UN-U.S. relations head to improvement

by William M. Reilly

UNITED NATIONS, March 13 (Chinese media) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's visit to Washington earlier this week promised to be a bellwether on improving relations between the United Nations and the United States under the new leadership of U.S. President Barack Obama, at least until midweek.

Then there was a bump on Wednesday on the road through Capitol Hill.

But, at week's end it looks like smoother running ahead.

At least one member of U.S. Congress emerged from a meeting with Ban saying the secretary-general had referred to the United States as a "deadbeat" because Washington owes nearly 1 billion U.S. dollars in assessments and contributions. It was taken as an insult.

Ban later admitted to reporters he had made the remark but made no apologies.

However, it concerned the secretary-general so much his spokesperson issued a late night clarifying statement and Ban took time out on Thursday during a news conference at the UN Headquarters in New York, after listing positive aspects of the Washington visit, to comment on what he described as "a misunderstanding that has made news yesterday."

"Speaking with a group of members of the House of Representatives, I noted how generous the United States has been in supporting the United Nations, both in terms of assessed and voluntary contributions," Ban told reporters. "At the same time, Inoted that the United States is also the largest debtor, owing more than 1 billion dollars in arrears, soon to reach 1.6 billion dollars."

"My point was simply that the United Nations needs the fullest support of its members, and never more so than in these very demanding times," Ban said.

The 1.6-billion-dollar arrear is what is expected to be the U.S. debt at the end of its fiscal year on Sept. 30.

"This hiccup aside, the future is bright," one U.S. official at the United Nations told Chinese media later Thursday. "Some things will be difficult. It doesn't mean we will always get along."

He referred this reporter to the statement read by U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice at her confirmation hearing.

"The Obama Administration will work to maximize common interests and build international support to share the burdens of collective action to counter the most pressing threats Americans face, while working to help tackle the poverty, oppression, hunger, disease fear and war that threaten billions around the world everyday," she told members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Jan. 15.

"We will make our case to the United Nations, and press for it to become a more effective vehicle of collective action," she said." We will also be prepared to listen and to learn, to seek to understand and respect different perspectives. The task of our diplomacy must be to expand both the will and ability of the international community to respond effectively to the great challenges of our time."

The embracing of multilateralism in diplomacy markedly contrasted with the unilateral stance of the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush.

Ban started off his two-day visit to Washington on Wednesday fresh from a quick trip to impoverished Haiti the day before.

His first stop was the White House. The significance of the secretary-general being only the third international leader to call on the new president was underscored by UN officials.

"I think the United Nations can be an extraordinarily constructive, important partner in bringing about peace and stability and security to people around the world," Obama told reporters during an encounter with Ban and reporters. "The secretary-general has shown extraordinary leadership during his tenure."

Obama said the pair held wide-ranging talks.

"There are a host of international issues that we both agreed have to be addressed," the president said.

"Ban has spoken extensively about the issue of climate change, and as all of you know, this is something that my administration is deeply concerned about, as well," Obama said. "We welcome his leadership. We're looking forward to working with some of the major countries involved to figure out how, even in the midst of economic crisis, we can move forward and prevent what could be longer-term ecological crises that could have a tremendously adverse effect on the international economy if we don't take action."

It certainly is different from what was heard from the previous White House.

"The United Nations and the United States share common visions and objectives for peace, stability, development and human rights," Ban told reporters.

He dubbed 2009 a "make-or-break" year, saying collaboration with Washington was essential to address various crises to turn the year into a "make-it-work" one, "full of optimism and resolution."

Ban and Obama jointly called for strengthening efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, a set of eight ambitious anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline agreed on in 2000.

"On climate change, we agree," Ban told reporters on Thursday. "It is an existential threat. We know what we must do."

"President Obama and I share a fundamental commitment: 2009 must be the year of climate change," Ban said. "That means reaching a comprehensive agreement in Copenhagen by year's end.

Ban said climate change also "dominated my discussions" with U.S. congressional leaders.

"With U.S. leadership, in partnership with the United Nations, we can and will reach a climate change deal that all nations can embrace," he said.

The secretary-general, at his meeting with reporters on Thursday, added to the list of topics discussed with Obama poverty reduction, Afghanistan, Haiti, the Middle East and Africa, namely Somalia and the consequences of Sudan's expulsion of more than a dozen humanitarian aid agencies following the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant last week for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

One western diplomat, representing a member of the UN Security Council, said fellow diplomats are encouraged by the news from Washington. "It is definitely an encouraging signal," he said. "Overall feelings in the United Nations are change has arrived in a package, but we have to see about the contents."