UN Budget Panel Chair Won by Mexico Over UK "Spy," Moon Ties Gabon for Vice

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, November 19, updated -- In the UN's Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, a new chairperson was elected on November 21: Carlos Ruiz Massieu of Mexico.

  He won 9-7 over the UK's Robert Moon. Ever classy, the UK Mission tweeted its congratulations. Later a UK spokesman added, "The UK always supports those we believe to be the best candidates for the job. We have a rigorous selection process for selecting all UK candidates."

   After that first vote, Moon ran for Vice Chair, tying 7-7 with the member from Gabon.

  As Inner City Press reported on November 19, multiple sources have exclusively detailed to it how UK Permanent Representative Mark Lyall Grant was calling his counterparts of the native countries of other ACABQ members, lobbying for this Moon, has been on ACABQ since January 2011.

  It's said that such lobbying for ACABQ is standard practice. There is a question of principle here: if it is argued that ACABQ members and chairpersons do not represent their countries, how much lobbying by their country to get the position is appropriate?

  Since vice chairs like Carlos Ruiz Massieu often move up to chair, Moon's seven votes in the first round show efficacy of Lyall Grant's and the UK's lobbying. But the second round tie?

  The UK notes, Moon was  on the "GA's Fifth Committee from 1999 to 2003; and then moved to the ACABQ, leaving at the end of 2004. He has been a member of the Committee on Contributions since 2005."

   Opponents of Richard Moon becoming chair - and they do exist -- have made much of a website listing the UK's overseas spies which lists a "Richard John Moon: dob 1959; 85 Jakarta, 93 Rome, 99 New" York. These do line up with Moon's c.v. on the UK Mission web site.

  In fairness even if true there is a lot of back and forth between diplomatic and intelligence service: witness not only Sir John Sawers but many other switches, in both directions, in the Permanent Five members of the Security Council and beyond.

  And we now note, in terms of the "spy" list's credibility or lack thereof, the UK Mission spokesperson until November 2010 is listed: "2004 Kabul, 2007 Ankara. 5. Cross, Harriett Victoria Saltonstall."

  Regardless, some have told Inner City Press they find the UK's lobbying inappropriate, either because ACABQ members are supposed to serve in their personal capacities only -- yeah, right -- or because a Permanent Five member of the Security Council should also chair the ACABQ.

  Of course, the American Susan McLurg previously chaired the ACABQ. But perhaps pushback at the P5 is only growing, as reflected by the recent passage of the resolution requiring Ban Ki-moon to be more transparent on how the P5's Special Political Missions are decided on and funded.

  On the other hand, there was a competing and devious theory that the Secretariat, represented by chef de cabinet Susana Malcorra of Argentina, reached out to Kelapile to see if he would use his position to support Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's "mobility" proposal.

  Once rebuffed, the theory goes, Malcorra "got GRULAC," the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, to support Kelapile's ouster, assuming that the vice chair, Carlos Ruiz Massieu of Mexico, an expert on issues ranging from Darfur to the Capital Master Plan, would assume the top stop and be more amenable.

 
    This theory has been directly denied, as well as any pre-existing support of Ban's mobility proposal, which we will be following. Watch this site.

Fight to Chair UN Budget Panel Has UK Lobbying "For Spy," GRULAC Tricks?

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, November 19, updated -- In the UN's Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, a new chairperson is set to be elected on November 21, to replace Collen Kelapile of Botswana, who ran earlier this month to stay on ACABQ but lost, to the Budget Committee delegate of Eritrea and a candidate from Senegal after Benin dropped out.

  Inner City Press, which covered those elections, has been barraged since with competing theories of why Kelapile lost. 

  The most devious theory is that the Secretariat, represented by chef de cabinet Susana Malcorra of Argentina, reached out to Kelapile to see if he would use his position to support Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's "mobility" proposal.

  Once rebuffed, the theory goes, Malcorra "got GRULAC," the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, to support Kelapile's ouster, assuming that the vice chair, Carlos Ruiz Massieu of Mexico, an expert on issues ranging from Darfur to the Capital Master Plan, would assume the top stop and be more amenable. (This theory has been denied, we note, but persists.)

  But the United Kingdom is also pushing and lobbying in the ACABQ race, pushing for UK citizen Richard Moon, already a member, to become the chair. 

  Multiple sources have exclusively detailed to Inner City Press how UK Permanent Representative Mark Lyall Grant is calling his counterparts of the native countries of other ACABQ members, lobbying for this Moon, has been on ACABQ since January 2011. 

  Before that, the UK notes, Moon wa  on the "GA's Fifth Committee from 1999 to 2003; and then moved to the ACABQ, leaving at the end of 2004. He has been a member of the Committee on Contributions since 2005."

