Tuesday, April 16, 2024
News and Views from the Global South
Nepal, Qatar Vie for U.N. Presidency
- When the 192-member General Assembly, the highest policy- making body at the United Nations, meets to formally induct its president, the choice is usually a foregone conclusion because the decision is made far in advance of the annual opening session in September.
But this year, after a long hiatus, the presidency may be up for grabs, with intense lobbying by two Asian countries vying for the job: Nepal and Qatar.
If there is no consensus within the Asian Group by the end of February, the General Assembly will witness a rare balloting for the election of a new president for the upcoming 66th session which begins mid-September.
The last politically-memorable battle goes back to the 36th session of the General Assembly in 1981 when three Asian candidates contested for the presidency: Ismat Kittani of Iraq, Tommy Koh of Singapore and Kwaja Mohammed Kaiser of Bangladesh.
After a tie of 73 votes each in a second round of secret balloting between two of the remaining candidates, Kittani won – after drawing lots, as specified in Article 21 relating to the procedures in the election of the president (and as recorded in the Repertory of Practice of the General Assembly).
Iftikhar Ali, a longstanding U.N. correspondent for the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) and a former U.N. staff member who covered the 1981 election, told IPS he still vividly remembers the tension in the cavernous Assembly chamber that day.
The U.N. delegate’s lounge and the corridors were buzzing with activity, he said.
There was intense lobbying by diplomats and officials accompanying the candidates: "You were buttonholed in the lobbies in a frenzied attempt at gathering votes," said Ali.
He said the outgoing president at that time, Rudiger von Wechmar of the former West Germany, presided over the historic election.
There was an air of suspense, said Ali. On the first ballot, Kittani got 64 votes; Kaiser, 46; and Koh, 40.
Still, Kittani was short of a majority - of the total number of members at that time - to be elected. So, Von Wechmar conducted a second ballot, limited under the rules to the top two candidates.
On this ballot, Kittani and Kaiser each got 73 votes, heightening the suspense.
"Delegates held their breath as Von Wechmar immediately invoked the rule for breaking a tie. He drew lots and Kittani won as the hall erupted in applause."
At that time, said Ali, Kittani was an adviser to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
"Frustrated, but keeping his composure, Kaiser walked up to Kittani and shook his hands, a gesture appreciated by everyone in the Assembly hall," he said.
"This is not a defeat; my honour remains intact," Kaiser later told Ali, who ran the quote in his APP story.
The presidency of the General Assembly traditionally rotates geographically among the five regional groups at the United Nations: the Asian Group, the African Group, the Latin American and Caribbean Group, the East European Group, and the Western European and “Other Group” to accommodate countries such as Australia and New Zealand.
Since the last four presidents were from Macedonia (2007), Nicaragua (2008), Libya (2009) and Switzerland (2010), it is Asia’s turn for the next presidency.
The two declared candidates are Kul Chandra Gautam of Nepal and Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser of Qatar.
Gautam is a former U.N. assistant secretary-general, an ex- deputy executive director of the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF, and currently a special advisor to the prime minister of Nepal.
Al-Nasser, Qatar’s permanent representative to the United Nations since September 1998, currently chairs the U.N.’s Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonisation) and has also presided over the 130-member Group of 77, the largest single coalition of developing countries.
“It’s a battle between David and Goliath,” says an Asian diplomat who refuses to publicly reveal his choice but offered the usual official response. “We are awaiting instructions from our capital.”
But he pointed out that Qatar, with its immense oil and gas reserves, is an economic powerhouse and one of the world’s richest nations, with plenty of resources at its command.
Qatar has also been elected to virtually all key U.N. committees and bodies, including the Security Council, the Human Rights Council, the Commission on Sustainable Development and the Economic and Social Council.
Nepal, on the other hand, has been categorised by the United Nations as one of the 48 “least developed countries” (LDCs), the poorest of the world’s poor.
But still, it has a glittering track record at the United Nations, having contributed to as many as 29 peacekeeping operations worldwide with over 80,000 Nepalis – of whom 62 have died in the line of duty.
Currently, Nepal is the sixth largest contributor of troops to U.N. peacekeeping operations.
Although several South, South-east and West Asian countries have held the post before, including Bahrain, South Korea, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, the last South Asian country to hold the presidency was Bangladesh in 1986.
As a longstanding tradition, every one of the 192 member states – with the exception of the five permanent members of the Security Council, namely Britain, the United States, France, China and Russia – is expected to take their turn for the presidency.
The only country that has been elected twice is Argentina (in 1948 and 1988).
In a letter to the 53 Asian countries, Fiji, current chair of the Asian Group, has laid out the various options.
Firstly, Fiji will liaise with the two candidates about the possible withdrawal of one, prior to consultations to be carried out by the Group’s consultative committee. If neither candidate withdraws, both Gautam and Al-Nasser will individually meet with the consultative committee with a view to achieving consensus.
If that option fails, there will be a special meeting of the Asian Group on Feb. 21 where the two candidates will be given a platform to make their presentations.
In the event of a continuing deadlock, the Asian Group will hold a meeting on Feb. 25 for a final decision, failing which it will go before the General Assembly for a vote in September.Last year, there were two contenders – Belgium and Switzerland – but the West European and Other Group voted by secret ballot resulting in a Swiss victory – and avoiding a General Assembly vote.
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