Rubio Introduces United Nations Reform Bill

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, today introduced legislation to implement comprehensive and long-overdue reforms at the United Nations (UN) to ensure greater transparency and accountability. Rubio issued the following statement with the introduction of the legislation:

“The U.S. should not continue funding the lion’s share of the UN’s budget without, at a minimum, several key reforms to ensure greater accountability and transparency. Nearly 70 years ago, the United Nations was founded to maintain the peace after the end of World War II. While at some times throughout its history the UN has played an effective role in global affairs, today it is plagued by ineffective leadership, excessive bureaucracy, ethical abuses, misspending and transparency problems.

“With the many global challenges we face in the 21st century – including rogue regimes, failed states, terrorism, and blatant violations of human rights – the UN has to get with the times and change. By bringing greater accountability and budget transparency, the U.S. will be able to ensure that American taxpayer dollars going to the UN are actually advancing our national interest.”

Among the reforms the United Nations Transparency, Accountability, and Reform Act of 2013 would implement:

• Withholds a proportional amount of U.S. contributions to the UN system that would have been expended on activities related to the Goldstone Report, which accused Israel of deliberately attacking Palestinian civilians during Operation Cast Lead. It also withholds U.S. contributions to any UN activities related to the Durban Process that has veered from its original intent of fighting racism to become a forum for anti-Semitism. The bill would also deny U.S. funding to any UN entity that recognizes NGOs that condone anti-Semitism.
• Conditions U.S. funding to the UN agency which aids Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) on a State Department report that UNRWA has adopted and is implementing several counterterrorism reforms, including the adoption of updated counterrorism list to vet their personnel.
• Withholds U.S. contributions to any UN entity that grants full membership to the Palestinian Authority in the absence of a negotiated peace settlement with Israel.