At UN, PGA John Ashe Disputes There's Been "Pushback" on His Six UNSC Reform Advisers, Human Rights Council Focal Point Showdown?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 18 -- When UN President of the General Assembly John Ashe did his end of the year press conference on Wednesday, Inner City Press asked him about the "pushback" at his six member Advisory Group on Security Council reform, and if he'd envisioned a broader mandate for them when he named them. (He's had to clarify that they neither draft nor negotiate.)

  Ashe took issue with the words "pushback" and especially "mandate," arguing that he did not need a mandate to set up the Advisory Group, just as the Secretary General does not need a mandate to set up groups to advise him.

  But the status and yes, mandates of such advisory groups in the UN system often is contested. For example, Ban Ki-moon got advised on war crimes in Sri Lanka, but the Rajapaksa government continues to insist that the report was "not a UN report."

  In the case of Ashe's advisory group, as Inner City Press first reported, letters of concern and pushback came in from Uniting for Consensus, the Arab Group and China, with the Eastern European group raising its concerns orally. This led to multiple clarifications from Ashe; that's how the process works. But why purport there was no pushback?

  As the work of the GA's Third Committee comes to a head later today in the full General Assembly, Inner City Press asked Ashe for his view and action on the dispute between the African Group and others on whether a proposed new "Focal Point" for the UN Human Rights Council needs General Assembly review and approval. 

  Would a reversal of the African Group's slim win undermine the power of the GA or its Presidency?

  Ashe replied that he had not been asked to get involved in this, but that he did not think that it implicated the powers of the PGA. How about of the GA? We will cover it this afternoon.

While it didn't need confirming, click here for previous Inner City Press story, Ashe did it, saying that his successor will be the foreign minister of Uganda, Sam Kutesa. Would he have a view on this afternoon's hot topic? Watch this site.

Footnote: In his last press conference, Ashe quoted Justin Timberlake. Inner City Press praised it, then had to justify the praise - and would do so again. We're still awaiting some transparency, for example a list of who pays for or seconds the positions in the PGA's office. Now, Ban Ki-moon is proposing that ACABQ members be paid directly from the UN budget. Why not the PGA's office? We hope to have more on this.

   

African Group Diplomats Tell Inner City Press They're Rejecting Ban Ki-moon's Bid for Achim Steiner II at UNEP, Showdown on Human Rights Council Focal Point

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, December 18 -- Three weeks ago, the African Group beat the European Union and US 78 to 76 on Thanksgiving Eve in the UN's Third Committee, with 18 abstaining. 

  The issue was whether at the UN Human Rights Council a new "Focal Point" could be established without General Assembly review. The answer, then, was no.

  Now it and other items are coming up in the full General Assembly. The African Group has met and members have told Inner City Press they've decided to "stand strong."

  They tell Inner City Press exclusively that they're taking the same position on Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's request to give Achim Steiner another two years atop the UN Environment Program in Nairobi, Kenya. Team Ban is sure to try to push back.

   Inner City Press was the first to report the November 27 result, linking it to the UN Security Council's rebuff of the African Union's request for a one year deferral of the International Criminal Court's Kenya proceedings on November 15.

But based on feedback, including at China's classy and uncensored End of Security Council Presidency reception and then at an Indian Fifth Committee reception, a bit more explanation was necessary. The African Group in essence protested an end run around the 193 members of the General Assembly. And on that basis, they won.

The issue was whether the Human Rights Council, created by and a subsidiary of the General Assembly, could create a new Focal Point without review by the General Assembly. The answer was no.

This was discussed, animatedly and over dumplings, at the Chinese mission on 35th Street minutes later. Many Permanent Representatives still hadn't heard of the vote. Sri Lanka's, for example, after conferring with a former landlord / scribe pitched Inner City Press on the sins of the British, for example the Chagos Islands and further back, the Mau Mau.

  Then at the Indian mission, the Fifth Committee which still has yet to hit its Superbowl / late night moment noshed and drank. But back in the UN, the Third Committee continued. On women human rights defenders, Norway agreed to strip out a paragraph, PP 13, which led a slew of countries to pull out as co-sponsored.

   In the traditional end of session of poem, the UK said that "UK fully endorses, as long as it's within existing resources." Egypt responded with a rhyme about R2P. And that was that! Until the full General Assembly takes up all these items. Watch this site.