Annan brands diluted reform 'a real disgrace'

Kofi Annan

NEW YORK - Kofi Annan yesterday lamented the watering-down of United Nations reform and branded a "real disgrace" the absence of all mention of disarmament and WMD proliferation.

The Secretary-General greeted world leaders with a scolding as they arrived for the New York summit.

"Let us be frank," he said. "We have not yet achieved the sweeping and fundamental reform I and many others believe is required."

On the decision to drop all references in the final text to disarmament, he said: "We have allowed posturing to get in the way. This is inexcusable. Weapons of mass destruction pose a grave danger."

Annan and several other leaders, including George W. Bush and Tony Blair, will nonetheless use the three-day summit to emphasise those areas where progress had been made.

When they leave, all 191 member states will have committed themselves to a number of new initiatives.

These will include agreement in principle on replacing the Human Rights Commission in Geneva with the smaller Human Rights Council.

A Peace-Building Commission will also help countries emerge from armed conflict. For the first time, members will pledge to intervene in genocide-threarened countries.

There was little disguising the bruises left by the frantic negotiations in the days leading up to the summit. Most infuriating for many Western nations was the muddled language on combating terrorism.

Bush and Blair led the UN Security Council yesterday in adopting a UN resolution on committing countries to hunt down those who incite terrorist acts and foment terrorism-styled ideologies.

In a speech that was notably upbeat in offering support to the UN, the US President pressed other leaders to "put terrorists on notice" by cracking down on any activities that could incite deadly attacks.

"The terrorists must know they cannot escape justice," Bush said. "We must send a clear message to the rulers of outlaw regimes that sponsor terror and pursue weapons of mass murder: You will not be allowed to threaten peace and stability."

Bush lingered on trade policy, arguing that aid and debt relief were not enough to lift nations out of poverty, which he considers vital to helping contain terrorism.

He called for the ending of farm subsidies in developed nations.

"The US is ready to eliminate tariffs, subsidies and other barriers to the free flow of goods and services as other nations do the same," he said. "By expanding trade we spread hope and opportunity and we strike a blow against the terrorists who feed on anger and resentment."

Bush pleaded for support in the Iraq war. "Member states must continue to stand by the Iraqi people as they continue their journey," he said. "It's an exciting opportunity for all."

There were mentions of Hurricane Katrina, notably by Annan.

"Whether our challenge is peacemaking, nation-building, democratisation or responding to natural or man-made disasters, we have seen that even the strongest among us cannot succeed alone," he said.

- INDEPENDENT