Inner City Press: Investigative Reporting from the United Nations

Amid UN Praise of Arab Spring, a One Candidate Coronation of Ban Begins

By Matthew Russell Lee, News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, June 6 -- While leaders in the UN loudly praised the Arab Spring as a move toward democracy, Ban Ki-moon is being anointed without any competition or even debate for another five year term as Secretary General.

If democracy is good in the Middle East, why not in the UN itself? Wouldn't a more formal process, including questions ranging from Libya through human rights to the budget, benefit the UN and its legitimacy?

Even the International Monetary Fund, derided for lack of transparency, last month announced a process whereby candidates can put in their names by June 10, with three or four to be interviewed and a decision made by June 30.

At the UN by contrast, there is no deadline, and no explanation of the sudden rush. Much is made of the lack of other candidates, but no formal process for nominations was ever announced.

There is no transparency: the Security Council could take up and adopt, without vote, the dipositive resolution without any notice to the public, in any closed door consultations as early as today.

Ban & Gaddafi: one candidate elections not shown

Some have said Ban would like to do it with the Presidents of Gabon and Nigeria in town: that is, on the margins of Tuesday's speeches about HIV / AIDS.

Beginning with an Inner City Press report midday on Friday that Ban would meet with the Asia Group on Monday morning then announce to the press Monday at 11:30, it has been widely reported that the process has begun (and just as widely predicted that there is no opposition.)

Monday in the UN's North Lawn Building, Inner City Press observed a slew of high UN official going up to Ban's third floor office: Alain Le Roy and Susana Malcorra of Peacekeeping, information technology's Mr. Choi, manager in waiting Franz Baumann -- whom Inner City Press thanked for a recent written answer -- Ban's Special Adviser on Africa and other issues, and top Political adviser Lynn Pascoe, who told Inner City Press “it's just the boss holding his normal Monday morning meeting.” We'll see.

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Amid UN Complaints on Ban Ki-moon's "Arbitrary" 3.7% Budget Cuts, His Pre-Coronation Is Reported

By Matthew Russell Lee, News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, June 5 -- Even before it is decided who should be UN Secretary General from 2012 through 2016, news wire services have predicted with “100%” accuracy that Ban Ki-moon will and should be re-appointed, quoting unnamed “UN diplomats.”

But why? Beyond questions about silence on human rights issues, and compromising the UN's purported impartiality in Cote d'Ivoire and elsewhere, on June 3 members of the UN's budget advisory committee complained to Inner City Press about Ban's just-made budget proposal.

“He said it would be a three percent across the board cut,” a member of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Affairs told Inner City Press. “Then he comes in with three point seven, but implemented very haphazardly. There are no cuts to UN Women, but larger cuts to other departments.”

Another ACABQ source wondered why member states would move so quickly to rubber stamp Ban for five more years right after he made a controversial but still secret budget proposal.

“This wouldn't happen in any democracy in the world,” the source said. In these fiscal times, how leaders proposal budgets is the major issue to judge them on. "Ban just dropped this one on us, the member states haven't even debated or even heard it -- and they want to give him a second term?”

Ban with Zoellick & DSK: successor & musical chairs not shown

Beyond this, as Inner City Press has pointed out since the resignation of Dominique Strauss-Kahn as head of the IMF and before, if that now vacant post goes to an Asian or even South Korean, it would change the UN balance, and quite possible bring out another candidate for the top UN spot.

If Ban is preaching democracy, why not at least wait to see if a competing candidate emerges? Watch this site.

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At UN on 2d Term for Ban, “No One Else Wants the Job,” a P-5 DPR Tells Press, Asia Group to Prejudge IMF Race?

By Matthew Russell Lee, News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, June 5 -- With Ban Ki-moon 24 hours away from seeking Asian Group backing for a second term as UN Secretary General, already arguments are being made that Ban this year made up for his quiet on human rights by promoting air strikes in Cote d'Ivoire and Libya.

But the performance of the UN in Cote d'Ivoire under Ban's close ally Choi Young-jin, who acted as Ban's campaign manager to be selected Secretary General on 2006, has come into question explicitly on human rights grounds.

On June 2, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesperson's office for its response to charges that the UN stood by as Alassane Outtara's forces carried out reprisal killings in Abidjan. Their inaction in Duekoue is already under investigation.

Ban appears to not even be monitoring the bombing of Libya, even amid reports of collateral damage and the use of mercenaries.

On Friday June 3 after Inner City Press reported on the Asia Group's breakfast with Ban set for Monday morning -- not listed on Ban's schedule as of the weekend -- other reports followed quoting unnamed UN diplomats supporting and promoting Ban's bid.

While no one, it seems, wants to speak entirely on the record about Ban, on Friday the Deputy Permanent Representative of a Permanent member of the Security Council told Inner City Press that there are no other alternative candidates to Ban, adding “maybe nobody else wants the job.”

If you use the UN S-G post this way, some wonder, who but a red carpet and travel addict would want it?

The structural problem is the need to please all of the Permanent Five during a first time, in order to get a second. A solution would be to limit Secretaries General to a single term, perhaps of seven years.

As to the Asia Group casting their lot with a second term by Ban on June 6, to some this seems to preclude the International Monetary Fund post going to an Asian, or perhaps even a developing world candidate. Is this the right move for the Asia Group? What exactly is the rush to act before the IMF decides on June 30, or even before the June 10 court decision on whether a case will proceed against Europe's, or at least France's, IMF candidate to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Christine Lagarde?

Could it be, some ask, that those who most supported Ban's and his Choi's attack helicopter raids in Cote d'Ivoire feel similarly about this pre-emptive action in the IMF replacement race?

DSK is in court in lower Manhattan on June 6, but no final decision about his future will be made there. Must it be different in Turtle Bay? Watch this site.

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At UN, Ban Poised to Announce for 2d Term on June 6, Amid Critiques & IMF Intrigue

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 3 -- After months of no-comments from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon about seeking a second term, on Friday things heated up. A Security Council member's spokesman told Inner City Press to “be on the look-out early next week,” then specified that Ban would announce his intention on June 6.

After Ban's office announced he will hold a press conference at 11:30 on Monday, June 6, another delegate told Inner City Press that an Asian Group breakfast is being organized for that morning, and said it was for Ban to announce.

A Chinese diplomat told Inner City Press that his country firmly believes that the top position in the UN for the next five years belongs to Asia -- and that the next head of the International Monetary Fund should come from the developing world.

Some are surprised that Ban would announce while the nomination process to replace Dominique Strauss Kahn at the IMF is still open. If that post goes to an Asian, from China or much less likely a South Korean, that would change Ban's claim to a second term.

Since the IMF nomination process ends on June 10, and the winner will be named on June 30 or before, “what's the sudden rush?” a delegate asked Inner City Press.

There are critiques of Ban Ki-moon circulating, among them his fast speaking out against any aid flotillas to Gaza, his inaction on his own Panel of Experts' report on war crimes in Sri Lanka and more general failure to speak out on human rights and media freedom (raised by the Committee to Protect Journalists, HRW and others)and a general lack of reform and pizazz.

Perhaps this explains the rush, before these various issues develop further. Watch this site.

Click for Mar 1, '11 BloggingHeads.tv re Libya, Sri Lanka, UN Corruption

These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund. Video Analysis here

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

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