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'World's conscience' retires from UN relief role
JAN Egeland has a piece of advice for his successor as he finishes his job as the United Nations Emergency Relief Co-ordinator. Never ask the question: "Can it go wrong?""Of course it can go wrong. When diplomats ask that question, they do not do anything. They do nothing. You have to ask the question: 'Can it go well?' " Mr Egeland has been called the "world's conscience". He has certainly raised the profile of the job, using his experience as a television reporter to harness the media to prod and poke reluctant governments to move. His description of Western governments as stingy after the 2004 tsunami set off an international debate and may have contributed to the eventual outpouring of generosity from governments and individuals. He is unapologetic about his forthrightness. "The whole point is not to please member states, or people in positions of power. The whole point is to help the voiceless or the dispossessed." Posted by: Fred 2006-12-09 |
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