Leaders and Takes Conciliatory Tone"NYT 15 Sep 05:-President Bush,
facing array of world leaders who are deeply divided on how to define terrorism or act against
nuclear proliferation/poverty, struck conciliatory tone at UN [14 Sep], describing himself as
grateful leader of superpower in recent days... Speech...came hours after UNGA greatly watered
down what had once been ambitious plans for institutional change and for commitments to fight
terrorism/nuclear arms... He balanced his discussion of need to chase down terrorists with his
endorsement of set of antipoverty objectives... 'No nation canremain isolated/indifferent to
struggles of others' ... He pressed for UNSC resolution commiting countriesto prosecute - and
extradite - anyone seeking fissile materials or technology for nuclear devices... But Bush did not
repeat his previous calls to bar any new country from producing enriched uranium orplutonium.
In references to goals for poverty reduction, he cited not only MDGs but also another initiative
that grew out of summit meeting in Monterrey, Mexico. There, poor nations agreed to fight
corruption and improve governance, and rich nations commited to 'make concrete efforts'
toward giving 0.7% national income in aid. Bush did not address aid issue, but advocates said
they hoped endorsement of Monterray would make harder for US to continue to oppose such
aid targets"; Reuters"World Leaders Seek to Invigorate UN at Age 60"NYT 14 Sep 05:-"Leaders
explore ways to revitalize UN at summit, buttheir bluepoint falls short of UNSG vision of freedom
from want, persecution and war... [S]ession marking60th anniversary of world body suffering
from corruption scandals and sharp divisions among memberson how to tackle international
crises... UNSG in 85p paper in Mar entitled 'In Larger Freedom', addressed challenges for 21st
century that required collective action: alleviating extreme poverty, reversing AIDS pandemic,
global security, terrorism and human rights. But after bitter negotiations over last few
weeks,nearly every bold initiative suffered cutbacks in final 38p document approved by UNGA
for endorsementat summit... Still, somewhat emasculated document saved summit from failure.
UN officials highlighted initiatives, including new human rights body, Peacebuilding Commission
to help nations emerging from war and perhaps most significantly, obligation to intervene when
civilians face genocide/war crimes... Butnegotiators failed to agree on how to tackle nuclear
proliferation or on definition of terrorism sought by Western nations, and fell short of
commitments to greater aid and tearing down trade barriers developing nations wanted";
AP"Annan Appeals to World Leaders at Summit"NYT 14 Sep 05:-"UNSG Kofi Annanappealed [14
Sep] to world leaders...to help restore confidence in world body and act together to meet
challenges of new century... Annan said document they will adopt at end of 3-day summit was
'good start'but not 'sweeping and fundamental reform'he proposed. He called for urgent action
on tough, unresolved issues. 'Because one thing has emerged clearly from this process on
which we embarked two years ago: whatever our differences, in our interdependent world, we
stand or fall together', UNSG said.'Whether our challenge is peacemaking, nation-building,
democratization or responding to natural or man-made disasters, we have seen that even the
strongest among us cannot succeed alone'... In what he call 'a high-risk gamble', UNSG and
incoming/outgoing presidents of UNGA decided to drop issues where there was no agreement,
choose language for which they thought they could win consent, andpresent clean text to
member states. It worked"; AP"Bush Focuses on Terror in Speech to U.N."NYT 14 Sep
05:-"Before skeptical world leaders, President Bush [14 Sep] urged compassion for the needy
and pressed global community to 'put the terrorists on notice'by cracking down on any activities
that could incite deadly attacks. Bush... was seeking to sell his blueprints for spreading
democracy in Iraq and elsewhere, overhauling UN and expanding trade"; AP"Chiefs of U.N.
Agencies Appeal to Donors"NYT14 Sep 05:-"UN refugee and food agencies' chiefs said [14 Sep]
that international donors are not doing enough to help alleviate shortages of survival rations in
refugee camps across Africa. Because of lack of funds, World Food Program has been forced
to cut rations for hundreds of thousands of refugees, particularly in West Africa and Great Lakes
region in east of continent"; AP"Mexico's Fox OK With U.N. Reform Document"NYT 14
Sep:-"Mexican President Vicente Fox said [14 Sep] that he and the rest of theGroup of 15
developing nations think UN reform document approved this week is a step in the right direction,
but stressed it is only first step... The 35-page document is supposed to launch a major reform
of UN itself and galvanize efforts to ease global poverty. But to reach consensus, most of text's
details gutted in favor of abstract language. UNSG had hoped that in addition to addressing UN
overhaul, document would outline specific actions for improving the lot of the poor and tackling
genocide, terrorism and human rights. But nations couldn't bridge their difference during
negotiations. Group of 15developing nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America was set up to
foster cooperation in dealing withinternational groups such as World Trade Organization and
the Group of Seven rich industrialized nations"; AP"Annan Seeks to Restore U.N. Credibility"NYT
14 Sep 05:-"After a year of mounting criticism,UNSG Annan defended UN [14 Sep] and urged
global leaders to restore organization's credibility by adopting broad reforms needed for world
to act together to tackle poverty, terrorism and conflict...Instead of a celebration of UN
achievements since its founding in ashes of WWII, summit was much more a somber reappraisal
of its shortcomings and a debate about how to meet the daunting challenges ofa world
becoming moreand more interlinked"; Reuters"World Leaders United on Terrorism"NYT 14 Sep
05:-"World leaders united [14 Sep] on need to ban incitement of terrorism but fell short of
ambitions forfundamental reform of UN...Negotiations on the summit document world leaders
are to endorse dropped disarmament proposals from Norway and South Africa, backed by about
80 nations. US objected to calls for nuclear disarmament but stressed danger of terrorists and
rogue states obtaining unconventional weapons... In veiled criticism of US, world's richest
nation, Dutch PM... said Europeans had agreed to boost development aid spending but 'we need
to see more equal burden-sharing'"; AP"Annan Seeks to Restore U.N.'s Credibility"NYT 15 Sep
05:-"Bitter differences among UN member states have blocked many crucial UN reforms, and
nations must act boldly to restore the world body's credibility, UNSG told summit of world
leaders... Coming into the summit, diplomats had to dilute a document on goals for tackling
rights abuses, terrorism and UN reform because they couldn't settle their disputes"; Financial
Times"Shifting Positions at the UN World Summit"NYT 15 Sep 05:-"Fact that US and China have
both become simultaneous aid donors and recipients says much about changing global society.
