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Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the Inner City to Wall Street to the United Nations

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At UN, Ban Ki-moon 2d Term Set June 16 in Council, June 21 in GA

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 10 -- The final steps of the one candidate reannointment of Ban Ki-moon as UN Secretary General have now been scheduled. The Security Council met behind closed doors on June 10 and decided that they will vote -- or merely “gavel” -- Ban has their single recommendation on June 16.

Then, they say, the General Assembly will take final action on June 21. There was no such scheduling of date for other candidates to be presented, as even the International Monetary Fund did. The IMF said candidates by today, June 10, interviews and a decision by June 30.

At the UN, Ban announced on June 6 in a press conference at which Inner City Press asked him if he didn't think there should be more than one candidate, given what he's said about democracy and the Arab Spring. Ban said it's up to member states.


Ban & Assad, both in the news, one set to be re-annointed

After Ban held closed door meetings with regional groups, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Nesirky if he would be giving a speech or taking questions in the General Assembly.

Nesirky referred back to the meetings with regional groups and others, all of which were behind closed doors. Those, apparently, were the interview, except for commitments the Permanent Five members who could block Ban have extracted.

Among many of those working for the UN there is dissatisfaction with Ban for making the UN lower profile, less independent, more partisan. Many diplomats too, have voiced that, for example when the scathing review of Ban by outgoing Office of Internal Oversight chief Inga Britt Ahlenius was leaked.

But in the world of diplomacy, once the fix is in few see an upside to speaking out. “What can we do?” one Latin American country's Permanent Representative asked Inner City Press.

The deciders are the Permanent Five members, and clearly they like a relatively quiet and pliant Secretary General. To go otherwise would be akin to allowing a sixth veto. And so it goes.

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At UN Seeking 2d Term, Ban Speaks Behind Closed Doors, Complaints of P5 Power

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 9 -- With the full court press on at the UN for Ban Ki-moon to be given a second term as Secretary General without any other candidates or debate, Ban has met with the regional groups in lieu, it seems, of giving an open speech to the General Assembly.

  An African Group member's Permanent Representative complained to Inner City Press on June 9 that “at the time we need a strong man, the big powers want a weak one.” He pointed back to Ban not filling the Special Adviser on Africa position and questioned Ban's commitment to the continent.

  Inner City Press pointed out the talk that the top job in the Department of Political Affairs, currently occupied by American Lynn Pascoe, may be given to an African, Haile Menkerios, when he returns from the UN Mission in Sudan.

  “Not all African states are fans of Menkerios,” the Permanent Representative said. “Though the Westerners, sure, they like him.”

  Earlier on June 9, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky about Ban's meeting with another group, that of Latin American and Caribbean States, GRULAC:

Inner City Press: maybe you will confirm it or not, I’d heard that five members of the GRULAC [Group of Latin American and Caribbean States] said that they still need to get instructions from their capitals. Is that, is it, I guess I am asking you, is that your understanding of that meeting or can you give some, what’s your readout, what’s the Secretary-General’s readout of that meeting with GRULAC?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, all of these meetings with the regional groups were at the suggestion of the Secretary-General, as a way for him to speak to them directly and underscore what he said sitting right here on Monday. That it is for the Member States to decide; and that he is humbly putting himself forward and it is for the Member States to decide. He was obviously there to speak to them, but very much in listening mode, to hear what they had to say in those five regional groups. He has had meetings with other groupings; different formats, if you like. Obviously those five groups cover the 192 Member States. But there are other groups; for example, the Forum of Small States. The Secretary-General was able to meet with them as a group. He had a lunch with the permanent representatives of the European Union in a pre-arranged meeting.


Ban & Nambiar, implementation of 5 year term limits not shown

 So this was simply a way to be able to listen to what they had to say. And, ultimately, it really is for the Member States to decide. And it is also for Member States to say whether they have instructions or do not have instructions, and not for me.

But what I can say is that the Secretary-General found all of these regional group meetings and the other meetings he has been having extremely helpful and rewarding, in the sense that he was able to speak to them, but, importantly, to hear from them. And that’s what it is all about. Okay?

Inner City Press: Does he expect to give some kind of a speech in the General Assembly, kind of a public speech? There is, I have heard from some Member States that, I mean, obviously they have to… there is a longer process of trying to reform the process, but the idea of sort of, not campaigning, but sort of making a more public… those were closed meetings… apart from that, is he thinking of doing that?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, how much more public does the Secretary-General need to be than announcing it, sitting right here? And he also then spoke, as I just mentioned and you did, too, to the regional groups.

