[The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty is] a clear indication of how the mythology of treaty development can impede our ability to protect ourselves in the world.

One would think we’d all be happy with this continued reduction in strategic nuclear forces. But for those of us that are real international lawyers, only thousand page treaties that force us to do things we don’t want to do constitute [legitimate international law].

Some of the things we’ve been discussing in the United Nations… We’re engaged in a really significant struggle over whether we’re going to achieve significant reforms in the way the UN as a whole is governed, operated, and managed… An organization that is deeply troubled by bad management, extensive corruption, [and an] inability to carry out the missions that are given to it. Oil for Food… This kind of corruption and mismanagement don’t spring up overnight… the problems in the Oil for Food program arose from the culture of the United Nations itself. This culture is now being examined in other [fora] as well. There are investigations in New York of broader problems with UN procurement… That’s probably just the tip of the iceberg because of the way business was done at the UN for many years. Just a few months ago, the UN implemented a gift limitation for its employees to $250 per person per year. That replaced the old policy of $10,000 per person per year.

Sexual exploitation by UN Peacekeepers… a problem pervasive in UN Peacekeeping operations for [many years]. For most of that period of time there has been a wall of silence with respect to the peacekeeping operations. [This is a] stain on the United Nations’ reputation. We find that the opponents of significant reform have chosen not to debate the issues of… fraud and sexual exploitation… but have begun to make the argument that the United States and other permanent members of the Security Council are encroaching on the authority of the General Assembly. This is an interesting argument, since without the creation of peacekeeping missions and troops by the Security Council, there wouldn’t be procurement fraud or sexual exploitation [to begin with]. You would think that we might spend our time cooperating on how to resolve these problems, but that’s an unrealistic view of the United Nations. Instead we argue over who has responsibility to handle these problems.

The question of Iran’s nuclear weapon program… The administration together with its allies has been trying to deal with Iran… through the IAEA for three and a half years now. [IT has] passed ten or so resolutions calling for the Iranians to comply with their obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, almost all of the substantive provisions of which the Iranians have violated over the years. Now you would think that the proponents of stronger international institutions and international law would say that… these violations should have troubling consequences for the Iranians. But ironically many people are arguing that in fact these resolutions are not binding and that only Security Council can issue binding [resolutions].

[The Iran question has brought about a] curious inversion: it has resulted in a devaluation of the importance of the IAEA itself. Much of what happens in the Security Council and much of what happens in the General Assembly… what it comes down to in the case of Iran is whether we’re going to be effective in making Iran comply with its obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty that it voluntarily [acceded to]. Through all of this, the United States has been encouraged by its allies in Europe and around the world to keep working through the United Nations, which is what we’re doing. But we have to be clear… if at some point this isn’t working, we must ask are we prepared to accept a nuclear Iran? Which we’re not. [Laughter.] And what this says about the effectiveness of the IAEA.

It is not acceptable to Iran to have nuclear weapons. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

QUESTIONS

Q: To what extent do you feel the United Nations is impaired by the United States’ actions in Iraq without having gained support?

A: I think there’s no question that there was substantial opposition in the United Nations Security Council with the policies pursuant to our policies in Iraq. [But] that was a reflection of broader attitudes in the world as a whole. But the real point of the actions that we took—and I have no reservations about it now even given the history—is that the efforts over years to get Saddam Hussein to comply with UN resolutions… there was not a sufficient majority in the Security Council to enforce the Security Council’s own resolutions. If the body that passes the resolutions doesn’t have the wherewithal to enforce its own resolutions, what are we going to do? I have no doubt whatever that there was [Bolton does air quotes and intones sarcastic.] Sufficient Legal Authority [End air quotes.] so that we didn’t need to go back on the two security resolutions, let alone 1441. [Laughter.]

Q: The Iranian president recently called for a Muslim seat on the Security Council—

A: I wouldn’t hold my breath. [Laughter and applause.]

Q: Neither would I, but is it likely that there would be any additions or subtractions on the Security Council?

A: The five permanent members that are there today that were put there in 1945 would not necessarily be the five permanent members if we were starting today. The claim is that that more representatives are needed because it is a larger institution. The permanent members weren’t put there to be representative; they were put there because they won WWII. And then France was added. [Laughter and applause.]

We do support changing the Security Council [but] the question is who deserves to be a permanent member. We favor a permanent seat for Japan… because of its importance in the world economy. It is a responsible power and should have a permanent seat. It is a fault of the United Nations system that we can’t figure out a way to get Japan on there.

Q: If you were the supreme leader of the UN…

A: Not likely. [Laughter.]

Q: What changes would you make and at what point did you learn the secrets of the power moustache, and what would you say to someone who aspires to have one?