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African Group Rejecting Ban's Bid for Steiner II at UNEP, Showdown on HRC

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, December 18 -- Three weeks ago, the African Group beat the European Union and US 78 to 76 on Thanksgiving Eve in the UN's Third Committee, with 18 abstaining.

  The issue was whether at the UN Human Rights Council a new "Focal Point" could be established without General Assembly review. The answer, then, was no.

  Now it and other items are coming up in the full General Assembly. The African Group has met and members have told Inner City Press they've decided to "stand strong."

  They tell Inner City Press exclusively that they're taking the same position on Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's request to give Achim Steiner another two years atop the UN Environment Program in Nairobi, Kenya. Team Ban is sure to try to push back.

   Inner City Press was the first to report the November 27 result, linking it to the UN Security Council's rebuff of the African Union's request for a one year deferral of the International Criminal Court's Kenya proceedings on November 15.

But based on feedback, including at China's classy and uncensored End of Security Council Presidency reception and then at an Indian Fifth Committee reception, a bit more explanation was necessary. The African Group in essence protested an end run around the 193 members of the General Assembly. And on that basis, they won.

The issue was whether the Human Rights Council, created by and a subsidiary of the General Assembly, could create a new Focal Point without review by the General Assembly. The answer was no.

This was discussed, animatedly and over dumplings, at the Chinese mission on 35th Street minutes later. Many Permanent Representatives still hadn't heard of the vote. Sri Lanka's, for example, after conferring with a former landlord / scribe pitched Inner City Press on the sins of the British, for example the Chagos Islands and further back, the Mau Mau.

  Then at the Indian mission, the Fifth Committee which still has yet to hit its Superbowl / late night moment noshed and drank. But back in the UN, the Third Committee continued. On women human rights defenders, Norway agreed to strip out a paragraph, PP 13, which led a slew of countries to pull out as co-sponsored.

   In the traditional end of session of poem, the UK said that "UK fully endorses, as long as it's within existing resources." Egypt responded with a rhyme about R2P. And that was that! Until the full General Assembly takes up all these items. Watch this site.


 

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