At
UN,
As
Rudd Meets Ban for 50 Minutes, Pasztor Is Present, Job for Climate
Change in
Air?
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July
14, updated -- When Kevin
Rudd, just ousted as Australia's prime
minister, met late July 14 with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,
there was one attendee rarely as such meetings: Janos Pasztor, the
head of the UN's climate change unit.
This
came
a day
after Inner City Press reported
that the UN is being urged by the
Obama Administration to give Rudd a climate change job.
Inconveniently, the UNFCCC
top post was recently awarded to Christina
Figueres of Costa Rica. (Pasztor competed for the job, temporarily
and partially recusing himself from his past and current job, but
lost out.)
Now,
while
the
U.S. wishes the UNFCCC post
were open, it appears that a new special
envoy on global warming post would have to be created. One wonders
what Pasztor thinks. Also present in the meeting were Ban's chief of
staff Vijay Nambiar and his deputy, but most senior advisor, Kim
Won-soo.
UN's Ban and Rudd
Prior
to
meeting
Rudd, Ban had an audience with representatives of the Korean Red
Cross. They bought a gift, which was waiting by the elevator. Moments
before Rudd came in, Ban emerged from his office and began walking to
his spot at the table.
Moments later, Pasztor joins
Then he
stopped, remembering - he had
forgotten to put on his glasses. He went back and got them. Then Rudd
entered, then Pasztor. The photos were taken, and the photographers
hustled out.
But Rudd did
not leave until 6:20 p.m. -- 50 minutes later....
* * *
On
Climate
Change
Finance, UN Dodges Air and Sea Tax, Ban Differs With
Envoy, Rudd in Wings?
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July
13 -- The two co-chairs of the UN's High Level Advisory
Group on Climate Change Financing, the prime ministers of Ethiopia
and Norway, Tuesday vaguely summarized their Group's ideas to the
press. To Norwegian PM Jens Stoltenberg, Inner City Press asked if
taxes on aviation and shipping are being discussed.
Stoltenberg
replied
that
“We have not agreed, there is not conclusions yet,
this is not the time for presenting any conclusion. But there are
many different possible sources. And of course, some of the possible
sources are related to international aviation, international
shipping. whether that is going to be included in the final report or
not, it is too early to say... that is all I can say today.”
Inner
City
Press
asked Ban Ki-moon about the comment by his new envoy on the issue,
that a comprehensive agreement may not be reached in her lifetime. A
subtext are rumblings in the U.S. State Department that they would
have liked to put now deposed Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd in
the post, or that the UN now create a new climate change envoy
position for Rudd.
Ban and the co-chairs, answers on taxes and envoy not shown
Ban
smiled and
answered, as transcribed by the UN:
I
speak
on
my behalf. I do not normally speak for a person whom I have
nominated. I have not read exactly what she said, but I think that
she might have been trying to explain that the process would be quite
a difficult one. But just the reason that it is a difficult one does
not give us any reason to be disappointed or deterred. We have a
strong commitment to reach a globally binding agreement as soon as
possible and I am sure that we can achieve that goal. As I said, the
more we delay, the cost of inaction will be far, far greater than the
cost of action today.
That
is
what
I have been repeatedly saying and emphasizing. Therefore
this High-level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing is a very
good start and a very good initiative to make the comprehensive
process of negotiation move. This is a very important element,
aspect of complementing, reinforcing the negotiation process. And you
have our commitment. You see the commitment of these distinguished
Prime Ministers and world leaders.
The
last question
allowed was directed to Mr. Ban, and concerned “occupied Kashmir.”
Ban declined to answer it. Inner City Press would have wanted to ask
Ethiopia's Meles Zenawi for this view of the bombings in Kampala. But
he was gone.
, 
