THE President, Mrs Robinson, yesterday made a passionate plea "to save the United Nations as, we have it, with all its faults, from" the death of a thousand cuts"
Speaking to a distinguished audience at the Foreign Policy Association in New York last night, Mrs Robinson said there was "reason for alarm at present chat the multilateral approach to international issues, centred on the United Nations, is under serious threat".
Her address comes amid speculation in the international media about her succeeding UN Secretary General Dr Boutros Boutros Ghali if he does not seek a second term at the end of this year. But Mrs Robinson played down her credentials as an international affairs expert, describing herself as a modest witness who has a little time to think".
The future role of the UN was one of the themes of her address, entitled "Towards a Global Community", in which she also called for a new approach to Third World aid and held up EU style integration as a possible model for other areas of the world.
She also warned the richer countries and multinational companies against the dangers of alienating large numbers of workers through their economic policies.
But it was the UN's future that the President emphasised as she warned that it was facing not only a "financial crisis" but a deeper political crisis". Without naming them, she said there "appears to be an impatience, amounting to a loss of faith, on the part of some major countries" with the very idea of a multilateral approach to international issues cent red on the UN.
While it "may be tempting at times for major powers to turn away impatiently from the United Nations", it would be "a fundamental mistake to weaken the authority and legitimacy of the structure cent red on the United Nations" and revert to a 19th century concept of independent Great Powers, the President said.
Some observers will identify the United States as one of these "major powers because of the frequently strained relations between Washington and the UN secretary general. Among the audience last night was the US ambassador to the UN, Ms Madeleine Albright, who will be a key adviser to President Clinton when the time comes to decide on the future of Dr Boutros Ghali.
Mrs Robinson admitted also that the UN had its faults and weaknesses". It is "necessary to be critical in the good sense of regular assessment with a view to improvement". But this should not lead to "impatience" with the UN and the role which it should play in ensuring an international community of order and of law.
She said that in dealing with disputes between states, "the UN has its successes but for a variety of reasons the record is mixed to say the least. Sometimes the UN has failed sometimes it has been almost required to fail or at least not allowed to succeed".
For the supporters of Mrs Robinson as the next UN secretary general, her address will be seen as balanced and constructive. She shows legitimate concern for the UN's future and does not shy from indirectly criticising the approach of some of the major members, including the US, whose failure to pay its full "annual contributions has weakened the organisation.
The President can thus be seen as not afraid to speak out for the UN at the risk of offending some countries which will play a key role in the selection of the next secretary general.
Mrs Robinson discussed US and Irish economic co-operation to underpin the peace process in "a Northern Ireland with the US Secretary of Commerce, Mr Mickey Kantor, soon after her arrival in New York yesterday.
Mr Kantor, who met the President in her suite in Fitzpatrick's Hotel in midtown Manhattan, said later that it had been a "good meeting" and they had discussed the preparations for the Irish American economic and trade conference planned for Philadelphia in the autumn.
Mr Kant or has recently been appointed successor to Mr Ron Brown who was killed in an air crash in Croatia last April. He said he would carry on Mr Brown's legacy of deep involvement in the Irish peace process through economic development and job creation.
Asked about the problems surrounding the peace talks in Belfast and the refusal of the unionist parties to accept Mr George Mitchell, Mr Kantor said that "any process is going to have good days and difficult, days and it is going to be a question of inch by inch and step by step".
If it were easy, everyone could do it, but George Mitchell is one of the best we have and I'm sure he'll be of great help. President Clinton is deeply committed to the peace process," he said.