Mostly AWOL. It seems that for top UN officials, it has been more urgent these past two weeks to focus on almost anything else – accepting awards, holding conferences and providing a stage for Zimbabwe’s prescriptions for global financial stability, and the UN’s own politicized projections of weather patterns by the year 2050. But Iran?
Since Iranians took to the streets en masse after their June 12th “election,” and had their calls for freedom answered by the Iranian regime with beatings, shootings, and killings, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has called not a single press conference to address the crisis. Apart from mentioning it last night (he could hardly avoid it) as part of a long interview with Charlie Rose, Ban has limited himself to three public utterances, on June 15, 16 and 22. In the first two comments, he told reporters he was “closely watching” Iran. Almost a week later he had progressed to expressing “growing concern,” urging the Iranian protesters and regime to just talk out their differences (no doubt that is being done inside places like Iran’s Evin prison right now) and describing himself, in language that might just as well apply to getting soup on his tie, as “dismayed.”
Compare that with Ban’s frenzy of impassioned pronouncements (“outrageous, shocking and alarming), activity and demands when Israel went into terrorist-run Gaza this past December and January. Or with the otherwise chronic impulses emanating from the UN by now to meddle at every level in lives worldwide, from regulating the air you breathe, to recommending a prohibition on plastic bags. But Iran? More in my column this week for Forbes.com , on “Where’s the U.N. on Iran?”
The UN Security Council has been doing… nothing.
Claudia, here is a letter to the editor of the Toronto Star from roughly 6 months ago.
Why are we in the United Nations? The original intent was to raise other nations to our level, instead of us descending to their level. Where is the evidence of success?
David W. Lincoln, Edmonton
In the past I have railed against the Toronto Star, for its profoundly left of centre bias.
But, I guess they respect candor.
Even Angelina Jolie publicly stated that UN credibility is on the line.The internet will either make or break the UN.It bothers me immensely that the UN has members that constantly violate the UN declaration of human rights and most members are silent about it.For 20 years ive watched and listened and waited for them and govts in general to get their act straight.Tired of waiting.Now i will call them on their B.S at every turn.This goes for govts worldwide.There will be no global governance until humanity gets their act into gear instead of tut tuting.
Claudia,
Thank you for covering this topic so well. Great writing also.
Best, Liz
While the UN might not be doing much (normal) their blue hats are sure to be raping young girls and such.