By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, October 10, more here -- Four weeks after New Zealand released its UN Handbook and talked up its race against Spain and Turkey for two seats on the UN Security Council, Inner City Press ran into a familiar face in the UN pressing the Kiwis' cause: Jose Ramos-Horta.
After winning the Nobel Peace Prize - today given to Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi - Ramos Horta served the UN most recently as envoy to Guinea Bissau.
Ramos Horta greeted Inner City Press on October 10 on the second floor of the UN Conference Building, outside the General Assembly's meeting on Ebola. After some pleasantries, Inner City Press asked, What brings you through the UN?
Ramos Horta replied that he is lobbying for New Zealand to win a Security Council seat. Asked about Turkey, he rolled his eyes, citing Erdogan. Others have wondered how the (in) action in Kobane may impact Turkey's chances. Anyway the area outside the Security Council has already been cleared of journalists and called the "Turkish Lounge."
In the October 16 election, which of the three will be left out?
Two years ago it was Finland, whose Permanent Representative gave Inner City Press an inflated vote count of 165 on the eve of the election. This has become urban legend and now no one makes predictions. But there is spin.
New Zealand is a small country, but one which can relate to outsiders like Eritrea. The last time they were on the Council, they spoke up for Rwanda. They fought a war with Turkey, which has led to a bond. Still, the Kiwis were surprised when Turkey jumped into what would have been a “clean slate” with Spain.
There should have been no surprise: Turkey feels itself a rising power, they paid for and branded the area outside the Security Council, previously open to the press, into a “Turkish Lounge.” But how will their crackdowns inside Turkey, and now reticence to join up with Obama's coalition against ISIS play?
For the European Union, could the live with both Western European and Other Group seats going to non-EU members? Then again, it is pointed out, the EU spans three UN regional groups: WEOG, Eastern Europe and even the Asia Pacific Group, through Cyprus. So how could the UN tell its members how to vote? The election's set for October 16.
In the next contested WEOG race in 2016 it's slated to be Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy; in 2018 it'll be Belgium, Israel and Germany. Inner City Press -- and as regards press freedom issues, the Free UN Coalition for Access -- will be covering these and other races: Fiji and Malaysia this time; in 2016, Kenya versus Seychelles, Thailand versus Kazakhstan. In 2017, Kuwait and Yemen face off; in 2018, Maldives and Indonesia. Watch this site, and this one.
Footnote: At least since 1961, New Zealand has produced a UN Handbook. Its new one was unveiled on September 12 at the country's UN mission on Third Avenue, in hardcopy and a smart phone app. There was Chardonnay and schmoozing, a handbook-themed chocolate bar (hopefully not bad karma, after Finland's Martti bar); and previously copies of the handbook. The 1961 edition listed the UN General Assembly's “Committee for the Unification and Rehabilitation of Korea, UNCURK.” Plus ca change.
