THE SECRETARY-GENERAL 8 September 2005 Dear Chris, I would like to thank you for your letter of 8 August and your kind words of support, as well as for sending me electronic and paper copies of the photographs taken during my stay in Madrid last March. The International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security was a genuinely important event, providing as it did a forum for much-need discussions on the most effective ways to combat terrorism. The IV General Assembly and Annual Conference of the Club de Madrid, to be held on 10 and 11 November 2005 will, I am sure, be of equal significance, given its focus of the strengthening of democracy. Unfortunately, as I have informed the Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell separately, my very heavy schedule for this autumn will not allow me to be present in Prague on that occasion. Therefore, I have asked Mr. Kalman Mizsei, Assistant Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and Regional Director for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, to represent me at the Conference. With warm personal regards and best wishes of success in your proceedings, Yours sincerely, Kofi A. Annan is if*. £ 1 J Mr. J. Christer Elfverson lii Or' Club de Madrid Madrid Tel.+34 915 237 216 Fax+34 915 320 088 CLUB DE MADRID Mobile: +34 670 034 709 e-mail: [email protected] E 0 E fl ¥ E www.clubmadrid.org L L a Madrid 8 August 2005 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL His Excellency Mr Kofi A. Annan Secretary-General The United Nations New York, NY 10017 Dear Mr Secretary-General, I am writing to you at a time wMch is particularly difficult for everybody at the United Nations, and in particular for yourself and for those_pf JLIS who were directly involved" with the Oil-fqr-Food Programme. Chairman VoTcker just released his third interim report, and Benon made his letter of resignation public only this morning. Every cloud is said to have its silver lining, though, so let us hope that also in this case we will have learnt something that can benefit the Organization in the future. However, I must admit that at this very moment I find it difficult to feel cheerful. With regard to Benon, I havejo say thatI finelyolcker's arguments more compelling than those of BencS'l lawyer (or, for that matter, those put forward by Benon himself iii his letter to you, which, incidentally, I found extremely unfortunate), hi fact, when I raised the issue of the fairly petty amounts involved with the Volcker people (given the overall magnitude of the Programme), they told me that 'we can prove only fairly small amounts, but we know for sure that we are talking of much more'... You will recall that when you asked me sometime last year "do you think he did it?" I told you that irrespective of Benon's many failings as a manager, I did not think he was¥crbok. It seems I was .wrong, and today I am disappointed, sad ancf- maybe more than anything else - angry. And while Volcker's findings may explain some of his actions, more worryingly, they also raise some other concerns in me of inexplicable behaviour in the Programme. Yakovlev was a new name to me, but it of course adds fire to the unfair image being painted by certain media of the entire Organization. I guess only time can tell how this will end; till then we will all try to move forward as best we can. In this your leadership is required - and appreciated - more than ever. In this spirit, I enjoyed seeing you the other day at Headquarters, however briefly, and was glad to see on TV this morning that you no longer had your arm in a sling. Hopefully that means that the healing process goes well and that you will soon have recuperated fully. While in New York last week I was told by accident that, in addition to whatever photographs DPI may have from your various trips and public appearances, you also CLUB DE MADRID keep a set for yourself. I am consequently^very^hapny to be able to prpvidejou with a complete set of the photographs taken while you were hcrcTrTMadnd, both in digital— format and in the form'of paper cg^ies^t^iyou. may wish to add to your collection. For your information, I have sei^a_copv_of^the CD-RO^ja[so to Sh records. In addition f am aTso'encipsing a copy of the memorial book from the —- Tnfefhational Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security, as well as a set of the \ three'voTume series on Democracy and Terrorism, containing the working papers produced at the Summit. Under cover of this note, I also have the pleasure to_ forward a letter from the • Club of Madrid secretary general,. The Rt. Hon. Kim Campbeli^inyiting you