World ismuch more diffuse in power than traditional stereotypes allowed... US is rich, and its
military power iscommanding, but US ability to impose its will on world is limited... China, as
well as India, Brazil and some other developing countries, is gaining economic power, especially
through rapid absorption ofadvanced technologies and emergence of home-grown scientific
prowess... [E]verything points to vastinternational diffusion of scientific expertise in coming
decades... US will likely become more rather than less engaged as donor country in Africa and
elsewhere... [I]dea of a US empire astride the world in 21st century will go... [C]ertainly the most
important issue, hardly noted at [UN] world summit, is that rise of China, India, and other
regional powers will intensify growing and multiple pressures on global environment and
resource base... As a crowded world of 6.5 billion on its way to 9 billion people by mid-century,
and with rising risks/complexities all around us, we are all both donors and recipients now. We
are all in this together, and we had better get used to that reality"; The Economist 15 Sep
05"United Nations Reform: Better Than Nothing"(p.33 in 17 Sep NA issue):- "Annan sought to
explain why a draftdeclaration on UN reform and tackling world poverty, to be endorsed by some
150 heads of state/government... has turned into such a pale shadow of proposals he himself
put forward. 'With 191 member states' , he sighed, 'its not easy to get agreement'. Most countries
put the blame on US, in the form of its abrasive new ambassador, John Bolton, for insisting at
end of Aug on hundreds of last-minute amendments and line-by-line renegotiation of a text most
others had thought was almost settled. Buta group of middle-income developing nations... also
came up with plenty of last-minute changes of their own. Risk of having no document at all... was
averted only by marathon talks... The 35-page final document not wholly devoid of substance.
It calls for creation of a Peacebuilding Commission to supervise reconstruction of countries after
wars; replacement of discreditied Commission on Human Rights by supposedly tougher Human
Rights Council; recognition of a new 'responsibility to protect'peoples from genocide and other
atrocities when national authorities fail to take action, if necessary by force; and 'early'reform
of UNSC. Although much pared down, all these proposals have at least survived.Others have
not. Either...so contentious they were omitted altogether, such as sections on
disarmament/non-proliferation/ICC, or they were watered down to little more than empty
platitudes: no longer evenmentions vexed issue of pre-eminent strikes. [M]eanwhile, section on
terrorism condemns it 'in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever
and for whatever purposes' , but fails to provide clear definition US wanted... Now up to UNGA
to flesh out document's skeleton proposals and propose new ones. But its chances of success
appear slim"; Steven R.Weisman"A Frustrating Week at the U.N. for the White House Team"NYT
16 Sep 05:-"[R]ebellion by countries outside the ambit of Europe and US appears to have
thwarted some of the changes sought at UN. Bush officials insist that they arepleased with some
of the changes adopted by UNGA, notably a broad definition of terrorism. They saytried to
address wishes of developing world by agreeing at last minute to endorse specific goals to
increase foreign aid. But when it came time to adopt stringent budgetary changes at
UN,cementing fiscaland personnel authority with Secretariat under Kofi Annan and taking some
of it away from UNGA, thevotes were not there. Neither were there enough votes to scrap UN
Human Rights Commission and replace it with a council that would not be led by countries like
Sudan or Cuba, which US and its allies consider bad actors in human rights sphere. The
scandals of last couple of years in oil-for-food problem in Iraq, with favoritism and corruption
in awarding of contracts, might have been avoided if UNSG's office had exercised greater control
over the budget and personnel, now in hands of a committee made up of all members of UNGA.
'The way UN is run, the vast number of less developed countries sitting in UNGA hold the power
of the purse', a diplomat at UN said. 'A lot of developing countries see giving moreauthority to
UNSG as ploy by US and Europeans to take more control of UN'"; AP"Rice Urges 'Revolution of
Reform'at U.N."NYT 17 Sep 05:-"UN must make itself more relevant to tackle 21st century
problems... Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said [17 Sep]. 'In this new world, we must again
embrace challenge of building for the future'. World leaders...adopted watered-down version of
proposed reforms...'Time to reform UN is now', she said. 'And we must seize this opportunity
together'... 'No cause, no movement, and no grievance can justify intentional killing of innocent
civilians and noncombatants. This isunacceptable by any moral standard'. UNSG [had] said
condemnation of terrorism must be unqualifiedand that... should 'forge a global counterterrorism
strategy that weakens terrorists and strengthens international community'... Rice called on rich
countries to help poor ones with development assistance... She said new [human rights]
council... should have more credibility. [That] means should 'never, never empower brutal
dictatorships to sit in judgement of responsible democracies' ... Rice has locked arms with
Annan on reform, declaring him an effective manager, with whom she can work closely. 'I
havenever had a better relationship with anyone than Kofi Annan', Rice said, thereby separating
US concerns about management flaws and corruption from world body's top diplomat"; Warren
Hoge"Bolton and U.N. Are Still Standing After His First Test"NYT 17 Sep 05:-"Fellow
ambassadors say they are impressed with[John] Bolton's work ethic, his knowledge of his brief,
clarity in declaring it and his toughness as anegotiator... Some delegates, however,faulted him
for emphasizing what US would never accept, saying it ended up encouraging more active
opposition to US positions. They complained he devoted too much time to talking about US 'red
lines' and about the red pen he had in his pocket at the ready. Those who feared Bolton came
with devil's horns thought they saw them spring forth 3 weeks ago when he submitted more than
400 substantive amendments and deletions, and ordered up a line-by-line renegotiation of
summit document. One of recommendations was to eliminate all mention of a series of
antipoverty measures called MDGs. Surprise attack on cherished standard sent shock waves
across UN where officials had grown hopeful that Bush administration's hostility to UN had
significantly lessened,particularly after supportive comments from [Rice] and State Department
opposition to calls for US to withhold its UN dues. A week later, phase was restored at Rice's
direction, and Bush declared in his speech to UNGA, 'We are committed to MDGs' . So a
question arose about whether Bolton had beencarrying out traditional mission of executing State
Department policy or originating his own more assertive view... John G.Ruggie,...Harvard... said
he thought Bolton's approach had emboldened opponents of US priorities, like reforming UN
management structure to give more power and flexibilityto UNSG. 'After Bolton's bombshell, they
were able to make case that this is why we have to stand firm, because if we give great
discretionary authority to UNSG, danger US will roll over him, and behind him always stands
Congress willing to withhold funding', he said. Bolton said purpose in calling for line-by-line
renegotiation was to avoid having text by 'nameless, faceless textwriters' , a reference to writing
staff of UNGA president Jean Ping of Gabon. But in the end such a text proved to be only way
to get consensus. Three weeks of wrestling with language had left document on [13 Sep a.m.]
with 27 unsolved issues and 149 phrases in brackets, meaning they were still in dispute.
