UNITED NATIONS: Boutros-Ghali Throws Hat into the Ring, Again

By Farhan Haq Reprint | | Print |

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 20 1996 (IPS) - Reversing an earlier pledge not to do so, embattled U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali has decided seek another serve another five-year term as the head of the world body.

“The secretary-general has decided to run for another term,” U.N. spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said Wednesday, adding that Boutros- Ghali’s decision was based on “the strong encouragement he has received from member states.”

Fawzi added that the 73-year-old incumbent, who only five years ago promised to run for only one term, has the stamina and energy to complete another full term. “There’s a lot of work he has accomplished,” Fawzi said, “and there’s a lot of work that remains to be done.”

In recent days, the Egyptian diplomat, a former deputy foreign minister who played a key role in the 1977 Camp David peace accord between Egypt and Israel, has shored up the support from many key Western nations for his candidacy.

However, his re-election bid may still be opposed by one key U.N. member –the United States.

U.S. President Bill Clinton has yet to voice any support for another Boutros-Ghali term, while Washington’s ambassador at the United Nations, Madeleine Albright, has tussled in public with the secretary-general.

Although the Clinton administration initially supported Boutros- Ghali’s ambitious plans to expand U.N. peacekeeping in 1992-93, he fell out of favor with Washington over his handling of several crises, notably in Somalia and Bosnia-Hercegovina.

The picture could be even worse if Republican Bob Dole, who has mocked Boutros-Ghali’s stewardship, wins the U.S. presidential election in November. On the campaign trail, Dole has vowed that he would never place U.S. troops under the command of Boutros- Ghali.

Boutros-Ghali, who became the first African and the first Arab to head the United Nations when he was elected secretary-general in 1991, has nevertheless rounded up support from many other important nations.

This includes the endorsement of three of five veto-wielding permanent members of the 15-member Security Council, which must approve any choice for secretary-general made by the 185-member General Assembly. China, has strongly backed the incumbent’s candidacy, while France and Russia also favour Boutros-Ghali

With Britain publicly neither supporting nor opposing Boutros- Ghali, the United States is the only permanent member of the Council that appears to oppose the incumbent secretary-general.

Significantly, Boutros-Ghali made his announcement from Germany, where he ended a tour of European capitals to test the waters for a second term.

Developing nations also have rallied behind the secretary- general. One U.N. ambassador, speaking on condition of anonymity, told IPS that the United Nations is facing so many financial and political crises that developing nations were worried that the election for a new secretary-general would create further turmoil.

Recent weeks have seen a burst of speculation on possible candidates for the post, ranging from Irish President Mary Robinson and Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Haarlem Brundtland to U.N. Under-Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a Ghanaian, and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata of Japanese.

These other possible selections, however, are fraught with problems of their own. Some top contenders, like Robinson — who garnered heavy support from U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy — have repeatedly denied seeking the job.

European candidates may find themselves in conflict with African diplomats in particular, some of whom have argued that the first African U.N. chief should only be replaced by someone else from within the region.

Ironically, just as he did five years ago, Boutros-Ghali may prove to be the one choice that all the many interests in the United Nations can accept.

As an Arab running as a candidate from Africa and as a Coptic Christian with a Jewish wife running with heavy Muslim support, Boutros-Ghali seems to be all things to all people. It has also helps that Boutros-Ghali speaks French, which has locked in support from Paris.

Whether his first term has earned the incumbent a second is another question entirely.

Many countries, including the United States, accuse Boutros- Ghali of being tentative in some conflicts, such as in Bosnia, while being too heavy-handed in others, such as in Somalia.

The U.N. list of peacekeeping failures and muddles, in places like Rwanda, Liberia and Western Sahara, has grown as large as any list of successes, including the ends of conflicts in El Salvador and Cambodia.

Lack of U.S. support has pushed the world body into a financial crisis, where it is owed 2.6 billion dollars in regular and peacekeeping funds. Washington owes some 1.6 billion dollars of that amount.

Nevertheless, many diplomats give Boutros-Ghali credit for taking strong positions on many of the major world conflicts in recent years, and establishing greater U.N. influence in unresolved crises than before.

“The United Nations should re-elect Boutros-Ghali,” one ambassador here told IPS. “He’s very much a secretary-general who is in the middle of things and who tries to solve problems. Basically, he’s been a good secretary-general.”