Sam Kutesa

The UN General Assembly Grows More Assertive Under a Dane

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

November 5, 2015

by Dulcie Leimbach

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

October 16, 2015

by Dulcie Leimbach

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

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

October 7, 2015

by Barbara Crossette

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 …

General Assembly, UN Diplomats

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The Heart of Pope Francis’s Speech at the UN: Don’t Look Past the Poor

September 25, 2015

by Dulcie Leimbach

Pope Francis spread his gospel of not forgetting the poor at the United Nations on Friday morning, where he spoke in his native Spanish to the 193 member delegations and heads of state gathered before him at the General Assembly Hall. It was his first appearance at the UN during his first trip to …

Development, General Assembly, Poverty, Secretary-General, Women

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Turkey Loses as Five New Elected Members to Join the Security Council

October 16, 2014

by Dulcie Leimbach

Five new members have been elected to join the United Nations Security Council: Angola, Venezuela, Malaysia, New Zealand and Spain. The first three countries ran unopposed for the five two-year term seats open on the council, representing their regions, respectively: Africa, Latin America and Caribbean and Asia. New Zealand and Spain ran for the …

General Assembly, Security Council

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US Toughens Its Support for LGBT Tolerance Globally

June 22, 2014

by Barbara Crossette

After years of lagging behind several European countries in official support for gay rights, the United States under President Barack Obama is advancing to the forefront internationally in both domestic and foreign policies. New policies in Washington, often instituted by executive orders that bypass conservative hurdles in the US Congress, reflect the rapid changes …

LGBT, US-UN Relations

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Controversy Stirs Over Sam Kutesa, Candidate for UN General Assembly President

June 2, 2014

by Dulcie Leimbach

Milton Allimadi wants Sam Kutesa, Uganda’s foreign minister, not to become the next president of the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly, starting in September, when its annual meeting begins with heads of state attending worldwide, including in past years President Barack Obama. Allimadi, who was born in Uganda and is the …