India Beats China for "Chinese" Seat on JIU, Where Tarasov Goes from Kuwait?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 22, updated -- As the two most populous countries on Earth, except along their border it's rare for India and China to face off. But it happened Tuesday at the UN for a seat on the Geneva-based Joint Inspection Unit.

That there was even a competition was surprising. Of the JIU's 11 inspectors, retiring American Deborah Wynes was replaced without any opposition, on a so-called clean slate, by another American, George Bartisiotas.

Russian Nikolay Chulkov was similarly replaced by Gennady Tarasov, who's been serving as UN High-Level Coordinator for Kuwaiti missing property. (The Russian Mission has been asked by Inner City Press to confirm that Tarasov will resign from the Kuwait post to join the JIU, as at least one source says he will, adding that simultaneous service would not be possible.)

Update of Nov 23: a senior Russian source says that the JIU term, contrary to the information sheet put out by the UN, begins in 2013, so "Tarasov has a full year" to continue on Kuwait. Duly noted.

But which China's ZHANG Yishang retired, not only Chinese ZHANG Yan (his country's ambassador to Delhi) ran -- India's A. Gopinathan also entered the race. And by a vote of 106 to 77, Gopinathan won.

Adding insult to injury, Indian media reported that "China's Zhang Yishan was already a member of the JIU and was seeking renewal of his term." But Yishan is retiring - it's Yan who ran and lost: to now remain in Delhi?

India says it didn't know that China was putting forward a candidate for the seat Yishan had occupied, saying "there are no Permanent seats" on the JIU. But with Russia and the US replacing their own candidates unopposed, it sure looks like there are. Watch this site.

At UN, Ripert's USG Post is France's Fourth, US has Six USGs, the UK Four or Five While Russia Two and China Only One

By Matthew Russell Lee, News Analysis
www.innercitypress.com/unusg1posts082409.html

UNITED NATIONS, August 24 -- As France on Monday was given yet another Under Secretary General job at the UN, bringing its total to four, China's main USG is Sha Zukang of the Department of Social and Economic Affairs, and Russia's two are Sergei Ordzhonikidze, head of the UN in Geneva and Genady Tarasov on Iraq - Kuwait. By contrast, the United States has six USGs, the United Kingdom has four or five. It's surprising that these disparities among the Permanent Five members of the Security Council are so little talked about, at least publicly.

At the UN Security Council's monthly closed door luncheon Monday with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, UK Ambassador John Sawers joked that a final toast to outgoing French Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert wasn't possible, as Jean Maurice had already had to run off on his new job for the UN. Earlier on Monday it was UN made up and dole out a job for Ripert, pushed out as Ambassador by Quai D'Orsai: Ripert will be Special Representative in Pakistan. Inner City Press asked if Ripert's post would be at the Under Secretary General level. Yes, Ban's Spokesperson Michele Montas said. Video here, from Minute 19:12.

Inner City Press asked if that now made three French USGs, with current peacekeeping USG Alain Le Roy and his predecessor Jean-Marie Guehenno, now a USG for Regional Cooperation although he had admitted that he has been assigned no work. I'll look into that, Ms. Montas said.

Afterwards, a French journalist approached Inner City Press to argue that "you Americans" have more USGs. So Inner City Press decided to check.

The French have at least four USGs, including Philippe Douste-Blazy, "Special Advisor on Innovative Financing for Development." There's also Jean Arnault, already in Pakistan, who appears to be an Assistant Secretary General.

But it is true that the United States, including their own share of do-nothing USGs like Guehenno, has fully six USGs. There's B. Lynn Pascoe at the Department of Political Affairs. There's new Department of Safety and Security chief Gregory Starr, who Inner City Press recently wrote about in connection with Starr having extended the US State Department contracts of private military contractor Blackwater.

The US' other USGs include Jeffrey Sachs, Joseph Reed -- recently feted as a "good friend of the Chinese people" -- Ray Chambers on malaria and Matthew Nimetz on the intractable "name issue" involving Greece and what's called the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia or FYROM.

The UK clocks in with four or five USGs, depending on whether Ian Martin, still seen buzzing around the UN long after his Nepal stint and Gaza report roles are over -- is still a USG.

Two way street: Ripert gives credentials (2007), UN's Ban gives job (2009)

There's OCHA's John Holmes, Michael Williams on the Middle East, and in the Congo, Alan Doss, embroiled in a nepotism scandal on which Ms. Montas on Montas said Ban has still not received the expected report, despite being back in New York for five days.

Then there's Kieran Prendergast, still listed on the Cameroon - Nigeria Mixed Commission.

Compared to Russia and China, Norway even after Mona Juul's anti-Ban memo has four USGs: Kai Eide in Afghanistan, Juul's husband Terje Roed Larsen in New York, Jan Egeland in Oslo and everywhere, at least sometimes, and Gro Harlem Brundtland, a special envoy on climate change. India has three USGs, Messrs. Atul Khare, Nitin Desai and Vijay Nambiar (whose job, like Lynn Pascoe's, the UK's John Holmes is said to covet, in the Mona Juul memo). Italy as two USGs, Zannier in Kosovo and Costa on drugs in Vienna.

As noted above the contrast, China's main USG is Sha Zukang of DESA, and Russia's two are Sergei Ordzhonikidze, head of the UN in Geneva and Gennady Tarasov on Iraq - Kuwait. It's surprising that these disparities among the Permanent Five members of the Security Council are so little talked about, at least publicly. Russia is known to want more posts. How can they feel about France's Ripert getting one so quickly? Watch this site.

Update -- it's been pointed out that if one expands the scope to include UN system funds, programs and specialized agencies, the U.S. dispararity grows even larger, sending the USG tally to eight with the World Food Program's Josette Sheeran and UNICEF's Ann Veneman. China rises to two, with the World Health Organization's Margaret Chan...

One could go further and include American Bob Zoellick at the World Bank-- but consider Inner City Press' exclusive piece on the poker game in which in 2012 the U.S. would renounce the World Bank to China (and, some say, UNICEF before that), and the European Union would give up the IMF in order to gain the post of UN Secretary General - click here for that.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unusg1posts082409.html