The United Nations as we find it, on-line

Kofi Annan (left) finishes 2 five-year terms as Secretary General of the U.N.  His successor is Ban Ki-moon of South Korea - named by General Assembly Friday the 13th in October 2006.  Perhaps his first responsibility...figuring out what to do about North Korea?  Some U.N. info and general highlights of issues:

About North Korea:  http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/custom/sns-nkoreaprofile,0,4452508.story?coll=hc-nationworld-heds-breaking

World population growth graphic from I-BBC...who in turn got the data from the U.S. Census Bureau!  At right above, Foreign Minister Ban of South Korea, Kofi Annan's successor (odds-on favorite, but you never know!) as U.N. Secretary General.

Food and water worries are top priorities, say Davos speakers
NYTIMES
Mike Nizza (linked to thisfollowing 3 day old story...)
Jan. 29, 2008

DAVOS, Switzerland (AFP) — Warnings of a water and food crisis seemed incongruous among the lavish hospitality of Davos this year, but the danger was stressed repeatedly to the assembled world elite. 
Scarcity of water was named by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as a top priority at the World Economic Forum and he warned that conflicts lay ahead if the provision of the vital resource could not be assured.

"Population growth will make the problem worse. So will climate change. As the global economy grows, so will its thirst. Many more conflicts lie just over the horizon," he said in a speech on Thursday.

Ban reminded the gathering of the world's wealthy powerbrokers in Davos that the conflict in Darfur in Sudan was touched off by a drought. "Too often where we need water, we find guns," he said.

Rising food prices are also causing problems in emerging countries, with demonstrations and violence witnessed in a host of countries including Mexico and African nations Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal.  Indian Trade Minister Kamal Nath warned earlier in the week that prices of some foodstuffs had doubled in his country at a time when 25 million people in India were estimated to have moved from taking one to two meals a day.

"What does 25 million people moving from one to two meals a day do for prices?" he asked a room of corporate bigwigs and policymakers who pay thousands of dollars to attend the exclusive get-together here.

Referring to the challenge of providing food at affordable prices, he said: "Next year in Davos we'll be discussing this."

Analysts forecast that world agricultural commodity prices are set to increase, particularly for cereals because of increased export taxes in many producers, strong global demand, a poor harvest in Australia this year and stepped-up speculation.  World Bank president Robert Zoellick also sounded the alarm, saying the cost of the basic nutritional requirements of people in many countries, mainly in Africa, was rising sharply.

"There are fifteen countries particularly vulnerable to high food and energy prices. We need some targeted efforts towards those vulnerable populations," he said.

Increased cultivation of crops for the production of biofuels, such as corn and sugar, has led to higher prices for staple foods in many countries and led to criticism of the new fuel source.  Biofuels, which were initially hyped as a "green" solution to the world's energy needs, drew criticism from the chairman of the UN's Nobel Prize-winning climate change panel.

"Wherever the production of fuels is going to conflict with the production of food, particularly in a world in which food prices are going up... obviously we are running into difficult territory," the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chairman Rajendra Pachauri told reporters.

"In general, I am not entirely happy with the diversion of areas for the production of food into the area of production of fuels."

The chief financial officer of Brazil's state-run energy group Petrobas, Almir Barbassa, argued that market forces were at work and farmers could not be told what to grow.  Brazil is the world's biggest producer of sugar cane, which can be used to make the biofuel ethanol as well as sugar.

"With the price of oil going up it is better to use sugar cane to produce ethanol than to use sugar cane to produce sugar," he told AFP.

"Farmers have the right to do what they want with their products. It's the choice of producers, not a choice of the markets."

The annual Davos gathering in the Swiss Alps drew about 2,500 delegates, including about 30 heads of state, for five days of debating and networking. It wrapped up Saturday and concludes officially on Sunday morning.

Bush's nominee for U.N. post wins praise for not being Bolton 
DAY
By ANNE GEARAN, AP Diplomatic Writer    
Posted on Mar 15, 5:28 PM EDT
 
WASHINGTON (AP) -- He has been the top Bush administration diplomat in Iraq - point man for policies Democrats and some Republicans say are wrongheaded or futile - but there was nothing but praise in the room Thursday when Zalmay Khalilzad went before senators to interview for a new job.