to. attend the IV General Assembly and .Annual Conference: of' th_e Club de Madrid, f his_eyent ^ will be held in_ Prague_onj 0-1 IJNpvember 2005, at the invitation of Club of Madrid P-- - member former President Vaclav Havel. Needless to say, while we would be extremely happy and grateful if you had the opportunity to attend, we also realize that it may be difficult for you to personally partake in an event away from Headquarters in the middle of the General Assembly, and so shortly after the World Summit. To put this meeting in perspective, tfajsjisja. mucj^smaller..event than the one vou attended last March. Still we believe this to be a very important subject, and thus, in case"you"wSre unable to .attend personally, we would still very much appreciate it if you wDulSTcindiy designate a reJR.resentative who could share the Organization's views on, | an'cl'eijrperience of, the transition process in the Central and European countries, how I other countries in transition could learn from it, and how the rest of us can help in that /{ process. Preferably, and if at all possible, we would like the person in question to have L^ had a direct involvement in the process, given that we would Jjke.her or him to be an I active member of a working group, the title of which is "The Role of the International \ Community~in the Promotion ofj)emocracy^ in Central and Eastern 'Europe'. Looking forward to hearing from you or your office on this subject in the near future, and hoping that the current difficulties will soon have been resolved, I remain, Yours sincerely, Enclosures: One CD-ROM with individual still photographs Four booklets on the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security f A set of photographs , ,,,3 .,OA< \ ROUTING SLIP FICHE DE TRANSMISSION FROM: Room No. - No de Bureau Extension - Poste Date FOR ACTION POUR SUITE A DONNER FOR APPROVAL POUR APPROBATION FOR SIGNATURE POUR SIGNATURE FOR COMMENTS POUR OBSERVATIONS MAY WE DISCUSS? POURRIONS -NOUS EN PARLER? YOUR ATTENTION VOTRE ATTENTION AS DISCUSSED COMME CONVENU AS REQUESTED SUITE A VOTRE DEMANDE NOTE AND RETURN NOTER ET RETOURNER FOR INFORMATION POUR INFORMATION tltt CIS COM.6 (12-78) JtOUTING SLIP .-.V^ £* fiMk v> , ING SLIP FICHE DE TRANSMISSION TO: Mr. Malloch I ••.-own A: FROM: Corinne Momal-Vanian rTt\/ DE: ^ ^ Room ^3,^-^lQ^^ureau ***&£& Date 25 August FOR ACTION POUR SUITE A DONNER FOR APPROVAL POUR APPROBATION FOR SIGNATURE POUR SIGNATURE FOR COMMENTS POUR OBSERVATIONS MAY WE DISCUSS? POURRIONS - NOUS EN PARLER? YOUR ATTENTION VOTRE ATTENTION AS DISCUSSED COMME CONVENU AS REQUESTED SUITE A VOTRE DEMANDE NOTE AND RETURN NOTER ET RETOURNER FOR INFORMATION POUR INFORMATION Please see attached copies of invitations received by the SG to attend a Club de Madrid event in Prague in November. SG has declined and we will inform organizers accordingly. Before we do so, however, could you kindly advise whether you would be interested in representing SG on this occasion? Thank you. COM.6 (12-78) _Calle de Felipe IV, 9-3° Izqda ES-28014 Madrid (Spain) Tel. +34915237216 Fax+34 915 320 088 CLUB DE MADRID Mobile: +34 670 034 709 e-mail', [email protected] www.clubmadrid.org AU6 2 2 2005 as- Madrid 8 August 2005 EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL His Excellency Mr Kofi A. Annan 1A. 51. S ecretary-General p^oO^-^Q., Ki> The United Nations New York, NY 10017 ^ Dear Mr Secretary-General, I am writing tok yoM u at a time which is particularly difficult for everybod yJ at the .t^*'-*... «^*sL^-'- '^ '.w-,f_«M~,^^-.«-^..^^ —,-^..;.,...•£,,.., - United Nations, and in particular for yourself and_for.those: ofjas who were directly TnvoTv'effwith' thV6il-for-Food Programme. Chairman Volcker just released his third r : m I: .—•, .w.,-,,.. — ,vj^;i,:1*wr^l~--'^'* ^™^^"^ ' °"''^'- ^.*^^^^ ** interim report, and Benon made his letter of resignation public only this morning. Every cloud is said to have its silver lining, though, so let us hope that also in this case we will have learnt something that can benefit the Organization in the future. However, I must admit that at this very moment I find it difficult to feel cheerful. With regard to Benon, I haveJo^saj^^aU^firui^Volcker's argumentsjmore compelling than those oj[Bejioji,'sJawyer (or, for that matter, those put forward by Benon Emself in his letter to you, which, incidentally, I found extremely unfortunate). In fact, when I raised the issue of the fairly petty amounts involved with the Volcker people (given the overall magnitude of the Programme), they told me that 'we can prove only fairly small amounts, but we know for sure that we are talking of much more'..