UNITED NATIONS, September 29, 2010 -- The UN General Assembly debate ended Wednesday with a whimper not a bang, with bickering about regional disputes and a self-important speech by self styled visionary GA President Joseph Deiss, before a nearly empty GA hall.
Azerbaijan and Armenia mixed it out about Nagorno Karabakh. India and Pakistan traded charges of interference around Jammu and Kashmir. Eritrea and Ethiopia fought another round, while the Democratic People's Republic of Korea -- North Korea to you -- lashes out at South Korea and the United States, declaring itself innocent of sinking the Cheonan ship.
The UN can be blamed for its role in not solving several of these conflicts. The UN has a force in Kashmir, and like in Western Sahara there was talk of a plebecite / referendum. But none was ever held. Pakistan quoted from what it said was a 1952 offer by Nehru to leave J&K if so requested.
In Eritrea, the claim is that the UN and international community never enforced a border dispute ruling. On the Cheonan ship sinking, the UN Security Council issued a Presidential Statement that was so vague it allows each side to keep claiming victory ad infinitum. And so on.
After Deiss, who has refused to disclose the outside business interests he says are paying him this year, declared that the G-20 must make itself relevant, there was a final requester for the floor: Vietnam.
In a speech on Tuesday, Sweden had criticized the treatment of press and bloggers in eight countries. Three of them, led by Cuba, hit back on Tuesday night, raising questions about Sweden's own record. Inner City Press wrote Wednesday morning about the showdown, including Cuba's statement that Sweden was asked to but refused to stay to hear the reply.
The Swedish Mission called Wednesday to explain that generally it does not talk back to criticisms of its human rights record, because it believes in the freedom of speech. Inner City Press asked Deiss' spokesman if Sweden would be able to speak on Wednesday afternoon at the Debate's final session if they wanted, and the answer seemed to be yes.
But after Vietnam's reply to Sweden, there was no call to surreply. Inner City Press understands that the Swedish reason for its Permanent Representative not being present Tuesday night was the way in which the Cuban Permanent Representative made the request to stay: as a barked order by the glass wall to the side of the GA rostrum.
So this General Debate ended inconclusive, in a fit of pique. And so it goes at the UN. Watch this site.
