Japan's
Month Atop
UNSC Has Next
SG Straw Poll
But No Burundi
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, July
1 -- When
Japan's new
Ambassador to
the UN Koro
Bessho held a
press
conference
about the July
program of
work of the
Security
Council, which
he'll preside
over for the
month, Inner
City Press
asked him
about the
Council's
working
methods. Video here, Tweeted
photo here.
Specifically,
should
non-Council
members such
as the chairs
of
Peacebuilding
configurations
be allowed
into
consultations?
Can the press
and public
have more
access?
Bessho said
the purpose of
the debate on
working
methods on
July 19 will
be to hear the
views of
non-Council
members. No
outcome
document is
planned.
Inner City
Press also
asked Bessho
about Western
Sahara, on the
schedule for
July 26, and
about Burundi,
not on the
schedule at
all. Bessho
called Western
Sahara, from
which Morocco
expelled more
than 80 UN
staff,
sensitive and
said he did
not want to
prejudge what
will happen.
On
Burundi, he
said he'd like
to see
progress, for
example on the
proposal of a
UN deployment
there, but
acknowledged
it is not on
the schedule.
Neither, we
note, is
Yemen.
Eritrea is
on the
schedule, on
July 20, but
only as a
matter of
sanctions.
Apparently the
letters of
June 14 and
June 23 sent
to French
Ambassador
Delattre when
he was
president were
not acted on.
On the
selection
process for
the Next SG,
Bessho said
there will be
a first “straw
poll” on July
21; he said
the results
will be
confidential.
We'll see. For
the Free
UN Coalition
for Access,
Inner City
Press asked
for stakeouts
after
consultations,
and more
access and
transparency.
We'll be
reviewing this
closely. Watch
this site.
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