Even though the crisis in Iraq loomed ominously in the minds of his audience, Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations John Ruggie came to the Sanford Institute last night to talk about the United Nations, the United States and the future.
"Recent turbulence in U.S.-U.N. relations in fact tells us more about the U.S. than the UN," were the words Ruggie used to start off his presentation to the more than 100 students, faculty and administrators that had gathered for his speech. He went on to point out that the United States owes more money to the United Nations than any other country-a total of $1.31 billion. Congress, Ruggie said, is reluctant to pay this relatively trivial amount because they believe the United Nations is a bloated and inefficient agency.
"There is truth in that," Ruggie admitted, however, he went on to state that Secretary General Kofi Annan has produced more reform in a year than any of his predecessors combined.
Ruggie said the real reason for the United State's reluctance to pay its bills is a struggle between President Bill Clinton and Congress on the direction of foreign policy. Congress, by cutting key foreign affairs budgets, has followed an isolationist path, Ruggie said, while Clinton advocates a multi-lateral foreign policy.
In its policy-making efforts, Congress is misinterpreting the American people, Ruggie suggested. He referred to a study done at the University of Maryland where researchers found that many Americans are focused more on international affairs than their Congressmen believe. As an example, he stated that the American public was repulsed by genocide in Rwanda, yet the United States refused to send troops there.
Rather than taking either an isolationist or multi-lateral view, Ruggie said the public would instead favor a middle-of-the-road approach. While the public does not want the United States to act alone on the world stage, he said, it does want the United States to contribute its fair share in cooperative efforts.
The budget Clinton recently submitted to Congress includes payment of the U.N. debt. Partially because of this, Ruggie concluded by stating that he was optimistic about the future of U.S.-U.N. relations.
During a question-and-answer period following his speech, Ruggie was bombarded with questions about the crisis in Iraq. Although this subject was not the focus of his discussion, the topic remained hot well into the reception following the event.
In an interview after the speech, audience member David Gergan, who is professor of the practice for public policy and editor-at-large of U.S. News and World Report, echoed Ruggie's optimism. He said he thinks that Newt Gingrich is committed to improving the United State's role in the United Nations. However, Gergen added that Gingrich may encounter dissent from the lower ranks of Congress.
Ruggie was the Burgess professor of political science and International Affairs at Columbia University from 1991-1996. His speech was sponsored by the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, the Center for International Studies, the Department of Political Science and the Sanford Institute of Public Policy.
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