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| UN launches team on conflict mediators |
| 2008-03-06 |
| The United Nations has launched a team of conflict mediators that can rapidly deploy to global hotspots with advice on security, constitution drafting and human rights. Hold my beer. Now watch this! Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe on Wednesday likened the six-member team of mobile mediators to "a SWAT team" that can respond to requests from U.N. officials in the field, governments and regional groups. "When you get a situation that no one expected, like Kenya, our idea is to be able to move, and move extremely quickly," he said, referring to violence that followed a disputed election in December. I wonder what quickly looks like to an organization that takes three months to react to a famine. In fact, two team members — a constitution-writing expert and a security expert — skipped this week's orientation at U.N. headquarters in New York and were sent to Kenya because their skills were needed there urgently, Pascoe said. Congratulations on figuring out that writing a constitution takes a back seat to world crises. Now I'd just like to know why a guy who writes constitutions is needed in a crisis situation in Kenya, where I doubt it will make any difference whatsoever. "We're using ... members of the team in areas where there's something that really can be done," he said. "For example, if we get to the point where we're doing a constitutional revision or discussion in Somalia, then there might be a need for them." Since when does a constitutional revision or discussion constitute a "crisis". Oh, nevermind. I get it now. Pascoe said the list of possible places that team members will be sent "is longer than any of us would like." Sage comment. Up there with "Be excellent to each other!" Jan Eliasson, the U.N. envoy trying to promote a peace agreement in Darfur, "has pestered me for more expertise," he said, and there could be a need for the U.N. experts in Iraq, and in Cyprus if there is "another full-blown effort" to reunite the divided Mediterranean island. Did you mean to say "fully blown"? "If we get to the point where we're doing a constitutional revision or discussion in Somalia, then there might be a need for them," he added. Pascoe said he expects the team to be "oversubscribed" with requests for their expertise fairly soon, and to spend about 80 percent of their time in the field. The team also has expertise in such areas as justice and power sharing. Well, if there's such a demand, make a bigger team, dumbass. Or are you trying to be as cost-effective as an HMO? The team, which was chosen from over 400 applicants, is being funded for a year by the Norwegian government. "Our hope is that this will be such an incredible success that everybody will agree that it should be extended," Pascoe said. I hope they succeed at all. Many of the powers heading these conflicts would probably just consider these teams an obstacle to what they will end up doing by their nature anyway, and the UN would be able to say "See, we don't have to do anything of substance because we have a crisis team on it! Now what we really need to do is find a five-star hotel where we can hold a catered conference about this.". Team leader Joyce Neu, an American who has mediated in conflicts and conducted conflict assessments in dozen of countries, said all the members are "very excited." "There are innumerable conflicts in the world, and our hope is that as a team we can apply some of our knowledge to these efforts to bring about peace more effectively and more sustainably," she said. Good luck with that. You can start with that situation that Venezuela and Ecuador are manufacturing against Columbia. |
| Posted by:gorb |
| #2 So ya got a 6 member team and how many support people? I mean, valets, pimps, chefs, hookers, waiters, chauffeurs, yes men, ass kissers, and, of course, all their support people...could be thousands. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-03-06 15:59 |
| #1 "There are innumerable conflicts in the world, and our hope is that as a team we can apply some of our knowledge to these efforts to bring about peace more effectively and more sustainably," With one side's objective being to wipe the planet of the existence of the other, I don't think there a whole lot of room for compromise or five star hotel/dining opportunities on both sides of the line of demarcation. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-03-06 08:24 |