BOLTON ALREADY HAVING IMPACT ON UN. After only four months as the U.S. Ambassador, John Bolton has already gained the respect of some fellow members.
Ambassador Mihnea Motoc of Romania, a temporary member of the Security Council explains, “he is having a definite impact. Others wish they could do things the same way.”
Ambassador Bolton has threatened to block the UN’s budget for 2006-7 unless diplomats commit to “real reform” by the end of the year.
Bolton thinks “it’s important to say clearly what the U.S. position is….And I think when you say we hold this position and we hold it strongly, for some people, that is a new experience.”
[Los Angeles Times, 12-27-05; EF News & Notes, 30Dec05]
SPEAKING OF THE UN — The Financial Times has investigated the UN fund spent for Indian Ocean tsunami relief and says that up to a third of the $590 million has gone to pay for overhead.
The newspaper also found that several UN agencies continue to refuse to disclose details of their relief expenditure in spite of earlier pledges of transparency by senior officials.
[UPI, 12-23-05; EF News & Notes, 30Dec05]