Deal
on
UN Budget at
6:30 AM
Christmas Eve,
Ivorian
Mission Cut,
Cynicism
Charged
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 24 --
From the
closed door UN
budget talks
in North
Lawn
Conference
Room 5,
applause
broken out at
6:33 am on
Christmas
Eve.
The
final cuts had
been made, to
the UN's Ivory
Coast mission.
The US wanted
$7 million,
others said $5
million.
Rather than
settle
in the middle,
the US held
out for a $6.5
million cut.
"They
shouldn't
use the
General
Assembly for
domestic
political
purposes,"
a
representative
on the Budget
Committee
complained to
Inner City
Press, adding
more about US
Ambassador for
Management Joe
Torsella.
He panned what
he called
grandstanding,
Torsella
trying to get
early
meetings
televised so
that "House
Republicans"
could see
him fighting
the UN, then
going secret
and backroom
in the final
stages.
The
final cut, to
the UNOCI Cote
d'Ivoire
mission, was
reflective of
the process.
While
the US and
some others
held out for
an extra
$500,000 cut,
the other
side bragged
that no actual
posts or jobs
were cut.
They marveled
that the US
and France,
who earlier in
2011 said how
important
UNOCI
was in the
transfer of
power to
Alassane
Ouattara from
defiant leader
Laurent
Gbagbo, now
wanted to
slash this
very mission.
"It's the
height of
cynicism," an
African Group
diplomat told
Inner City
Press.
Down
in Conference
Room 3 where
the first of
two rounds of
voting would
take place,
Fifth
Committee
chairman Tommo
Monthe paced
around as the
documents
were handed
out past 7:30
am. A
Permanent
Representative
told Inner
City Press of
a call at 4
am, to come to
the UN and
vote.
CR 3 at 7:45
am on
Christmas Eve,
@@USJoe_UN not
seen
In
the US seat,
there was no
sign of Joe
Torsella.
Perhaps he or
the State
Department
would speak
later via
press release.
But in the
spirit of
transparency,
he should have
taken
questions.
Watch this
site.
Chair
Tommo Monthe
started the
meeting and
the voting at
7:45 am.
, 
