By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, November 27 -- In a result not unlike a college basketball game, the African Group beat the European Union and US 78 to 76 on Thanksgiving Eve in the UN's Third Committee, with 18 abstaining.
Inner City Press was the first to report the result, linking it to the UN Security Council's rebuff of the African Union's request for a one year deferral of the International Criminal Court's Kenya proceedings on November 15.
But based on feedback, including at China's End of Security Council Presidency reception and then at an Indian Fifth Committee reception, a bit more explanation is necessary. The African Group in essence protested an end run around the 193 members of the General Assembly. And on that basis, they won.
The issue was whether the Human Rights Council, created by and a subsidiary of the General Assembly, could create a new Focal Point without review by the General Assembly. The answer was no.
This was discussed, animatedly and over dumplings, at the Chinese mission on 35th Street minutes later. Many Permanent Representatives still hadn't heard of the vote. Sri Lanka's, for example, after conferring with a former landlord / scribe pitched Inner City Press on the sins of the British, for example the Chagos Islands and further back, the Mau Mau.
Then at the Indian mission, the Fifth Committee which has yet to hit its Superbowl / late night moment noshed and drank. But back in the UN, the Third Committee continued. On women human rights defenders, Norway agreed to strip out a paragraph, PP 13, which led a slew of countries to put out as co-sponsored.
The Bulgarian chair, earlier in the evening somewhat rude to the Sudan, announced that translation would no longer be provided. France protested, then later Russia did -- while keeping it short, to not delay the "African party," which was scheduled for the Nigerian mission, also known as Gambari House.
In the traditional end of session of poem, the UK said that "UK fully endorses, as long as it's within existing resources." Egypt responded with a rhyme about R2P. And that was that! Until the full General Assembly takes up all these items. Watch this site.