Decision was made to presentambassadors with final version refined by Ping, and it was that
text UNGA endorsed [13 Sep p.m.], just hours before arrival of world leaders. Much of positive
reaction to Bolton has come from how he did not live up to his negative reviews"; AP"Chavez
Criticizes U.N. Reforms in Speech"NYT 17 Sep 05:-"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez criticized
UN reforms [17 Sep] saying they [section of Peacebuilding Commission] would permit powerful
countries [to] invade developing ones whose leaders are considered a threat"; Reuters"Annan
Defends Summit"NYT 17 Sep 05:-"UNSG put brave face on [17 Sep]on modest reforms to the
work of UN, but [Rice] said world body needed nothing short of revolution to become real force...
Annan sought to highlight the positive... 'Scale of this achievement seems to have been missed
by some...So let's make sure we live up to our promises to the world's poor'. Among gainswere
unprecedented agreement on international responsibility to intervene to protect civilians from
genocide, establishment of peace-building commission to help nations recover from war and
areaffirmation of goals set in 2000 to halve poverty by 2015. But the document fudged definition
of what constitutes terrorism, reached no agreement on how to deal with spread of weapons of
mass destructionand did little on far-reaching reforms to UN's bureaucracy or its
decision-making. 'UN must launch lasting revolution of reform', [Rice] said. Nigerian President
Olusegun Obasanjo, who chairs 53-memberAfrican Union, said terrorism could not be 'justified
under any circumstances' . But he said a dangerous correlation existed between grinding
poverty and political instability"; Reuters"Like Fixing the Weather, Council Reform Eludes
UN"NYT 18 Sep 05:-"Closest UN came to expanding 15-member UN Security Council(UNSC) was
considered a plan by Germany, Japan, India and Brazil last spring. But moment came and went
without a vote. National rivalries across and within each regional group run high,
although...pledged to do something by end of year... Leaders from four candidates, known as
Group of Four(G-4)... decided to put their resolution back on table. But participants at the
session said there was no strategy of how or when to do this... UNSG, after decade of debate,
urged UN members in Mar to come to decision world leaders could endorse, arguing that UNSC,
which decides on war and peace, sanctions and peacekeeping, still reflected balance of power
at end of WWII. But 35-page document world leadersendorsed on UN reforms had only one
sentence on need for 15-member UNSC to become 'more broadly representative, more efficient
and transparent'. On this, compromise nearly impossible as UNSC seats meant winners and
losers, with each candidate having drawn enough opposition to prevent resolution from gaining
two-thirds vote in 191-member UNGA. UNSC currently has 10 nonpermanent seats, rotating for
two-year terms, and five permanent members with veto power - US, Russia, Britain, China, and
France, considered WWII victors. To begin UNSC expansion, 191-member UNGA must approve
a framework,without names of candidates, by two-thirds vote, with each member casting one
vote. Last step in process is UN Charter change, which must be approved by national
legislatures, and here current five permanentmembers have veto power... Brazil, Germany, India
and Japan, whose plan also called for two permanent seats from Africa [Egypt? South Africa?],
had hoped for deal with 53-member African Union, which has a similar proposal. But Africans
insisted new permanent members have veto power, which the four aspirants dropped because
of opposition from current five UNSC powers"; AP"Leaders at U.N. Seek Anti - Terror Treaty"NYT
19 Sep 05:-"Leaders at UNGA urged quick adoption of comprehensive global treatythat would
put words into action. But one issue in particular is causing trouble - how to define terrorism
amid concern independence struggles would be targeted. [R]esolution accepted unanimously
by UNSC on sidelines of UN summit last week also called upon all states to prohibit and prevent
terrorism and deny a safe haven to anyone considered guilty of such conduct. But delegates
stressed need for abroader convention that would serve as a framework for governments to
work together to curtailinternational terrorism"; AP"U.N. Assembly Focuses on World's
Poor"NYT 19 Sep 05:-"Leaders fromdeveloping nations took speaker's platform on second day
of annual UNGA debate to criticize rich countriesfor not doing enough to ease plight of world's
poorest people. Speakers from Africa, Asia and Latin America said [18 Sep] they were
encouraged by document adopted at three-day summit renewing commitments to alleviate
poverty, but said they would withhold final judgment until rich nations make good on their
vows... Leaders of poor nations made clear that they were not impressed with progress made
so far. A week ago, UN report said about 40% of world's people still struggle to survive on less
than $2/day. Jamaica's PM, speaking on behalf of Group of 77 developing countries, repeated
what has been largely acknowledged by many UN and outside officials: world nowhere close to
meeting the development goals"; Reuters"UN Refugee Boss Says World Tackling Past
Failures"NYT 27 Sep 05:-"International community has woken up to tragedy of the millions who
are refugees in their own country and begun to act, head of UN refugee agency[UN High
Commissioner for Refugees] said. Internal refugees - known as internally displaced people
(IDPs) - number 20-25million, more than double the nine million refugees who are recognized as
such because they have crossed a border, and their plight is often just as bad, said UNHCR...
