by Samuel Redfern
The purpose of this report is to review recent activities of the United Nations, and to detail various efforts of the President and the United States Congress relative to the United Nations. To review HSLDA positions on United Nations issues, please visit our web site at www.HSLDA.org, or contact Sam Redfern.
I. UN MILLENNIUM SUMMIT
Some 150 heads-of-State or Government of the 189 member nations in the United Nations came together at UN headquarters in New York City from September 5-8. The Millennium Summit, addressed a host of issues under the official theme, “The United Nations in the 21st Century.”
UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, asked world leaders to commit to a number of goals, including, by the year 2015, to halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty, to reduce and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and to provide basic education for all boys and girls equally. He set out these goals and other initiatives in his Millennium Report, launched in April in preparation for the Summit, as part of an action plan to make globalization work for people everywhere.
In a letter from May 15, 2000 sent to all UN heads of State or Government, the Secretary-General informed world leaders that he would provide special facilities to enable them to add their signatures to any of the more than 500 treaties submitted to him. He drew special attention to a core group of 25 multilateral treaties, many of which HSLDA is monitoring, that reflect the main policy goals of the United Nations. Included were treaties dealing with the International Criminal Court, and the rights of women and children.
The Summit gathered on September 5 with world leaders speaking for about 5 minutes apiece. North Korea, in glorious manner, declared the USA a “rogue state” which was enlightening. Fidel Castro, was also given the podium, and President Clinton used his 8 minutes to push his pet issues, primarily the Middle East peace talks.
The Summit ended on September 8 and a Declaration was adopted. You can view this document at www.un.org/millennium/declaration/a55L2.htm. Highlighted below are sections of the declaration that may affect home schooling rights.
KEY SECTIONS OF DECLARATION FOR HSLDA INTERESTS:
Point 9 - International Court of Justice: To strengthen respect for the rule of law, in international as in national affairs and, in particular, to ensure compliance by UN Member States with the decisions of the International Court of Justice, in compliance with the Charter of the United Nations, in cases to which they are parties.
Point 19 - Education: To ensure that, by the same date (2015), children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling; and that girls and boys will have equal access to all levels of education.
Point 25 - CEADW: To combat all forms of violence against women and to implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
Point 26 - CRC: To encourage the ratification and full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols on the involvement of children in armed conflicts, and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
Point 30: - ICOJ: To strengthen the International Court of Justice, in order to ensure justice and the rule of law in international affairs.
II. UN PROTOCOL CHANGES:
The United Nations Protocol is an extension of an existing treaty. The UN Protocol is an instrument within a treaty that has to be signed and ratified. President Clinton has signed the following protocols in section C below but they have not been ratified by the United States Senate.
A. An Optional Protocol has recently been added to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, by which a committee of independent experts would receive complaints of discrimination from individuals. Ten ratifications of the Protocol are needed for it to come into force. As of 28 July 2000, 5 UN member States have ratified.
B. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which was adopted in July 1998, received several ratifications during a June session of its preparatory committee. It now has 98 signatories and 14 ratifications as of 28 July 2000. It is still short of the 60 needed for entry into force.
C. Two Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child were opened for signature in June 2000. The first, concerning children in armed conflict, has 8 signatories and 1 ratification, and the second, covering the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, has 6 signatories, both as of 28 July 2000.
III. TOP TEN UN BILLS IN U.S. CONGRESS 2000
- United Nations Rapid Deployment Police and Security Force Act of 2000 (Introduced in the House) H.R. 4453
- American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 1999 (Introduced in the House) H.R. 1146
- Expressing the commitment of the Congress to continue the leadership of the United States in the United Nations by honoring the financial obligations of the United States to the United... (Introduced in the House) H.R. 78
- United Nations Erroneous Debt Act of 1999 (Introduced in the House) H.R. 346
- Concerning the establishment of a permanent United Nations security force. (Introduced in the House) H. Con. Res. 346
- United Nations Reform Act of 1999 (Introduced in the Senate) S. 90
- Prohibition on United Nations Taxation Act of 1999 (Introduced in the House) H.R. 280
- To restrict intelligence sharing with the United Nations. (Introduced in the Senate) S. 91
- Preservation of the United States Military Chain of Command Act of 1999 (Introduced in the Senate) S. 1607
- American Service members’ Protection Act of 2000 (Introduced in the Senate) S. 2726 (Introduced in the House) H.R. 4654
Contact HSLDA for further information and bill status.
IV. PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDERS RELATED TO UN
President Clinton has issued 23 Executive Orders this year. There have been no Presidential Executive Orders in the year 2000 that affect US/UN policy. In January 1999, NCHE issued a Special Report on EO 13107, analyzing the order because of some citizens’ reported fears that it was an end-run attempt to “ratify” the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on Women. We concluded that, while this EO accelerates the implementation of various objectionable human rights treaties already ratified by the Senate, it does not apply to any treaty unless it has been ratified by the Senate. We will continue to monitor executive policy towards American Sovereignty.
V. UN LOBBYING FOR CITIZEN ACTIVISTS
An opportunity has opened for HSLDA members who have a special interest in UN Policy. Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute; a pro-family UN watchdog is offering to train citizens to help lobby UN delegates from a number of foreign countries. You may find yourself explaining your life and thoughts to the Ambassador from Uganda or Kenya or Russia.
What they need are witnesses to the truth. People who are brave enough to stand up to the radical agenda that threatens life, family and faith. Are you that person?
Just last spring they played host to more than 300 citizen lobbyists who, without experience, delivered a stinging defeat to the radical feminists at the Beijing+5 conference.
There are three major conferences next year, but the ten-year review of the Child Summit, where radicals attempted to separate children from their parents and from their Churches. This is an ideal chance for your child to learn very valuable lessons and to participate on the world stage! You are needed to stop them. [Keep in mind, we have many friends at the UN. There are dozens of delegates and bureaucrats who agree with us. Delegates and bureaucrats who are very grateful we are there. Help us help them.]
Meetings don’t start until January. If you are interested, send Sam Redfern (samuel@HSLDA.org) an e-mail saying so. Give me your name, telephone number, and address. We will send you an application within a few weeks.
You will cover all your own expenses.
You will be professionally trained and supervised and work with experienced pro-family lobbyists.
CLOSING
U.S. Sovereignty is an important issue to American home schoolers. In 1999HSLDA won a promise from Senator Trent Lott (R-MS) that the UN Conventions impacting women and children will not be voted on while he is Majority Leader. The same promise comes from Senator Jesse Helms, Chairman of the U.S. Foreign Relations Committee.
However increasing globalism will only increase pressure to ratify many of these treaties. Home schoolers must continue to vigilantly guard our freedoms.
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