John Ashe

• May 5, 2017

Who is Paolo Zampolli and what does he want from the United Nations? A friend of Donald Trump’s for decades, Zampolli is an ambassador of Dominica to the UN. He has a busy Twitter page, Facebook page and Instagram account, where he posts photos of himself and his wife, Amanda Ungaro, a model from Brazil …

Geopolitics, UN Diplomats, US Foreign Relations, US-UN Relations

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After Corruption Charges, UN Panel Recommends Major Changes to General Assembly Presidency

Dulcie Leimbach

• March 29, 2016

The presidency of the United Nations General Assembly, a ceremonial position filled annually by the organization’s 193 member nations, needs to fling open its doors to basic transparency on its financing and staffing operations, says a new report commissioned by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The office of the presidency of the UN General Assembly …

General Assembly

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John Ashe, Ex-UN Diplomat Facing Criminal Charges, Goes Begging

Dulcie Leimbach

• March 14, 2016

A legal defense fund has been set up for John Ashe, a former president of the United Nations General Assembly, who has been accused by the United States government in a million-dollar tax fraud case. The fund is to help Ashe and his wife, Anilla Cherian, to fight a “complicated and unprecedented tax-related criminal …

General Assembly

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The UN General Assembly Grows More Assertive Under a Dane

Shazia Z. Rafi

• February 18, 2016

Corridor diplomacy — private nonmeetings, informal discussions — has been the norm at the United Nations since its founding 70 years ago. It is the preferred method of its most powerful organ, the Security Council, particularly now, as the election of the UN’s next secretary-general for the 2017-2022 term is underway. In this election …

General Assembly, Secretary-General

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Steps for More Transparency in UN General Assembly Office Stir Skepticism

Dulcie Leimbach

• November 5, 2015

The president of the United Nations General Assembly has vowed to make his office more open, including publicly documenting his travels and financial contributions from outside donors, in response to the recent criminal accusation by the United States government against a predecessor, John Ashe. In a parallel move, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is organizing …

General Assembly

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More Revelations on Former UN General Assembly Leader Facing Criminal Charges

Dulcie Leimbach

• October 16, 2015

Only weeks before John Ashe, the former president of the United Nations General Assembly, was arrested for tax fraud amid a bribery scandal uncovered by the United States government, Ashe was tapped to potentially take an important job in Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s office in New York. Ashe, who was an ambassador for Antigua and …

General Assembly, SDGs

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US Charges a Former UN General Assembly President: More Revelations Likely

Barbara Crossette

• October 7, 2015

A luxury-loving diplomat susceptible to bribery, a clutch of rich Chinese with business interests and an open door to the top leadership of the United Nations General Assembly. It all adds up to not only a blow to the integrity of the UN but also a stark demonstration of the dysfunction of an international …