UN Human Rights Post Will Be Awarded Before Any Briefing of General Assembly, President Srgjan Kerim Claims Input and Fight for his Office's Funding

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un3hrcga070908.html

UNITED NATIONS, July 9 -- With the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights post vacant for more than a week, the President of the UN General Assembly Srgjan Kerim claimed Wednesday that the GA will have input into the selection of the next Commissioner, by being briefed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "in the next ten days" about "the persons who are proposed."

But minutes later Ban's spokesperson Michele Montas, when asked by Inner City Press if this meant Ban will brief the Assembly before announcing a winner, said no, the input has already been taken, the GA briefing will be after the decision has been made. Video here, from Minute 15:05. Input is not in a public forum, Ms. Montas said, although Ban's briefings of the Assembly have throughout the year been closed to the press.

Srgjan Kerim said that he is scheduled to meet with Ban upon his return from the G-8 meetings in Japan, either Thursday or Friday, and that the input briefing of the Assembly will follow that. "The General Assembly will be involved," he said, "that's what we have agreed, it lifts the level of transparency." Video here, from Minute 22:46.

There seem to be differing understandings here between what was agreed, formal input by the General Assembly at a briefing about the "persons" (plural) being considered, or a briefing only after the winner has been selected.

While there has been talk of a short list, the Secretariat has refused to confirm or deny who is on it. Well-placed cynics point out that some of the human rights NGO's criticism of the process was blunted once Amnesty International's director was put on the short list. The president of Timor L'Este announced he might be considered, but that he didn't want to leave his country in the lurch. Ban said he hasn't offered the job to anyone. But from Ms. Montas' answer on Wednesday, it seems the winner is about to be announced, before ten days are up and the GA briefing takes place, perhaps as early as July 10. We'll see.

Update -- The Secretariat added to its transcript of the noon briefing in brackets, "[The Spokesperson later added that the process of interviewing candidates for the post was still ongoing.]"

Srgjan Kerim also said that his position needs to be funded by the UN, that the President of the General Assembly cannot be continue to be "an outsider," to be treated "like a consultant." Since Kerim had earlier, and to his credit, acknowledged that he has been paid this year by non-UN sources, but then refused to confirm or deny that his previously and perhaps future employer WAZ Media has been paying or otherwise compensating him during this year, Inner City Press asked if he will ensure that the General Assembly votes on this proposed reform before he leaves office. He said he wasn't sure, that if not, he will tell the incoming president of the 63rd General Assembly to take the matter up. Will Nicaragua being creating a budget for "it's" GA President? Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un3hrcga070908.html