Kofi Annan’s publicist can’t be happy
On Monday, Kofi Annan “urged world leaders Monday to implement the boldest changes to the United Nations in its 60-year history” according to the Associated Press. You can see for yourself by clicking on “In Larger Freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all.” On the plus side, it seems that Annan recognizes that ...
On Monday, Kofi Annan "urged world leaders Monday to implement the boldest changes to the United Nations in its 60-year history" according to the Associated Press. You can see for yourself by clicking on “In Larger Freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all.” On the plus side, it seems that Annan recognizes that the U.N. Human Rights Commission is a joke and wants to genuinely reform it. On the other hand, Annan also says in one section of the report (paragraph #151) that, "The United Nations does more than any other single organization to promote and strengthen democratic institutions and practices around the world, but this fact is little known." To which I must reply, "BWA HA HA HA HA!!! " [Which single organization does more, smart guy?--ed. Well, there's NATO and the European Union for starters -- and before I got even close to the combined set of UN agencies, I'd throw in Mercosur, the Organization of American States, and even the World Trade Organization. To be charitable, I'll give the UN agencies a slight edge over ASEAN, but that's about it.] However, regardless of the intrinsic merits of Annan's proposal, I'm thinking that this Financial Times story by Claudio Gatti might throw a monkey wrench into generating any policy momentum:
On Monday, Kofi Annan “urged world leaders Monday to implement the boldest changes to the United Nations in its 60-year history” according to the Associated Press. You can see for yourself by clicking on “In Larger Freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all.” On the plus side, it seems that Annan recognizes that the U.N. Human Rights Commission is a joke and wants to genuinely reform it. On the other hand, Annan also says in one section of the report (paragraph #151) that, “The United Nations does more than any other single organization to promote and strengthen democratic institutions and practices around the world, but this fact is little known.” To which I must reply, “BWA HA HA HA HA!!! ” [Which single organization does more, smart guy?–ed. Well, there’s NATO and the European Union for starters — and before I got even close to the combined set of UN agencies, I’d throw in Mercosur, the Organization of American States, and even the World Trade Organization. To be charitable, I’ll give the UN agencies a slight edge over ASEAN, but that’s about it.] However, regardless of the intrinsic merits of Annan’s proposal, I’m thinking that this Financial Times story by Claudio Gatti might throw a monkey wrench into generating any policy momentum:
Kojo Annan, son of Kofi Annan, United Nations secretary-general, received at least $300,000 from Cotecna, a Swiss inspection company awarded a contract ultimately worth about $60m under the Iraqi oil-for-food contract. The amount was almost double the sum previously disclosed, but payments were arranged in ways that obscured where the money came from or whom it went to. The discovery, in a joint investigation by Il Sole 24 Ore, the Italian business daily, and the Financial Times, comes as the independent UN inquiry led by Paul Volcker into possible abuses within the oil-for-food programme prepares to publish a new report on this matter.
Glenn Reynolds has more links that will cause headaches for Annan’s publicist.
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
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