The U.N. Withdrawal Act and the U.S. debt to the U.N - Worth Noting

Humanist, May-June, 1996

On October 24, 1995--the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations--frosh Representative Joe Scarborough (Republican--Florida) introduced a bill in Congress to, as the old slogan goes, "get the U.S. out of the U.N. and get the U.N. out of the US" Scarborough's bill seeks U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations, the closing of the US. mission to the United Nations, and the withdrawal of the United Nations from U.S. territory by the year 2000. Among the signers of the bill are Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, House Majority Whip Tom Delay (Republican--Texas), chair of the Resources Committee Don Young (Republican--Alaska), and Sonny Bono (Republican--California).

This bill comes at a time when the United States owes over $1 billion to the United Nations--a debt that win only increase if some members of Congress have their way in the current budget battle. As a result of this and the debt of other nations, the United Nations is currently being pushed toward bankruptcy and possible closure.

In a press release issued the day his bill was introduced, Scarborough stated:

This bill will put an end to America's

role in the United Nations

and will assure that as we enter

the twenty-first century this

country will be able to formulate

a foreign policy that genuinely

reflects our interests and not the

interests of some nebulous thing

called the international community.

In response, the United Nations has issued statements summing up the contributions it has made in the interests of every nation. For example, since its founding, the United Nations has negotiated 172 peaceful settlements to regional conflicts and has worked to enact over 300 international treaties, all the while promoting the rule of law, a stated principle of US. foreign policy since World War U. The United Nations has also eliminated the threat of smallpox from the face of the earth (which saved an estimated $1 billion a year in vaccination and monitoring); has provided humanitarian aid to over 30 million refugees fleeing war, famine, or persecution; has provided safe drinking water to 1.3 billion people; and has cut child mortality rates 12 the developing world in half since 1960. For businesses, the United Nations has helped stabilize and provide greater communications standards for international markets. And anyone who has ever traveled on an international airline or ship, placed an overseas call, received mad from another country, or been thankful for an accurate weather report has been served by the U.N. system.

Since the US. debt to the United Nations works out to about $4.40 per American, numerous citizens have been writing checks for that amount and sending them either directly to the United Nations or indirectly via their congressional representatives. In the latter case, the representatives have been forced, however unwillingly, to forward the money, and this process has begun to make it harder for these representatives to state that their constituents "don't care" about the United Nations.

You, too, can participate in this effort by making out a check to the United Nations in an amount that covers $4.40 for each member of your family. Then indicate on the check that this money is to help cover your family's portion of the US. debt to the United Nations. Send photocopies of the check to your congressional representatives and senators; send the original check to the United Nations, directed to:

His Excellency

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Secretary General

United Nations

Room 3800

New York, NY 10017