UN was finalizing a more vigorous approach to a problem which is particularlyacute in
sub-Saharan Africa... Crux of the new policy was that for first time UN agencies, and
otherhumanitarian organizations, given specific roles and responsibilities - for which they could
be held to account - in handling any IDP crisis. In case of UNHCR, which already handles some
IDP situations on an ad hoc basis, it would manage camps, provide shelter and tackle issues of
protection for those considered to be in danger of persecution. Move should also be seen in
context of changing international attitudes to sovereignty, with recent UNGA resolutions
stressing obligations governments had to protect their citizens - indicating a more assertive
stance on the part of global body"; AP"U.N. Envoy Says Reforms Have Started"NYT 28 Sep
05:-"President Bush's hard-charging ambassador to UN, [John R.Bolton,] told skeptical
members of Congress [28 Sep] US 'didn't get everything we wanted'in agreement to reform UN
bureaucracy, but it is a start... Bolton cast US vote for watered-down reform document with
obvious disappointment after weeks of wrangling. Document backed off bureaucratic and other
changes... Bolton is expected to follow up with new resolutions, but it is not clear how
muchappetite UN diplomats will have for subject now. The House has passed measure... that
establishes a timetable for reform and ties progress to payment of US dues. Senate has not
passed measure. Bushadministration does not want to use dues as leverage"; AP"Japan
Rethinking Plan for Security Council"NYT 30 Sep 05:-"Japan has warned Congress that US
legislation seeking to withhold UN dues could lead Japanese lawmakers to take similar action,
possibly resulting in loss of millions of dollars to world body...Japan pays 19.5% of annual UN
budget of about $2billion, second only to US, which pays about 22%".
Celia W.Dugger"Overfarming African Land Is Worsening Hunger Crisis"New York Times 31 Mar
06:-"Thedegradation of farmland across sub-Saharan Africa has accelerated at an ominous rate
over past decade, deepening hunger crisis that already afflicts more than 240m Africans,
according to a study released [30 Mar]. Three quarters of Africa's farmland severely depleted of
basic nutrients needed to grow crops, compared with 40% just a decade ago, study found.
African farmers can afford only fraction of fertilizers needed to replenish their increasingly
barren fields. Traditionally, farmers cleared land, grew crops for a few harvests, then let fields
lie fallow for 10 or 15 years to rejuvenate as they moved on to clear more land... But as they try
to feed rapidly growing population, farmers instead grow crop after crop, sapping soil's fertility.
'Topsoil is blown away by wind and washed away by rains' , said president International
Fertilizer Development Center, nonprofit agricultural aid organization which produced study. If
this process continues unabated, crop yields in Africa will fall as much as 30% in next 15 years,
even as region's population continues to grow rapidly... Africa... likely to face more frequent
famines and become ever more dependent on food aid/imports. Farmers... increasingly clearing
forests as well as savannas...Already, farmland in Africa yields less than a third amount of grain
of that in Asia and Latin America... 'Wemust feed our soils' , said Nigeria's president... Jun
meeting on Africa's fertilizer needs expected to drawleading experts... as well as donors. Foreign
aid aimed at improving agricultural productivity in Africadeclined sharply in 1990's and has
begun to recover only in recent years. About two-thirds of Africa's750m people depend on
agriculture for income/employment. Fertilizer... far too expensive for Africa's small and often
impoverished farmers - costs two to six times world average. African farmers use less than 10%
as much as Asian farmers do. Lowering price no simple task... Roads make transportation
difficult/costly... Green revolution to Africa would require: functioning road network/credit for
farmers/ extension agents to teach new methods/ better irrigation/ retailers to sell fertilizers/
improved seed varieties... Would also mean combating corruption". Wealthiest countries have
pledged to increase aid to Africa.
Celia W.Dugger"U.S. Focus on Abstinence Weakens AIDS Fight, Agency Finds"New York Times
05 Apr 06:-"Insistence by Republican Congressional leaders that US money to fight the spread
of AIDS globally be used to emphasize abstinence and fidelity is undercutting comprehensive
and widely accepted aid models,[US] Government Accountability Office said in a report released
[04 Apr 06]... It found that theprovision had limited the reach of broader strategies to fight AIDS
that include the use of condoms... 'It is hampering their ability to implement key elements of
widely accepted model of HIV/AIDS prevention - the ABC approach', said main author of the
report. ABC stands for abstain, be faithful, or use condoms.Report based on interviews with US
officials carrying out US-financed AIDS programs in 15 countries".
Celia W.Dugger"Letter From Kenya: Where AIDS Galloped, Lessons in Applying the Reins"New
York Times 18 May 06:-major article describes/discusses US influence on Kenya policy, but
summary mainly on current pandemic conditions. "Kenya rarity in Africa: nation where experts
say AIDS shows signs of easing. So... attracting policy makers/researchers looking for keys to
slowing relentless spread of AIDS on continent. Trends heartening. Medical experts estimate
new HIV infections... plummeted over last decade from peak of more than 200,000/year to fewer
than 90,000. And changes in sexual habits seemcontributing to decline. Men say having sex with
fewer partners, and women report losing virginity later.Many teenagers, once sexually active, say
they are abstaining entirely. Such shifts... suggest abstinenceprograms... have some chance of
success...Kenyan health officials frankly acknowledge evidence lacking on effectiveness of
programs that promote condoms or abstinence. According to UN AIDS agency, Kenya, Uganda,
Zimbabwe: the sub-Saharan with documented declines in HIV prevalence. Researchers agreefall
partly because AIDS deaths have reduced population of HIV-positive people. But also say likely
behaviour change has helped. In Uganda, increased use of condoms important. Health officials
[in Kenya]say spread of knowledge about how to prevent infection and rising tide of death been
catalytic... Asdonors racheted up financing of anti-AIDS programs, landscape for prevention
changed. Since...2003,US dominant donor in Kenya: $208m this year to combat AIDS... More than
half that financing feverish drive for diagnosis of AIDS and treatment of infected... AIDS patients
receiving drug treatment rocketedto 70,000 from fewer than 10,000 in 2003. Paradoxically,
explosive growth in testing/treatment may be US' s most important contribution to preventing
spread of disease. Once people know AIDS not a death sentence, more willing to be tested, and
once know their HIV status they can protect themselves/sexualpartners... Experts' judgement[:]
more than half new infections in Kenya are with couples in which onepartner HIV-positive. US
also paying programs aimed at changing behaviour. This year,.. $15.7m on programs that
promote abstinence/faithfulness, and $7.8m to prevent sexual transmission of HIV,including...
condoms to high-risk groups. [D]ebate that rages in WashDC over AIDS/sex sometimesseems
[here] more reflection US culture wars than African realities... Under guidelines, US funds can
be used to educate children 14/younger about abstinence/faithfulness, with condom education
added for15/older... Scholars say much work remains to figure out which of so-called ABC
programs - abstain, befaithful, use condoms - effective...But efforts to prevent spread of AIDS
will not wait for definitiveevidence. [If] sex can lead to death, many people on both sides of
ideological divide agree abstinence for the young should be embraced. Also clear many young
people will have sex despite the dangers, and that abstinence programs alone will not protect
them".