  So apparently Ban does not want to give a speech in the General Assembly, which many member states have said should be required. They are also talking about a resolution to require the Security Council to present the General Assembly with more than one candidate. Some close to Ban have worked to oppose or at least slow down this proposal. Meanwhile Ban set sail on a trip south to Latin America. Watch this site.

* * *

At UN as Ban Pushes for 2d Term, Sees No Need or Time for Other Candidates

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 6 -- Ban Ki-moon on Monday told the press he is seeking a second term as UN Secretary General. Inner City Press asked Ban if he thought the UN should have a more formal process of soliciting more than one candidate, holding interviewed, developing a short list.

  “It's up to member states,” Ban said, then said it would be natural if both the Security Council and the General Assembly took up his request for a second term this week, while the Presidents of Nigeria and Gabon are at the UN. So, no time for any other candidates to declare.

  Ban intends to meet with the African Group Monday at 3, then on Tuesday with the Eastern European states then Western European and Other Group and GRULAC.

  Ban's first move was to tell the Asia Group, at a breakfast Monday morning, that he wants a second term. Ban said they have supported him.

  After Ban's press conference, Inner City Press interviewed a Deputy Permanent Representative who attended the meeting. He said that no vote was taken, but rather “acclamation.”


Ban & Gaddafi: one candidate elections not shown

 Inner City Press asked if Sri Lanka spoke, and the DPR said yes, Syria as well. He did not see any North Korea representative in the room, he said. We will have more on this.

Update of 1:30 pm -- US Deputy Permanent Representative Rosemary DiCarlo, exiting the Security Council, answered about Ban second term by saying the US will be issuing a statement. In the IMF race, Timothy Geithner hedges on whether US supports Christine Lagarde, there being a Mexican candidate Agostin Carstens in the race. So why this one-candidate process at the UN?

* * *

Amid UN Complaints on Ban Ki-moon's "Arbitrary" 3.7% Budget Cuts, His Pre-Coronation Is Reported

By Matthew Russell Lee, News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, June 5 -- Even before it is decided who should be UN Secretary General from 2012 through 2016, news wire services have predicted with “100%” accuracy that Ban Ki-moon will and should be re-appointed, quoting unnamed “UN diplomats.”

  But why? Beyond questions about silence on human rights issues, and compromising the UN's purported impartiality in Cote d'Ivoire and elsewhere, on June 3 members of the UN's budget advisory committee complained to Inner City Press about Ban's just-made budget proposal.

  “He said it would be a three percent across the board cut,” a member of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs told Inner City Press. “Then he comes in with three point seven, but implemented very haphazardly. There are no cuts to UN Women, but larger cuts to other departments.”

  Another ACABQ source wondered why member states would move so quickly to rubber stamp Ban for five more years right after he made a controversial but still secret budget proposal.

This wouldn't happen in any democracy in the world,” the source said. In these fiscal times, how leaders proposal budgets is the major issue to judge them on. "Ban just dropped this one on us, the member states haven't even debated or even heard it -- and they want to give him a second term?”


Ban with Zoellick & DSK: successor & musical chairs not shown

Beyond this, as Inner City Press has pointed out since the resignation of Dominique Strauss-Kahn as head of the IMF and before, if that now vacant post goes to an Asian or even South Korean, it would change the UN balance, and quite possible bring out another candidate for the top UN spot.

If Ban is preaching democracy, why not at least wait to see if a competing candidate emerges? Watch this site.

Click for Mar 1, '11 BloggingHeads.tv re Libya, Sri Lanka, UN Corruption

 Click here for an Inner City Press YouTube channel video, mostly UN Headquarters footage, about civilian deaths in Sri Lanka.

Click here for Inner City Press' March 27 UN debate

Click here for Inner City Press March 12 UN (and AIG bailout) debate

Click here for Inner City Press' Feb 26 UN debate

Click here for Feb. 12 debate on Sri Lanka http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/17772?in=11:33&out=32:56

Click here for Inner City Press' Jan. 16, 2009 debate about Gaza

Click here for Inner City Press' review-of-2008 UN Top Ten debate

Click here for Inner City Press' December 24 debate on UN budget, Niger

Click here from Inner City Press' December 12 debate on UN double standards

Click here for Inner City Press' November 25 debate on Somalia, politics

and this October 17 debate, on Security Council and Obama and the UN.

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These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.  Video Analysis here

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