"In this time of crisis, I believe that you are the best and the brightest to be representing us in this world community of nations," Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., told Khalilzad at his confirmation hearing to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Added Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an independent: "I cannot think of anyone more qualified or more appropriate. He represents the best of America. He is a true American dream success story."

No doubt Khalilzad has the credentials for the U.N. post: years of foreign policy expertise, two tours as ambassador under difficult conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mostly, though, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee seemed relieved by the simple fact that Khalilzad is not John Bolton, the last diplomat President Bush sent to represent Washington at the United Nations.

The 2005 fight over Bolton's nomination was among the most bruising of Bush's presidency. It lasted months and included emotional defections by Republicans. In the end, Bolton never won Senate confirmation, even though Republicans held the majority.

Bush gave Bolton a recess appointment that expired in January.

"I think you're the nominee that we can be proud of," Nelson told Khalilzad.

Some senators took swipes at Bolton, but mostly they praised Khalilzad and all but assured him a swift confirmation. There were skeptical questions about the war in Iraq, but not one lawmaker seemed to blame Khalilzad for any of the administration's missteps.

"While we disagreed in many cases on policies that you have to implement, I think you did a very skilled and able job of carrying out those policies," Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., told Khalilzad. "We look forward to working with you at the United Nations."

The Afghan-born Khalilzad is a gregarious, glad-handing diplomat who speaks several languages. He is a favorite at the White House, where he is known as "Zal," and a confidant of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has known him since they worked in the administration of Bush's father.

In Iraq, Khalilzad won trust among Sunni leaders and drew them into greater political participation. But he has been unable to counter the backlash among Shiite politicians and leaders or the sectarian violence that has undermined the country's political successes.

He noted delays and uneven progress toward a unified Iraqi government, but reaffirmed the administration's opposition to outside deadlines for U.S. military involvement.

Iraqis "are facing very, very big and difficult issues," he said. "And their sense of time is not the same as ours, really. We tend to be very impatient."

Bolton was disliked by many top diplomats at the U.N., who complained that he was abrasive and uncooperative even as he scored points for U.S. interests.

"I'll focus sharply on the interests of the United States," Khalilzad told the senators. "At the same time, I'm ready to engage, to listen and to work with others in a cooperative spirit."

Bolton also was a chief spokesman for the administration view, since softened, that diplomatic overtures to adversaries such as Iran, North Korea or Syria amounted to rewards for bad behavior.

Khalilzad noted that he shook hands with Iranian and Syrian diplomats last weekend and began discussions about those border nations' involvement in Iraq. The U.S. accuses Iran and Syria of undermining the Baghdad government or aiding terrorism and violence.

"I believe that a combination of pressure with regard to issues of concern with an openness to engage with the intent to change behavior, to effect behavior, is the right mix," Khalilzad said.
South Korean diplomat appointed next U.N. secretary-general
Norwalk HOUR
October 14, 2006

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly appointed South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon as the next U.N. secretary-general Friday, and the veteran diplomat who grew up during a war that divided his country pledged to make peace with North Korea a top priority.
The assembly's action on Ban capped the remarkable rise of a man who was little known outside Asia before launching his campaign to succeed Kofi Annan. It also marked a milestone for South Korea, which only joined the United Nations in 1991 and still has U.N. troops on the tense border with the North.

Ban has been in the forefront of South Korea's nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang and has said he plans to travel to North Korea as secretary-general, something Annan never did. He said last month he would use the authority of the U.N. position to promote peace and reconciliation on the Korean peninsula "and a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue."

Ban told a press conference soon after his selection that he hopes the Security Council "quickly adopts a clear and strong resolution" to show North Korea that the international community is united against its claimed nuclear test.

In a speech to hundreds of diplomats and U.N. staff Friday, Ban laid out his vision for the United Nations whose reputation has been tarnished by corruption scandals and whose outdated practices still need major reform to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

"My tenure will be marked by ceaseless efforts to build bridges and close divides," he said. "Leadership of harmony not division, by example not instruction, has served me well so far. I intend to stay the course as secretary-general."
During a nearly 40-year career as a diplomat, Ban said, "I have been elated by the successes of the U.N. in making life better for countless people. I have also been pained by scenes of its failures. In too many places could I feel the dismay over inaction of the U.N., or action that was too little or came too late."

"I am determined to dispel the disillusionment," he said.

