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UN Performance Problems UN Management Accountability Struggles Where is the Rule of Law? Inadequate UN Oversight Recent Developments
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As
emphasized in the introductory material, this IO Watch archive seeks to
present alternative views,
information, critiques, and perspectives on the largest international
organization, the UN, as a
basis for better understanding it and also the UN system and other
international organizations at large. Whereas the UN's official
publications and media products focus on noble goals, good intentions, and
the many, many activities underway, IO Watch's excerpted sources
concentrate instead on implementation, performance, and results -- that is, on establishing accountability and transparency as
a base for serious reform actions to move toward a much more effective
UN. For those who want
to dip their toes in the flood of information which the UN publishes, much
of which is now online, IO Watch offers the following search suggestions
which might help you better find information on the enormous volume and
complexities of the offerings of the UN, its programmes, and the UN system
as a whole.. 1. The
UN Web Site is found at www.un.org
. Among some of the main
features are: ?
"About
the UN" provides a basic overview. ?
"Secretary-General" contains much information about Mr. Annan's
activities and speeches. ?
The
five major themes of UN activity, as outlined by the Charter, are
presented in the second text bar across the top of the
page. ?
"Issues
on the UN agenda" discusses how the UN system “works together” on over 40
global issues. 2.
The UN News Center is found on the home page, and
at www.un.org/News
. It provides public
statements, briefings, press releases, and meetings schedules, links to
various media sources and fact sheets, and UN news magazines. It also provides extensive UN
issuances and news stories on ten major areas, a search facility going
back 45 days, and various presentations on major current topics.
3.
UN documents, and especially session documents and resolutions of
the General Assembly, are presented at the UN Documentation
Center, on the home
page and at www.un.org/documents . 4. The
UN System Web Site Locator contains both an alphabetic and a thematic
index to UN system organizations and their individual websites, as well as
a UN System Chart. It is
found at www.unsystem.org.
5. A detailed
listing of Departments of the UN Secretariat (and other UN offices and
programmes) is found at found at www.un.org/Depts .
6.
A Research Guide to UN documentation provides a very
useful overview of the various types of documents and publications of the
UN, and how to work with them, which is valuable because UN document
labeling is often arcane and difficult to understand. This guide is found
at www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide
. 7.
Another news source is the UN Wire, which provides
many articles concentrating "on timely and relevant news about the UN,
international affairs, and the UN Foundation", including a free daily
E-Mail news briefing. While
it explains itself as "a unique daily news service providing concise,
balanced, and free news", IO Watch would note that its sponsor, the UN
Foundation, established by the $1 billion gift made to the UN in 1997 by
US philanthropist Ted Turner,
"promotes a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world through
the support of the United Nations", which
involves grantmaking, "strengthening UN institutions and encouraging
support for the UN and UN causes," "telling the story" and "educating the
public about the UN's unique role," and raising funds to support UN
programs and purposes.
This website provides some interesting articles, but not much
critical analysis or assessment of UN performance, which is why IO Watch
places it here rather than under the subsection on Top Related Sources and
Websites at the end of this archive. Old UN Wire articles are found
at www.unwire.org ,
while those since late August 2004 are found at www.smartbrief.com/un_wire
. The UN Foundation is
at www.unfoundation.org
. 8. The UN
provides and distributes a very large volume of educational materials on
its activities. The most
prominent and easily accessible is UN Works, "the stories of
men, women, and children who have benefited from UN's work", and how the
UN does what it does and brings people together. This material is at http://www.un.org/works . 9.
Finally in this brief overview, the UN has many souvenir products
for sale: emblems, watches,
paperweights, pens, notepads, agendas, cufflinks, sacks, coffee cups,
t-shirts with multiple logos
and colours, miniature flags,
flag kits, various special documents and wall charts, UN guides for
all educational levels, and CD's about the UN. |
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