Obama administration officials have spoken a great
deal about their drive to reinvigorate U.S. participation in international
organizations, including the United Nations. But last year, the American
presence and influence in several parts of the United Nations actually declined,
the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found.
"In 2009, the United States was underrepresented,
based on formal and informal targets, at all five of the UN organizations GAO
reviewed-the Secretariat, World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)," states a new GAO report
being released today. "In addition, U.S. representation in policymaking and senior-level
positions generally decreased at these UN organizations from 2006 to 2009."
Despite the fact that the United States is assessed to provide 22 percent
of the U.N. budget, Americans hold only 10.2 percent of professional positions
in the U.N. Secretariat, 8.3 percent in the World Health Organization, and 7.4
percent in the U.N.'s refugee agency.
The
report was requested by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
and George Voinovich (R-OH),
the chair and ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland and Governmental
Affairs subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management.
"I am greatly concerned about the
United States' underrepresentation in UN agencies, which is why I asked GAO to
conduct a follow-up review. U.S. citizens working
in UN organizations provide valuable expertise
while strengthening our global
leadership and expanding our country's influence," said Akaka. "As I have stated in the past,
providing more entry level professional opportunities in multilateral
institutions is key to building a more secure future. I urge the State
Department to take up GAO's recommendations."
The primary office responsible for managing the U.S.
involvement in the United Nations is the Bureau of International Organization
Affairs (IO), led by Assistant Secretary Esther Brimmer. The State Department has
been making some efforts since 2006 to increase American representation at the
United Nations, but progress has been hampered by a variety of factors,
including Americans' lack of proficiency in U.N. languages, lengthy hiring
processes, and the feeling by some that there's not much opportunity for
professional advancement, the report said.
The GAO wants State to take a closer look at the
effectiveness of its methods and to report to Congress in greater detail about
U.S. representation. It also recommends that State consider implementing a
pilot program to fund Junior Professional Officers (JPOs) at U.N.
organizations.
"State has not assessed the effectiveness of most of
its current efforts to increase U.S. representation," the report stated. "Despite
State's efforts, many Americans employed at the five organizations learned
about UN job opportunities through their own networks, not through State."
"This report provides several key points of action for the State Department,
and I hope Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton and our U.N. Ambassador Susan
Rice will consider these recommendations to ensure the United States is
fairly represented at U.N. agencies," Voinovich said.
UPDATE: Kurtis Cooper, spokesman for the bureau of international organization affairs, sends along this statement:
"We've seen the GAO report and accept its
recommendations. As the largest financial contributor to the United Nations,
the United States has a vested interest in ensuring that qualified Americans
are well-represented within the ranks of the UN and its varied agencies and
organizations, and we will continue working diligently toward this goal."
Read More
(2)
HIDE COMMENTS LOGIN OR REGISTER REPORT ABUSE