How GA
President Kerim Spends Money Questioned as Part of Reform by France and
Indonesia
Byline:
Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: 2nd in a series -
1st
UNITED NATIONS, March 19 -- The
day after the President of the General Assembly
Srgjan Kerim acknowledged to Inner
City Press that his
rent and salary is paid by the Government of the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, and called for a reform in which this would be
prohibited and funds provided by the UN itself, two Ambassadors on the
Security Council raised questions about Kerim's proposal. France's
Deputy Permanent Representative Jean-Pierre Lacroix said "there is
already an envelope" of funds given to Kerim's office, "it's more a
question of how is it used, frankly." The General Assembly has voted
$280,000 a year for the Office of the President of the General Assembly,
which Kerim's spokesman has told Inner City Press is devoted only to
"travel and representation as well as transportation, communication and
security related costs."
"I didn't know that was the
arrangement," Indonesia's Permanent Representative Marty Natalegawa told
Inner City Press. He said that before any hasty decision is reached to
give the President of the General Assembly more money, a broader context
must be considered, the possible precedent it would set for such posts
as the "chairs of various committees, forums and processes."
While Ban Ki-moon has spoken of the
need for transparency and reform to try to bring about greater public
confidence in the UN system, when Inner City Press on Wednesday asked
his spokesperson Michele Montas if he believes
the President of the General Assembly should
be funded by the UN, or by outside parties, she replied that "we don't
have to comment on this... this does not have anything to do with the
reform program."
Told of Kerim's position that currently
no rules apply to whom he takes money from, Amb. Natalegawa asked
rhetorically, "So all options are open, then."
Sources told Inner City
Press that its story about Kerim's acceptance of rent in Essex House and
a salary have summoned an inevitable comparison to what is paid to
legislators and the president in FYROM, and its UN Ambassador in New
York. Talk has begun that FYROM sought recoupment from Kerim's employer,
the WAZ media group -- if so, Amb. Natalegawa would be right, all
options have been open. Questions have arisen regarding
whether the proper authorizations were obtained before these payments to
Mr. Kerim began.
Messrs. Kerim, Bush and Ban:
outside funding not a reform issue?
From
the Balkans, it can be viewed that Kerim masterfully deflected an inquiry
into what funding he has been and is taking into a broader called for
reform, delivered to Inner City Press by Kerim's spokesman:
"President Kerim has always maintained
that all costs related to the post and functioning of the General
Assembly President should be covered through the regular UN budget...
rather than the makeshift arrangements that currently exist.
"This would ensure each elected President
has an equal opportunity to deliver results -- whether from a developed
or developing country, no matter how large or small. An entirely UN
funded budget would enhance the independence of the President, and
increase transparency and accountability to Member States."
Lost in this proposal, seen from
the Balkans, are the specifics of what has been received.
Developing.
Footnote:
from the transcript of Wednesday's UN noon
briefing:
Inner
City Press: yesterday, the President of the General Assembly, Srgjan
Kerim, acknowledged that, while serving as President of the General
Assembly, he has been receiving both rent and salaries from the
Government of The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. He said that
he believes that this either presents a conflict, or unbearable pressure
to do favors for those who provide the funding, and called for the
position to be funded by the UN itself, given that he is the UN's top
elected official. The UK said that they support that. Does Ban Ki-moon
believe that the President of the General Assembly should be funded by
the UN, or by outside parties?
Spokesperson: We don't have to comment on this. This is a matter for
the General Assembly. Whatever is budgeted for the President of the
General Assembly is done by the General Assembly. So I don't think the
Secretary-General has anything to say about this.
Inner City Press: You don't see it as a UN reform issue, the top elected
official being funded by an outside party?
Spokesperson: No, this does not have anything to do with the reform
program. Of course, you know, I am sure there are reform issues that
are being introduced by the General Assembly, and Member States can
introduce such reforms, particularly in General Assembly affairs. But,
this is not a matter for the Secretary-General himself.
We'll see. Watch this site.
* * *
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
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