U.S. foreign policy experts give Obama U.N. advice

By Sue Pleming

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dozens of U.S. foreign policy leaders, including Democratic and Republican ex-Cabinet members, urged an incoming Obama administration to strengthen ties with the United Nations.

In a statement to appear in a full-page advertisement in The New York Times on Thursday, they identified priorities for Democratic President-elect Barack Obama that could boost international cooperation via the United Nations.

"The U.N. cannot succeed without strong U.S. leadership and support," the advertisement said. "This investment will pay off substantially by helping to enhance our standing internationally and strengthen our ability to keep America safe and strong."

The Bush administration has come under strong criticism for what is seen by many as its negative attitude toward the United Nations. Obama was urged to make an "early and visible" statement of strong support for the world body.

"President-elect Obama has the opportunity to engage with the world and renew American leadership at the United Nations," said Timothy Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, a U.N. advocacy group and charity that released the statement along with the bipartisan think tank, Partnership for a Secure America.

The statement was signed by some three dozen members of both main political parties. They include former Democratic Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Warren Christopher, and Brent Scowcroft, national security adviser under Republican Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush.

Republican ex-Senators Alan Simpson of Wyoming and Howard Baker of Tennessee as well as Democratic former Rep. Lee Hamilton and ex-White House Special Counsel Theodore Sorensen, who worked for President John F. Kennedy, also signed on.

They suggested Washington should take the lead in U.N. efforts on nuclear proliferation, counterterrorism and climate change, and play a "constructive" role in attempts to reform the New York-based organization.

The United States has been criticized for not paying its U.N. debts, and the statement urged the incoming administration to ensure that Washington honors treaty obligations through prompt payments.

The Bush administration has distanced itself from the U.N. Human Rights Council, criticizing the body for accepting board members whose own rights record was in question.

But the experts suggested the United States should now actively seek a seat on the "faltering" council and work to influence the body from within.

(Editing by Xavier Briand)