Lawyers Group Proposes Reforms for United Nations [Paris group says UN should be moved from NYC]

Reutuers ^ | Sat August 30, 2003 08:05 PM ET | Ian Simpson

[yonif]

LISBON (Reuters) - The International Association of Lawyers proposed Saturday the United Nations' charter should be overhauled and that its headquarters should be moved from New York, in a call for reform after the Iraq crisis. Failure to reform could lead to a "total marginalization of this body in the fight for peace and international security in the 21st century," the association's president, Antoine Akl, said in an address at its annual congress.

The Paris-based association, grouping almost two million lawyers from 110 countries, said it planned to submit its proposals to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in an effort to strengthen the United Nations.

President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair ordered their forces to go to war in Iraq earlier this year to oust Saddam Hussein despite failing to win a new mandate from the U.N. Security Council for force to be used.

The proposals include ending the right to veto held by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia.

Akl, a Lebanese lawyer, told Reuters the U.N. headquarters should be moved from New York to a "neutral site" to be determined by the U.N. General Assembly.

[yonif]

Let them move from NYC. I don't give a crap.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

Move to Iraq.

[Mfkmmof4]

Like they will leave New York. Who else will support them?

[Vesuvian]

its headquarters should be moved from New York

Something's wrong here- I'm agreeing with the French....

[BenLurkin]

From N.Y to

[OneTime]

I believe Canada has expressed a wish to have the UN move up there somewhere.

[Happy2BMe]

" The International Association of Lawyers proposed Saturday the United Nations' charter should be overhauled and that its headquarters should be moved from New York, in a call for reform after the Iraq crisis. Failure to reform could lead to a "total marginalization of this body in the fight for peace and international security in the 21st century," the association's president, Antoine Akl, said in an address at its annual congress."

This is the best thing to come out of Paris sinc the passing of Charles de Gaulle!

Please, please, pUHLeeeezzz God -let this happen!

[Happy2BMe]

"Like they will leave New York. Who else will support them?"

They'll get some fine air-conditioned orifaces in gay Parie!

[Mfkmmof4]

How about in the heart of Sars? :)

[10mm]

The Paris-based association, grouping almost two million lawyers from 110 countries...

I say we get all Shakespeare on their asses.

[Sub-Driver]

see ya..........goodbye..and we will wave when u leave..

[Tamzee]

Apologies to our conservative friends up in Canada, but I would LOVE to see the U.N. head north a bit ;-)

[11B3]

Move the UN to Gaza. Let them see their terrorist buddies at work every day.

[yonif]

Ha. They already see these terrorists at work every day, in the form of the Syria, Saudi, PLO, Libyan, and the rest of the Arab World's missions to the UN in NYC.

[BARLF]

Please.we are trying to get the evil out of Iraq. I vote Cuba or Libya.When the UN building is vacated, bring in backhoe.

[Verginius Rufus]

This is a promising idea, but where should the new headquarters be? It shouldn't be in Western Europe or North America because those areas symbolize the "have" nations. It should be someplace that evokes the rich history of the UN's efforts to maintain world peace and human happiness...maybe Monrovia, Kigali, Srebrenica, or Kashmir.

[coydog]

I don't want'em, you (expletive deleted)'em!!!

Seriously folks, now some lucky city like..... TORONTO! can experience what New Yorkers tell me they've had to put up with for years: snotty diplomats who double-park (and worse) with impunity, hog all the good tables in restaurants and beat up their imported maids.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

The UN is a bad NYC tenant anyway. They fully depreciated that building in 50(?) years.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

2.000,000?

Where do they get the money to run an org with this many members?

Or, is it just a front for a radical few spouting anti US views?

[BARLF]

LOL, You saw that on Fox? Water pipes leaking, corroded and I forget what else. Building a big mess and falling apart. Everything the UN tenants touch turns to rot. I hope they move....sooner rather than later. Bunch a cockroaches!