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Annan Challenges World Leaders to Overhaul¹ UN Operations

 

The secretary-general Monday outlined the most comprehensive overhaul of the United Nations since it was founded in 1945. The planned changes would update what he called the three great purposes of the United Nations: development, security and human rights.

 

Mr. Annan unveiled the proposal, titled "In Larger Freedom," in an address to the General Assembly.

 

Annan：The cause of larger freedom can only be advanced, if nations work together, and the United Nations can only help, if it is remolded as an effective instrument of their common purpose.

 

The 63-page document Mr. Annan presented to the assembly includes several controversial proposals. But none has drawn² as much attention as his plan to expand the Security Council from its present 15 members to 24.

 

Mr. Annan offered two possible alternatives, one that would add six new permanent members, and another creating a new class of semi-permanent members.

 

Those most frequently mentioned as candidates for the permanent slots are Japan, India, Brazil, Germany, Egypt, and either Nigeria or South Africa. But unlike the five current permanent members, the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France, they would most likely not have veto power.

 

Speaking to reporters after his presentation, Mr. Annan said the expansion proposal is designed to give greater representation on the Council to developing countries.

 

Annan：The whole package is intended to address a certain imbalance in the Council. If the membership were to agree to six new permanent members without the veto, where are these new members coming from? Two are from Africa, two from Asia, and one from Latin America. Five out of the six coming from regions we believe are underrepresented.

 

The reforms also include replacement³ of the Human Rights Commission with a smaller Human Rights Council. The United States and human rights groups have ridiculed⁴ the current commission for admitting countries accused of poor human rights records, such as Libya, Cuba and Sudan, as members.

 

Secretary-General Annan said the new council would be composed only of governments that adhere to the highest human rights standards.

 

Annan：It's no secret that the Human Rights Commission can be much more effective. It's no secret that governments get onto the commission, either to protect themselves, or to ensure that all these are brought to the dock, as it were. And it has become so contentious⁵, and groups form to ensure who is going to be castigated⁶ and who is not. In the process, the rights of the individual and human rights that they are there to protect often get lost.

 

Reporters suggested that many provisions in the proposal are likely to raise objections from the United States. U.S. opposition⁷ could jeopardize⁸ the entire reform package at a time when anti-U.N. voices in the U.S. Congress are becoming increasingly vocal⁹.

 

Mr. Annan says he plans to work closely with the Bush administration and lawmakers to assure them that the proposal is in their best interest.

 

Annan：We live in an interconnected world, where we face many challenges, many threats that no one country, however powerful, can face alone, and that we need to work together to contain these threats. And so, I think the collective effort of all of us working together is in the national interest of individual member states, and an effective and functioning U.N. is in the interest of the United States and its people, as it is in the interest of other nations and their peoples.

 

Mr. Annan told the General Assembly Monday he wants the entire reform proposal taken up as a package when world leaders gather in New York in September to mark the 60th anniversary of the U.N.'s creation.

 

The secretary-general has in the past said he wants to use his remaining 21 months in office to institute reforms that would prevent the mismanagement and corruption¹⁰ that existed in the Iraq oil-for-food program. Irregularities in the $65 billion humanitarian¹¹ program have damaged the world body's reputation.

A panel Mr. Annan appointed to investigate the oil-for-food scandal is due to issue its second report next week. That report is expected to focus on the involvement of his son, Kojo Annan, with one time worked for an oil-for-food contractor¹². Kojo Annan has admitted receiving monthly payments from the company until early last year.

 

Peter Heinlein, headline, VOA news, the United Nations.

 

注释：

overhaul [7EuvE5hC:l] n. 检查

remold [5ri:5mEuld] vt. 改造

permanent [5pE:mEnEnt] adj. 永久的

contentious [kEn5tenFEs] adj. 有争议的

reputation [7repju(:)5teiFEn] n. 名誉

involvement [in5vClvmEnt] n. 包含

1 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

2 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

3 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

4 ridiculed   

v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Biosphere 2 was ultimately ridiculed as a research debade, as exfravagant pseudoscience. 生物圈2号最终被讥讽为科研上的大失败，代价是昂贵的伪科学。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She ridiculed his insatiable greed. 她嘲笑他的贪得无厌。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

6 castigated   

v.严厉责骂、批评或惩罚（某人）( castigate的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He castigated himself for being so stupid. 他责怪自己太笨。
• He castigated the secretaries for their sloppy job of filing. 由于秘书们档案工作搞得马虎草率，他严厉地斥责了他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

8 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。

9 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

10 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

11 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

12 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。