U.S. Foreign Policy: A Year in Review

On December 1, 2004, President Bush declared his “determination to work as far as possible within the framework of international organizations,” and America’s preference “to act with allies at our side.” The president’s words suggested the upcoming year would see the U.S. reach out to the global community, offer support for international institutions and reclaim its role as a broker of solutions to pressing world issues.

Unfortunately, the incredible promise of the president’s speech was never realized in 2005, in part because of his administration’s policies and in part because of geo-political realities. Nevertheless, the year saw important changes in how individuals and countries viewed the interdependent world we live in, and the global problems that affect us.

Health and Environment

The struggle to tackle environmental problems was indicative of the delicate advancements made by the U.S. on issues of international concern. While the Bush Administration refused to engage our friends and allies on the topic of global climate change – first at the G8 Summit and then at the UN Climate Change Conference in Montreal – local leaders made historic progress.

In June, 50 mayors worldwide signed the Urban Environmental Accords and more than 175 U.S. mayors approved the Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement. The urban environmental movement had officially arrived. As this movement grows – a recent Fox News poll showed that 77 percent of Americans now acknowledge global warming – pressure mounts on the national government to take a comprehensive approach to environmental protection.

International Institutions

The past year also saw erratic progress for international institutions. The publication of Kofi Annan’s In Larger Freedom and the findings of the Gingrich-Mitchell taskforce represented a promising blueprint for revitalizing the United Nations. And yet, John Bolton’s recess appointment as UN Ambassador and the introduction of the Hyde UN Reform Act in Congress signified that various U.S. officials would rather weaken than modernize the world body.

These competing outlooks on the United Nations were manifested during the 2005 World Summit, where delegates came together around the idea of a Peacebuilding Commission, the responsibility to protect and UN management reform, but failed to reach consensus on Millennium Development Goals, a new Human Rights Council or a clear definition of terrorism. As 2006 approaches, the Bush Administration must decide how it will work cooperatively with the UN – as 54 percent of the U.S. public says it should.

International Law and Justice

The escalation of human rights crises throughout 2005 illustrated the need to advance the causes of law and justice worldwide. To be sure, there were advances in the field. The historic UN Security Council referral of Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the issuance of arrest warrants for the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony in Uganda and the Mexican Government’s decision to become the 100th country party to the ICC, all demonstrated growing commitments towards ending impunity for perpetrators of crimes against humanity.

Yet much remains to be done both at home and abroad. Violence continues in Darfur and the Bush Administration has yet to endorse the ICC. In 2006, America must reclaim its historic role as a leader of international law and justice.

U.S. Global Engagement

In a year that began with President Bush hailing a “new era in transatlantic unity,” the U.S.’s global engagement in 2005 was hardly unifying. The president’s promotion of development aid during the G8 Summit was undermined by the U.S.-led effort to remove references to the Millennium Development Goals from the UN Summit outcome document.

There was, however, a silver lining. The tremendous success of the ONE Campaign showed that “the best American tradition of helping others help themselves” can and will continue in the future.

Peace and Security

The continuing crisis in Darfur symbolized the regression in international peace and security throughout 2005. Without support from the global community, peace escaped the Sudanese province as African Union forces were unable to bring security or stability to
Darfur. And without the Bush Administration providing engagement that matched its rhetoric, atrocities continued throughout the region.

Darfur is, of course, not alone. If the global community is to fulfill the mantra “never again” in 2006, it must reassess how it approaches the concept of peace and security as a whole.

We are now five years into a new millennium and the world has made only marginal progress in solving the international problems that no nation can solve on its own. In 2005, individuals began to realize that global problems can affect them on a local, even personal level. Consequently, pressure has mounted on governments across the world to take action on international issues such as climate change, infectious disease and peace and security. Perhaps the legacy of the past year will be that while important accomplishments were achieved in the fields of international institutions, law, health and environment, more solutions are still needed.
 

Updated December 15, 2005