  Opponents of Richard Moon becoming chair - and they do exist -- have made much of a website listing the UK's overseas spies which lists a "Richard John Moon: dob 1959; 85 Jakarta, 93 Rome, 99 New" York. These do line up with Moon's c.v. on the UK Mission web site.

  In fairness even if true there is a lot of back and forth between diplomatic and intelligence service: witness not only Sir John Sawers but many other switches, in both directions, in the Permanent Five members of the Security Council and beyond.

Update: And we note, in terms of the "spy" list's credibility or lack thereof, the UK Mission spokesperson until November 2010 is listed: "2004 Kabul, 2007 Ankara. 5. Cross, Harriett [sic] Victoria Saltonstall." [It's Harriet with one "t."]

  Regardless, some have told Inner City Press they find the UK's lobbying inappropriate, either because ACABQ members are supposed to serve in their personal capacities only -- yeah, right -- or because a Permanent Five member of the Security Council should also chair the ACABQ.

  Of course, the American Susan McLurg previously chaired the ACABQ. But perhaps pushback at the P5 is only growing, as reflected by the recent passage of the resolution requiring Ban Ki-moon to be more transparent on how the P5's Special Political Missions are decided on and funded.

  There is a question of principle here: if it is argued that ACABQ members and chairpersons do not represent their countries, how much lobbying by their country to get the position is appropriate? Watch this site.

As Sir John Sawers Becomes Top UK Spy, New Light on Secrecy, Sri Lanka and Sudan Strategy

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/unmi6sawers061709.html

UNITED NATIONS, June 17 -- After representing the United Kingdom at the UN and its Security Council, John Sawers has been tapped to head the UK's intelligence agency MI6. It triggers a selective review of his time at the UN, perhaps more critical than the BBC's "Sawers Can Dance" piece.

Perhaps to his credit, Sawers was recently called "an amateur diplomat" by his Sudanese counterpart. The charge can after Sawers was quote that the Council bypassed Sudan during its recent trip across Africa, in order to avoid meeting with its indicted war criminal president Omar al-Bashir. "The UK and Sawers have blood on their hands," Sudan's Ambassador replied. Then came the promotion.

Just before the announcement, in an on the record sit-down with the UN press corps, Inner City Press asked him to assess his and the Security Council's performance on Sri Lanka, where tens of thousands have been killed this year. Sawers said that the votes had been there to put Sri Lanka on the Council's formal agenda, but that he'd thought the unity of the Council more important.

Therefore, after a few informal meetings without outcome in the UN basement, Sri Lanka is not on the Council's agenda, as internment camps continue to grow and critical voices are denied visas or deported. Was Sawers' the right judgment? Apparently this UK government thinks yes. And if intelligence and "anti-terrorism" are the priorities, the choice seems predetermined.

Under Sawers, the UK mission to the UN displayed, at least in the view of this reporter, a bent for secrecy. Most Wednesday mornings, Sawers would brief select journalists who cover the UN. It was called a background briefing, but from the stories that would be written, it was obvious who had spoken. Once what Sawers said on background over breakfast differed notably from what he had told Inner City Press on the record at the stakeout.

After reflection, Inner City Press wrote story noting this one incongruous aspect of Sawers' presentations, leaving others out. (Inner City Press attends other countries' briefings, applying this same standard without incident.) But Sawers then-spokesman responded that Inner City Press had no right to even mention the breakfast briefings, and grilled the participants on who had told Inner City Press what had been said. He tried to drive a wedge, and all to protect what: the right of a powerful country to anonymously snark at the smaller and less powerful? Call it intelligence.

That Sawers was aiming for higher postings seemed clear, for example when during the Council's visit to a refugee camp in Darfur, Sawers left the other Ambassadors sweltering off camera in a meeting with camp elders, and set off alone with the press to meet and greet the IDPs. Some other Ambassadors grumbled. But as the early bird gets the worm, the intrepid Ambassador leaves many of his colleagues behind.

Sawers was always attentive during the visits to the UN of Gordon Brown, David Miliband and even Mark Malloch Brown. To his credit, Sawers in less formal settings was usually gracious, and often funny. At the farewell party for his next spokesman, Michael Hoare, Sawers joked about among other things Hoare's fascination with the James Bond films and dressing in tuxedos.

Such events were nearly always held in the Park Avenue digs of the UK's Deputy Permanent Representative, then Karen Pierce. Perhaps Sawers' place was filled with intelligence equipment. Or might it have been a practice dance floor?

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unmi6sawers061709.html