By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, December 22 -- Committee assignments for 2011 have been confidentially circulated by the UN Security Council's Permanent Five members. As first reported by Inner City Press, in the fight between Portugal and Bosnia to head the Working Methods group, Bosnia has won.
Sudan and Iran sanctions will be chaired by Colombia. Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Timor Leste will be headed by Brazil. A member which in 2010 had no committees, Gabon, will lead on Lebanon; Lebanon will lead on Liberia.
As previously reported by Inner City Press, Nigeria will chair Peacekeeping, and on Iraq. Germany will lead on Afghanistan, Al Qaeda and Taliban sanctions and Children and Armed Conflict.
South Africa will chair Conflict Prevention in Africa and on Resolution 1540. India will lead Somalia sanctions, the CTC and the 1566 Working Group.
And Portugal will lead on Tribunals as well as North Korea sanctions. Inner City Press is told that to stand down on its desire to lead on Working Methods, Portugal has been promised the chair next year. We'll see.
The above described assignments, after a delay occasioned mostly by the Working Methods fights between Portugal and Bosnia, have been circulated by the Permanent Five members and are viewed as final.
