Posted on 07/05/2005 7:07:58 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Secretary-General Kofi Annan has announced the creation of a fund to promote democratric institutions and practices around the world - an idea first proposed by the United States.
President Bush suggested the creation of a fund in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly in September. He said it would help countries lay the foundations of democracy by instituting the rule of law, independent courts, a free press, political parties and trade unions.
"For quite some time we have believed that democratic countries with similar priorities on human rights and the rule of law should act together," Richard Grenell, spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, said Tuesday in praising the fund.
Annan announced its establishment in a speech Monday at the African Union summit in Sirte, Libya.
"The surest safeguards of human rights, and indeed, of development, are political institutions which allow the people of each country the decisive role in freely choosing their own leaders - in a word, democracy," he said.
Annan said almost all of Africa's 53 nations have made a commitment to the democratic process, including holding regular and fair elections and "open, participatory governance." But he noted that "maintaining democratic institutions can put strains on a poor country's resources."
The United Nations said Tuesday that since many members have offered to contribute, Annan wanted to set up the fund this summer so interested countries could make donations by September. That's when Annan has invited world leaders to a summit to tackle U.N. reform and agree on measures to meet U.N. development goals, including cutting extreme poverty by half by 2015.
Last month, the United States and 25 other countries sent Annan a letter supporting the proposal and saying they were examining possible financial commitments.
Grenell, the U.S. spokesman, said Tuesday "we expect to make our contribution announcement soon."
The United Nations currently supports emerging democracies with legal, technical and financial assistance and advice. Nonetheless, the secretary-general has said the United Nations needs to improve coordination of democracy building activities and mobilization of resources.
The General Assembly said the fund will provide assistance "for projects that consolidate and strengthen democratic institutions and facilitate democratic governance in new or restored democracies."
The U.N. said Tuesday the Democracy Fund will be a voluntary trust fund, overseen by an advisory board of member states which will consider and recommend proposals for funding. Any country and U.N. entity can apply.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, second right, talks to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, left, during the opening session of the Fifth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union attended by more than 50 leaders in Sirte, Libya Monday July 4, 2005. Gadhafi called on African nations to stop 'begging' during the opening . (AP Photo/Yousef Al-Ageli)
He would only sign on to it if he had found a way to corrupt it. Watch another half-decent idea go the way of peacekeeper rapists.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi (L) looks on as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan shakes hands with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo (R) during their meeting in Sirte, Libya, July 4, 2005. Gaddafi urged African leaders on Monday not to go begging to a summit of rich nations this week, telling them to embrace self-reliance and reject conditional aid from the West. REUTERS/Radu Sigheti
He has already figured out a way to scam the money, I bet!
Will the democratically elected Mugabe be their spokesman...?
What would the UN Pygmies know about "democracy", other than the fact that they have sought to destroy it for the last 40 years...?
There has to be a box car load of cash in this program somewhere, a box car destined to vanish.
Tout? Is that the Ghanan word for suck until dry? Something like a past tense of teat?
Once in a while, Gaddafi says something I like.
Kofi would not be doing his job if he didn't keep the funding going.
Let me guess. The type of "democracy" that will be promoted will be the George Soros type -- no national sovereignty, no constitutional guarantees, and all countries answering to the U.N.
When are citizens of the United States going to say "enough is enough" and demand that our leaders quit throwing OUR money down that rathole?
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