15 March 2007
U.N. Reform "Imperative," Ambassador Khalilzad Says
Nominee to U.N. post also urges efforts to stabilize Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon
Washington –- President Bush’s nominee to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says he will work to implement effective reform of the multilateral organization and to defuse international crises.
Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee March 15 that U.N. reform “is imperative.” The 61-year-old organization can make “a profoundly positive impact if it has the right mandate and if it is properly employed,” he said.
If confirmed by the Senate, Khalilzad said, he will “promote effective, efficient, transparent, accountable and ethical management of the United Nations.” He also said he believes the United States, which is the largest financial contributor to the United Nations, should pay its dues in full and on time.
It is in the interest of the United States for the United Nations to be effective and strengthened, Khalilzad said. He added that, working in tandem with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, he would seek to bolster the United Nations’ contribution to solving key security issues and help the institution operate more effectively through transparency, accountability and needed reforms. “Absence of reform is a mortal threat to the United Nations,” he added.
Khalilzad pledged to listen to and work with other nations’ representatives in New York on the reform agenda and other pressing issues. He said he will engage “friends, as well as encourage like-minded countries to reach out to their friends in the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77 to discuss how we might make common cause on issues of mutual importance.” He said one of his priorities will be finding new ways to work with nations aligned in these blocs.
Khalilzad also identified other priorities:
• Increasing efforts to stabilize and strengthen Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon as immediate objectives in the longer-term transformation of the Middle East;
• Achieving Iran’s compliance with Security Council mandates and International Atomic Energy Agency requirements on its nuclear programs and North Korea’s irreversible abandonment of its nuclear programs;
• Ending the massive humanitarian crisis in Darfur;
• Strengthening the United Nations’ ability to undertake and manage peacekeeping operations effectively; and
• Promoting effective ways to address climate-change and clean-energy objectives.
FOCUS ON IRAQ
Khalilzad, who is being replaced in Baghdad, Iraq, by U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, said he believes “changing circumstances are creating opportunities for the United Nations to play a larger role in contributing to progress in Iraq.” He noted that on March 16 the Iraqi government and the United Nations will take another step toward concluding the International Compact for Iraq, under which Iraq commits to key reforms and international donors commit their support for the fledgling democracy.
Efforts must be taken to offer Iraqis incentives to take on more responsibilities at a faster pace, Khalilzad said. This can be done by setting targets, deadlines and benchmarks, he said, and through engagement by other nations. “If we don’t come together on this,” he warned, there is a danger that the sectarian violence in Iraq could destabilize the broader region.
The ambassador confirmed that U.S. officials did shake hands and have a general conversation with Iranian government representatives who attended the March 10 Iraq Neighbors Conference. He said it was “a good first step,” but the real test will be if Iran ends its support for favored militias in Iraq, encourages disputing groups to reconcile and stops supplying explosives across its border. (See related article.)
Khalilzad said President Bush has authorized him to engage Iran bilaterally in the presence of Iraqi officials, adding, “We’re open-minded.” The next step will be a ministerial conference with Iraq’s neighbors, with working groups meeting in advance on border security, energy and refugee issues.
He acknowledged that U.S. officials also talked with Syrian officials at the March 10 conference and said the Syrians expressed interest in future bilateral talks with the United States. Asked if U.S. officials will pursue this option, Khalilzad said he has only been back in the United States for a few days and has not had an opportunity to discuss the matter with the president or the secretary of state.
Committee members all questioned the ambassador about efforts to solve the Darfur crisis. If confirmed, Khalilzad said, he will look at options to increase pressure on the Sudanese government to allow a hybrid African Union-U.N. peacekeeping force to conduct its mission.
For more information, see Darfur Humanitarian Emergency, The United States and the United Nations, and Iraq Update.
(USINFO is produced by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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