By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, February 23 -- Amid the UN's sudden claims to be getting tough with Libya, Inner City Press since February 20 has been reporting that the UN system named Aicha Gadhafi, the Colonel's daughter, a Goodwill Ambassador.
Inner City Press sought comment in writing from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky, without answer.
On February 22, Inner City Press asked at the noon briefing for confirmation:
Inner City Press: can you confirm that Colonel Qadhafi’s daughter, Ayesha, is a UN system Goodwill Ambassador with a Laissez-Passer that remains open until 2013? And what does… If so, what does the Secretary-General think about this goodwill ambassadorship? Will it be revoked? Is it, what is your position on it?
Spokesperson Nesirky: As I understand it, she is a national Goodwill Ambassador in Libya for UNDP [United Nations Development Programme]. On the other details you have asked, I will check.
Since Nesirky had checked and gotten the answer from and about UNDP, it is unclear why he didn't answer the pending written question. Perhaps he hoped that, with briefings truncated by meetings, the question couldn't be asked in person.
On February 23, in person, Inner City Press asked former UNDP Administration Mark Malloch Brown about Aicha Gadhafi being a Goodwill Ambassador.
“I hope she's not a UNDP Ambassador,” he said. “I don't think it's UNDP. I was surprised when I saw that... she was an Ambassador to any part of the UN system.”
But it was UNDP. And only on February 23, the day after Nesirky's first confirmation, did the UN announce a belated removal of the Ambassadorship:
“I was asked yesterday whether one of Colonel [Muammar] Qadhafi’s daughters is a Goodwill Ambassador. And as I mentioned, Aisha al-Qadhafi was appointed as National UNDP Goodwill Ambassador for Libya on 24 July 2009. Her appointment at that time enabled UNDP to address the issues of HIV/AIDS and violence against women in Libya, both culturally sensitive topics in the country. Following the recent events, UNDP has terminated the agreement with Ms. Qadhafi, based on article 30 of the UN Guidelines for the Designation of Goodwill Ambassadors and Messengers of Peace. By the way, I can tell you that UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors do not get paid, they volunteer their time, and they do not hold UN laissez-passer travel documents.”
Later on February 23, Ban Ki-moon appeared at the UN North Lawn second floor stakeout and took a handful of questions. When asked if he was calling on Gadhafi to step down, Ban dodged the question then left.
At Malloch Brown's event, the selling of his new book “The Unfinished Global Revolution” in the UN bookstore, Inner City Press asked him about the process for selection the UN Secretary General. He replied that he had wished Ban's 2006 selection had included “hustings and manifestos.”
He contrasted this with the “two most successful Secretaries General, Dag Hammarskjold and Kofi Annan,” while noting that those who voted for them hadn't read their biographies.
Under Dag Hammarskhold, would the daughter of Libya's dictator, who killed his opponents as far back as the 1970s, have been made a UN system Goodwill Ambassador? Watch this site.
Footnote: Malloch Brown, before answering Inner City Press' question, said it should buy a copy of his book, for the “pain extracted from me for so many years.” While it may refer back to some profanity he used, compared to current UN system leadership, at least Malloch Brown purports to take and answer questions.
