The Foreign Service Journal, September 2006

T HE M AGAZINE F OR F OREIGN A FFAIRS P ROFESSIONALS Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), 2101 E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is published monthly with a combined July/August issue by the American Foreign Service Association, a private, non-profit organization. Material appearing herein represents the opinions of the writers and does not necessarily represent the views of the Journal, the Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries and submissions are invited, preferably by e-mail. Journal subscription: AFSAMembers - $13 included in annual dues; others - $40. For foreign surface mail, add $18 per year; foreign airmail, $36 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mail- ing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Foreign Service Journal , 2101 E Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990. Indexed by Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS). The Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or illustrations. Advertising inquiries are invited. The appearance of advertisements herein does not imply the endorsement of the services or goods offered. FAX: (202) 338-8244 or (202) 338-6820. E-MAIL: journal@afsa.org . WEB: www.afsa.org . TELEPHONE: (202) 338-4045. © American Foreign Service Association, 2006. Printed in the U.S.A. Send address changes to AFSA Membership, 2101 E Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990. Printed on 50-percent recycled paper, of which 10 percent is post-consumer waste. J O U R N A L OREIGN ERVICE S F Editor S TEVEN A LAN H ONLEY Senior Editor S USAN B. M AITRA Associate Editor S HAWN D ORMAN Ad & Circulation Manager E D M ILTENBERGER Business Manager M IKKELA V. T HOMPSON Art Director C ARYN S UKO S MITH Editorial Intern E IRENE B USA Advertising Intern A NDRES V IDER Editorial Board T ED W ILKINSON , C HAIRMAN K ENT C. B ROKENSHIRE S TEPHEN W. B UCK A NTHONY S. C HAN L ILLIAN DE V ALCOURT -A YALA J OSH G LAZEROFF W ILLIAM W. J ORDAN L AURIE K ASSMAN J OYCE W. N AMDE K AY W EBB M AYFIELD C HRISTOPHER L. T EAL F O C U S O N U . N . R E F O R M 22 / J OHN B OLTON : O UR UN-D IPLOMAT After his first year at the United Nations, it seems that John Bolton is not so much an ineffective diplomat as an unwilling one. By James Traub 29 / U.N. R EFORM : T HINK B IG A bottom-up overhaul may be the most promising approach to take. By Ronald I. Spiers 33 / R EINVENTING THE U NITED N ATIONS The League of Nations was the first generation of global organizations and the U.N. was the second. It is time to design a third- generation entity. By Tad Daley and David Lionel 40 / S ELECTING THE N EXT S ECRETARY -G ENERAL U.N. reform has been the hallmark of Kofi Annan’s decade-long tenure. Finding a leader to continue that effort is critical. By Suzanne DiMaggio 47 / R AISING P EACEKEEPING D IVIDENDS How can we boost local economic activity in the most challenging environments in the world? Consider the experience of some U.N. missions. By Gary Gray C ONTENTS S e p t emb e r 2 0 0 6 Vo l ume 8 3 , No . 9 A S INCERE C RITIQUE OF A MERICA ’ S U.N. P OLICY / 56 The decades-long tendency by administrations of both parties to engage only fitfully with the United Nations is having serious consequences. By Mark Malloch Brown F E A T U R E M ANDARIN M ATZAH / 61 An FSO puts a Jewish ceremony together in Guangzhou with a little help from atheist, Buddhist, Christian and Mormon friends. By Jason Seymour Cover and inside illustrations by Poul Hans Lange C O L U M N S P RESIDENT ’ S V IEWS / 5 Square Pegs, Round Holes By J. Anthony Holmes I N R ESPONSE / 14 What We Train IMSers to Do By David P. Jesser S PEAKING O UT / 16 Time to End the U.N.’s Culture of Corruption By Thomas D. Boyatt R EFLECTIONS / 92 I Found Huck Finn in El Salvador By Jack Gallagher D E P A R T M E N T S L ETTERS / 6 C YBERNOTES / 10 M ARKETPLACE / 12 AFSA N EWS / 65 B OOKS / 82 I NDEX TO A DVERTISERS / 90 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 3