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Globaldialogue an International Affairs Review Published by the Institute for Global Dialogue Volume 12.1 • April 2007

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Globaldialogue an International Affairs Review Published by the Institute for Global Dialogue Volume 12.1 • April 2007 GLOBALdialogue AN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS REVIEW PUBLISHED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL DIALOGUE VOLUME 12.1 • APRIL 2007 Can the ‘developmental state’ C ONTENTS Trust is key to UN reform 2 save southern Africa? Page 6 ❯ Nhamo Samasuwo AFRICOM bodes ill for Africa 4 Michele Ruiters Can the ‘developmental state’ 6 save southern Africa? Stefan Andreasson Doha Round back on track 11 Brendan Vickers Interview: Zwelakhe Sisulu 14 Che Ajulu SADC Parliamentary Forum 17 Elling Tjønneland Conflict in Somalia 19 Timothy Othieno North Korean nuclear deal 21 Garth Shelton Cuba at the crossroads 24 Lyal White Debate on Middle East 27 Victor Gordon, Aslam Farouk-Alli Season of hope for SA 31 Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka The problem with biofuels 32 Annie Sugrue Book review: AIDS in Africa 34 Siphamandla Zondi Book review: The UN at 60 35 Nuclear deal in North Korea Succession in Cuba Paul-Henri Bischoff Page 21 ❯ Page 24 ❯ E DITORIAL Trust is key to UN reform Nhamo Samasuwo HE Four Nations Initiative on UN Management and Govern- More importantly, the report stated very clearly that all Tance Reform (4NI) was conceived towards the end of 2005 reform efforts required active and not just reactive participa- by four UN member states: Chile, SA, Sweden and Thailand. tion by the member states. It therefore invited member states By providing their perspective on the issues at hand, the 4NI to provide their own perspectives on UN reform, and the 4NI countries are seeking to enhance efforts by the UN Secretariat is a response to this call. Encouragingly, right from the start, and other member states to reform the UN system. this initiative managed to secure the close collaboration of Since most of the issues on the currently stalled reform the secretariat not only during the last part of Annan’s term in agenda have emerged from Secretariat reports that many believe office, but also under his successor, Ban Ki-moon. to be self-serving, the 4NI hopes to produce recommendations Although the 4NI is led by four countries from different for reform by member states themselves. The initiative was regions of the world, it is far from being an exclusive club. It inspired by the experiences of a previous member state initia- has already started a broad and transparent process of con- tive, the Nordic UN project, which presented its final report in sultations with all interested member states, experts and other 1991 and became a starting point for successful reforms of the parties as well as with UN Secretariat staff. The four countries management and governance of UN funds and programmes involved see themselves as initiators of a project or arena for implemented from the early 1990s onwards. further discussion and dialogue that will hopefully contribute to new thinking about the introduction of a new governance Governance and management and management compact on UN reform. They also hope that other member states will buy into these new ideas or options. The 4NI focuses on the governance and management of the UN Although the 4NI is expected to come up with recommendations secretariat, and the relationship between these two concepts by September 2007, its initiators agreed from the outset that its and practices. The rationale for this is that better governance findings would not necessarily bind any government. improves management, and that governance is the responsibility of member states. The initiators of this project have also taken Three studies cognisance of the fact that management is the responsibility of the secretary-general and his staff. Hence, rather than focus on After being launched in early 2006, the 4NI divided its work into the overall challenges facing the UN system, the 4NI seeks to pay two main phases. The first phase involved the commissioning greater attention to how the secretariat is governed and man- of three studies focusing on the following areas: mandate and aged, as seen from a member state perspective. However, the roles; governance, accountability and transparency; and budget idea is to contribute reform proposals that will complement the and finance. During the second phase, the findings of these current reform agenda decided on by member states as set out in commissioned studies were analysed and narrowed down into the the document entitled 2005 World a shortened consultation document, Summit Outcome and thereafter car- Building Trust for Improved Govern- ried out by the secretariat under the Better governance improves ance and Management: Towards a former secretary-general, Kofi Annan. management, and governance is the Compact, which emphasises the need The 2005 World Summit Outcome for: clearly identified a number of reform responsibility of member states • building trust as a prerequisite for areas, including a call