Ambassador Bolton resigns

United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations John Bolton resigned after it became clear that he would not receive an appointment, thus ending more than a year of controversy. Ambassador Bolton had previously received a recess appointment in August 2005 after the Senate had failed to confirm him. That appointment was only for a term lasting until January 2007.

Ambassador Bolton was routinely criticized for his blunt, unyielding, and confrontational manner, which are not useful qualities in a diplomat, and ended up handicapping his work towards reform. Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee, who was recently defeated for reelection, cast the deciding vote that effectively ended Ambassador Bolton's service. Sen. Chaffee stated "Mr. Bolton did not demonstrate the kind of collaborative approach that I believe will be called for if we are to restore the United States' position as the strongest country in a peaceful world."

After he became ambassador, Bolton had some noteworthy successes within the Security Council, including: unanimous Security Council resolutions on North Korea; persuading the Security Council to add Burma to its permanent agenda for the first time (something long-advocated by human rights groups); creating consensus on divisive issues such as Iran's nuclear program and Darfur; and helping to establish a United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebannon in order to the conflict with Israel. However, Bolton's achievements representing the U.S. in the Security Council, where it has veto power, did not translate into successes towards UN Reform or in the General Assembly, where consensus building and compromise proved necessary to achieve important goals. It has been argued that his style alienated traditional American allies and derailed opportunities for real reform.

With the departure of Ambassador Bolton, the U.S. loses a representative who regularly pushed for UN reform, though the issue may need a bit more of a kid's gloves approach in the future. Hopefully, the next Permanent Representative will have the full endorsement of Congress and will carry on the mantle of reforming and improving the UN.