At
UN
as
Mayr-Harting
Moves from
Austria to EU,
Interesting
Times
Toasted
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 14 --
Sometimes at
the UN there
is a diplomat
that
nearly
everyone
likes. This is
the case of
Thomas
Mayr-Harting
of
Austria, who
threw his
semi-farewell
on October 14,
as he moves
from
Austria to
representing
the European
Union at the
UN.
Turkey's
Permanent
Representative
Apakan, for
example, said
he'd known
Mayr-Harting
since he was
Austria's
political
director, and
as a member of
the
Class of 2010
on the UN
Security
Council. The
turn out was
more
extensive than
for most
farewells, not
only because
Mayr-Harting
will
remain at the
UN, but due to
history.
Numerous
European
ambassadors
told Inner
City Press
they were glad
he would be
representing
them -- "sort
of," one of
them said,
referring
to the fight
about how the
EU will refer
to itself in
the General
Assembly -- as
a "seasoned"
diplomat.
Mayr-Harting
while
on the
Security
Council was
tireless in
briefing about
the
Taliban - Al
Qaeda
sanctions
committee.
Now, perhaps
in tribute to
his work,
there is less
obstructionism,
with his
successor
Wittig
recently being
surprised by
Russia's lack
of blocking.
The groundwork
was laid.
Morocco's
Permanent
Representative
Loulichki made
his
appearance,
pledging
support for
the cause of
Palestine;
leaving
earlier was
his putative
competitor for
a 2012-13
Security
Council seat,
Abderrahim
Ould
Hadrami of
Mauritania.
There
was much
discussion of
the election,
and what it
might portend
for Palestine.
In Iceland, as
it happens,
there is
legislation to
recognize
Palestine as a
state. Bosnia
has already
granted
recognition,
but
might not be
able to vote
in favor of
Palestine in
the Security
Council.
Mayr-Harting
with Monique
and Deiss,
exciting times
ahead
The
US was
represented by
Deputy
Rosemary
DiCarlo, and
then Jeffrey
DeLaurentis,
who professed
a desire to be
polite:
accepted.
There was the
UN's
Special
Advisor on
Africa, and
its Special
Adviser on the
Responsibility
to Protect,
whose
theater-savvy
spouse
pondered how
the spate of
New York
groping might
be stopped.
This
was a concrete
question,
evaded earlier
on Friday
evening by
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon when
he left his
ballyhooed
screening of
"The
Whistleblower"
before any
questions
could be
asked. Thank
God,
one wag said,
that the UN is
larger than
the
increasingly
diminished
Secretariat.
Watch this
site.
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