(1 F G FEB-6W7 30 January 1997 EOSG/CENTRA
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THE SECRETARY-GENERAL (1 f g FEB-6W7 30 January 1997 EOSG/CENTRA Dear Ambassador Abram, I should like to thank you for your letter dated 18 December, which reached the United Nations on 9 January. I greatly regret that the exceptional workload associated with my recent appointment has precluded my responding before now. I deeply appreciate the valuable work performed by UN Watch. I believe that informed and independent evaluation of the United Nations' activities will prove a vital resource as we seek to adapt the Organization to the needs of a changing world. I can promise you that^I will pay close attention to your observations and*views in the years ahead. I should also like to express to you my personal appreciation for your most interesting reflections on the "bully pulpit" offered by the Secretary-General's office, and for your congratulations upon my own appointment. Please accept my sincere thanks for your kind and encouraging words, together with my very best wishes for the future. Yours sincerely, Kofi AT—Annan Ambassador Morris B. Abram Chairman United Nations Watch Geneva MORRIS B. ABRAM ^j-'j Ij UNITED NATIONS WATCH OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN n p fl-9(997 Mr. Kofi Annan Secretary-General Designate UN Headquarters New York U.S.A. Personal & Confidential Geneva, 18 December 1996 My dear Kofi, This is the last time I shall address you thusly. First, I wish to congratulate you and especially the United Nations and all of its family on your election. "™ Next, I would like to introduce you to UN Watch of which I am the founding Chairman. Eric Herman, who until recently was Under-Secretary-General Petrovsky's former Special Assistant (and prior to that was the UNTAC Assistant Spokesman) has now become our Executive Director. I enclose a brief statement of the purpose of UN Watch. You will know some of the members of our board which includes Lane Kirkland, Per Ahlmark, Max Jakobson, Chaim Herzog and Jeane Kirkpatrick. We have been very supportive of such international operations as the High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Committee of the Red Cross and most of the independent UN agencies. We have been critical of the recent history of WHO (see article enclosed). We have had a good relationship with Mr. Paschke -- the Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services ~ and I am enclosing some recent communications so that you will have preliminary insight into present concerns. Particularly, we are troubled by the reappointment of an Assistant Secretary General as late as November 4th giving him a contract to the end of this century. QUAIGUSTAVE-ADOR 56 • 1207 GENEVA • TEL. (41-22) 700 39 15 • FAX (41-22) 700 39 17 |.. V We have expressed anxiety to Mr. Paschke lest there be other such extensions or promotions of high officials in the remaining days of this term. I hope you will find our views helpful whether you agree or not. When Javier Perez de Cuellar spoke on 14 October to UN Watch's public annual meeting in Geneva I said, and I repeat, that the UN has been the only great organization not under a "watch" dedicated to its own stated purpose. I have such great hopes for the UN under your leadership. And I have expressed one particular hope in an article (enclosed) submitted to the International Herald Trit So if it is not published -- you may still find the idea of use. I do wish you nothing but success and personal satisfaction as you undertake this awesome responsibility. Cordially, "orris B. Abram Attachments Dictated but not read What is United Rations WatchP United Nations Watch is a Geneva-based non-profit association of individuals and organizations throughout the world. Formed under Swiss law at the initiative of the World Jewish Congress in 1993, it is governed by an independent international board. Chaired by Morris B. Abram, the former US Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, the Board of UN Watch includes Jeane Kirkpatrick, the former US Ambassador to the UN in New York; Lane Kirkland, head of the American labor movement; Edgar Bronfman, the President of the World Jewish Congress; Chaim Herzog, the former President of Israel; Father Stansilaw Musial of Poland; and Per Ahlmark, the former Deputy Prime-Minister of Sweden. The mission of the Watch is to measure the United Nations according to the yardstick of its Charter in selected areas. Recently, the Watch has focused on the following Charter promises: • "The equal rights ... of nations large and small" • "The equal rights of men and women" specifically in the UN Secretariat; • the employment of a Secretariat which "shall not seek or receive instructions from any government" and is based on "the highest standards of efficiency, competency and integrity." UN Watch publishes a twice-monthly column in the