United Nations Reform

UNITED NATIONS REFORM -- (House of Representatives - June 14, 2005)

(Mr. PRICE of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, scandals at the United Nations have been going on for far too long and are far too many. Oil-For-Food scandal, UNICEF scandal, peacekeeping operation scandal, the list goes on and on with no end in sight. The days of giving the U.N. a blank check must come to an end.

Accountability and ethics must return to the United Nations. Somewhere in the mess of Saddam Hussein collecting kickbacks, workers collecting pay checks for work they never did and poor management of funds, it was forgotten that the goal of the U.N. was to provide assistance to those who need it most.

The case for reform could not be more clear. When an organization lacks the fundamental institutional control that is needed to operate in a fair and unbiased manner, changes must be made.

The time to streamline and prioritize programs and hold those in charge at the U.N. accountable has come. The focus of the United Nations has shifted from its intended purpose of protecting people and ensuring humanitarian aid to scandals that make the headlines in the tabloids and embarrass the world.

Mr. Speaker, it is time we ensure that the future of the United Nations is not a story of scandal, but a story of success.

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