UN scales down ambitious overhaul plans for summit

Ready or not here they come - some 150 world leaders are set to approve a somewhat emasculated UN document at today's summit on global security, human rights, extreme poverty, and UN management.

Last-ditch crisis talks continued through the night with ambitious goals falling by the wayside in an effort to complete the draft by yesterday as heads of state and government arrived for the three-day summit that starts today.

Developing nations wanted better trade deals and more aid, while the United States and Europe faced watered-down human rights and UN management reform proposals.

Nicola Reindorp, an official of the aid organisation Oxfam International, said advocacy groups were disappointed by what would be the final proposals.

"UN ambassadors have been up all night negotiating just to stand still on previous commitments," she said.

The United States is pressing hard for an overhaul of UN management structures that would move control of the UN secretariat away from the General Assembly.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and his successors would have more power to set priorities on spending and on mandates, but be subject to oversight and auditors, following a yearlong investigation of mismanagement and corruption in the oil-for-food programme for Iraq.

"We are continuing to press hard for effective UN management reforms," US Ambassador John Bolton said during the overnight talks. "We know the outcome document will only be a first step. But the first step is important."

The other main issues are counterterrorism; a new Peacebuilding Commission to help nations emerging from conflict; a new Human Rights Council to replace the discredited 53-nation Human Rights Commission; non-proliferation and disarmament; foreign aid, trade and economic development; and the responsibility for governments to protect civilians facing genocide and ethnic cleansing.

On terrorism, the text drops language that would have described as "unjustified" deliberate killings of civilians. It also deletes Arab proposals that would refer to the right to resist foreign occupation.

But no sooner was the compromise distributed by British Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry than Palestinian envoys said it was unacceptable and a number of Islamic nations sided with them.

"The document deletes the whole paragraph on the distinction between terrorism and the right of people to resist foreign occupation," said Somaia Barghouti, the Palestinian representative. "They can't do that."

Separately, US President George W. Bush and other world leaders with seats on the 15-member UN Security Council will adopt a British-drafted resolution on ways to curb extremists inciting terrorism.

Mr Annan's push to enlarge the Security Council, the most powerful UN body, so far has failed as nations spent months battling each other for seats.

On human rights, the document will call for creating a new Human Rights Council. But Russia, China and some developing nations insisted on leaving out details on how it would work and referring the issue to the General Assembly.

Negotiators reported progress on economic development with Bolton having compromised on his initial insistence the document not include the phrase Millennium Development Goals. These include targets to cut extreme poverty and child mortality in half and reverse the spread of AIDS, all by 2015.

But talks stalled on trade, with developing nations insisting on a reference to reduce farm export subsidies and other trade barriers, as stated in principle in a 2004 World Trade Organisation agreement. The United States argued against detailed references to the accord.

World leaders will only spend part of the time on pressing UN reforms. One purpose of any summit is meeting each other and spending hours discussing such issues as Iran's nuclear policy.

Some 4,000 New York police and counterterrorism teams were preparing for the summit by closing streets, setting up no-fly zones over the city, searching vehicles around the UN complex and adding extra security on underground trains.

Factbox

The largest gathering of world leaders in history begins today with last-ditch negotiations on the following key issues. The United Nations summit is to map out new approaches to poverty, global security and human rights in the 21st century.

¤ Development: The draft document sets timetables to halve poverty for the poorest of the poor, provide elementary education to all, cut maternal deaths and halve the spread of AIDS by 2015, among others. Developing nations also want language on reduction of trade barriers, which the United States opposes. The document backs move to increase aid.

¤ Human rights council: Western nations want to replace the Human Rights Commission with a smaller group of nations that would review human rights matters year-round. The new members would be elected by the 191-member General Assembly rather than regional groups. The final draft will call for the creation of the council but postpone decisions on how it will work.

¤ UN management reform: Western nations, including the United States, want to give the UN secretary-general more power to manage, expand monitoring bodies and hire more independent auditors. Some developing nations fear they will lose control in General Assembly, which manages, budgets and rules on UN posts. External supervision will probably be approved but other measures left for later.

¤ Terrorism: The draft had said attacks on civilians and noncombatants "cannot be justified." Islamic nations wanted to include the right to resist foreign occupation. The document will probably delete both provisions for a general statement on terrorism.

¤ Non-proliferation: The draft says proliferation and risk that terrorists might obtain unconventional weapons are the greatest threats to peace. Washington and others want to remove references to nuclear disarmament for big powers.

¤ Peace-building commission: This is aimed at helping nations emerging from conflict and will be established. The United States wants the Security Council to have control over the commission, while developing countries want the commission to report to the General Assembly, where they have a majority.

¤ Responsibility to protect: The new concept, promoted by Canada, other Western nations and human rights groups, calls for various kinds of intervention in case of genocide and ethnic cleansing. India has some objections to the title of the concept.