By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 17 -- Is diplomacy at the UN getting more or less successful? Last year, April 12, 2014 to be exact, a Commission on Population and Development text was agreed to on a Friday into Saturday.
This year, the Friday ended earlier in failure: no text agreed, an angry speech by Babatunde Osotimehin, complaints by Nauru that his UNFPA tried to pressure Nauru's capital, and alternative cheers from the gallery in Conference Room 4.
When the Deputy Permanent Representative of Nigeria spoke, some including a group of women in a range of Islamic headscarves clapped. A different group cheered when Norway spoke, and again when the facilitators purported to wrap up.
How was a deal possible last year and not this? The previous night in Washington, Ban Ki-moon vaguely told the National Press Club that diplomacy is doing well in his UN -- as he prepared to allow Saudi Arabia, launching airstrikes on Yemen, to choose its own replacement for mediator Jamal Benomar whom it pushed out. Diplomacy?
Apropos of CPD, might Ban dare to nominate a woman nominator? Inner City Press asked - so far without answer.
CPD, like the NGO Committee at times, involves the culture wars. After the failure of the meeting, Nigeria's affable DPR took selfies with a slew of supporters. Others streamed out, cursing. Up in the Delegates Lounge, the drinking had moved out onto the porch over the East River and Rose Garden. The UN goes on.
Last year it was just another Friday night into Saturday morning at the UN, this time a fight over the Commission on Population and Development. Again, the culture wars: a dispute over "sexual and reproductive health" and rights. It culminated in speeches between 6 and 7 am.
We open past 11 pm. The Permanent Representative of Kenya, this month's chair of the African Group, said there would be no sleight of hand solution. He went into Conference Room A with other Permanent Representatives, including those of Norway and then of Cameroon, who told Inner City Press that "in African we don't do Programs of Action, we do Declarations." It would be another long night.
Others noted the irony that the UN Population Fund, UNFPA, is headed by Babatunde Osotimehin of Nigeria but his country is taking a different view. This split was contrasted, for example, with elsewhere in the UN system Frenchman Herve Ladsous using his post atop UN Peacekeeping to serve France. "That's not the UN," a Permanent Representative said. But for now it is.
Meanwhile when UNFPA's Representative in Sudan was thrown out on April 7, the UN tried to say nothing. Inner City Press wrote about it, went to the noon briefing and asked, and only after that got a (non) statement from UNFPA. What's next?
While as increasingly often in the UN there was little media coverage, Inner City Press and another reporter were told they could not enter Conference Room 1 through its front door. The Free UN Coalition for Access objected; access was gained.
During the lull several Ambassadors came to speaking about "the Burundi cable," here. Some predicted that the SRSG might be tossed out even before the UN's mandate expires at the end of the year.
Down on the floor of Conference Room 1, a delegate noted that now CPD47 had surpassed "last year when we ended at 13 minutes after midnight."
And after a long and murky night in the basement of the UN, a text was in fact adopted followed by a slew of mostly angry speeches from 6 to 7 am.
Argentina's Permanent Representative regretted that language about unilateral sanctions, debt was not retained. She was followed by speakers from Jordan and Australia, all Security Council members this year. There are not a lot of 6 am Security Council meetings. But this is another part of the UN.
Iran, set for a big role in CPD 48, joined with Egypt and Oman in slamming the deletion of language about "foreign occupation." South Africa pointed out paragraphs on which it negotiated in it national capacity, NOT as part of the African Group.
The US speech was surprisingly upbeat, glad for citations to sexual and reproductive health, eager for the ICPD session in General Assembly. Hungary said it does not take "reproductive rights" to include abortion. The Holy See took this further. The European Union's deputy said that principles agreed to in Cairo 20 years ago are being re-litigated now. Yes, it's Culture Wars.
Then UNFPA head Babatunde Osotimehin gave a wrap-up speech with empty bottle of big-name soda in front of him. Caffeine, okay. But ads? Then the UN Population Division. But as Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access have asked before, what of Myanmar's anti-Royhinga census and reproduction policies? Speaking of reproductive issues?
There were fast announcement of the next session, CPD 48, with Belgium chairing and some other news soon to follow. Watch this site.
