Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1nimetz102908.html
UNITED NATIONS, October 29 -- What does the UN Secretariat do when leaked documents published in a country to which it has sent a mediator present that mediator as operating in league with a major and interested power? On Wednesday, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's Deputy Spokesperson to comment on a widely-discussed media report which included a U.S. State Department memo about a proposed end to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia name issue, a proposal strikingly similar to that of Ban's envoy Matthew Nimetz. The Deputy Spokesperson said, "I am not aware of those media reports."
Moments later, one of her colleagues e-mailed to Inner City Press a two paragraph response:
"Mr. Nimetz has decided to offer an on-the-record response. The following response is attributable directly to him.
'In response to your various requests for clarification about my role, let me respond by stating that I have followed the same protocol over the years since 1999, and this follows the methodology used by Secretary Vance who preceded me as UN mediator in the "name" discussions. I prepare the material I present to the Parties solely by myself (occasionally with technical support from the UN's professional staff) and I neither send copies nor discuss the content with anyone else. I normally prepare the papers on my own computer and print and deliver the papers personally to the Representatives.
'As to discussions with third parties, I have always been available to discuss the general issue of the negotiations with representatives of Member States, as was the case with Secretary Vance when he performed this role. The 'name' issue is of broad international interest and affects all Governments concerned about the region and about their relationships with the two Parties. Over the years a number of Governments have asked to discuss the status of the negotiations with me, and I believe it is proper, and important, to keep the international community generally informed. However these discussions are intended to help other Governments understand the situation, and I am not influenced by the views of any particular Government, and no Government has ever attempted to influence the ideas that I present to the Parties or the course of the discussions. I hope this clarifies the situation.' M.Nimetz"
A person who has seen both Nimitz' proposal and the State Department memo, in full, tells Inner City Press they are nearly identical, and clearly related. Other UN envoys, such as Terje Roed Larsen, are viewed as not impartial. And what does the UN system do?
Footnote: beyond the "name issue" appearing in exchange for votes for the five open Security Council seats earlier this month, now it is reported that "senior sources in Congo’s Foreign Ministry have said that Athens has offered 100 tanks, 1000 mine throwers and some airplanes, which the Greek Armed Forces want to get rid of, in exchange for Congo’s changing its decision to use Macedonia’s constitutional name. Greece has offered some of the weapons for free, while the rest – at very low prices." A hundred tanks in Congo-Brazzaville is a bit much. Mine throwers, or even flame throwers, could do the trick. But what's that, about an arms trade treaty?
And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1nimetz102908.html
