Context
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has threatened to veto the UN reform bill proposed by House Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. In a letter to the Chairwoman, Clinton said the” bill mandates actions that would severely limit the United States’ participation in the United Nations, damaging longstanding treaty commitments under the United Nations Charter and gravely harming U.S. national interests.”
The bill moves to limit US contributions to the United Nations by making them “voluntary”. It requires US to cut its donations to the UN by 50 % if the international body does not receive 80% of its funds from voluntary contributions. It would also enforce stricter auditing of US contributions to the UN. The bill if passed would pull the western power out of the U.N. Human Rights Council.
The reform bill also suggests repercussions for UN organizations which support the Palestinian state bid. It calls for the freezing of funds to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which works with Palestinian refugees.
