Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1fifth030408.html
UNITED NATIONS, March 4 -- The UN's appointment of Edward Luck as an Assistant Secretary General for the responsibility to protect fell under fire in the General Assembly's Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) on March 3. Eight countries protested that the ASG post was never approved. At the UN's noon briefing on March 4, Inner City Press asked the UN's spokesperson Michele Montas to respond. She said that Luck's appointment "was discussed with several representative ambassadors of the Non-Aligned Movement and other representatives of Member States, by senior officials of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General during recent weeks."
But in the Fifth Committee on March 4, numerous Ambassadors pointed out that there is a formal process to be followed, not by meeting with hand-selected representatives. They pointed out that only the General Assembly may create posts. Nevertheless, Ms. Montas went on to say that "it was agreed that the appointment of Mr. Luck as Special Adviser would be a temporary appointment covering an interim arrangement and the expenditure involved during this period would be incurred from voluntary resources."
But left unanswered is what voluntary means: from governments? From corporations? It is said that a trust fund will be set up, leading one wag to call Luck the "anti-genocide trust fund baby." There are some at and covering the UN who are so close with Mr. Luck that they oppose covering these questions. But these are questions raised by member states. Fifth Committee footnote: outside the closed-door briefing by Alicia Barcena on Accountability on Tuesday, no copy of Barcena's proposal could be found. A staffer promised it would be available on Friday. It is said to involve the creation of ten new posts. "Wait and see the report," Inner City Press was advised. Okay.
