Annan criticizes any US withdrawal of funds under UN Reform Act News
Annan criticizes any US withdrawal of funds under UN Reform Act

[JURIST] UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has spoken out [press release] against the United Nations Reform Act of 2005 [PDF text], passed by the US House of Representatives [JURIST report] on Friday, which will cut 50% of US dues to the organization if the UN does not meet certain reform goals. The UN's 60th General Assembly Summit [agenda] is scheduled to be held in New York this September to discuss changes proposed by the Secretary-General, and Annan said late Friday US withholding of dues would not be a "productive route to achieving reform and it could jeopardize the outcome of the September summit." The Reform bill suggests among other things that funds should be taken from the UN public information office and instead put toward areas such as investigating alleged internal wrongdoing like the Oil-for-Food scandal [JURIST news archive] that has plagued the UN in recent months. The US Mission to the UN [official website] also offers a factsheet on UN reforms supported by the United States [PDF]. AFP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Pope Urban II sparks First Crusade

Pope Urban II threw his support behind what would become the First Crusade on November 27, 1095 during the Council of Clairmont. The Pope urged the council's participants to render aid to the Byzantine Empire, which was being attacked by the Seljuks. Pope Urban called for a wide coalition of rich and poor to combat the threat, which eventually resulted in the conquest of much of the Muslim-controlled Levant by the Crusaders and the establishment of the Crusader States. Read Pope Urban's address.  

Catholic Code of Canon Law revised

On November 27, 1983, the revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church went into effect. Learn more about the history of Canon Law from Professor Kenneth Pennington of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Alfred Nobel creates Nobel Prize in his will

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his will, creating the Nobel Prize. Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Commission.