The appointment of John Ruggie as the UN’s first special representative on human rights and business troubled many in the US business and government communities. Critics fear a return to the ‘bad old days’ of an anti-corporate UN, seeking to shackle free enterprise at every move. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Ruggie’s appointment represents a continuation of the UN’s business-friendly agenda that Annan has been so keen to foster during his term. His job is to forge a consensus between human rights activists, corporations and governments over the social responsibilities of private firms, working in partnership with business, not against it. Admittedly, this will be no mean feat, given the apparent contempt Washington has for the UN and all it stands for. News just in as Briefing goes to press has the US ambassador to the UN John Bolton making no fewer than 750 amendments to the proposed UN commitments on aid to developing countries, combating global warming and nuclear disarmament, just three weeks into his post. In the 32-page US version, the US wants to eliminate all specific reference to the Millennium Development Goals, accepted by all countries in 2000, including the US. What chance human rights?
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