Could New UN Sec. General Be A Good Pick?

• October 8, 2006

I don’t know much about him, but this sounds promising:

Senior officials at the United Nations expressed despair today at the prospect of Kofi Annan being succeeded as secretary general by Ban Ki-Moon, the South Korean foreign minister.
“The mood among staff is glum,” one of the officials said. “We are not very excited about the outcome.” With morale low at the UN after five years dominated by divisions, deadlock and corruption, they are sceptical about Mr Ban’s ability to turn the organisation round or provide the strong, inspirational leadership they had been hoping for.
Another official, who has met Mr Ban several times, said: “He is pretty faceless and does not have much charisma. Kofi, for all his problems, is a man of considerable dignity, political insight and wide international experience.”
Officials, who requested anonymity on the grounds that they would be working for Mr Ban, portray him as more secretary than general, happier with the minutiae of administrative detail than broad international strategy, and a man given to platitudes.

If the current crop of corrupt and ineffective bureaucrats at the UN don’t like this guy then it stands to reason that I might, and that his pick might be a vast improvement over Annan for American and the world.
Plus the French don’t like him either, which is just gravy on top of the UN rank-and-file “despair.”

Tags: International Scene, Politics

http://www.kenmccracken.blogspot.com/ Ken McCracken

Yes I agree with that, Ban Ki Moon does not seem like a vigorous and enterprising reformer who will improve the UN.

I think the new SecGen should be someone like . . . John Bolton!
2Hotel9

Gang, face the facts, no American or European will ever again be SecGen. Of the current candidates, Ban Ki is the best of the lot. SK has refused to participate in any UN action that puts more food,money, or fuel into Kim Jong Il’s hands. Ban Ki is part of the faction that wants to strangle NK until the population rises against Kim Jong Il. The UN keeps thwarting that. As SecGen he may be able to put an end to the backdoor support NK has been depending on. He also is pushing for prosecution of UN Peacekeepers who commit crimes, such as forced labor,prostitution, and blackmarketing relief supplies. This is something Annan and the current Adim on Turtle Bay have fought against. I say he is an improvement on a crappy situation.
Cynthia

2Hotel9,

If that is the case, why is South Korea constantly sending North Korea aid? When the U.S. wants to get tough with sanctions, South Korea gets upset. Of course this could be all Roh’s doing, but Ban is his foreign minister and promoting their failing Sunshine Policy. I don’t think Ban will push anything that might upset North Korea. If you have read something that says otherwise, I would like to read it, and I am not trying to be sarcastic, I really would. Can you provide any links?
Cynthia

I agree completely with your choice, Ken! And if nothing else, it would be very entertaining to watch (or read about) all the tantrums everytime Bolton dared to suggest anything worthwhile.
http://www.kenmccracken.blogspot.com/ Ken McCracken

Well, I think that criticism of Ban is rather beside the point – the UN has been completely useless in regard to North Korean human rights, and we have no reason to think that will ever change.

Ho hum, par for the course.
Cynthia

My point had nothing to do with the UN and North Korea. Rob posted:
“If the current crop of corrupt and ineffective bureaucrats at the UN don’t like this guy then it stands to reason that I might, and that his pick might be a vast improvement over Annan for American and the world.”

I don’t think he will be a vast improvement. Ho hum, par for the course is correct, if you are talking about the UN and Ban.
Cynthia

Don’t get your hopes up. Here is a link if you want to read what people who know of him think:

http://www.korealiberator.org/2006/10/03/too-late-to-stop-ban-ki-moon/
http://www.kenmccracken.blogspot.com/ Ken McCracken

Ah, I see, Kofi Annan was corrupt, inept, presided over failed and crazy policies, invariably made the wrong choices and never failed to coddle dictators, but he has ‘dignity’ so that makes it alright.

No wonder the UN is a completely pointless organization.
NodakJoe

How about Hugo Chavez? He could give heating oil to the UN so it doesn’t get cold in the winter.

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Could New UN Sec. General Be A Good Pick?

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