mr. chairman , let me say i may consider the lantos-shays alternative imperfect , but it represents a credible political balancing and is clearly preferable to the underlying bill . 
but listening to the debate over the past 2 days , i sense a lack of perspective not only for treaty obligations but for the u.n . 
itself . 
corruption exists in all societies . 
it is rife , indeed endemic , in some . 
at the u.n. , it is isolated ; it is not endemic . 
i have known hundreds and hundreds of people who have worked for the u.n . 
itself or u.n . 
agencies . 
they are honorable , decent people doing a decent job . 
it is true that a few thousand dollars here and a few thousand dollars there pretty soon adds up to a loss of confidence in institutions of governance , and we have that problem at the u.n . 
hence , we can not ignore scandal , but scandal does not define the united nations ; it defines a problem that must be dealt with there and elsewhere . 
we should do this , but we should do this with the understanding that the world would be a far worse place without the u.n . 
and that the activities and actions of its various organizations and agencies have made this a better world society . 
so improvement , not destruction , is the goal . 
