by Rebekah Shaffer
Intern, Presbyterian United Nations Office

As this year's intern in the Presbyterian United Nations Office in New York City, I am often asked, "What do you do up there?" My usual response is to explain that our office has two components — education and advocacy. That is when I usually get interrupted. People think that is all well and good, but it does not address their question. They really want to know why the PC(USA) has an interest in the United Nations.

The work of the United Nations has resulted in huge improvements in global health and living standards. The World Health Organization (WHO), a United Nations agency, eradicated smallpox from the planet in 1980 after a 13-year effort. Agencies of United Nations have made safe drinking water available to 1.3 billion people in rural areas during the last decade. As a result of the efforts of UNICEF (the United Nations Fund for Children) and WHO, 80 percent of children in developing countries are immunized against the diseases of polio, tetanus, measles, whooping cough, diphtheria and tuberculosis. This saves the lives of more than three million children each year. This is up from 1974 when only five percent of children in developing countries were immunized.

The United Nations also works for gender equality and human rights. United Nations programs have raised the female literacy rate in developing countries from 36 percent in 1970 to 56 percent in 1990. In the 1960s, only ten percent of the world's families had access to effective methods of family planning; now 55 percent have access. Through an arms embargo and other measures, the United Nations played a major role in ending apartheid in South Africa.

Through the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has worked to make the Earth and cleaner and more habitable place. UNEP helped clean up Mediterranean beaches by encouraging adversaries such as Syria, Israel, Turkey and Greece to work together. Fifty percent of previously polluted beaches are now usable.

People sometimes say that the United States provides too much financial support to the United Nations. However, the United States gives less money per capita than any other member nation. The U.S. share of the United Nations regular budget for 1999 was $298 million. This is the equivalent of $1.11 per citizen. The tiny island of San Marino pays $4.26 per citizen.

Additionally, the United Nations creates more money for U.S. companies and cities than the amount the U.S. government pays to the United Nations. The United Nations contributes $3.2 billion a year to the economy of New York City alone. Of the goods and services purchased by the United Nations system in 1997, U.S. companies received $404 million. United States citizens hold more United Nations staff jobs than any other country.

Other critics argue that being a member of the United Nations takes away the ability of the United States to self-govern, forcing us to go along with international standards and policies with which we may not agree. The fact is that as the lone world superpower, the United States has more power and influence at the United Nations than any other nation. Additionally, as one of the five permanent member nations of the United Nations Security Council, the United States can veto resolutions with which it disagrees — a privilege that we are not afraid to use.

The United States was instrumental in the establishment of the United Nations, and it is no coincidence that the main headquarters are in New York. The founding charter of the United Nations expresses democratic principles that are foundational to the U.S. constitution and founding principles.

When we criticize the United Nations, it is important to ask, "Who, exactly are we criticizing?" We are not only speaking of foreign nations that are unfamiliar to us. We are also talking about ourselves, the United States of America. It is true — the United Nations is not a perfect system. Like all institutions and organizations, it has its flaws. However, it is the best vehicle to world peace that we have at this time. Reform of the United Nations is needed. If we are to participate in such reform, we need to be more aware of world politics and more involved in the work and workings of the United Nations.

As Christians, we are called to be advocates for those with out a voice. As citizens of the United States, we have a voice of privilege. Through the United Nations, we have the opportunity to use our voices to make life better for all of God's children in the world.