“For most countries, serving the UN's objectives has never seemed worth even the smallest of risks. Member nations do not want a large, reputable, strong and independent United Nations, no matter their hypocritical pronouncements otherwise. What they want is a weak, beholden, indebted scapegoat of an organization, which they can blame for their failures or steal victories from.” WantCountryMatterStrongNationsUnitedRiskVictoryMembersWeakOrganizationIndependentBlameStealingObjectivesServingSmallestUnited NationsHypocriticalScapegoatIndebted Author:Roméo Dallaire
“I saw a threat in Saddam Hussein. Members of the United States Congress from both political parties saw that same threat. The United Nation's saw the threat. I made the right decision in getting Saddam Hussein out of power.” MadeStatesPoliticalNationsDecisionUnitedPartyUnited StatesSawsMembersThreatCongressSaddamPolitical PartiesUnited NationsHusseinRight Decision Author:George W. Bush
“The founders of the United Nations expected that member nations would behave and vote as individuals after they had weighed the merits of an issue - rather like a great, global town meeting. The emergence of blocks and the polarization of the United Nations undermine all that this organization initially valued.” IndividualNationsUnitedIssuesMembersVoteOrganizationTownsMeetingsExpectedBlockBehaveMeritFoundersUnited NationsEmergencePolarization Book:Renewing the U.S. commitment to peace: September 26, 1983 Source: Renewing the U.S. commitment to peace: September 26, 1983
“The United States is looking at a way to launch peace with a disarmed Iraq. And so we are studying the declaration that Iraq submitted. Other members of the security council are studying the declaration, as is Unmovic and IAEA, and I would not make a judgment as to whether or not the declaration will be found deficient and whether or not that might lead to a material breach and whether or not, if it did, that would lead to action on the part of the United Nations.” IfsWayStatesMightActionFoundNationsUnitedUnited StatesStudySecurityMaterialsMembersJudgmentIraqDeclarationUnited NationsCouncilBreachSecurity Council Author:Colin Powell
“The Soviet Union, and Russia as the successor state to the Soviet Union, is a founding member state of the United Nations and a permanent member of its Security Council.” StatesNationsUnitedSecurityMembersUnionsRussiaPermanentSovietSoviet UnionFoundingUnited NationsCouncilSuccessorsSecurity Council Author:Vladimir Putin
“I also believe that member states of the United Nations should live up their obligations to pay their dues.” ShouldBelieveStatesNationsUnitedPayMembersDuesObligationUnited Nations Author:Alex J. Morrison
“Everybody knows that the United Nations is not the Secretary-General; he has an important position, but the United Nations is the states within this organization, and to be frank, most of the people say only the five permanent members; this is the United Nations because they have the veto, they can do whatever they want and they can refuse whatever they want, and if there's a reform that is very much needed for this organization.” PeopleIfsKnowsWantImportantStatesNationsCan DoUnitedFivePositionNeededMembersOrganizationRefuseReformPermanentFrankSecretaryUnited NationsVeto Author:Bashar al-Assad
“The [UN Security Council] P5 ought to be dissuaded from using their veto power, which can paralyze the United Nations. The country blocking action ought to have to explain its decision and propose an alternative solution. It has been suggested that a veto only becomes effective if the vetoing state has the support of two or three other permanent members.” IfsHas BeensTwoCountryStatesActionThreeNationsDecisionUnitedSupportSecurityOughtMembersSolutionsBlockAlternativesPermanentUnited NationsCouncilProposeVetoSecurity Council Author:Kofi Annan
“The United Nations' founders understood that decisions affecting war and peace should happen only by consensus, and with America's consent, the veto by Security Council permanent members was enshrined in the United Nations Charter. The profound wisdom of this has underpinned the stability of international relations for decades.” ShouldWarHappensAmericaNationsDecisionUnitedSecurityMembersUnderstoodRelationProfoundInternationalDecadesPermanentStabilityFoundersConsentUnited NationsCouncilConsensusInternational RelationsCharterVetoSecurity Council Author:Vladimir Putin
“I cannot say that the attitude of the United Nations always is for the Israeli attitude. Israel, I think, has been under severe attacks by members of the United Nations many times.” ThinkingHas BeensNationsUnitedAttitudeMembersIsraelSevereUnited NationsIsraeli Author:Ariel Sharon