The silent hand of the UNO

Derided as a "League of Nations" by the Bush regime, the majority of this Organizations actions pass unknown.
The UN Security Council was disrespected by an arrogant Bush regime which used the expression "League of nations" to heighten the insult, alluding to the impotence of the body which failed to avert war during the last century, as complaints were made about the UNO's lack of action and resolve.

However, the vast majority of this organization's activities go unnoticed and unreported.

That the United Nations Organization is taken for granted, there is no doubt. Its food aid programmes have saved millions from starvation, its educational programmes have led to full and rewarding lives for millions of children living in endemic poverty, its cultural programmes have brought peoples together, increasing understanding and averting war and its crisis management policy has solved issues far more complex than Iraq without a single civilian casualty.

A good example of how the ONU works quietly and efficiently behind the scenes is its own campaign against terror. There are no military invasions, no missile salvoes, no dropping of cluster bombs in civilian areas. The UN has appointed six men and two women to constitute its Panel to Monitor Sanctions against terrorist organizations, set up in January by the Security Council.

The Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring team will be based in New York, with a mandate for 18 months and will report regularly to the UNSC on how sanctions are being implemented against the Taleban and Al Qaeda.

The Panel will coordinate counter-terrorism legislation, financial operations, will audit charities, international transactions and step up measures against drug trafficking and arms smuggling.

The members are Stanislav Frolov (Russian Federation), Richard Barrett (United Kingdom), Wilson Kalumba (Zambia), Christine Lee (Singapore), Ashraf Mohsen (Egypt), Lynne Walker (Australia), Franck Kasbarian (France) and Gary Peters (USA).