Arab woman new chief of U.N. General Assembly Nick Wadhams | MiamiHerald.com | June 09, 2006
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/14776239.htm?source=rss&channel=miamiherald_world A pioneering lawyer and women's rights advocate from Bahrain was elected U.N. General Assembly president Thursday, the third woman in history and the first from the Middle East ever to take the post. Sheikha Haya Rashed al Khalifa, the legal advisor to Bahrain's Royal Court, takes the job at a time of turmoil at the United Nations. The U.N. is under fire from critics in the United States, and many of Secretary General Kofi Annan's proposals to reform the world body have bogged down in a power battle between rich and poor nations. Khalifa's most important job will likely involve the decision to replace Annan, whose second and last five-year term ends in December. The General Assembly traditionally rubber stamps the Security Council's choice for U.N. chief, but some member states have demanded it play a greater role this year. CALL FOR REFORM In a speech to the General Assembly, Khalifa said that reforming the U.N. is vital. She urged world leaders to agree on a ''comprehensive and practical strategy'' to fight terrorism, and pledged to fight injustice against women around the world. ''Their suffering drives me to work with you to find suitable solutions to alleviate their pain and uphold the principles of the U.N. charter, which emphasizes full respect for human rights,'' Khalifa said. Khalifa, who is a member of Bahrain's royal family, will oversee the General Assembly's yearlong 61st session, which begins with a two-week plenary meeting of the U.N. body in September. She takes over from Jan Eliasson of Sweden, who will turn over the gavel to her then. The General Assembly, which includes all 191 U.N. member states, often takes a back seat to the more powerful Security Council. Yet its president can play an important role and is often asked to help settle disputes between blocs of nations. Eliasson, for example, oversaw negotiations to create the new U.N. Human Rights Council. He also intervened last week when delegates at a major HIV/AIDS conference could not agree on a document meant to spell out their strategy for fighting the virus over the next 10 years. Khalifa is the third woman to be General Assembly president in the 60-year history of the U.N. Liberia's Angie E. Brooks had the job in 1969, and Vijaya Lakshmi Pandi of India presided in 1953. ''I met her yesterday and I found her quite impressive,'' Annan said. ``All the member states are determined to work with her and to support her, and I think she's going to bring a new dimension to the work here.'' FOCUS ON RIGHTS Khalifa served as Bahrain's ambassador to France from 2000-2004. She is one of the first two women to ever practice law in Bahrain, and has argued for greater rights for women before Islamic courts. The post of General Assembly president goes through a regional rotation each year. Bahrain is part of the Asian group, which inherited the job from Western Europe. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Protect your PC from spy ware with award winning anti spy technology. It's free. http://us.click.yahoo.com/97bhrC/LGxNAA/yQLSAA/uTGrlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -- This is ZESTGlobal. Post articles on international affairs to [email protected] If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTGlobal by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTGlobal/join/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTGlobal/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