Ban, 62, will become the eighth secretary-general in the U.N.'s 60-year history on Jan. 1 when Annan's second five-year term expires. He was one of seven candidates vying to be the U.N. chief and topped all four informal polls in the Security Council.

He said he was proud to be the second Asian chosen to serve as secretary-general. The last secretary-general from the continent was Burma's U Thant, who served from 1961-71.

By tradition, the post of secretary-general rotates among the regions of the world and most countries agreed that this time it was Asia's turn.

Hundreds of diplomats and U.N. staff in the chamber broke into loud applause when assembly president Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa asked the 192-nation world body to adopt the resolution appointing Ban by acclamation. She then banged the gavel and said, "It is so decided."

Annan hailed Ban as "a future secretary-general who is exceptionally attuned to the sensitivities of countries and constituencies in every continent" and said he would be "a man with a truly global mind at the helm of the world's only universal organization."

Annan recalled that the first U.N. secretary-general, Trygvie Lie, told his successor, Dag Hammarskjold, "You are about to take over the most impossible job on Earth."

"While that may be true," Annan said, "I would say: This is also the best possible job on Earth."

He said he had only one piece of advice for his successor when he takes over — "try to make full use of the unparalleled resource you will find in the staff of the organization. Their commitment is the U.N.'s greatest asset."

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Ban is "the right person to lead the United Nations at this decisive movement in its history, particularly as the U.N. struggles to fulfill the terms of the reform agenda that world leaders agreed to last fall."

Ban has been South Korea's foreign minister for more than 2 1/2 years and served as national security adviser to two presidents — jobs that focused on relations with North Korea. During his diplomatic career, he was posted in India, Austria, Washington and at the United Nations.

Ban received a degree in international relations from Seoul National University in 1970, and earned a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University in 1985.

An early influence for him came from a White House visit with President John F. Kennedy as part of a program organized by the American Red Cross when he was an 18-year-old student. His visit is captured in a black-and-white photo that shows Ban smiling among students from other countries as the president spoke.

Ban on Friday harkened back to his childhood, saying the United Nations stood by South Korea in its impoverished postwar days.

"It has been a long journey from my youth in war-torn and desperate Korea to this rostrum and these awesome responsibilities," he said. "I could make this journey because the U.N. was with my people in our darkest days. It gave us hope and sustenance, security and dignity. It showed us a better way."

He said he hopes to head a United Nations like the one he remembered from his boyhood.

"I am an optimist, and I am full of hope about the future of our global organization. Let us work together for a U.N. that can deliver more and better."
S. Korean Diplomat Is Nominated To Head U.N.
DAY
By Nick Wadhams, Associated Writer 
Published on 10/10/2006
   
United Nations — The U.N. Security Council on Monday formally nominated South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon to succeed Kofi Annan as United Nations secretary-general, all but assuring that the quiet diplomat will become the eighth chief in the world body's 61-year history.

What would have been an event of major significance — Ban will become one of the world's best-known and most influential diplomats over his five-year term — was overshadowed by North Korea's claim that it had conducted a nuclear test.

“This should be a moment of joy. But instead, I stand here with a very heavy heart,” Ban said at a news conference in Seoul. “Despite the concerted warning from the international community, North Korea has gone ahead with a nuclear test.”

Ban, who participated in six-party talks with the North in 2005, vowed to help resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis after he becomes secretary-general. He must be approved by the 192-nation General Assembly, which has never rejected a Security Council nomination.

Japan's U.N. Ambassador Kenzo Oshima asked the General Assembly to act promptly to give final approval to Ban so he can have a sufficient transition before taking over as U.N. chief on Jan. 1, after Annan's second five-year term ends.

“I think the fact that the candidate is currently foreign minister of the Republic of Korea is an asset in dealing with the situation in the Korean peninsula that we are now facing,” he said.

Some diplomats speculated that North Korea may have conducted the test when it did partly to signal its disapproval for Ban. The North has not publicly commented on his bid but has accused him of blindly following the U.S. line by urging the North to resume negotiations and give up the atomic weapons program.

Normally the 15-member council would vote on a nomination, but Britain's Ambassador Emyr Jones-Parry suggested in Monday's meeting that Ban be approved by acclamation, done when there are no dissenting votes. The idea was greeted with applause from the other ambassadors, diplomats who attended the meeting said.

