July 27 2011 marks the 58th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that officially ended the fighting of the Korean War. On July 27, 1953, parties to the Korean War, with the exception of South Korea, formerly agreed to an armistice. Further negotiations toward a peace treaty were to follow. But the needed agreement for a peace treaty continues to prove an elusive goal, even 58 years later.

This week, in an unusual and generally unexpected development, the North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Kye Kwan and Ri Gun, head of the North American Affairs Bureau of the North Korean Foreign Ministry have arrived in New York for formal (official negotiations) and less formal (called 2nd level) talks toward determining whether there is a basis to resume the 6 party talks. Kim is to meet with Stephen Bosworth, the US Special Representative for North Korean Policy and others in… weiter lesen

Part I – Journalists Question Security Council Support for Rebel Group

At the April 4 press conference marking the beginning of the Colombian Presidency of the Security Council for April, Nestor Osorio, the Colombian Ambassador to the United Nations was asked what on the surface would seem an unusual question by one of the journalists. The journalist said (1):

“In the wake of Security Council Resolution 1973 [authorizing military action against Libya–ed] are we to expect a more aggressive and proactive posture on the part of the Security Council in supporting rebel groups?”

The journalist gave several examples of such rebel groups as the IRA in the UK, ETA in Spain and perhaps the Corsican rebels in France. Another journalist added the example of the FARC in Colombia.

The question referred to the fact that with SC Resolution 1973, the UN Security Council had taken on to support… weiter lesen

Germany held a press conference at the UN on Tuesday, July 5, about the issues it would take up during its month long presidency of the Security Council.

Ambassador Peter Wittig listed as his priority Southern Sudan which will begin its independence on July 9. The German Ambassador outlined that there will be a Security Council meeting most probably on July 13 for a resolution to recommend that Southern Sudan be admitted as a member nation of the United Nations. This resolution would probably go to the General Assembly on July 14 for the General Assembly to act on it.

There are currently 192 member nations of the UN, so if Southern Sudan becomes a new member nation, this will bring UN membership to 193 nations.

Ambassador Wittig said that probably the German Foreign Minister will come to the UN for this occasion, as will other ministers of nations that… weiter lesen

On Friday, July 1, Germany assumed the month long rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council.

Also on July 1, the German mission was scheduled to hold an off the record briefing at the German Mission to the UN for selected journalists about its views on the important issues facing the Security Council.’

I was not on the list of journalists invited to this background meeting at the German Mission to the UN. On Thursday, I heard about the meeting and sent an email asking to attend. Early on Friday I received a response from the press secretary, Alexander Eberl, telling me that the press list for Friday’s meeting with the Ambassador was closed but that the press secretary would speak with me on the phone after the meeting.

As a resident correspondent at the UN with a blog with articles about the UN at taz.de, the website of… weiter lesen