US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice
Photo: AP
US on the UN: Treatment of Israel unfair
American Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice levels unusual criticism at international body, saying that General Assembly discriminates against Israel. Rice: We cannot let 'political theater distract from real deliberation'
WASHINGTON- US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice sharply criticized the international organization, accusing the General Assembly of unfair treatment of Israel.
Rice said the 192-nation United Nations needed reform, continued to single out Israel for criticism and let "political theater distract from real deliberation," but she also described it as an "imperfect yet indispensable institution."
In a speech at New York University ahead of the General Assembly session on September 23, Rice said that the General Assembly unfairly singles out Israel and that the body was in need of reform.
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"There is no substitute for the legitimacy the UN can impart or its potential to mobilize the widest possible coalitions," she said. "There is no better alternative to sharing the costs and burdens of UN peace operations and humanitarian missions around the world."
In addition, Rice accused the Security Council of failing to address the crisis in Darfur, in rehabilitating Zimbabwe, the military regime in Myanmar, and other issues on the international agenda.
Rice sought to present to the 192-member organization the US's new approach to changing the superpowers relations with the rest of the world, while expressing hope that this change will also bring about change in the UN.
She noted how Washington had decided to join the UN Human Rights Council, which the Bush administration spurned as an anti-Israel forum, as an example of the new approach to world issues.
"We work for change from within rather than criticizing from the sidelines," Rice said. "We stand strong in defense of America's interests and values, but we don't dissent just to be contrary. We listen to states, great and small. We build coalitions. We meet our responsibilities. We pay our bills."
Reuters contributed to this report