Unlike in previous years, Ban's selection was marked by an absence of rancor or political infighting. He was the front-runner in all four informal polls the Security Council conducted, never getting fewer than 13 votes in favor of his candidacy.

The final straw poll last week revealed that he had the support of all five veto-wielding members of the council, and the remaining five candidates quickly left the race.

U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement that Ban “is the right choice to lead the United Nations at this pivotal time in its history.” U.S. Ambassador John Bolton called Ban's selection “a very significant event.”

“It's really quite an appropriate juxtaposition that today 61 years after the temporary division of the Korean peninsula at the end of World War II, we're electing the foreign minister of South Korea as secretary-general of this organization and meeting as well to consider the testing by the North Koreans of a nuclear device,” Bolton said.

Ban's selection now will give him more than two months to prepare to lead an organization that has deployed 92,000 peacekeepers around the world and has an annual operating budget of $5 billion. Fighting hunger, assisting refugees and slowing the spread of HIV/AIDS are all programs that fall under the secretary-general's purview.

Annan “warmly welcomes” the decision to nominate Ban, whom he has the “highest respect for,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. Annan, who won the Nobel Peace Prize as secretary-general in 2001, urged the General Assembly to make a decision on Ban as soon as possible.

Ban has been South Korea's foreign minister for more than 21/2 years and served as national security adviser to two presidents — jobs that focused on relations with the North. He has served as a diplomat for nearly 40 years, including previous stints at the U.N. and in Washington.

He had courted Security Council nations aggressively during his campaign and given numerous speeches to make himself better known and counter the impression that he was too quiet or humble to inherit the job.

Yet the actual selection process was mostly conducted behind closed doors, adhering to a tradition that has drawn criticism from some members of the General Assembly and non-governmental organizations that believe the job is too important to be awarded in such secrecy.

Nonetheless, diplomats said they believed Ban was the right man to lead the organization that many believe is in desperate need of reform. Its procurement department has been saddled by allegations of corruption and mismanagement, while many world leaders believe its most powerful organ, the Security Council, must be revamped to reflect the realities of 2006 and not 1945, when it was created.

“We think that he has all those qualities that are necessary for a secretary-general that are probably hard to differentiate and count on your hands,” Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said. “This is the person who, with our support, can tackle this difficult work.”
 

Iraq: Security Council adopts adjustments to UN's Oil-for-Food programme

28 March – The Security Council today unanimously approved a resolution adjusting the suspended Oil-for-Food programme to give United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan more authority to administer the operation for the next 45 days.

The programme, which allows Baghdad to use part of its oil revenues for food and medicine and is the sole source of sustenance for 60 per cent of the country's 27.1 million people, was temporarily halted on 17 March after the Secretary-General ordered the withdrawal of all UN personnel from Iraq.  Today's resolution authorizes the Secretary-General to carry out a variety of tasks, such as reassessing the contracts that have been approved, and covers technical issues such as providing alternative
locations for the delivery of supplies. Mr. Annan was also given the power to negotiate new contracts for essential medical items.

The resolution, which is subject to further renewal after 45 days, also expresses the Council's readiness "as a second step" to authorize the Secretary-General to perform additional functions with the necessary coordination as soon as the situation permits, as activities on the programme in Iraq resume.  Ambassador Gunter Pleuger of Germany, which chairs the Council committee that oversees the Oil-for-Food programme, expressed satisfaction that the Council had been able to adopt the resolution
unanimously.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the Council vote, Ambassador Pleuger said it was a "good day" for the long-suffering people of Iraq, but it was perhaps an equally good day for Council members, who had, after days of complicated negotiations, "found the way back to their unity of purpose," ensuring that people in desperate need
received the necessary humanitarian assistance.

The resolution not only made clear the wartime responsibility of occupying powers, it also made an appeal to the international community and global humanitarian agencies to do what they can to relieve the plight of Iraqi people, Mr. Pleuger said. Now that the war had broken out - and even when hostilities ended - the people of Iraq would need that help more than ever, he added.

Ambassador Pleuger also confirmed, in response to a reporter's question, that the new resolution did not give the Secretary-General any power over future oil sales to fund new activities. He added, however, that the new text had a timeline of 45 days, which was an "ambitious goal" to get what humanitarian goods that were already in the pipeline to the people of Iraq.