Conservatives Try to Block US From Rejoining UN Agency
Nathan C. Masters, CNSNews.com, July 10, 2003

Nearly 20 years after President Ronald Reagan withdrew U.S. membership from a key United Nations-sponsored agency - alleging too much anti-Americanism, mismanagement and corruption - conservatives are trying to stop the Bush administration from re-joining.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded in 1946 with the United States as a charter member. The group's general conference is planned for Paris in September.

UNESCO's original slogan reflected its optimistic attitude: "Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must first be constructed." UNESCO describes its mission as building those defenses of peace "by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science, culture and communication."

Ideological disputes over the Cold War and other matters, however, led to Reagan's decision in 1984 to pull U.S. membership from UNESCO. Last year, President George W. Bush announced his administration's intention to re-join the organization, citing the positive reforms that had taken place at UNESCO during America's 18-year absence.

"As a symbol of our commitment to human dignity, the United States will return to UNESCO," Bush announced before the United Nations General Assembly last Sept. 12. "This organization has been reformed, and America will participate fully in its mission to advance human rights and tolerance and learning."

Critics of UNESCO, who believe the agency maintains anti-Western attitudes, claim the president used the membership issue to curry favor with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and "one-world community" supporters of the U.N. in the United States.

"I think it is part of a compromise in his mind. When we had our rift with the United Nations over the Iraqi war, this was sort of a bone that the president wanted to throw to Kofi Annan to keep relations on a reasonably cordial level," said Peyton Knight, director of legislative affairs with the Washington, D.C.-based American Policy Center (APC).

The APC is leading the opposition to U.S. membership in UNESCO, claiming that the organization wants to dictate curricula for American schoolchildren, impose a global tax on Internet use and manage federal lands within the United States.

"[UNESCO] absolutely abhors the sovereignty of the United States," Knight said. "It doesn't recognize our sovereignty and looks to penetrate it with a number of different programs."

Another vocal opponent of UNESCO is U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas). Paul, who once ran for president as a Libertarian, is opposed to the United Nations in general. He also believes UNESCO is especially dangerous because of its potential to encroach on U.S. sovereignty.

"By rejoining UNESCO, we're going further down the road toward allowing our standards, our regulations and our laws to be determined somewhere else," said Jeff Deist, an aide to Paul. "We see it as an organization that wants to dictate or at least influence education in America."

Paul also believes U.S. membership in UNESCO is unconstitutional because it would "send U.S. legislative powers overseas."

UNESCO supporters, however, dismiss concerns about America possibly losing its national sovereignty as a result of belonging to the organization.

Steve Dimoff, vice president of the United Nations Association in Washington, pointed out that UNESCO, like other international bodies, has no legislative powers. It cannot levy taxes, pass binding legislation or even borrow funds, he stated. Rather, UNESCO can only make recommendations to member countries that would be voluntarily enforced.

Dimoff also believes Americans would benefit from U.S. membership in UNESCO.

"The U.S. government will be able to work within UNESCO to address certain cross-cutting issues," Dimoff said. He pointed to a current UNESCO program focusing on freshwater resources and drought as one in which Americans might benefit.

More importantly, Dimoff said, U.S. membership in UNESCO would add a "soft side" to the war on terrorism since the U.N. agency tries to correct many of the problems that lead to terrorism such as illiteracy, government corruption, poverty and environmental disruption.

But UNESCO opponents plan to move ahead with efforts to block U.S. re-entry. In January, Rep. Paul introduced a resolution opposing U.S. membership. If that fails, Paul plans to use the amendment process to try to de-fund membership in UNESCO.

"Since the war, there's been a little more antipathy towards the U.N. and more suspicion toward its supposed wisdom and neutrality," said Deist. "So I think our job is to capitalize on that and work hard this summer during the appropriations process to de-fund it."

Some opponents are not optimistic about blocking U.S. re-entry in UNESCO. One House GOP employee, who works for a member opposed to UNESCO and who did not want to be identified, said that as a matter of practical politics, the issue was dead. The last attempt to de-fund UNESCO, the staffer said, failed in the House by a vote of 225-193.

"Regardless of the legitimate criticisms of UNESCO's operations," the staffer added, "there appears to be a solid majority in Congress to support our rejoining of the organization in October. For critics, the activities of UNESCO will be a matter of continuing and aggressive oversight."