Cliff Stearns: “this is truly an historic amendment that I wish my colleagues would consider carefully. The United Nations has been…”

“this is truly an historic amendment that I wish my colleagues would consider carefully. The United Nations has been located in New York City for 51 years. Why not have a new location for the United Nations? I am not sure the delegation from New York would agree, but if they will think about it, that property is very valuable, and it does not hurt for the United Nations to look at alternative locations. In addition, my amendment asks the United Nations for a study of ways to simplify, ways to move their body into a part-time, evolving United Nations. I pulled up on the web page, Mr. Chairman, the list of locations and system organizations that are part of the U.N., and it just goes on A through Z here, of all of the different locations that are just sort of reporting back to New York City. My point is that we need to bring the United Nations into a new location, to try and simplify it and look for ways to bring down the cost. Obviously it could be put in parts of the United States where the cost is not so high, or it could be put in Europe, it could be put in Asia. But I think after 51 years it is time to look at putting the United Nations in a new location. The current structure of the United Nations does not reflect the real world. Many corporations, after 51 years in one location, look at cost-saving devices and look at ways to move their headquarters somewhere else.”