Celia W.Dugger "Clinton Makes Up for Lost Time in Battling AIDS" New York Times 29 Aug
06:-full six-page article contains substantial information on US aid/political history, particularly
Bill Clinton's roles as past president and post-president donor in regard to Rwanda, medicine
patents, and AIDS-related funds. "Few public figures in US have spawned as much speculation
about what motivates them as Clinton.Abroad, even fewer inspire the affectionate reception
Clinton received as he raced across seven African countries in eight days in [Jul 06]... It was
clear the efforts by his foundation had personal meaning. [O]n this trip, Clinton...reveled in his
role as a private citizen championing people with AIDS... Clinton wasadamant that he had done
all he could about global AIDS with a Congress hostile to foreign aid, thoughhe conceded that
his administration fought too long to protect the patent rights of pharmaceutical companies
against countries trying to make or import cheaper AIDS medicines... Clinton and his foundation
have undertaken projects with two dozen developing countries, raising money to postnurses in
rural clinics,.. mustering experts to train hospital managers... and buying drugs for thousands
of sick children, among other things. His foundation also has negotiated steep cuts in the price
of AIDS medicines through deals with drug companies that cover more than 400,000 patients in
dozens of countries, helping propel momentum for treatment of the destitute. [A MSF doctor]
credited Clinton and his foundation for showing independence from the politically powerful drug
industry and helping toaccelerate the decline in prices for generic AIDS medicines in developing
countries... Clintonfoundation's budget last year was $30m, raised from private donors. Clinton,
who oversees its operations full time, has plunged into many causes, from childhood obesity
to tsunami relief to global warming, but he has made his most substantive contribution on AIDS
[and] Rwanda was one of the firstcountries he chose to work in... Like most international leaders
and US advocates for people with AIDSin 1990's, critics say, Clinton's efforts on global AIDS did
not match the epic scale of the human tragedy as it unfolded across Africa and millions died and
were orphaned. In recent years, the fight against AIDShas leapt onto the world stage, claimed
by Clinton and his successor, George W.Bush... On his recenttour of Africa - his fifth since 2001
- Clinton showed a remarkable ability to establish a human connection with people he met... Bill
and Melina Gates, the billionaire philanthropists, watched Clinton[closely]. The two Bills, as they
have been dubbed, have taken to doing high-profile AIDS advocacyevents together, with Clinton
bringing star power and Gates his deep pockets... The price of antiretroviral drugs fell after
Clinton left office, helping change the view that it was too costly anddifficult to treat people in
poor countries... The debate over whether Clinton missed a politicalopportunity to lead the
charge on global AIDS years before Bush seized it is far from over... After he leftoffice, Clinton
considered his future with a keen eye on history... From the start, Clinton had a host of issues
on his agenda, but quickly found himself drawn into AIDS... Opportunities proliferated, and
Clinton's enthusiasm grew... Through cost cutting, spurred by breakthrough talks with
companies that supplied ingredients to the drug makers, [his] team got deals. Cipla, for example,
halved the price of themost common AIDS triple-drug therapy, already declining due to
competition, to $140 a person per year... [President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa] soon invited
Clinton's foundation to help country writecomprehensive treatment plan. South Africa now has
more than 130,000 people on antiretroviral drugs,still far short of what critics say is needed.
Since 2004, Clinton has campaigned to raise the profile of children with AIDS. [M]ore than
500,000 a year were dying. Clinton foundation has raised $4.4m to buy drugs for 13,000 children,
train health workers, renovate pediatric wings and pay for lab tests... Clintonambitions seem to
grow daily, and foundation now branching out in Africa from AIDS into poverty" .
The Economist 25 Jul 98 "A Challenge to Impunity" (Edit.21-2):-cautiously optimistic on decision
in Rome to establish International Criminal Court, despite US attempts to weaken and finally
block it. Vote 120-7 in favour left US "humiliated and glum"but, as with landmine treaty, it
showed willingness of other states to move ahead without superpower to create rule of law. Text
outlines questions of contention and weakness but argues court is long overdue(planned to
follow Nuremberg/Tokyo trials); however, large body of international law covering genocide, war
crimes, and crimes against humanity has developed since. Court can show both independence
and moral force.
The Economist 28 Nov 98: "A Deluge of Information" (86): - fortuitously, a detailed digital atlas
of Honduraswas completed just before Hurricane Mitch flooded the country. Compiled by the
International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, it contains 90 layers of information: soil types, crop
distribution, climate, population, topography and all infrastructure. Since the flood it has been
continuously updated and can play a key role in restoring the country's agricultural capacity.
This type of technology is likely to play an increasingly important role in disaster relief globally,
and an international disaster information network is proposed.
The Economist 02 Jan 99 "The 21st-Century Army: A New But Risky Sort of War" (28-9):-some
of latest training/ weaponry being tested by US Marine Corps. Training is designed for
"low-intensity conflicts" i.e. peace-making/ peace-enforcement operations where lower-rank
leaders make major decisions. Planners anticipate "three-block wars" in which troops "would
simultaneously be distributing food and medicine to frantic civilians in one part of city, quelling
rioters/maintaining order in another; fighting guerrillas in third" - typical UN-type
challenges(Haiti/Somalia/Bosnia).New weapons include "non-lethal munitions" such as
bean-bagprojectiles, pepper spray, blinding flashlights, adhesive foam, plus double-option guns
able to fire lethally or non-lethally. Hope US, allies, presumably UN can keep ahead.
The Economist 13 Feb 99 "Female Genital Mutilation: Is It Crime or Culture?" (45-6):-serious
human rights, health, legal and ethnic problem. Chart shows those countries with highest
prevalence - from Djibouti/Somalia/Egypt with over 95% to Burkina Faso 70% estimated; 137m
women in at least 28 African countries have been mutilated. Attempts to stop it clearly causing
less controversy in UN than in countries involved; while number of African states officially
criminalized practice to avoid losing ODA, they do not dare enforce law. Apparently more
effective to avoid cultural or moral judgment, and to concentrate onhealth risks, which WHO
sees as serious, and education.
