The UN is a club of governments.

NGO’s Report on Conflict Resources, Targeting Rebelos, Is Reviled by UN’s Doss

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 1 — The UN is a club of governments. Even the seemingly idealistic things it does, it does for reasons of state and sovereignty.

A UK-based NGO with 45 employees, Global Witness came to the UN in New York to lobby about conflict resources. Two of its campaigners met with the EU, and later the Press. They talked about the Congo, about Angola, all Africa all the time.

Inner City Press asked about Myanmar, about the military regimes use of resources to fund its war on the Burmese. Global Witness is looking at Burma, but only rebel groups export of timber across the border.

It seems obvious that to merely crack down on rebel groups is just what governments would want. What about Zimbabwe or North Korea? Asked this question by Inner City Press, Global Witness’ campaigner Amy Barry said another side of their work is anti-corruption.

But that doesn’t line up with squarely with human oppression. And Equatorial Guinea, which she cited, is not on the Security Council’s agenda.

Japan, she said, indicated it would need more evidence that in a UN Experts’ report to go after companies trafficking in conflict resources. The UK said it could not rely entirely on reports by the UN Group of Experts. But few countries can afford to do their own research. If the UN reports are not credible, according even to an ostensibly human rights sensitive P-5 member, why are they being funded?

While many in the UN open their ears to Global Witness, the head man in the Congo Alan Doss showed only anger, it was said. As Inner City Press has reported, to solve his nepotism scandal he has rolled the dice with the ex-CNDP. Doss has called Human Rights Watch short sighted. He was even more brusque with Global Witness. continue
http://www.innercitypress.com/un1gwconflict020110.html