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United Nations' Mr. Ban Goes to Washington Stewart Stogel UNITED NATIONS -- This week, the United Nations' new Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel to Washington, D.C. for his first meeting with President Bush since Ban took office on Jan. 1.
Ban will meet Bush at the White House Tuesday afternoon.
In a rather terse statement, the White House announced that issues of "mutual" concern will be among the items on the agenda during the hourlong get-together called at Bush's request: "There are important issues on which the U.N. is deeply engaged, ranging from U.N. reform and protection and promotion of human rights, to the preservation of international peace and security and the provision of humanitarian and development assistance. The president looks forward to discussing these and other topics of mutual concern with Secretary-General Ban."
Though in office only two weeks, the new U.N. chief already has been the target of behind-the-scenes criticisms.
One U.S. diplomat, speaking on background, recently confirmed that the U.S. State Department has had a hard time trying to figure out how Ban intends to "shake up" the U.N. bureaucracy.
Story Continues Below Early last week, Ban asked all U.N. under and assistant secretaries-general to submit their resignations and to separately request new applications for posts in his administration. More than 85 officials were affected. Yet by week's end, word was, only half complied with the request. The deadline set by Ban was Jan. 15.
On the few appointments already announced, many in the halls of the U.N. have questioned the "competency" of those appointed. That hit a raw nerve, which brought a terse response from the new secretary-general: "There seems to be some unsubstantiated misperceptions on the appointments of senior officials," Ban wrote. "My policy on appointing senior officials above the rank of assistant secretaries-general, and particularly those of under secretaries-general is based on, first of all, the merits of the persons concerned, with due regard to gender balance and geographical distribution . . . "I have carefully reviewed all the candidates concerned and have gone through some background checking and I have listened to many views and particularly as to whether the person is a team player . . .I think this is very important for me."
On the surface, Ban's defacto quota system might not sit well with many inside the Bush administration who have repeatedly opposed quotas in the assignment of government positions.
Another issue expected to be discussed on Tuesday: the U.N.'s recently approved "Capital Master Plan."
Under a program approved by the General Assembly, $1.8 billion will be spent to overhaul the U.N.'s 40-acre midtown Manhattan campus.
With less than half that already raised, many inside the world body are wondering where the additional funds will come from.
With less than $20 million recovered of a reported $2.2 billion missing from the scandal-plagued (Iraq) oil for food program, the U.S. Congress would seem reluctant to pour those kinds of funds into any new U.N. project without ironclad guarantees that the cash would not be squandered.
Recently, the U.N. also approved $4.5 million to renovate the secretary-general's official residence, a four-story townhouse on the Upper East Side.
Less than two weeks into the project, substantial cost overruns are already occurring.
A U.N. source tells NewsMax that the funds appropriated for Ban's temporary residence at the Waldorf-Astoria, originally estimated at $202,000 (for a nine-month stay), has ballooned to more than $500,000. No reason was offered for the incorrect estimate.
Then there is Iraq.
Unlike Kofi Annan, who never seemed to miss an opportunity to criticize U.S.-Iraq policy, Ban has taken a more cautious approach.
Recently, Ban told reporters when asked for reaction to the new Bush-Iraq strategy: "I support any moves that will enhance security in Iraq."
While not a ringing endorsement, it did signal a less confrontational approach than that displayed by Annan, who once called the U.S. and UK invasion of Iraq "illegal."
Ban has repeatedly stated that the United Nations must make a major new effort "to regain the trust of member states."
While not a direct slap at Annan, it is clear that Ban's first priority is "damage control."
On that account, the new secretary-general and the president of the United States may find some much welcomed common ground.
© NewsMax 2007. All rights reserved.
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