The Economist 20 Feb 99 "Europe's Smuggled Masses" (45-6):-illegal "economic" migration has
been UN concern for many years. Increasing divergence between standards of living in "rich"
and "poor" countries andwider awareness of this fact has been expected to increase problem.
Article describes what may be world's largest and potentially most vexing flow; estimates: at
least 400,000 now smuggled into EU each year. Several routes are used by professional
smugglers: by sea from Morocco to Spain, or from Albania or Tunisia to Italy; by land from
Sarajevo via Slovenia to Italy or Austria, from Istanbul via Ukraine and Poland, or via Rumania,
Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic to Germany; alternatively from Greece into Macedonia and
on, or from Russia into Finland. "Many" smuggled are Albanians, Kurds, Afghans,
Bangladeshis, Iraqis, Iranians. Organized "trade" often ends in asylum demands.
The Economist 27 Feb 99 "Japan's Constitution: The Call to Arms" (23-5):-very controversial
element of UN reform relates to expanding membership of Security Council(UNSC). Single most
eager/naturaladditional permanent member Japan, second-largest economy in world/second
biggest contributor to UN budget. But UNSC responsibility to maintain international peace and
security, so members expected to play major role in UN peacemaking. But Article 9 of Japan's
Constitution renounces "threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes."
While Japan maintains modern Self-Defence Force, many oppose it being used abroad, even in
UN peacekeeping activities. Essay discusses current debate in Japan over use of its armed
forces.
The Economist 17 Apr 99 "Refugees: Exporting Misery" (23-7):-origins, political/military uses,
ultimate destinies, of many past refugee issues, designed to help determine Serb aims and NATO
options in Kosovo. While global number/exploitation/impact of refugees seem to have escalated
recently, tragedy so chronic that historical lessons can be drawn. Nature of triggering
conflict(ideological/ethnic/economic)and how it ends are critical. Ethnic conflicts most difficult
to end, while reconciliation aids resettlement. Of four types of basic refugee assistance(safe
havens in homeland; camps nearby; more distant resettlement; permanent repatriation),
experience and circumstances favour repatriation in spite of difficulty/high cost. Additional
lessons: separate refugees from combatants; give them some choice of location if movement
necessary; or of timing if repatriation possible.
The Economist 24 Apr 99 "Lawyer Sam's War" (30):-US State Department citing international law
much more in its foreign policy argumentation. Significant since US recently isolated in
opposing International Criminal Court and Anti-Personnel Landmine decisions, and has refused
to recognize international lawsperceived threatening to US interests. Newly-created US
Ambassador for War Crimes, with considerable influence, claims war over Kosovo may be
"watershed not only for NATO but for international law." Argued in past for such "humanitarian
interventions" , even if they infringe national sovereignty, but they should be authorized by
Security Council.
The Economist 24 Jul 99 "How Angola's War Protects Polio" (43):-sobering evidence of both
human security's interdependence and multiple afflictions of violence. Probably WHO's greatest
achievement was global eradication of smallpox in 79. For 10 years UN bodies/governments
been fighting to eradicate polio, which at peak killed or paralysed 500,000 people annually.
Effective vaccine now immunizes by few drops in baby's mouth. Hence by 98 reported cases
reduced to 5,000, limited to pockets mainly in Africa/South Asia, thus creating hope to eliminate
polio by 00. But these last bastions hardest, mainly because of civil wars, e.g. Sierra
Leone/Congo/Sudan/Somalia. In Angola, UNITA has both blocked aid workers and driven so
many refugees into such huge camps these actually created major polio outbreak. "For polio
virus, war is last safe haven" .
The Economist 14 Aug 99:" Balms for the Poor" (63-5):-amplification of the key point made in
this issue in both an essay by Jeffrey Sachs and an editorial(op.cit.). It is that the rate of (and
death-rate from)infectious diseases in poor countries is tragically high because they offer a tiny
effective drug market, and no incentive for drug companies to do costly specialized research on
diseases now almost unknown(malaria) or presenting different problems(HIV) in rich countries.
US and Europe spend $220b a year on prescription drugs alone; hence WHO estimates that while
$56b a year is spent on health research, less than 10% is directed toward diseases that afflict
90% of the world's population. Between 1975 and 1997, 1,223 new compounds were launched
on the market (at $300m/10 years research each on average), of which only 11 were designed for
tropical diseases. The article describes a number of plans to redirect research and lower prices.
The Economist 21 Aug 99: Water Supply: "Pass the Salt" (Desalinization)(23); "Cloudbusting"
(Rain-Making)(69-70); "An Ice Idea" (Storage)(70): - all articles relate to scientific-technological
developments withmajor implications for expected world-wide fresh water shortages. The first
describes a "reverse-osmosis" desalinization plant being built in conjunction with a power
station, "which will provide the cheapest drinking water ever extracted from the sea" : 25m
gallons a day at a wholesale cost of $2.08 per 1000 gallons for 30 years, i.e. competitive with
other sources. The second article reports on a new method of cloud-seeding. Now completing
thorough (double-blind), encouraging tests, "hygroscopic-flare" seeding uses salts asstrongly
water-affinitive nuclei to form raindrops. The last foresees artificial ice mountains, created
cheaplyby modified "snow machines" at below-freezing, water-abundant times/places, and
tapped/shipped as/where needed.
The Economist 16 Oct 99 "Let Death Be My Dominion: Suicide and Euthanasia" "
(89-92):-wide-ranging, well-written essay on great variety of moral, religious, medical, etc. issues
raised by(assisted)suicide through history and many new problems raised by rapidly evolving
life-support capacity and moral standards. "These developments have sparked complex and
emotive debates about how to handle final stages of life...Idea that people have'right to die'is
...gaining support[in context of terminal illness but, if so,]does not everyone...have right to
choose timing and manner of their own death?" .Yet there is strong taboo against suicide in
most societies: it must reflect mental or emotional instability, despite its high global incidence.
But increased euthanasia will likely force debate on suicide. Is it still sinful, irresponsible,
unnatural, selfish, cruel, destructive, irrational? Each has counter-arguments.
