Memorandum September 8, 2000 To: Rabbis, Synagogue Leadership From: Richard B. Stone, Chairman RE: Sudan’s possible ascension to the Security Council at the United Nations Urgent Action Needed The United Nations is considering giving the government of Sudan a seat on the UN Security Council for a two-year term. If this goes forward, Sudan will fill one of ten non-permanent seats on the Security Council for a two-year term. Each year, five countries are rotated off the Security Council and five new countries are added. The selection process is done by rotating regions. Every year a different region officially selects five countries from the region to sit on the Security Council. The countries are then voted on by the entire General Assembly, with each country having one vote. The selection of countries to fill the non-permanent seats on the Security Council is solely a decision of the General Assembly. The U.S. as a permanent member of the Security Council does not have a veto over a decision of the General Assembly. The Secretary General of the UN does not have a veto over the decision of the General Assembly either. Allowing the government of Sudan a seat on the Security Council is unacceptable. It calls into question the integrity of the UN, particularly on the heels of Khartoum’s recent campaign of bombings in Southern Sudan of innocent civilians, churches, and relief agencies such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and the World Food Programme. It would also be evidence of gross indifference and hypocrisy by those nations which accede to Khartoum’s ambition at the same time the Sudanese government continues to condone and participate in slavery, harbor internationally recognized terrorists, and work as a destabilizing force in the region through its sponsorship of terrorism and of guerrilla groups working to overthrow and destabilize neighboring countries. The government of Sudan must not be rewarded with a seat on the Security Council. It is important to let members of Congress and the Secretary General of the UN know of your concern about this information. We urge all OU members and synagogue leaders to immediately write to your members of the House of Representatives, your Senators, and to Secretary General Kofi Anan of the United Nations at the addresses below. Urge them to protest the possible granting of a seat on the Security Council to Sudan. Representative _________________ Senator _________________ Hon. Kofi Anan Letters should also go out to representatives of the European Union countries, listed below: European Union Ambassadors to the UN H.E. A.P. Van Walsun H.E. Mr. Hubert Wurth H.E. Mr. Richard Ryan H.E. Sir Jeremy Greenstock H.E. Mr. Gerhard Pfanzelter H.E. Mr. Sergio Vento H.E. Mr. Andre Adam H.E. Mr. Inocencio Arias H.E. Mr. Pierre Schori H.E. Mr. Joergen Boejer H.E. Mr. Antonio Monteiro H.E. Mr. Jean David Levitte H.E. Miss Marjatta Rasi H.E. Dr. Dieter Kastrup H.E. Mr. Elias Gounaris
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