The State Department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs has just released a fact-sheet entitled U.S. Multilateral Engagement: Benefits to American Citizens. It opens with a bang:
“…the time has come for the world to move in a new direction. We must embrace a new era of engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and our work must begin now.” –President Barack Obama
The United States is deeply engaged with the United Nations and other international organizations to promote U.S. national interests, particularly through U.S. leadership at the United Nations as part of the Security Council and as a leading voice in support of human rights, economic development, security and global health. In addition, the United States derives many other far-reaching and positive benefits from U.S. engagement with international organizations.
Keeping up the momentum, State turns to the first of those benefits:
WEATHER FORECASTING
By facilitating free and unrestricted exchange of weather-and climate-related data, products, and services in real or near-real time among members, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) contributes to U.S. economic interests by protecting U.S. life and property from severe weather, particularly in the agriculture, aviation, shipping, energy, and defense sectors. Coordinating data also makes it possible for the National Weather Service to issue the ten-day weather forecasts that Americans use every day.
Um, OK, fine – that’s got us fired up and ready to go I guess. So, on to benefit #2:
INTERNATIONAL MAIL
Every year, post offices in the U.S. and around the world handle in excess of 400 billion letters and packages, under a legal and procedural framework overseen by the Universal Postal Union (UPU). The UPU sets guidelines for international mail exchanges and ensures that Americans can communicate by mail with friends, family, customers, and colleagues in all corners of the world. Without the UPU, the United States would need more than 200 bilateral postal agreements, likely resulting in considerably higher international postage rates for Americans. Postal services in the U.S. private sector generate an estimated $900 billion in revenue each year, employing approximately nine million people nationwide.
Thank God for international cooperation, eh? No UN, no cheap stamps. At this point, the fact sheet authors finally get their act in gear, and turn to nuclear non-proliferation. After that, they chunter through a reasonably respectable list of multilateral priorities (public health, peacekeeping, etc.). And just in case you’d forgotten that this administration never stop thinking about jobs, they sign off this way:
AMERICAN CITIZEN EMPLOYMENT
Thousands of Americans are hired by the UN and the entire array of UN agencies, bringing U.S. values and work ethic to the Secretariats of UN system agencies.
Every cent you put into the UN means more jobs for hard-working Americans!
What happened here? I have nothing against the WMO and UPU – their uses are obvious. But I don’t think that the President’s vision of engagement centers on better parcel post. Maybe this focus on the weather isn’t just an effort to make multilateral diplomacy have folksy charm. The WMO has a Russian president and Iranian vice-president… is it a back channel for talks on Iran’s nuclear plans?
