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Sean Patrick Murphy
Peace Platform
offered
by:
The Coalition for a Strong United Nations May 16, 2003
V. GOVERNANCE
The vitality of democracy, both in
the United States and around the world, is a prerequisite to democratic
functioning of the UN system and the creation of a genuine community among
nations. At home, many Americans yearn to see their elected
officials transcend partisan rivalry and deliberate on issues in an
atmosphere of civility and respect. We want greater transparency,
inclusiveness, and responsiveness in government, but we also value leaders
who will make decisions of conscience rather than being swayed by
political expediency. Abroad, many nations have a long road to
travel toward democracy, and we must respect their right to
self-determination and not create situations that play into the hands of
leaders who do not respect human rights and the international rule of law.
Domestically, the U.S. should:
1. Pursue election reform that minimizes the degree to which office holders are beholden to large donors and to special interests.
2. Initiate reforms to make the Congress more democratic in functioning. Members of Congress should not have disproportionate power by virtue of seniority, nor should any member have the power to prevent an issue from seeing open floor debate and voting.
3. Include all legal candidates in all public debates and forums.
4. Establish a special
independent commission to review the inter-relationships of the
electronic, print, and TV media, to analyze how information is
disseminated
to the public and to make recommendations as to how the American public
can have greater access to world media sources.
In the realm of foreign policy, the U. S. should:
5. Ratify the International Criminal Court.
6. Pay its dues to the UN in a timely fashion.
7. Strengthen the ability of the international community to assist countries to foster democratic cultures and create functioning democracies. Lead in building the UN’s capacity to deal effectively with extreme violations of human rights.
9. Commit to the principle that in cases of human rights violations, actions should be taken through the UN.
10. Pursue reforms to make
decision-making in the UN system more inclusive, both for states and for
the world’s peoples. Support Resolution 1325 which requires that
women be involved in all peace making activities. Broadening
the membership of the Security Council, phasing out the use of the veto,
and
establishing a people’s assembly are among the proposals that should be
considered.
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