[First published February 2006] I have written much about the failure of the UN (see the list of posts on this in my archive — look under UN), and expected that thug-run UN Human Rights Commission to be in the news again with a predictable release of a report condemning American human rights practices at Guantanamo Bay. I also expect pigs to fly before the commission will release a similar report on the treatment of prisoners by Commission members China, Congo, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe. This report is another salvo in the ideological war against the U.S.
This one sidedness is typical of the UN and one of the reasons I call for an Alliance of Democracies to do what the UN will not. But then I wonder: How widely shared is my negative view of the UN? A partial answer is given by Gallup International that has carried out a poll on the image of the UN that it released in October of last year on UN Day. This involved over 50,000 interviews in over 65 countries.
First, awareness of the UN is widespread, 83% responding that they know of it, many more so that the 69 percent that know of the EU (European Union). Those in North America are least aware of the UN (74%), while those in Eastern and Central Europe most (92%). Among those aware of the UN, only 48% have a positive image of it, with the chart below showing the percentages by region.
Is this low percent of positive opinions due to a general tendency to view international organizations negatively? Not judging by the chart below, where several international organizations are viewed positively.
And the EU = the European Community,
the UNHCR = the UN Refugee Agency,
the WFP =the World Food Program, and
UNICEF = UN Children’s Fund (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund).
Gallup does not provide information on the percentage of negative opinions of the UN. It does say that in all regions the UN is viewed more positively then negatively, except in the Middle East where positive and negative opinions balance out at about a third positive and a third negative. Despite the awful biased treatment Israel receives from the UN, 39% of Israelis are positive to 33% negative. What this proves is the effective pro-UN propaganda of Israeli liberal-leftists. I should note that in North America, only 35% are favorable, while in the U.S. 23% are negative.
Clearly, the UN is not seen as positively as its supporters hope, while it is not viewed as negatively as I think its record deserves, such as exemplified by its Human Rights Commission and such ridiculous reports as the one on Guantanamo Bay just released.
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