UN Reform

September 21st, 2004 marked the start of the United Nations General Assembly annual high-level debate. George W. Bush called on the world body to support democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq by proposing the establishment of a Democracy fund within the UN. He pledged that the initial contribution would come from the US but urged other nations to donate to the fund which he believes, "would help countries lay the foundations of democracy by instituting the rule of law and independent courts, a free press, political parties and trade unions". Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva argued in favor of an international order if it is based on different cultures and perspectives. His main appeal was for economic and social justice emphasizing poverty levels and sanitation. President Omar Bongo Ondimba of Gabon expressed his concern on these issues and requested there be a greater drive towards reaching the UN Millennium Developmental Goals which seek to halve extreme poverty and hunger, reduce infant and maternal mortality and achieve other social goals by 2015. The topics of the debate stressed a definate need for UN reform. President Abel Pacheco de la Espriella of Costa Rica noted in his speech that in 2003 the world reached a new record by devoting $956 billion to military expenses, which is 17 times the amount devoted to developmental assistance and more than the sum of the foreign debt of the 64 countries with the lowest GDP. He ended by declaring, "These numbers show that mankind has not understood yet that security does not come from a multiplication of the weapons but from a multiplication of the loaves of bread." Many other Presidents also called for UN reform, with the main focus seeming to fall towards poverty and the economic conditions of the world rather than towards terrorism and democracy.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/printnews.asp?nid=11993