Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/ban1climate020609.html
UNITED NATIONS, February 6, updated Feb. 10 -- On Ban Ki-moon's signature issue, climate change, sources tell Inner City Press a plan is afoot for a mini-summit at New York in the third week of March, slated as Barack Obama's coming out party at the UN. It is timed to precede the G-20 London Summit at the beginning of April. The US Mission to the UN, which for eight years conveyed George Bush's critiques of the UN, now negotiates photo opportunities beneficial both to the new President and Ban Ki-moon.
Update of February 10 -- Ban Ki-moon in response sought to diminish expectations, unprompted, during his press conference on Tuesday, click here for analysis.
Similarly, even the UN Security Council defers in its planning to the new U.S. Ambassador. A planned Council trip through the Great Lakes region of Africa, slated for April, is now on hold pending confirmation with Susan Rice's schedule. "She is an Africa expert," a Council source told Inner City Press. "We're waiting to here back from her."
Ban Ki-moon's senior advisor Kim Won-soo alludes to planned meetings between South Korea's mission to the UN and Ms. Susan Rice. He was seen trying to pass unrecognized in the UN Coffee Shop, under the Visitors' Entrance.
And see, www.innercitypress.com/ban1climate020609.html
