John Bolton appears to have quickly made his presence felt at the UN. In his 39 page revised draft, virtually all references to the 2000 Millennium Development Goals have been removed or de-emphasized. More inside.
The US' revised draft includes 750 suggested changes, many in reference to the UN's Millennium Development Goals.
In short, the following Millennium Development Goals are in place to be achieved by 2015 (in italics are the suggested alterations in that goal area):
- Reduce extreme poverty and hunger by half.
The US' draft seeks to eradicate hunger by placing faith in the neoliberal economic system, citing the 2002 Monterrey Consensus. If the Structural Assistance Program failures have tought the economic development community anything, it is that the neoliberal economic model makes poverty and resulting hunger even more severe. Further, the US draft fails to mention any concrete assistance goals or recommendations, either short-term or long-term, including deleting references to the role of Bretton Woods institutions in one section while leaving emphasis on Bretton Woods institutions in another. Yet another deleted section stressed the central role of the UN in facilitating economic growth and sustainability.
Specific references to poverty and hunger were included but associations with the MDGs were striken. Finally, the draft pushes back from 2010 to 2020 plans to 'improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers'.
- Universal primary education.
The US draft deletes all mention to the Fast Track Initiative or any other reference towards achieving this goal other than mentioning UNESCO. Further mention of user fees in primary education is below.
- Promote gender equality and empower women (primarily in primary and secondary education).
The US draft deletes emphasis on women and children in a section stressing the importance of human rights and freedoms. Language was added in reference to child labour, which would only address the 'worst forms' of child labour. Though, the draft does include a suggestion to rigorously enforce sexual exploitation laws against UN peacekeepers.
The draft also reduces proposed funding increases of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights from 'doubling' to a 'substantial increase'.
- Reduce child mortality by two-thirds.
- Improve maternal health.
- Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria (reduce by two-thirds), TB, and other prevalent diseases.
Deletes all reference to universal AIDS care access, strengthening national health care systems, as well as mention of fighting malaria and distribution of free bed-tents and access to affordable medicines.
We agree to support the establishment and implementation of country led 'quick win' initiatives consistent with long-term national development strategies so as to realize major immediate progress towards the development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, through such measures as the free distribution of malaria bed nets and effective anti-malaria medicines, the expansion of home-grown school meals programmes using locally produced foods and the elimination of user fees for primary education and health services. [Section deleted]
Also deleted is mention of a 2006 plan to bring an increase of health workers to developing countries by 2010. Lastly, the US draft seeks a universal framework for HIV/AIDS care that would presumably reflect the US policy of abstinence-only values.
- Ensure environmental stability. Reduce the amount of people without access to clean drinking water by half.
The US draft deletes 'respect for nature' as one of the UN's core values. The draft also deletes all references to the Kyoto treaty on global warming. All reference to solutions or actions regarding climate change was likewise deleted. Also deleted is a passage which would seek to establish comprehensive environmental standards and 'international environmental governance'.
- Create a global partnership for growth and development.
US' draft deletes all mention of the International Criminal Court, one of the few spaces for globalized law, as well as all mention of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. US' draft also deletes all references to the proposed 0.5 GNP for developmental aid by 2009 and 0.7 GNP by 2015. (The US spent 0.16 GNP on international aid in 2004.)
Another amendment from the US would strike a statement stating that force should be a 'considered as an instrument of last resort'. Later, the US drafted inserted a sentence asserting the overwhelming threat of terrorists with weapons of mass destruction.
The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the possibility that terrorists might acquire such weapons remain the greatest threats to international peace and security.
The draft also includes language which would condone unilateral and bilateral action to curb WMD proliferation. Another draft deletion would kill the prevention of an outer space arms race.
Urge the Conference on Disarmament to agree on a programme of work which includes, inter alia, the commencement, without delay, of negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty and effective measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space.
The draft deletes a call for a legal definition of terrorism during this year's General Assembly and the UN Action Plan to Prevent Genocide.
Lastly, the draft deleted references to compliance with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
The draft would also delay the creation of a UN early warning system for natural disasters and abolish humane migration policy, including human rights for migrants and their families.
A section specifically addressing development in Africa largely went unaltered, with the exception of increased emphasis on free-market economic arrangements. Another important alteration is the deletion of the importance of affordable access to HIV/AIDS treatment.
As predicted, many developing and developed countries have opposed the US' proposed changes. Meetings will be held next month to complete the draft.
"The whole thing is going to die by suffocation," said Pakistani Ambassador Munir Akram.
"Bolton wants to knock down the plan and start from scratch," a source close to Kofi Annan said. "He will find that his opinions are not shared by most of the rest of the world."
"The whole purpose of the UN Summit, which the President himself is slated to attend, is to focus on how to meet the Millennium Goals by 2015," said Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance. "Now, under the leadership of Ambassador Bolton, the United States is trying to cut out any reference to these goals."
Talking Points Memo has the full revised draft for further review.
The revisions could be a prelude to the end of the longstanding US-UK alliance. The Guardian notes:
The Foreign Office confirmed yesterday that Britain was standing behind the original plan, putting it at odds with Mr. Bush.
The concern in British and other international circles is that the American objections, if adopted, would severely undermine the UN summit, the biggest-ever gathering of world leaders.