Center Interviews
- Overcoming Roadblocks in the Mandate Review:
by Lydia Swart and Faye Leone
In this interview, Ambassador Rosemary Banks from New Zealand expressed confidence in the mandate review methodology that she and her Co-Chair Ambassador Kaire Mbuende from Namibia recently developed; indicated what we might expect from the process in the next few months; and shed new light on some of our impressions of the political dynamics in the General Assembly.
- The Peacebuilding Commission: a Year in Review. An Interview with Assistant Secretary-General Carolyn McAskie:
by Irene Martinetti
The Center for UN Reform interviewed Assistant-Secretary-General Carolyn McAskie, head of the Peacebuilding Support Office, on the work of the Peacebuilding Commission, the UN’s new advisory body on peacebuilding, which has been in operation now for almost a year. The interview offers an assessment of the efforts of the Commission and its Support Office to date, and an overview of some of the challenges lying ahead.
- South Korea ’s Candidate Talks about his Plans for the United Nations:
By Ayca Ariyoruk
Ban Ki Moon, South Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has publicly declared his candidacy to the post of Secretary General on February 2006. During an interview with Center Research fellow Ayca Aryoruk, he explains his desire to pay back the United Nations for military and economic assistance to Korea during and after the Korean war. His agenda includes bringing forward the Iran and North Korea nuclear dialogue, stopping the genocide in Darfur and ensuring implementation of the management reforms at the U.N.
- Can the Iron Lady from the Baltics Save the United Nations?:
By Ayca Ariyoruk
Although Vike-Freiberga has not announced her candidacy for the top U.N. job, some observers speculate she may be what the U.N. needs. An inspirational leader, Vike-Freiberga offered hope to Latvians at times of desperation and demonstrated moral courage to do the right thing despite the consequences. Center's research fellow Ayca Ariyoruk met with the Latvian President on March 8, 2006 and talked about U.N. reform, NATO, Iraq and her personal journey that brought her from refugee camps to a presidential palace.
- The New Human Rights Council: Will the UN's best effort be good enough? An Interview with Lawrence Moss:
By Gergana Nedeva
On March 15, 2006 170 member states at the United Nations agreed to establish a new Human Rights Council to replace the discredited Commission on Human Rights, despite a 'no' vote by the United States.. In February we talked with Mr. Lawrence Moss, the Special Counsel for for U.N. Reform at Human Rights Watch. Mr. Moss said "President Eliasson's text provides for significant improvement over the Commission, although it is not as strong as Human Rights Watch had sought."
- Candidate for Top U.N. Job Sets Out Vision for Reform: An Interview with Jayantha Dhanapala:
By Ayca Ariyoruk
With the term of Secretary General Kofi Annan set to expire at the end of 2006, aspirants for the job are beginning to present their qualifications. Among them is Jayantha Dhanapala, an expert in international arms control, one of only two candidates to have officially received their country's endorsement for the post. In an interview with Center Research Fellow Ayca Ariyoruk on January 7, 2006, Dhanapala said "there is a lot that is right about the U.N. We have to preserve what is right while fixing what is not."
- An Expert view on The Peacebuilding Commission: A Unique and Unusual Experiment:
By Niamh Gibbons
On December 20, 2005, the General Assembly and the Security Council passed resolutions on founding a Peacebuilding Commission, one of the reform proposals originally agreed by heads of states during the world summit in September. The new commission will be an advisory body and help stabilize and rebuild countries emerging from war. We talked about the new body with Necla Tschirgi, vice president of the International Peace Academy and an expert on peacebuilding.
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