Welcome to the Schiavo Free Zone

As of this morning the Terri Schiavo case has yet to be brought up to the Security Council so we can steer clear of it with a clean conscience. Speaking of the Security Council here's a hearty cheer to Kofi Annan's proposals to reform the United Nations. Among the reforms touted by Mr. Annan are expanding membership in the Security Council; creating a new human rights monitoring mechanism; drafting a long-delayed international convention against terrorism; and a resolution stating when force could be used in a preemptive fashion. There is also a call for more funding for developing states. Mr. Annan is pushing the reforms as a package deal, because as the LA Times notes there is something for everyone to support and oppose.

The reforms are a good starting point, but there is still room for improvement. The Security Council needs to be expanded to represent the reality of 2005 and not the world of 1945. The inclusion of Brazil, Germany, Japan and India as permanent non-veto wielding members would be a good start. It is my hope that with time both Mexico and South Africa would also qualify. I have already had a rant or two about the Human Rights Commission so I welcome the idea of scrapping it and replacing it with a new body, but the Annan proposal does not go far enough. The only states that would be excluded would be those that have been cited for human rights violations. All this would do is punish those states lacking political pull in the global arena. China remains one of the worlds most oppressive regimes, but it is unlikely that more than a handful of idealistic (and puny) nations will ever try to take on the Reds. It may be better to work with NGOs (Amnesty International, Freedom House, etc.) to establish an effective human rights monitoring system. A resolution defining terrorism would be most welcome, but it could conflict with a resolution defining when preemptive action can be taken. Regardless a resolution on preemptive attacks should be labeled DOA. There is little chance the US or China would support it. Finally the increase in funding for developing nations is bound to elicit muted enthusiasm. Too many questions remain on how this should be handled although some guidelines were proposed. I do agree with the call in the Secretary General's report for duty free and quota free access for goods from Least Developed Countries.