Earth Times, the New York-based international publication which focuses on the UN, and as of October 1995 will have a regular column in Geneva's most prestigious paper, The Journal de Geneve. The Watch's op-eds have also appeared in The Washington Post, The International Herald Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, The Jerusalem Post, and The Toronto Star. UN Watch gathers, analyzes and distributes information relating to UN performance, and issues periodic reports of its findings. In its first year of operation, UN Watch was credited with securing the first ever substantial condemnation of anti-Semitism by a UN body, the Commission on Human Rights. This condemnation was accompanied by the creation of a Special Rapporteur, or investigator, to research the status of discrimination and anti-Semitism throughout the world. For more information, please contact the UN Watch offices at: 56 Quai Gustave Ador, 1207, Geneva, SWITZERLAND phone: (41.22) 700-3915 fax: (41.22) 700-3917 THE EARTH TIMES / OPINION 27 JULY 15-30.1996 MORRIS B. ABRAM The case against WHO'S Nakajima ENEVA—The World Hcallh doubled since Dr. Nakajima took office, They have the additional pressure of the Organization, the UN agency from seven in 19S8 to 13 today [1994]." family and so on and so on. So this is one. charged with "the attainment by all BMJ also reported that, "Staff complain Problem oflanguagc I have mentioned. peoples of the highest possible level that Dr. Nakajima's management style is Particularly our African stiff is very good G UN autocratic... Directorial appointments arc speaker but for drafting or editing or uiuing of health," is in deep crisis. Under constant attack for lack of vision, struggling to cope made al his discretion, bypassing the senior a document sometimes is difficult with chronic financial difficulties, and WATCH staff selection committee." These The absence of Africans in senior renowned for poor senior management, the appointments included Dr. David Barmcs, a positions at that time was also widely noieJ. agency has now seen its staff morale hit an dentist, who was made Associate Director In February 1995, one month after Ihe all-time low, with many competent and of the Division of Non-Communicablc alleged comment, The Geneva Post experienced people cither resigning or reports Rightcr, thai Dr. Yugi Kawaguchi, a Diseases, responsible for the global fight reported that of the WHO'S 46 directorial taking golden handshakes. A senior staffer, Japanese promoted to WHO director of against cardiovascular disease, cancer, posts,"... Only one [is] held by a person speaking on condition of anonymity, says planning by Nakajima, had disregarded diabetes, and osteoporosis, and Mmc. Marie from Africa, who was appointed before that the WHO has so lost its way, and has WHO vetting procedures and allocated five Hclcne Lcclcrcq, originally hired for a non- Nakajima's nomination." become so corrupt, that it is beyond contracts of up toSISO.OOO each to professional post who—despite having no Yet in spite of the bad odor surrounding redemption. "If it is ever again to gain the individuals or institutions represented on academic qualifications in accounting, Nakajima's administration, the WHO respect and admiration of the world's public the board. finance, management or communicable Executive Board decided this year that its health community, the organization must be The NAO report, together with an internal diseases—was put in charge of "Method, new rule—limiting WHO Directors General completely and thoroughly reformed from auditor's report that confirmed the findings, Management and Coordination" in the to two terms—cannot be applied the top down." was presented at that year's World Health same division, with seniority to the heads of retrospectively. In other words, Nakajima is But how did this once proud and Assembly, but even so Nakajima was the cardiovascular and cancer units. free to run for a third term al next year's visionary organization, credited with rcclectcd by 93 votes (o 58, the first WHO Nakajima's second term was also marked World Health Assembly. The 1996 World eliminating the smallpox virus and making Director General not to be unanimously by further allegations of financial Health Assembly appeared to ratify the vasi strides in the worldwide 6ghl against elected. This was after an acrimonious irregularities. In May 1995, Sir John Bourn, Executive Board's resolution, though tuberculosis and cholera, hit such dire debate, during which several African and had of the NAO, resigned as WHO external Nakajima has yet to announce his s(r;iiLs? There is general agreement among Asian delegates backed a Bolivian charge auditor after complaining that a lack of the Geneva diplomatic community, WHO that the West's attack was really aimed al cooperation from the WHO leadership made staff and the worldwide public health developing countries.