It was a roller coaster in NYC this week and for me it was more than just the temperature. Forget Hurricane Ivan, this week the UN brewed up its own storm with the Secretary General, Kofi Annan, quoted as calling America’s war on Iraq ‘illegal’ and tensions tightening as the 59th General Assembly approaches. And with all that our week was capped off Friday afternoon with a visit to Court TV’s 3rd avenue studio in the heart of mid-town Manhattan.
And in a week where the UN made headlines in the blotter and inner workings of the United Nations were demystified and debriefed for us, Friday’s visit was the highpoint. The visit started with a tour of their headquarters but that was only a precursor to an unforgettable and frank audience in their boardroom with the company’s CEO, Vice-presidents Tim Sullivan and Emily Barsh, and daytime anchor Lisa Bloom.
If Court TV was the most entertaining then our brief face to face with the spokesman for the Director General of the UN Security Council Joseph J. Stephanides was the most interesting and relevance. Stephanides said don’t be cynical. I asked why not be cynical? He said not all we see in the news is bad. And even further yes, each country’s vote does count. His most telling statement though was that no country can be truly tout their independence until they are financial independent.
Information from the other various branches of the UN rounded out the week included briefings from UNESCO, the United Nations Environmental Programme, and the United Nations Office of Human Rights, and Department of Peacekeeping Operations rounded out the week. We also went on field visits to the New York Foreign Press Center, Human Rights Watch, and Committee to Protect Journalists.
The fun for me really begins in the week ahead as the General Assembly opens on Tuesday with an address by US President George Bush. It will be a frenzy: security impossible and the issues critical, all to which my front seat is reserved.
And for what it worth this week we got the closest yet to Secretary General Kofi Annan as he announced he would be dispatching a team to the troubled Darfur region in Sudan.