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As the number two person in the United Nations, Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette is in charge of the UN's day to day operations. Fréchette is the highest-ranking woman in UN history, and as such she is also one of the most powerful women in the world. Host David Brancaccio interviewed Fréchette in her private conference room on the top floor of the UN tower.
Fréchette: The end of the Cold War opened a whole new chapter for the UN, where suddenly we were expected to intervene in internal conflicts, civil wars, trying to stop fighting—which is a new concept—rather than simply being deployed to observe a cease-fire that had already been agreed. We've also been asked to rebuild countries, to reform institutions—these are really new missions for the UN.
Brancaccio: It's a particularly uncomfortable area for the United Nations, intervening in what might be regarded as an internal dispute, once you're inside a country's border—as opposed to a dispute among countries. Is the UN making progress in dealing with that issue?
Fréchette: I think the concern for sovereignty is still very strong among many of the member states, but they're more ready on a case-by-case basis ... to see some action taking place. When we look back in the history of the last ten years, in fact, the biggest black mark on the organization is not an issue of intervention, but is an issue of nonintervention.
Brancaccio: Are you thinking Rwanda?
Fréchette: That's exactly what I'm thinking about. And there the whole membership is unanimous that the UN should have intervened, and that suggests that there is at least a minimum of consensus and agreement on the fact that you cannot let that kind of situation develop under your eyes and do nothing.
Brancaccio: Does the UN, given that experience, have some work to do in trying to redefine its role?
Fréchette: The secretary-general already last September told the membership that he was very worried about the obvious divisions within the membership on such issues of fundamental importance. It is his opinion that it is vitally important that the member states tackle their differences. Sit down and thrash out what is the proper role of the Security Council when it comes to the use of force. Is the UN equipped to deal with the new threats that are international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their possible use by what we call nonstate actors? That's why he's created this panel of imminent persons, with a request that they look at all these issues and come back with recommendations on how to strengthen the UN.
Brancaccio: Do you think the United States is serious, as a major player within the UN system, about embracing change?
Fréchette: Well, I think that the US has indicated several times that it wanted the UN to be better equipped to deal with the problems that it sees as the most important on the its agenda.
Brancaccio: Why should the UN continue to exist at a time when the United States seems ready, if there's something bad that happens in the world, to act unilaterally?
Fréchette: Well there are some things that the United States can do unilaterally. The UN doesn't have an army. On the other hand, there are a lot of other problems that cannot be solved by military force or indeed by economic strength. There are many problems on this earth that can only be solved if everybody cooperates, whether it's the traffic of drugs, or the transfer of air pollutants, or the fight against HIV/AIDS. So there are very good reasons for the existence of multilateral institutions—that's why they were created.
Brancaccio: Help me understand this. I don't know what I should call it—I guess it's a brewing scandal of the UN's food-for-oil program in Iraq. This doesn't look good, as I'm seeing the stories come out.
Fréchette: This program was designed to bring in food, medicine, and other goods into Iraq for the benefit of the Iraqi people. This was a program that was designed in great detail under the authority of the Security Council that was implemented in accordance with the rules that had been set. Now, there have been some very serious allegations of wrongdoing, of bribery ... and these are allegations that we take very seriously. That's why we have announced that we will set up an independent inquiry to look into all these allegations.
Brancaccio: Maybe the demands placed on the United Nations are just unreasonable?
Fréchette: I can't remember who said it. But someone said the UN wasn't created to bring paradise on earth, but to avoid hell on earth. I guess that's how we would want to be judged. And if you look at it this way, I think you have to conclude that having the UN has been a positive element in our recent history. The UN itself, without the member states, is a very weak organization. What makes the difference is if you have a real buy-in—if you'll excuse this colloquial expression—from 191 countries. If 191 countries come together and decide that they want to go in a direction, then it will make a difference.
Related Web Links
Biography of Louise Fréchette, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
http://www.un.org/aboutun/DSG/dsgbio.htm
The United Nations Senior Management Group
http://www.un.org/News/ossg/sg/pages/seniorstaff.html