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Amid
Praise of
Hammarskjold,
UNSC Race and
John Ashe
Case, “What
Would Dag
Say?”
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 27 --
When Dag
Hammarskjold
was UN
Secretary
General, there
was was a time
he invited a
dozen guests
to his
apartment on
the Upper East
Side for
dinner. When
they got
there,
Hammarskjold
told his
guests, Let us
be quiet for
the next two
hours while we
eat, and
listen to
Bach.
This
story was told
by
Hammarskjold's
fellow Swede
Jan Eliasson
on Tuesday
evening the
UN's Economic
and Social
Council
Chamber, along
with readings
from
Hammarskjold's
Markings and
pieces of Bach
and Beethoven.
In a
reception
afterward,
after remarks
for the
Hammarskjold
Foundation and
salmon tartar
and endive
leaves,
Eliasson
recounted a
story that
he said fell
out of his
notes, how
Hammarskjold's
diplomatic
skill and
respect for
Chinese
culture got
gained a
release by
China as a
birthday gift
to him.
One was
left wondering
what
Hammarskjold
would make up
the indictment
this month of
recent
President of
the General
Assembly John
Ashe, of
Dominican
Republic
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
Frank Lorenzo
and Macau
based
businessness
Ng Lap Seng.
What reforms
would
Hammarskjold
be pushing
for? Would
they be more
than
a small task
force and an
internal audit
of two
foundations?
It was also
difficult not
to think, at
the event and
then
reception, of
Sweden's run
for two
Security
Council seat
next June
against Italy
and the
Netherlands.
One attendee
joked to Inner
City Press
about “playing
the
Hammarskjold
card;” it must
be noted that
Finland
tried
something
similar but
was
unsuccessful.
What about the
Margot
Wallstrom
card? What
philosophers
will Italy and
the
Netherlands
put forward?
At the
reception,
diplomats from
three
continents and
Regional
Groups told
Inner City
Press that in
today's world,
or at least
today's UN,
there is no
time to think
the way
Hammarksjold
did. Is this
related to the
way corruption
penetrated the
UN, from award
ceremonies in
the Delegates
Dining Room to
Cipriani?
What would Dag
say? We'll
have more on
this.
* * *
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