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27 Ga. J. Int'l & Comp. L. 425 (1998-1999)
A Billion Dollar Donation: Should the United Nations Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth

handle is hein.journals/gjicl27 and id is 433 raw text is: A BILLION DOLLAR DONATION: SHOULD THE UNITED NATIONS LOOK A GIFr HORSE IN THE MOUTH? Stacy Williams* I. INTRODUCTION In an era of shrinking government budgets and a rapidly changing global economy, the private sector is surpassing the public sector in re-shaping the world.' Wealthy individuals are attempting to solve global problems by funding humanitarian projects, investing in developing countries, and donating funds to international organizations. The world is moving into an age of private diplomacy, where private citizens are using their wealth to change and influence international affairs. In September 1997, Ted Turner, the founder of the Cable News Network and Vice Chairman of Time Warner Incorporated, began to conduct his own private diplomacy when he announced plans to donate one billion dollars in Time Warner stock to various United Nations (hereinafter U.N. or the Organization) causes.2 Turner's pledge came as a response to the financial crisis of the U.N. and the United States government's failure to pay its membership dues to the U.N.3 This billion dollar gift will be funded in $100 million installments over the next ten years.4 This grant is the largest gift the U.N. has ever received from a private source,5 and it may serve as a precedent which the U.N. can draw upon to attract more private sector funds. This note will first explore the logistics of Turner's donation to the U.N. It will then examine the events which spawned Turner's donation-the * J.D. 1999, University of Georgia School of Law. 'See Bob Deans, Dollar Diplomacy: A New Twist in Using Enormous Private Wealth to Reshape the World, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, Sept. 28, 1997, at Dl, D4. 2 See The United Nations Foundation, (visited Feb. 2, 1999) <http://www.soros.org/un/ unf.htm>. 3 See Ted Turner's $ 1 Billion Offer Lauded by U.N., Supernews (visited Oct. 12, 1997) <http://headlines.supernews.conVart....robto-story-b/businessturner.html>. 4 See The United Nations Foundation, supra note 2. 5 See Barbara Crossette, UN Gives Its First Big Grants From Ted Turner Gift, THE NEW YORK TIMES, May 20, 1998 (visited Feb. 2, 1999) <http://www.globalpolicy.org/finance/docs/ turner.htm>.

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