Benchmarks to measure Obama's work a year after he first addressed U.N.

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By Scott Wilson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 23, 2010; 6:04 AM

UNITED NATIONS - In his first appearance before the U.N. General Assembly a year ago, President Obama, only eight months in office, told skeptical delegates that he was "well aware of the expectations that accompany my presidency."

The line, coming early in the address, acknowledged the antipathy toward the United States that had grown in the world forum during the George W. Bush administration, whose often-undisguised disdain for multilateralism in general and the United Nations in particular was something Obama intended to correct.

Obama proposed a "new era of engagement" to address nuclear nonproliferation, peace and security, climate change and the global economy - issues he described as "fundamental to the future that we want for our children." Less than three weeks later he won the Nobel Peace Prize, an award his critics suggested signaled a triumph of anticipation over accomplishment.

Now, as Obama prepares for his second General Assembly address, his record in meeting those high expectations, beyond merely changing the tone of U.S. foreign policy, is open for debate.

more:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/23/AR2010092300975.html