UN Picks New Secretary-General, Deadlocks on Security Council Seat

The UN, the world body that nationalists all over love to hate, is making some changes in who sits where. Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s successor will be South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon, the first Asian in the post since U Thant in 1971. Meanwhile, the election for one of the two Security Council seats reserved for Latin America is still going on between Venezuela and Guatemala. To understand the UN, one must remember that it isn’t a democracy but rather a diplomatic forum.

The selection of a Secretary-General is a big deal because the Sec-Gen controls a budget of $5 billion, has 9,000 employees, and is currently stuck with 16 “peace-keeping” missions. Throw in a few rape and corruption scandals involved with the latter, and it’s a full day’s work. Since 1946, the UN has had seven Secretaries-General (and one acting Sec-Gen prior to that). The new fellow is in an interesting place because, as a South Korean diplomat, the big North Korean nuke issue will be in his lap when he starts work on January 1, 2007.

Much more exciting than that are the 10 inconclusive ballots to fill the seat Argentina is leaving on the Security Council. The seat is one of two set aside for Latin America, but the entire General Assembly gets to vote. Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez has been lobbying hard for the seat, but he embarrassed himself and the UN by calling President Bush a “devil” in his speech to the world body last month. Guatemala got 119 votes to Venezuela’s 74 on the first ballot, but the winner needs 2/3 of the vote. Nine further ballots were slightly better for Venezuela, which has been on the council 4 times already (Guatemala never has), actually reaching a 93—93 tie at one point. The record is 155 ballots, so this could take a while.

The voting, of course, is nothing like a political campaign, and this is another place Mr. Chavez missed the boat. Whatever country is selected is not there to be the Loyal Opposition, but rather is there to mediate and find common ground. Mr. Chavez may want to kick sand in Mr. Bush’s face, but the UN isn’t equipped for that. It’s built on consensus, which is why it doesn’t always succeed. It is as effective as its members choose it to be.

Meanwhile, four other nations were voted onto the Security Council from their regions: South Africa, Indonesia, Italy and Belgium. Mr. Chavez wants his nation to be a spokesman for the poor and those who have been oppressed by colonialism and the post-World War Two global system. He may want to wait a while; South Africa is second to none in reconciliation with a vicious past, and Indonesia is Muslim as well as functioning reasonably well, and those count for a great deal today.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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