The Economist 27 Nov 99:" Microfinance in Cyberspace" (79):- "lending small amounts of
money, without collateral, to help poor people to become entrepreneurs - is one of the trendiest
areas of international development" . There are about 10,000 microfinance institutions (MFIs)
globally, and the World Bank estimates $400-600m in donor funds are earmarked annually for
them. The most famous is the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. The article reports that Jacques
Attali (ex-EBRD) has founded PlaNet Finance to promote microfinance by using the Internet to
deliver online: information, training, systems support, rating and capital. The most controversial
element is a scheme to launch PlaNet Bank to raise money in the capital markets in order to offer
loans, guarantees and equity capital to MFIs. But funds are not scarce; most needed is
institutional capacity. Here the Internet might indeed help - together with more and better Third
World links.
The Economist 11 Dec 99 "The Non-Governmental Order: Citizens' Groups" (20-1):-how and why
"citizens' groups" (NGOs) are increasingly powerful at corporate, national, international level,
and whether representmove towards "international civil society" or "dangerous shift of power
to unelected and unaccountablespecial-interest groups" . Their growth was enabled by:
communism's fall; democracy's spread; technological change; economic integration. Reflects
concern over: environment; labour-human-consumer rights; poverty; jobs; etc. Rapid, mass
news dispensing or joint action are promoted by: democratisation; technology.Number:
international NGOs: 26,000; national NGOs: US - 2m; India - 1m; East Europe - 0.1m.
Membershipin one NGO can exceed .5m. Roles: deliver services(NGOs dispense more aid than
UN system); others stressadvocacy. "Technical groups" specialize providing expert analysis/
information and assist planners, decision-makers, negotiators, advocates at all levels.
Governments can be helped, manipulated or blocked; some international
organizations/corporations can co-opt such NGOs(World Bank); others may fail(controversial
IOs and MNCs).
The Economist 8 Jan 00:" Measuring Up for Aid" (44)and" Development Finance: Old Battle; New
Strategy" (74-5):- the first article deals with the global volume of development assistance in 1998.
After years of decline, rich governments spent 9% more on ODA than in 1997 with OECD
members giving $51b ($63 per capita), and private aid reaching $100b. As a proportion of
national income this was an increase from 0.22 to 0.23%, against the agreed UN target of 0.7%.
Meanwhile private capital investment in LDCs also increased - by 700% between 1990 and 1997.
But(1) with 25% of ODA tied to the donor country's products, much of it paying expatriates'
salaries, and all of it effectively conditional and/or channelled through the local elite;(2)with
NGOs specializing in crises rather than long-term development; and (3)with FDI naturally
focused on the richer, well-organized LDCs, how much of this transfer actually alleviates the
grinding poverty of the 1.2b who live on less than $1 a day? The other article describes action
taken by the World Bank/IMF to address this very problem. Henceforth Bank/Fund policies must
be "owned" by national governments. They must prepare(and so be committed to)Poverty
Reduction Strategy Papers" through a 'participatory'process of consultation with all groups of
society, especially the poorest" . PRSPs will set a few broad outcomes only like reducing infant
mortality or improving school enrolment. Emphasis will be on the poorest countries' top
priorities. Bank/Fund policies already show changes such as more complementary cooperation,
while broadly-based home-grown pledges should encourage a stronger sense of responsibility
in LDCs. Maybe even donors will catch on.
The Economist 29 Jan 00 "NGOs: Sins of the Secular Missionaries" (25-7):-fairly critical view of
roles/motives of some NGOs, neither as essentially descriptive as Weiss-Gordenker or
Economist 11 Dec 99, nor as strongly negative as Maren(all op.cit.).Aim essentially to warn all
concerned that handling verylarge funds, competition in situ with often huge numbers of rival
NGOs, and/or getting heavily dependenton regular government, corporate or media support, can
deform even best intentions. For instance" [s]omeprimarily helpers, distributing relief where
needed; some mainly campaigners, existing to promote issuesdeemed important by their
members,[but in practice not always everywhere]altruistic, idealistic and independent." Varied
activities - both constructive and questionable - described, as is their new Code of Conduct.
Chief failing may be lack of accountability.
The Economist 11 Mar 00 "Floods and Their Damage: After the Deluge" (52):-describes global
flood disaster threat, and warns of worse to come. Approximately 100,000 people 1999 were
killed in natural disasters, highest toll since 1991. Normally half are victims of floods. Moreover
in 1998 300m people were affectedby floods, and annually about 3m lose their homes. In future,
as population increases, more people live in vulnerable areas, so global flood damage is
expected to increase. Already 50% world lives on/near coast -10m(mostly very poor)at constant
sea risk. Millions in hillside slums subject to mud-slides; others inovercrowded flood-prone river
valleys. Settlement itself increases flood danger through erosion, deforestation, water diversion,
damming. Global warming will make half LDCs' population vulnerable to floods/storms. Better
safety-measures/aid must be long-lasting.
The Economist 25 Mar 00 "Water: A Soluble Problem" (20); "Nor Any Drop to Drink" (69-70):-both
editorial and major essay argue that growing global shortage of fresh water reflects massive and
unnecessary waste-which can be eliminated if it is simply priced realistically. Some facts(see
also Annan): more thanbillion people have no access to safe water and 3b lack adequate
sanitation. This threatens all withdisease and drought. Meanwhile, water tables overused, with
many falling by meter or more/year. "[W]orlddemand for fresh water will grow sharply, by 70%(for
household use)by 2025. Shortages seem inevitable-and even war" (20). Yet much is wasted:
most domestic water use not metered, while subsidies worth billions positively encourage waste
in farming/industry. Instead, price water(just)above cost of provision and disposal, aiding only
poorest. Private investment($180b a year)will come.
The Economist 08 Apr 00 "All Wrong in Iraq" (20-2); "Iraq and the West: When Sanctions Don't
Work" (23-5):-UN sanctions against Iraq -most comprehensive ever imposed- clearly not working.
Severely hurt innocent; failed to disarm in key areas, let alone unseat, target: Saddam Hussein;
damaged UN's reputation. Yet ending them would damage UN, and global stability, even more.
Essay offers account ofwhy and how sanctions were set up, modified, and are failing(original
terms/aims/successes; disastrous cost for ordinary Iraqis, and resulting flawed reform; how
Hussein insulates himself).Editorial examinesUN's options(1)Make easier for Iraq to import
innocuous, necessary goods, monitoring dual-use items. Already tried/manipulated/proved
imperfect.(2)Oil exports freed but arms-making/related imports banned. Monitoring
constrained/laborious; military funds unlimited.(3)As for(2), plus as much internal/import
monitoring as possible(Iraq pays)and warning of "prodigious" air retribution for cheating or
threatening activity.
