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

On the criticism you refer to as 'Euro-top heavy' - As explained, the selection is not based on geographic criteria. It weighs more on the experience of nations in peace-building, and an openness to see beyond differences. Essentially, an advisory group that can help see the process forward.

Please note that the President of the General Assembly met with the UFC group, at their request. They expressed their concerns and they were heard.

Moreover, the advisory group chosen is not a negotiated group.

The President has a responsibility to Member States, and to the international community at-large, to get this process moving forward with moral authority. He has, therefore, made his selection after careful reflection.

On the first point, Ms. Konja explained that from within the Department of General Assembly and Conference Management, which runs the PGA's website, there was surprise when Inner City Press was the first to publish PGA Ashe's letter. She said steps are being taken for this delay to never happen again.

  On the rest, replies so far are as follows: the "reaching out" consisted of "last minute calls and deadlines within the same day. There was no respect to basic diplomatic courtesy... Sierra Leone was not even present at first informal meeting held."

  Concern has been expressed at the line that "the advisory group chosen is not a negotiated group," questioning, Why not? An open meeting could have been held to hear all UN member states. That would have been the promised transparency and respect for the mandate given by General Assembly. After nineteen years of negotiations, a meeting should have been held to try to see a way forward.

We'll have more on this. For now we note that while continuing to dig into this, on October 24 Inner City Press was chided for calling John Ashe "genial." We maintain it: he is genial. But there are also these criticisms. This is the UN. Watch this site.