At
UN,
Ban on Mobility Means Post for Khare, Musical Chairs, Orr for
Nambiar?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
May 25 -- Earlier in his five year term as UN Secretary
General, Ban Ki-moon announced a policy of mobility under which no
official should serve in the same position for more than five years.
On
May 25, Inner
City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky for an update on the
policy, specifically with regard to Ban's chief of staff Vijay
Nambiar, political chief Lynn Pascoe, top peacekeeper Alain Le Roy,
and his (and Kofi Annan's) adviser Robert Orr.
Nesirky
answered
that the policy is being considered by the General Assembly. While
this may be true of wider human resources policy, Ban's
implementation of his own stated ideals in his own cabinet does not
require outside approval.
While
Inner City
Press is informed of impending changes with regard to the above-named
officials, what is most striking is what sources say about Bob Orr
trying to replace Nambiar as Ban's chief of staff, despite his
already long service in the Executive Office of the Secretary
General.
As noted, Nambiar
has refused to take any questions from
the press, despite a formal request from the UN correspondents'
association.
There's
said by UN sources to be
another Frenchman in line to eventually replace Le Roy, and another
American for
Pascoe -- unless the UK gets its wish to “get DPA back” and
thereby releases Valerie Amos from the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs.
Meanwhile,
the
spirit of mobility is being violated, in the name of “Change
Management.” With Edmond Mulet returning from Haiti to reclaim
“his” post as Deputy chief of DPKO, the current holder of this
post Atul Khare must leave.
But
Khare is not of
retirement age, and his native India wants to keep a high post,
particularly if Nambiar's to leave.
So
what does Ban
do? Inner City Press twice asked Ban's spokesman Nesirky without
getting an answer. Now multiple sources tell Inner City Press that
Ban's solution is to create a new post for Khare, called Assistant
Secretary General for Change Management, which will report to Deputy
S-G Migiro. As one source said, “this is how you make sure nothing
changes.”
Ban and Khare, Nambiar and "Change Management" not shown
From
the
UN's
noon briefing transcript of May 23:
Inner
City
Press: Just factually, I wanted to know, I think Mr. [Edmond]
Mulet is coming back from Haiti, from his time in Haiti at the end of
this month. And some had said he is going to become the Deputy in
DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations]. Is that true, and what
happens to Mr. [Atul] Khare, does he remain with DPKO or does he--
Spokesperson
Martin
Nesirky: Yeah, you asked that question by e-mail on Friday,
and when we have an answer we’ll let you know, okay?
Watch
this site.
* * *
On
Myanmar,
Ban
“Notes” Calls to Replace UN Envoy Nambiar, Rohingya
on Margins
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
May
20 -- With the UN's envoy to Myanmar Vijay Nambiar
openly refusing to speak with the press, despite a formal request
from the UN correspondents' association, the only way to learn the
specifics of his recent visit is to ask the Security Council
diplomats he spoke to, then ask the UN to confirm.
Inner
City Press
on May 20 asked
UN
spokesman Martin Nesirky why Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon has not acted on what even Nambiar on May 20 reported to the
Council Aung San Suu Kyi has asked for: a full time replacement to
Nambiar as envoy.
Nesirky
replied
that “the Secretary-General takes note of these suggestions, and
we’ll look at them in due course.” Some wonder when the course
will be considered due, given that replacement of Nambiar has been
suggested for months.
On
May 19 the
Assistant chief of the UN refugee agency UNHCR told Inner City Press
about the plight of the Rohnigya people left stateless by Myanmar.
Inner City Press asked her if Nambiar, Ban's envoy to Myanmar, does
anything on this issue. This she did not answer.
Inner
City Press
on May 20 asked Nesirky if Nambiar works at all on the issue. Without
providing any specifics, Nesirky said that “obviously we would have
concern for the treatment and position of any ethnic group.”
But
why then did
Nambiar not meet with ethnic minorities, nor speak about the
violations and ending of ceasefires in their areas by the government?
These are questions that Nambiar should take and answer, in the
press availability now requested by the UN correspondents'
association.
Nambiar last time, Press excluded, new request not shown
From
the
UN's
May
20 transcript:
Inner
City
Press:
I wanted to ask about Myanmar as well. Yesterday, Mr.
[Vijay] Nambiar didn’t end up taking any questions, but a member of
the Council of the United Kingdom, on the record, said that he
recorded that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told him that she would like to
see a full-time envoy, and the United Kingdom, as some other
countries have in the past, said they too would like to see a
full-time envoy, i.e., not Mr. Nambiar, who would be a part-time
envoy. So I wonder, one, can you confirm that that’s what Mr.
Nambiar said in the Council, given that a Council member said it? And
two, what’s the Secretariat’s response to the request by the
main democracy leader in Myanmar, that a full-time envoy be chosen,
selected and sent?
Inner
City
Press:
Well, Mr. Vijay Nambiar conveyed to the Security Council
the gist of his conversations with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD
[National League for Democracy], and also conversations he had with
Myanmar's other political opposition groups, ethnic nationality
groups and representatives of civil society in Myanmar. And he has
also said — because I know that you’ve asked a number of
questions related to this, including the prisoner release — he also
said that, while the initial sentence reductions and resulting
release of some political prisoners is a small step in the right
direction, it has been short of expectations and is insufficient. And,
again, just to reiterate, during the visit, the United Nations
reiterated its call for the urgent release of all political
prisoners.
And
also,
I
think it is important to note that the real test would be
whether — or how quickly — the new climate can translate into a
change in content in Myanmar. And it would also be important to see
how the authorities concretely hold up to their own commitments and
respond to the United Nations’ various suggestions over the next
coming months.
Inner
City
Press:
there was a press conference here yesterday afternoon,
where an official of UNHCR was talking about stateless people and the
Convention on Refugees. And she spoke about the Rohingya being
repatriated to Myanmar, not being given citizenship papers. So, I
wanted to, it wasn’t clear to me, maybe you’re always… you said
that if something wasn’t in the statement, it doesn’t mean he
didn’t work on it or didn’t discuss it, but is… does he view
this problem of the… she says there is a million of them, stateless
Rohingya people in Myanmar; is part of this in any way related to his
mandate of good offices and if so, what does he think of the
Government’s treatment of them?
Spokesperson:
Well,
obviously we would have concern for the treatment and position
of any ethnic group. And as I mentioned, Mr. Nambiar did convey to
the Security Council and outlined the conversations that he had with
the various groups and individuals, including ethnic nationality
groups, and of course with the authorities themselves.
Inner
City
Press:
On this idea that both Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the United
Kingdom and others have said that a full-time, without… that a
full-time envoy would be better suited for the job…
Spokesperson:
Well,
we’ve said before, because the last time there was a Group
of Friends meeting, a similar suggestion was made, and we’ve said
before that the Secretary-General takes note of these ideas,
proposals, suggestions, and we’ll look at them in due course.
Again,
some wonder
when the course will be considered due, given that replacement of
Nambiar has been suggested for months. Watch this site.
* * *
