'No note takers' in room for encounter held at ex-PM's request
Steven Edwards
The Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
UNITED NATIONS - After a vacation in Europe, former prime minister Paul Martin met privately yesterday with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan -- a day before the UN chief unveils major proposals for a management shakeup at the organization.
UN sources said Mr. Martin requested the noon get-together, adding there were "no note takers" in the room as would be usual if the pair were discussing official business.
"They discussed issues that were of mutual interest to one another," one official confided. "There was nothing specific that we know of."
Mr. Martin worked with the UN several years ago when he co-chaired a high-level commission exploring ways small business could be harnessed to advance the economies of developing countries. The post, which he held alongside former Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo, gave him an international platform while he was in the "political wilderness" following his resignation as finance minister in 2002.
Following his own re-election the House of Commons, Mr. Martin has been in Europe resting after the Liberal party's Jan. 23 election defeat.
Officials at Foreign Affairs, which leads Canada's contacts with the UN, did not appear to be aware of the UN visit. A spokesman for Mr. Martin said it "was a private meeting," but added he "is obviously interested in ensuring that his previous efforts on the international front -- including his task force -- keep their momentum."
Mr. Annan is launching his management reform ideas a week after announcing other senior appointments, including a replacement for Louise Frechette, the Canadian deputy secretary general, who will leave the organization later this year.
Mr. Annan's proposals include calls to outsource a number of jobs currently at UN headquarters -- an idea causing much anxiety not only among staffers, but also developing countries, whose citizens hold UN postings in high regard compared to the often limited opportunities at home.
He has agreed to answer concerns today at a town hall-style meeting with staffers. "There's quite a bit of concern, and people want to know what this is about," one staffer said.
Canada generally supports a United States-led push by developed countries for management reform following successive reports identifying mismanagement and corruption at the organization.
But changes have to be approved by the 191-member General Assembly, where developing countries hold a majority.
Management reform is just one of many calls for sweeping change that emerged from September's 60th anniversary summit, and one of two major initiatives coming to a head this week.
The other involves revamping the UN's discredited Human Rights Commission -- a body established as the world's foremost human rights watchdog, but which has been infiltrated by countries that have poor human-rights records.
After agreeing the 53-country commission should be replaced by a smaller council whose membership no longer turns a blind eye to human rights violations, the General Assembly spent weeks trying to thrash out rules for the new body.
What has emerged is a plan the U.S., virtually in isolation, says is not tough enough.
The flaw, according to Washington, is that members will continue to be picked by regional groups without regard to human-rights performance.
Mr. Annan, backed by the U.S. and also Canada, had wanted membership to be approved by two-thirds of UN countries, which would mean the democratic West would hold effective veto power when voting together.
Among those who believe the plan is the best anyone could hope for at the UN is Louise Arbour, the Canadian UN commissioner for human rights.
Canada, meanwhile, remains undecided, saying it is "striving for a strong and effective council," but realizes a "degree of compromise" will be necessary.
The issue could be put to a vote in the UN General Assembly this week, ahead of this year's six-week meeting of the Human Rights Commission, starting next week. But officials are also reluctant to create a new UN body that doesn't have the backing of the U.S., the UN's most influential member.
Meanwhile, not all changes this week have been so controversial. The world's first insurance policy covering a humanitarian emergency took force yesterday as the UN signed a deal with a French firm to protect against drought in Ethiopia.
The contract with AXA RE aims at having funds available as soon as disaster hits instead over the several weeks or more it takes for aid to arrive following appeals to rich countries.
The pilot project is being run by the UN's World Food Program, which will pay a $930,000 U.S. premium to ensure a $7-million payout if Ethiopia's 2006 harvest is wrecked by too little rainfall. One of the worst droughts in years in the Horn of Africa is already threatening about 11 million people with starvation.
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=284dceb5-b48d-42cc-b7dd-fec4983f2450
Steven Edwards
The Ottawa Citizen
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
UNITED NATIONS - After a vacation in Europe, former prime minister Paul Martin met privately yesterday with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan -- a day before the UN chief unveils major proposals for a management shakeup at the organization.
UN sources said Mr. Martin requested the noon get-together, adding there were "no note takers" in the room as would be usual if the pair were discussing official business.
"They discussed issues that were of mutual interest to one another," one official confided. "There was nothing specific that we know of."
Mr. Martin worked with the UN several years ago when he co-chaired a high-level commission exploring ways small business could be harnessed to advance the economies of developing countries. The post, which he held alongside former Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo, gave him an international platform while he was in the "political wilderness" following his resignation as finance minister in 2002.
Following his own re-election the House of Commons, Mr. Martin has been in Europe resting after the Liberal party's Jan. 23 election defeat.
Officials at Foreign Affairs, which leads Canada's contacts with the UN, did not appear to be aware of the UN visit. A spokesman for Mr. Martin said it "was a private meeting," but added he "is obviously interested in ensuring that his previous efforts on the international front -- including his task force -- keep their momentum."
Mr. Annan is launching his management reform ideas a week after announcing other senior appointments, including a replacement for Louise Frechette, the Canadian deputy secretary general, who will leave the organization later this year.
Mr. Annan's proposals include calls to outsource a number of jobs currently at UN headquarters -- an idea causing much anxiety not only among staffers, but also developing countries, whose citizens hold UN postings in high regard compared to the often limited opportunities at home.
He has agreed to answer concerns today at a town hall-style meeting with staffers. "There's quite a bit of concern, and people want to know what this is about," one staffer said.
Canada generally supports a United States-led push by developed countries for management reform following successive reports identifying mismanagement and corruption at the organization.
But changes have to be approved by the 191-member General Assembly, where developing countries hold a majority.
Management reform is just one of many calls for sweeping change that emerged from September's 60th anniversary summit, and one of two major initiatives coming to a head this week.
The other involves revamping the UN's discredited Human Rights Commission -- a body established as the world's foremost human rights watchdog, but which has been infiltrated by countries that have poor human-rights records.
After agreeing the 53-country commission should be replaced by a smaller council whose membership no longer turns a blind eye to human rights violations, the General Assembly spent weeks trying to thrash out rules for the new body.
What has emerged is a plan the U.S., virtually in isolation, says is not tough enough.
The flaw, according to Washington, is that members will continue to be picked by regional groups without regard to human-rights performance.
Mr. Annan, backed by the U.S. and also Canada, had wanted membership to be approved by two-thirds of UN countries, which would mean the democratic West would hold effective veto power when voting together.
Among those who believe the plan is the best anyone could hope for at the UN is Louise Arbour, the Canadian UN commissioner for human rights.
Canada, meanwhile, remains undecided, saying it is "striving for a strong and effective council," but realizes a "degree of compromise" will be necessary.
The issue could be put to a vote in the UN General Assembly this week, ahead of this year's six-week meeting of the Human Rights Commission, starting next week. But officials are also reluctant to create a new UN body that doesn't have the backing of the U.S., the UN's most influential member.
Meanwhile, not all changes this week have been so controversial. The world's first insurance policy covering a humanitarian emergency took force yesterday as the UN signed a deal with a French firm to protect against drought in Ethiopia.
The contract with AXA RE aims at having funds available as soon as disaster hits instead over the several weeks or more it takes for aid to arrive following appeals to rich countries.
The pilot project is being run by the UN's World Food Program, which will pay a $930,000 U.S. premium to ensure a $7-million payout if Ethiopia's 2006 harvest is wrecked by too little rainfall. One of the worst droughts in years in the Horn of Africa is already threatening about 11 million people with starvation.
http://www.canada.com/components/print.aspx?id=284dceb5-b48d-42cc-b7dd-fec4983f2450