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Global Governance
Does the United Nations Have a Plan for You?
By the New Jersey Committee of Safety
How would you like to be ruled by the likes of the World Bank and the Council on Foreign Relations? No? Well how about those two plus the British Commonwealth, the MacArthur Foundation and the Earth Council? Hmm, that's more like it, right?
No matter what Americans may think (and we were never consulted) 28 United Nations commissioners associated with those organizations and others--including the Socialist Party of Catalonia and the Swedish government --have issued a call for "global governance", a system of worldwide rule under the aegis of the UN. (Our Global Neighborhood, Oxford University Press)
Warning! The term "global governance" might cause drowsiness. So unless you like blue berets, prop open those eyelids and read on.
The UN commissioners are pushing for global taxation, a UN standing army, UN control of the "global commons", a more powerful Secretary General, binding rulings of the International Court of Justice and an end to the United States' veto. And that's just for starters. They also seek a "Petitions Council", an "Economic Security Council", a Court of Criminal Justice and an exclusive parliamentary body of so-called "civil society". Their recommendations, they hope, will be endorsed by the forthcoming UN World Conference on Global Governance and ratified by the US Senate by the year 2000.
The UN's "Core Values"
Global governance, the commissioners believe, should be based on a set of "core values" consisting of "respect for life, liberty, justice and equity, mutual respect, caring and integrity." All nice sounding terms, but what do they mean?
"Respect for life" is the view that mankind, being no better than plant or animal life, is theoretically their equal. In practice, however, mankind must yield to the bog turtle, Torrey's mountain mint and other lifeforms as dictated by the UN.
"Liberty" is akin to feudal bondage. "The impulse to possess turf is a powerful one for all species; yet it is one that people must overcome," the commissioners declare. Liberty therefore frees the UN to control the land while "global rules of custom constrain the freedom of sovereign states [and individuals]."
"Justice and equity" signify the planned transfer of wealth and technology from the industrialized nations to the Third World.
"Mutual respect" is compulsory multiculturalism directed particularly at those bold enough to assert their "particular identities…against globalization and homogenization…Their common stamp is intolerance [which the UN will not tolerate]."
"Caring" is the method by which justice and equity will be achieved, i.e. by "policies and mechanisms…to help those less privileged or needing care and support."
"Integrity" means "without corruption"; as the UN applies its core values throughout the world "integrity" will be the watchword.
UN "Global Ethic" and "Rights"
Core values, the commissioners believe, will lead to a new "global ethic" and new "rights" -- the right to a secure life, a fair living, and equal access to the global commons. Again, noble phrases, but what do they mean?
"A secure life" is not just the absence of war, but protection from "harmful disruptions" such as hunger and repression as well. Therefore, the UN must, for the first time, extend its power to individuals, for "the security of people must be regarded as a goal as important as the security of states." A secure life also includes a secure planet. Accordingly, the UN must rein in human activity whenever it "imping[es] on the planet's basic life support systems." In that spirit the commissioners endorse the "precautionary principle" which would stop any human activity believed to cause environmental harm, whether scientifically valid or not.
The right to a "fair living" is tied to justice, equity and caring. The new paradigm, "global governance", is necessary, the commissioners assert, to equalize "extreme disparities of income."
"Equal access to the 'global commons'" -- defined as "the atmosphere, outer space, the oceans, and the life support systems that contribute to the support of human life"-- would be contingent on the UN's permission and payment of user fees, taxes and royalties to the UN. Conversely, the UN would have free access to "life support systems" such as land whether publicly or privately held.
The Strengthened UN
From the commissioners viewpoint the Security Council should be expanded from 15 to 23 members, and the veto power of the permanent members (the US, UK, Russia, France and China) phased out. They also call for the creation of a highly trained, well equipped UN standing army. As a precautionary measure "the production and trade in arms should be controlled by the international community [the UN]."
A reorganized Trusteeship Council consisting of UN officials and "qualified members from civil society" would manage the global commons. "Civil society" in UN parlance consists of NGOs (nongovernment organizations), such as the Nature Conservancy, that have been accredited by the UN. (Only NGOs that advance the UN's agenda have been accredited.) Thus a handful of UN-approved environmentalists, for example, would sit on the council that virtually rules the galaxy (the global commons).
An Economic Security Council, an "Apex Body", is seen as necessary to provide "leadership in economic, social and environmental fields", to assess the world economy and to prepare a long term plan that would harmonize the policies of the World Bank, IMF, World Trade Organization and other institutions. Businesses that use the airwaves would be subject to the ESC. In fact, according to the commissioners, "the highest priority should be given to…overseeing the 'global information society' through a common regulatory approach." They urge the WTO to give preferential treatment to poor countries in license allocation and to write regulations to counter the influence of "national monopolies". Also the ESC would manage Third World debt to "wipe much of the slate clean." Further, it would facilitate the transfer of technology to developing countries, and establish immigration policies because governments use "highly bureaucratic regulations to control cross-border labour migration."
The commissioners also envision the creation of an "Assembly of the People" and a "Forum of Civil Society" for purposes not entirely clear. The Forum would be comprised of qualified representatives of accredited NGOs. The Assembly would be dominated by Third World representatives perhaps willing to apply the UN's core values of "justice, equity and caring" to the industrialized world.
To further empower the NGOs the commissioners recommend that "a new 'Right of Petition' [be made] available to international civil society [only]." A Council of Petitions of 5 to 7 persons appointed by the Secretary General and "independent of governments" would hold "in trust the 'security of the people' and make recommendations to the Secretary General, the Security Council and the General Assembly." Unaccountable local NGOs (such as the Pinelands Preservation Alliance in New Jersey) would bypass all elected officials and submit petitions directly to the Council for screening and forwarding to the "Apex Bodies" for action. (NGOs have already successfully used the petition tactic. In 1995 the Greater Yellowstone Coalition appealed to the UN just as a mining project two miles from Yellowstone was about to be approved. Based on UNESCO's ruling the Clinton Administration halted the approval process, thereby killing the project.)
Because "the very essence of global governance is the capacity of the international community to ensure compliance with the rules of society" another enforcement mechanism besides the UN standing army must be put in place. Accordingly, the UN International Law Commission (ILC) and the super-NGO, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, are drafting international law. The commissioners anticipate that treaties will bind all nations to "accept compulsory jurisdiction of the World Court." The ILC has already prepared the foundation for a new International Criminal Court which "should have an independent prosecutor or panel of prosecutors…[who] would, of course…not seek or receive instructions from any government or other source."
The UN will need a lot more money, if global governance is to be realized. The commissioners suggest a $2 per barrel tax on oil (rising to $10) and a carbon tax or permits that "would yield very large revenues indeed." For use of the global commons they recommend surcharges on airline travel and marine transport, and fees for ocean fishing, satellites and the use of the electromagnetic spectrum. Finally they endorse the "increasingly relevant concept of global taxation."
"Political Pressure"
The commissioners warn that "populist action has the potential to strike down carefully crafted products of international deliberation." UN-accredited NGOs "expand democracy", they believe, but outsiders -- the individuals the UN has deliberately excluded from "civil society" -- could attempt to exert "political pressure" and thereby disrupt the plan for global governance.
The New Jersey Committee of Safety was co-founded by the Association Seeking to Preserve Individual Rights for Everyone (ASPIRE) and the New Jersey Militia. Membership is open to individuals and groups that actively defend the New Jersey and United States Constitutions. The Committee can be reached c/o 324 Atsion Rd., Shamong, NJ 08088; 609/654-8326. The Committee's web site is