on the secretary- broad-based agreement on reform; general to submit proposals for management reform in the first • improved governance and management involving a funda- quarter of 2006. Consequently, on 7 March 2006, the secretary- mental division of responsibilities; general presented his report, Investing in the United Nations, • greater accountability and transparency as tools for build- to the general assembly. While this report was less specific on ing trust; issues of governance and finance, the 4NI steering committee felt • decision-making, overview and evaluation involving all the that the report should be warmly welcomed as its demonstrated major interfaces between governors (member states) and the extent of some of the challenges surrounding the secretariat, managers (secretariat); and and the degree to which a negative management culture had • establishing arenas for informal and transparent contact become ingrained in the UN system as a whole. For example, between member states and the secretariat. the report clearly showed that relations between the secretariat Since its publication in January 2007, Building Trust for and member states are characterised by deep mistrust and Improved Governance and Management has been widely cir- cumbersome and time-consuming procedures, which represent culated as part of a broad consultation process involving not serious obstacles to the UN’s ability to deliver on its mandate. only the secretariat but also various groupings of the UN such GLOBAL DIALO G UE A PRIL 2007 • 2 An anti-UN protest in Lahore, Pakistan … according to the 4NI, the UN should become far more accountable and responsive to member states. AP Photo/K M Chaudary as the Group of 77 and China as well as the EU and US. A standing among member states that the different challenges number of meetings and seminars involving the representatives facing the UN can only be overcome via a widely accepted of the new secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, his deputy, Dr Asha and transparent reform process, including the modernisation Migiro, the president of the UN general assembly and, more of the UN’s archaic governance and management systems. The importantly, the current chair of the G77 and China, Ambas- problems involved are not just about specific issues; they are sador Munir Akram, have also been held to discuss the issues about devising processes for managing and developing trust outlined in the document. among various actors. There is obviously an urgent need for a broad-based compromise between the major stakeholders in Divergent views order to create ownership of the reform process. It has to be acknowledged that there is no ‘quick fix’ for the UN’s problems, The initiative has been widely welcomed by UN members, and even if some symptoms could be addressed in the short term. even by the secretariat itself. The chair of the G77 and China The UN is a unique organisation. However, this does not mean has closely followed the activities of the 4NI since its launch, that it cannot learn from experiences elsewhere. and the G77 accepted an offer of a separate briefing on the In the end, the 4NI’s contribution to the reform process 4NI. As there is some pessimism among member countries in will depend on the co-operation of all member states. It is general, this is an encouraging sign. However, given the widely necessary to analyse the rights and responsibilities of member divergent views of the various groupings within the UN, there states, and the channels through which they can and should is still need for caution about the degree to which the 4NI and exercise influence as well as those that should not be used. its proposals will be accepted and supported. At the same time, it is not enough for the secretariat itself to In the light of the above, the 4NI may find it difficult to address these problems. come up with recommendations that appeal to all member While these internal efforts to reform the secretariat are states. From the outset, most member state delegates consulted welcome, it is not obvious that an internal perspective would wanted to know how any ‘new’ recommendations would be identify the same sorts of problems and opportunities as a inserted into the current process of UN reform. This is important, member states’ perspective would. Although the agenda for because most reform suggestions thus far have run into a wall reform set out in 2005 World Summit Outcome seems largely of resistance simply because of the way in which they were bogged down for now, it is important for the 4NI to focus its inserted into the reform debates. Among other things, reports attention on the bigger picture. In fact, the arrival of the new sent to the secretariat have been mysteriously leaked to a select secretary-general, changes in the delegations of key member group of countries within the security council before other UN states and political shifts in those delegations, the growing members gained access to them. If this were to happen to the sense of wariness derived from general assembly confrontations 4NI’s report, its recommendations would be dead on arrival.
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