Watson Coleman: “I rise to submit a sense-of-the Senate resolution expressing the deepest disappointment of the Senate with respect to…”

“I rise to submit a sense-of-the Senate resolution expressing the deepest disappointment of the Senate with respect to the election of Iran to a leadership position on the United Nations Disarmament Commission and request the President to withhold funding to the United Nations unless credible reforms are made. A couple of observations, Mr. President. In light of the Oil-For-Food scandal, it was my great hope that we would see a movement toward reform in the United Nations. The Secretary General had put forth some proposed reforms. There was some discussion about whether the U.N. Commission on Human Rights was going to be reformed. Unfortunately, the energy was there, the hope was there, and we seemed to be moving in the wrong direction. On May 9, for the new Human Rights Council, elections will be held. It appears that Cuba may be appointed to the new Human Rights Council. The recommendations from the Secretary General for minimum reform are now coming under attack by something called the G-77, the underlying nations, which may dismantle those. A little tremor occurred just about a week ago, and to some people it may be a little thing, but it is not. It is symbolic of some of the things we face with the United Nations. Just recently, Iran was elected to the U.N. Disarmament Commission. Some may say that this is a very minor commission; it is an inactive forum; it only meets 3 weeks a year, the U.N. Commission on Disarmament.…”