Today, PSA and the UN Foundation released a bipartisan statement signed by more than three dozen former high-level foreign policy officials encouraging the incoming Obama Administration to fully engage with the United Nations.  The signatories include four former Cabinet Secretaries, eight former Senators, four former UN Ambassadors, three former National Security Advisors and two former Governors, who all believe the U.S.-UN relationship needs to be revitalized.

The statement makes an important case for action on key issues of strategic importance to the UN and the U.S.  You can read about the nine specific recommendations for the Obama Administration here.  However, I want to draw attention to two things that the statement does not do.

First, it does not deliver faint praise for the United Nations as an institution.  There are flaws that will always be inherent in a multilateral mechanism that brings all the countries in the world together under one roof.  Any U.S. engagement with the UN must include strong leadership on reform efforts.  To paper over these flaws with blind admiration prevents us from understanding the limitations and possibilities of the UN.

However, this statement also does not condemn the institution for those flaws.  Too often, the unwieldy structure and contradictory actions of the UN make easy targets for those who would like to turn their backs on multilateral processes.  But to focus only on the negative aspects of the UN backs the U.S. into a corner where nothing can be accomplished without first smoothing ruffled feathers.

If there is one thing that this bipartisan statement pinpoints, it is that the U.S. cannot let our rhetoric get in the way of our ability to effectively utilize the opportunities and tools provided by the UN for achieving our foreign policy and international security goals.

There is a clear symbiotic relationship between the U.S. and the UN.  Neither party is particularly comfortable with it, but it cannot be denied that we need each other.  Even the Bush Administration realized that on countless issues, not the least of which was the invasion of Iraq, it had little choice but to attempt to work within the UN to gain support for its positions.

Over the next few years, this is going to become even clearer.

Our best hope for achieving real progress on climate change is to become a leader at the UN conference in Copenhagen.

It is generally recognized that the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty has helped stem the spread of nuclear weapons in the world.  The NPT RevCon in 2010 will be a critical opportunity to maintain the multilateral norms that have served us so well.

On these and many other key U.S. priorities, ranging from counterterrorism to development to food aid, the UN will play a key role in our efforts.

As we enter the age of Obama, we should all approach the U.S.-UN relationship with eyes wide open, not expecting that the change in Administration is going to make the difficulties of working together disappear.  The U.S.-UN relationship will always be difficult.  But it does not have to be marked by anger and mistrust.  Both sides need to make a fresh start.  It is not merely the U.S. needing to acknowledge the importance of the UN, but the UN also must respect the unique interests of the U.S.  It is popular to blame the U.S. for the strained relationship.  It is also counterproductive to do so.

Today, we have released a statement elaborating on steps the U.S. can take to heal the relationship.  It is our hope that the UN is considering its own actions as well.  Our challenges are too great to take on alone.