Assessing the Obama Administration s Role in the Field of Multilateral Diplomacy and Nuclear Disarmament

Transcription

1 Assessing the Obama Administration s Role in the Field of Multilateral Diplomacy and Nuclear Disarmament NPSGlobal Miguel Marín Bosch February 2013 On October 9, 2009, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that it had awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons. The Committee added that President Obama has created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. One way to assess the results of President Obama s efforts in multilateral diplomacy and 1 / 8

2 nuclear disarmament is to study the votes cast by the United States in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and compare them to those of his predecessors. To put those votes into context, it might be useful to begin with a description of the evolution of the voting pattern in the UNGA. The data for this study is taken from the votes cast by UN Member States on the 4,437 General Assembly resolutions adopted by a recorded vote since 1946 (and through December 2012). The analytical tools the Coincidence Index and its median are described in the methodological note at the end of this text. The Assembly s sessions have been grouped as follows: 1946 to 1968 and then by U.S. presidential administrations. The degree of agreement within the UNGA increased steadily until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and then began to drop. Graph 1 shows that evolution in terms of the United States presidential administrations since It also includes the extent of coincidence among all UN Members on those resolutions regarding nuclear disarmament issues. Graph 1 Median of the Coincidence Index Among All UN Members on UN General Assembly Resolutions Adopted by a Recorded Vote 2 / 8

3 The Nations. representative countries Index degree the On 17.9 Whereas has States administrations reversed with disarmament Graph Median Resolutions nuclear United remained following the and with and 2of of first They during 6.1%, the agreement States other disarmament Obama resolutions median Adopted issues. items two rather focus members forum. Coincidence of respectively. Jimmy UN graphs Presidents of administration. constant, Members For of The the by Carter s what measured the regarding of comparative questions offer UNGA s graphs a its Coincidence Recorded has Index Ronald regional the a Index term picture occurred compare multilateral graphs between all agenda. it of The Reagan was with purposes the group office Vote same Index show 77.4%. all United in the 0 (Western UN the and items issues. United trend among votes a the UNGA, Members By growing Bill States George as median may cast This States Clinton s all well European From the be UN by disagreement was W. of observed international all the attitude Members Bush resolutions the first especially UN issues and had United administration to General The towards Others) 1968 with fallen was between trend States community s apparent relating regard period, to 671 Assembly UNGA the is was to its also Coincidence (or United those the and lowest to during temporarily for nuclear resolutions 67.1%). the given. United again most example, of nuclear level, other The 3 / 8

4 Graph Median Resolutions 3of the Adopted Coincidence by a Recorded Index of the Vote United Regarding States Nuclear on UN General Disarmament Assembly Items 4 / 8

5 It its not United Table is Republican unusual. obvious United 1States lists resolutions that the States Let predecessor. votes us an take incoming Votes during cast a closer on by the What 261 Democratic the United first look United has year Nations occurred the of States administration a agenda Democratic General during items 271 the those Assembly has administration: that first reversed UNGA registered Obama Resolutions sessions. the administration 1977, a trend change established and the 1976 thus by Total Recorded United Yes adopted States votes vote by a vote No Abstention In United increased Table Resolutions all Absent three States cases decreased (Ford/Carter, with 2 the Bush/Clinton, arrival of a Democratic and Bush/Obama) 1 administration. the negative Carter votes and Changes 2 the affirmative (per cent) Total votes in United resolutions and Carter States abstained Votes Total on fewer United by vote times Nations (Table General 2). Recorded Assembly cast Obama by the also Yes Changes are details the was measure United Table 2009 reflected those in in trends votes median for cast all UN by of 306 an the Members, incoming United States the Democratic Western Coincidence European 69 administration Index and with Others in 1977, UN group Members Median case high Median 3States of to and President the with in fact United the President that UNGA Bill States during Clinton reached Obama the Coincidence the last its reversal was lowest year very of Index was point President high modest since with (over George Members (+9%), 40%). W. That with of Bush President was the United due position in Jimmy large Nations and of Table Israel. Carter 2009 the 3Init Change IC of all UN members % % United Change United States CI with all UN % Members % % Change United States CI with WEO % Group % % Change United States CI with Israel % 815 same % Change States CI with the 841 United 7.00% Kingdom % % Let Obama s W. The adopted disappeared Southern items now Since distributed Social Nuclear Bush UNGA that now by ( ). first Africa were examine agenda a from recorded administration once the general has routinely agenda. greater vote. evolved and and Items voted Such detail South over compare that was on the time. Africa s once (such changes the This to accounted case policy the is economic that reflected of second of resolutions appeared apartheid for administration many issues dealing at of subjects and the particular. those UNGA the with of resolutions of UN s President Other during budget) situation 27.00% International Middle subjects (including mid-1990s as East/Palestine follows: of resolutions human the subjects rights) 19,3 29,6 adopted of UNGA without resolutions a vote. adopted by a recorded vote are agenda President have George Decolonization disarmament security and 16,7 15,3 non-nuclear disarmament are in Political 8,7 Resolutions international were Codification United Economic Nations of International Budget 5 During the questions, disarmament, put resolutions Southern security Africa Middle and non-nuclear East/Palestine, 21,9 1,5 0 Law Table Total UN to Resolutions adopted a 4 General summarizes vote. including UNGA s dealt adopted In and by the Assembly with a 17% adopted recorded four by human the issues with regular resolutions vote: adopted rights, by nuclear regarding vote 31, period, the sessions since 20, 19% UNGA 322 by disarmament. 12 the those subject resolutions with during and social Middle by international resolutions 20%, Subject the questions, East They by respectively. issues second a and recorded accounted security Palestine, nuclear Bush administration and vote. disarmament for and for 23% non-nuclear 85% 82% About 81% with of 27% of all the social ( ) those and resolutions 280 of those that UN Political Budget resolutions by a vote* Bush International Nuclear Economic Social Codification Disarmament of security International and non-nucleardisarmament Law * heading. Israel those disarmament, agenda Sum Decolonization Middle Southern larger East/Palestine Africa than total because some were 9 The Table provides a comparison of the median of United All 0 Median data Median and relating resolutions 5 items the IC and Table of to with social United United all political 5 less UN then issues Kingdom. members than States questions, appears with (including ten 882 Coincidence It all resolutions covers UN international Figures human members, all resolutions are 1 Index rights), through omitted. security the with and Western 6. adopted and Members the included States Middle non-nuclear European by under Coincidence a of East/Palestine. recorded the and more disarmament, United Others vote, than Index Nations one as Subjects Group, inwell nuclear % in as change of all WEO UN Group Members 281 Political Israel Median the 506 United Kingdom IC of all UN members all UN 100 Members WEO Group International Israel Median the 333 United Kingdom IC of security all UN members and 937 non-nuclear disarmament all UN 258 Members WEO 367 Group Nuclear Israel Median IC disarmament of all UN members the United Kingdom all WEO UN 481 Group Members Israel the United Kingdom Social Median questions IC of all UN including members human rights all WEO Israel the UN United Group Members United Decolonization Median IC of all UN members all WEO 35.0 UN Group Members Kingdom Israel the United United Middle Median East/Palestine IC of all UN members all WEO 13.0 UN United Group Members Kingdom Figure 0.1United United States CI with Israel the United Kingdom 5 / 8

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