The Economist 13 May 00 "Hopeless Africa" (Edit.17); "The Heart of the Matter" (22-4):-analyses
of Africa's multiple and multiplying problems similar to those of Bayart, Ellis and
Hibou(op.cit.).Editorial deals mainly with Sierra Leone, and difficulty, but long-term necessity,
of robust UN interventions. Item tries to explainwhy so much gone so wrong, so consistently.
Like Reader(op.cit.)it relates emphasis onfamily/friends/local loyalties to geography, climate,
disease, isolation. Yet it blames political/economicfailures, and tendencies toward self-serving,
corrupt, exploitative autocracy(even if hidden by veneer of democracy)as much on outside
influences - disruptive colonial experience/donor paternalism - as on continental culture of
survival. Way out does not yet lie through facade of democracy, but first bysomehow creating
self-confidence/mutual trust. John Stremlau "Ending Africa's Wars" Foreign
AffairsVol.79/No.4(Jul/Aug 00):-agrees about serious problem of African(mostly
internal)conflicts, but sees true democracy as key to solution. Argues democracy would help
prevent wars before start, since most result from bad governance. "Weak, authoritarian African
governments lack institutional capacity to manage factional struggles" ; they exclude ethnic
groups, and allow poverty and gross income inequality - thus producing conflict. International
intervention should respond - between Somalian-Rwandan extremes, but it needs reliable
regional partners. South Africa fills this need politically/economically, and should be supported,
including in UN.
The Economist 13 May 00 "Hopeless Africa" (Editorial 17); "The Heart of the Matter" (Essay
22-4):-analyses of Africa's multiple and multiplying problems similar to those of Bayart, Ellis and
Hibou(op.cit.). Editorial deals mainly with Sierra Leone, and the difficulty, but long-term
necessity, of robust UN interventions. Essay tries to explain why so much has gone so wrong,
so consistently. Like Reader(op.cit.)it relates theemphasis on family/friends and local loyalties
to geography, climate, disease, isolation. Yet it blamespolitical/economic failures, and
tendencies toward self-serving, corrupt, exploitative autocracy(even if hidden by a veneer of
democracy)as much on outside influences - disruptive colonial experience and donor
paternalism - as on a continental culture of survival. The way out does not yet lie through a
facade of democracy, but first by somehow creating self-confidence and mutual trust. John
Stremlau "Ending Africa's Wars" in Foreign Affairs Vol.79/No.4(Jul/Aug 00):-agrees about the
serious problem of African(mostly internal)conflicts, but sees true democracy as key to the
solution. He argues that democracy would help prevent wars before they start, since most result
from bad governance. "Weak, authoritarianAfrican governments lack the institutional capacity
to manage factional struggles" ; They exclude ethnic groups, and allow poverty and gross
income inequality - thus producing conflict. International intervention should respond - between
the Somalian-Rwandan extremes, but it needs reliable regional partners. South Africa fills this
need politically and economically, and should be supported, including in the UN.
The Economist 01 Jul 00 "The Poor Who Are Always With Us" (46):-UN/World
Bank/IMF/OECDissued "situation report" on commitments made at World Summit for Social
Development. "A Better World for All: Progress Towards the International Development Goals"
, four's first joint report, fromwww.paris21.org/betterworld/ or free in booklet form from OECD
BookShop. Economist's summary contains bad news. In 1998 there were 1.2b people in dire
poverty, same absolute number as in 1990, and make upnearly 1/2 population of sub-Saharan
Africa and more than 550m in South Asia. World school enrolment has risen slightly, but girls'
attendance remains almost as low as 1990. Infant mortality shows only tiny improvement(AIDS).
Since 1990, global ODA has dropped from $60b+ to $55b a year while private capital flow to
LDCs, though increased to $100b+ in 1998, includes much short-term spending and rarely goes
to neediest. Trade lost to LDCs through restrictions and subsidies equals $700b annually. Report
also criticizescorrupt or incompetent government/military spending for most of needy countries'
problems, and urges reduced inflation and public spending.
The Economist 5 Aug 00 "Engage and Prosper" (Edit.22-3); "Peacekeeping: The UN's Missions
Impossible" (Essay:24-6); "Road-Mending in Lebanon" (Note:25); "Kouchnerism in Kosovo"
(Note:26):-editorial, essayand notes have one subject in common: role of United Nations. Leader
makes point US took lead in 1945,creating UN System and its rules; later helped build
UN-centred global network of legal economic and security rules. Yet" pre-eminent victor of Cold
War has failed to provide leadership needed to build kind of international system unruly
post-Cold-War world demands" .Instead it chooses rules it obeys, or those it ignores - setting
politically/morally dangerous precedent of unilateral exemptions from rule of law, and of
selective involvement even when its own paramount beliefs are flouted. Essay offers expert
history - warts and all - of evolving UN peacekeeping that now makes humanitarian intervention
in cases of gross violation of human rights almost compulsory. Yet UN is refused men, money
and structure necessary to undertake increasingly complex and dangerous missions, including
effectively in East Timor and Kosovosimultaneous administration/creation of civil regimes,
reconstruction of badly damaged economies, and maintenance of peace in societies split by
hatred. Priority recommendations: UN needs good intelligence analysis, and UNSG willing to
refuse clearly impossible missions. Notes describe:(1)lengthy(22 years),dangerous(82 dead), and
frustrating(finally completed)experience of UN force(UNIFIL)in south Lebanon sent to supervise
Israeli withdrawal;(2)Bernard Kouchner unique responsibility:" begin
buildingpeace/democracy/stability and self-government" in Kosovo. Common thread might be:
world badly needs US-UN to work together to create new rules and structures to help ensure
unprecedented/rapidly-evolving21st Century challenges can be handled.
The Economist 19 Aug 00 "The Caucasus: Where Worlds Collide" (17-9):-tackles perhaps most
ethnically explosive/ politically unruly/economically depressed region in world. It offers
non-experts concise picture of "states" in area, whether recognized(Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia),self-proclaimed(Abkazia, Chechnya, Nagorno-Karabakh, South
Ossetia),aspiring(Ajaria?, Dagestan?, Ingushetia?, Javakheti |