This is Phoebe Zimmermann with the VOA Special EnglishDevelopment Report.
United Nations Secretary GeneralKofi Annan has nominated Ann Veneman to head UNICEF, the U.N.children’s agency. Miz Veneman is leaving office as United Statesagriculture secretary. UNICEF directors must confirm her to replaceCarol Bellamy as executive director. Miz Bellamy leaves in Aprilafter two five-year terms.
An American has always led the agency. The United States is thebiggest financial supporter of UNICEF. But the Bush administrationand the U.N. disagree about policies on reproductive health and sexeducation.
Last week, at a news conference, reporters asked Ann Venemanabout her position on these issues. She said she does not believethat these or any other “social issues,” as she called them, arepart of the job of UNICEF. She said her main concerns will be tohelp children especially in the areas of education and health, andto deal with hunger issues.
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund wascreated in nineteen forty-six to help children survive after WorldWar Two. Today, it leads human rights campaigns, educationalprograms and other efforts around the world.
Ann Veneman is a lawyer who grew up on a farm. She is an experton agriculture, international marketing and food aid. She resignedas agriculture secretary to President Bush after his re-election.
Miz Veneman said she would try to help the U.N. work toward itsMillennium Development Goals. Five years ago, U.N. members agreed tomake an effort to reduce the number of hungry and extremely poor inthe world by half. The goal is to do this by two thousand fifteen.Other goals are to stop the spread of AIDS and malaria, and toprovide education to all children.
But a new U.N. report says the Millennium Development Goals willnot be reached without more money. More than two hundred expertsprepared the report. They urge rich nations to increase theirdevelopment aid by one hundred percent over the next ten years.
The plan calls on twenty-two countries to give almost fiftythousand million dollars more for next year than currently promised.The United States would be asked to give about forty percent of thatadditional aid.
World leaders will discuss the report at the U.N. GeneralAssembly meeting in September.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by JillMoss. I’m Phoebe Zimmermann.