UN-U.S. relations 2007

"The present moment in UN-U.S. relations is revealing; both strains and strength are on display. Although controversies between Washington and Turtle Bay are often spotlighted to dramatic effect--notably Iraq and the oil for food scandal--the ubiquity of UN-U.S. cooperation in attaining common interests on a range of critically important international issues cannot be masked. Multilateral engagement is no longer a question of 'if' but 'how.' Following the National Committee on American Foreign Policy's (NCAFP's) August 2006 special report on U.S.-UN Relations, the purpose of this report is to examine UN-U.S. relations, especially the role that the United States plays in the UN, and probe its implications from the point of view of the UN. On May 7, 2007, the NCAFP hosted a one-day roundtable featuring two consecutive closed-door roundtables with academic, practitioners, and media specialists. It was followed by an early evening panel at which members discussed candidly how the United Nations reacts to and copes with U.S. power. Off-the-record sessions allowed for a free and frank exchange of ideas. The roundtable considered UN perspectives on the U.S. role in the organization with only tangential references to the broader question of the role of the UN in the U.S. strategic equation. The deliberations reflected a diversity of views: some points of widespread and substantive consensus and other areas in which significant discord remains. Respecting the reservations expressed by the latter, the report concludes with the NCAFP's recommendations for enhancing the U.S. presence in the UN in the spirit of the former."--Excerpted from foreword.