By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 11 -- German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle has arrived in New York and Tuesday will chair the UN Security Council for a session on children and armed conflict.
The night before he hosted most Council ambassadors and a range of UN personalities at the Museum of Modern Art, where a show on German Expressionism features grisly pictures of the First World War and after.
Britain's Permanent Representative Mark Lyall Grant chatted downstairs with Afghan Ambassador Tanin. Up on sixth floor, Westerwelle worked the crowd.
Rwanda's Permanent Representative spoke with him in perfect German; his wife explained to Inner City Press that the Kinyarwanda language has many German words, since before Belgium it was a German colony.
Westerwelle said that Germany can now be an honest broker and “teacher” in Africa -- where Angela Merkel is headed, starting with Angola -- since it does not have the same history as others on the Continent.
France's Gerard Araud was in attendance, as was his Moroccan counterpart. South Africa's able charge d'affaires noted that depending on which countries get elected, his will preside over the Council in either January or February. But due to the alphabet, they will get only one Presidency in their two years. And they hope the institution is reformed before they get elected again.
Germany, which also wants a permanent seat, has highlighted children and armed conflict in its month. Late last Friday, India and Colombia were still critiquing the draft resolution.
Monday India's Permanent Representative Hardeep Singh Puri told Inner City Press his country opposes “mandate creep” on children and armed conflict, just as it opposes “mission creep” in Libya.
India, which will follow Germany as Council President in August, has proved outspoken on the Council, for example joining Russia and South Africa in questioning France parachuting arms into Libya. Others vying for permanent seats are playing it more cautious. Whether it will make a difference remains to be seen.
In attendance Monday night was the UN's expert on the Responsibility to Protect, Edward Luck. Inner City Press asked him about Tuesday's GA session: is it an attack on the mandate? No, he said, he thinks it will be productive. Will Libya be discussed? One assumes so.
The show of Expressionists featured 50 works by Otto Dix, depicting death and destruction in World War I in which he served as a gunner. To see Security Council ambassadors glancing at such works, as they vote on Libya, was more than a little ironic.
There were also pictures by George Grosz, of prostitution and corruption, and Kathe Kollwitz on widows left by war. The show is recommended -- at MOMA as well as at the UN and its Security Council.
Westerwelle will take questions from the press on Tuesday morning at the stakeout, and meet Ban Ki-moon in the afternoon. Watch this site.
