Wilson: “Today, Congress took advantage of a rare opportunity to restore hope, order, and purpose to the UN.”

Today, Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) issued the following statement after House passage of H.R. 2745, "The UN Reform Act of 2005." An amendment sponsored by Congressman Wilson was also included in the final legislation: "The world has entrusted the United Nations with the tremendous task of promoting peace and international cooperation across the globe," said Wilson. "Unfortunately, for years we have watched UN employees neglect their lofty goals and actually contribute to the demise of war-torn nations. From the jungles of the Congo to the swamps of Sierra Leone, UN employees have committed crimes involving money laundering, sexual exploitation, fraud, and human rights abuses. The litany of scandals involving UN employees and the apparent lack of leadership from UN officials is appalling.""Today, Congress took advantage of a rare opportunity to restore hope, order, and purpose to the UN. Decades of UN waste, fraud, and abuse prove that strong action is the only remedy for the problems plaguing the organization. ‘The UN Reform Act of 2005' requires the organization to drastically reform or risk losing 50 percent of America's contributions to the UN-assessed budget. By linking US support to UN reform, we will encourage the organization to fulfill its historic mission." H.R. 2745 included an amendment authored by Wilson that would add The Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories to a list of UN organizations that should be audited and reviewed to ensure balance in the approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "Although this committee is supposed to review human rights abuses in the Middle East, it now furthers anti-Israel sentiment throughout the region by producing biased reports. Under these circumstances, it is entirely appropriate to audit and review this UN Special Committee." ###