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Wilson Calls for UN Accountability and Action

June 15, 2005

Bipartisan Taskforce Highlights Necessity of UN Reform Act of 2005

A bipartisan U.S. Congressional taskforce, led by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, today released a report stressing the urgent need for reform at the United Nations. The 174-page report by the panel, Taskforce on the United Nations, criticized the United Nations as lacking accountability and urged rapid reforms by Secretary-General Kofi Annan. As the House begins to consider the "UN Reform Act of 2005," Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) called for strong UN reforms and expressed his support for this crucial legislation:"Mr. Speaker, as the biggest financial contributor to the United Nations, the United States should be assured that UN programs are accountable, efficient, and results-oriented," said Wilson. "Unfortunately, we still have no guarantee that our contributions are used for valuable purposes. Although UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has discussed reforming the UN for years, his words have rarely resulted in action. In 1995, two dozen UN staffers defrauded or squandered up to $10 million in agency funds. Two years later, 16 UN employees were under investigation after siphoning off $6 million during an 8-year period. Additionally, a 2003 UN probe into corruption allegations found that one senior UN official improperly gave 11 contracts to his wife."International Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde has introduced legislation that requires the UN to drastically reform or risk losing 50 percent of America's contributions to the UN assessed budget. Actions speak louder than words, and if we link US support to UN results, the UN will become a more effective organization."In conclusion, God bless our troops and we will never forget September 11th."###