At
UN, New
Zealand
Features
Rugby, Seeking
SC Seat, Clark
in Rose Garden
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
September 8 --
It was a light
moment at
the UN, or
just outside
it on the
North Lawn
facing the
East River on
Monday
afternoon.
There were two
players from
New Zealand's
national rugby
team the All
Blacks, Victor
Vito and Ryan
Crotty, and
children in
UNICEF blue
shirts. There
was a barbeque
with lamb
chops and
sliders,
sausages and
bread. There
was an open
bar, beer and
wine, and
music piped in
under a tent.
This
being the UN,
it had to be
noted and was:
New Zealand is
running for
the Security
Council, to
take over the
Western
European and
Other Group
seat from
Australia.
Diplomats had
been invited,
among others
the Permanent
Representatives
of the
Netherlands
and Romania,
deputies of
the UK and
France,
Central Asians
and small
islanders.
In a
brief speech
under the tent
as the gray
sky
threatened,
New Zealand's
rugby
diplomacy was
praised, from
an upcoming
game in
Chicago to teaching
rugby in Sri
Lanka, which
it was said
could lead to
tolerance.
Could it be
true, given
attacks on
Tamils and now
Muslims? Sri
Lanka's
Permanent
Representative
Palitha Kohona
was there.
Another
New
Zealander is
running for
another UN
post. The UN's
Media Alert
for September
9 listed at
the bottom,
UNDP, Helen
Clark, Rose
Garden. She is
running, even
as the UNDP
staff union
complained
September 6 of
massive
layoffs.
We'll have
more on this.
Footnote
-- And this:
New Zealand's
Mission to the
UN will launch
its annual
(and helpful)
UN Handbook
app on
September 12 -
but at least
initially
pitched it
only through
the UN
Censorship
Alliance,
UNCA, whose Executive
Board took
it on to try
to get investigative
Press thrown out of
the UN.
This, a
referee would
not like in
rugby. But
it's early in
the game. UNCA
tried
this with
South Korea;
after the Free UN Coalition for Access protest,
it was
reversed.
Watch this
site.
, 
