Wenyi Lai, 11/12/00
Class: International Organization and Their Management
Professor: Ambassador Kamal
Title: Why we Should Built up a Relation with the United Nations.
Introduction:
Here is a note which relates with the relation between our corporation and the United Nations.
The reasons why we should build up a relation with the United Nations will be provided in this
notes.
Reasons to cooperate with the UN
As you know, globalization and liberalization are the primary trends in the modern world. Our
products need international markets to gain profit. Now some problems such as trade barriers,
environmental protection issues, labor organization deferred our profit-seeking activities. We
need the UN to help mobilize public support and legitimacy to defend us against our most
critical opponents.
Here, four reasons that we should cooperate with the United Nations were provided:
1. The UN system can help us to minimize regulation, taxation, trade barriers, labor codes
and other initiatives that could impair our globalizing business plans.
2. Cooperating with the UN will promote our corporation・s public image. Bad public
images will harm sales and cause public pressure for government regulation, fines or
legal indemnities.
3. Cooperating with the UN will directly promote our own products in many international
occasions. It is the best chance to receive very positive publicity for our products.
4. And also, the UN system can counterbalance the influence of NGOs, which is an
increasingly dangerous source of criticism to us.
Although these reasons are convincing, we also need to be cautious of the UN・s incentive.
Analysis of the UN・s requirements and potential reaction to us was offered in the next paragraph.
What does the UN want from us and how do we deal with it?
1. After the Cold War, the UN faced the financial crisis. Kofi Annan assumed the post of
Secretary General in January 1997. Annan had spent the majority of his careers in the UN
administrative and financial department. He is keenly aware of the organization financial
crisis and he wants to resolve it. For us, supporting the UN financially is the transaction
to broaden our business territory. It will be worthwhile.
2. The UN is desperately trying to gain more leverage in a world where it is relatively weak.
The UN will try to be a forum for us and anti-transnational organizations to negotiate.
But, the UN・s ultimate goals are the same. The anti-transnational campaign will go on
and the UN will require us more concessions on environmental protection issues etc. And
that・s why we should manipulate the financial leverage to influence the UN・s role in
those harmful activities to us.
Conclusion
On September 19, 1997, media billionaire Ted Turner, announced that he was making a $1
billion contribution to the UN in ten years. It was the largest charitable donation in history.
We should change our hostile attitude to the UN. What we should do is to change the public
image of us and to disseminate the right conception of free trade which will contribute to all
human being・s welfare. To Cooperate with the UN will open up new opportunities for dialogue,
cooperation, and also, our profits.