Comment
Anybody who thinks that Uganda will benefit from Sam Kutesa’s being UN President is naïve at least and gullible at most. Recently Uganda was a member of the UN Security Council and the only role it played was to spectate as the big powers with veto mandate continued to dominate the United nations. We need to note that the UN is fully under the control of the USA neo-liberal Imperialistic New World Order System. Remember Uganda is a slave state of the US . Now, By putting an African in the UN Presidency seat, many people will be fooled into believing that the UN is democratic, transparency and pro-every one. The USA played the same trick when Obama became the President of the USA. Many gullible people were fooled into believing that black people have taken total control of the US. The truth is that Obama works in the interests of Neo-Conservative criminals and not the poor black Americans . Similarly, Sam Kutesa is going to be a puppet or pawn in a US controlled United Nations. It must be noted that despite the hullabaloo in relation to Uganda’s Anti-Gay law, Uganda remains a fully compliant member of the USA new World order system. This criminal system is not interested in saints but criminals.
Kutesa is new U.N. President
Publish Date: Jun 12, 2014
Uganda’s foreign minister, Sam Kutesa, was last night voted United Nations General Assembly president, becoming the fi rst Ugandan national to take the leadershipof the 193-member world body.
Kutesa, a veteran politician, seasoned lawyer and businessman, has become the 12th African to assume the prestigious office.
Kutesa, who pitched camp in New York about two weeks ago, will replace John W. Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda. The UN General Assembly took the vote by acclamation a few minutes after 3:00pm New York time (10:00pm local time).
Kutesa threafter delivered a speech to the assembly.
Earlier, Kutesa held a meeting with the outgoing president of the UN General Assembly, John W. Ashe, on Monday this week during which the two “discussed the responsibilities and expectations of the presidency of the General Assembly, including the selection of theme and the elaboration thereof”.
According to the statement issued by the office of the UNGA president, Kutesa who was referred to “President-designate of the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly” also discussed the importance of engaging with member states, observers, civil society and the private sector.
Kutesa commended Ashe for “setting the stage” for the post-2015 development agenda and expressed his intent to build upon the momentum achieved.
The outgoing president advised Kutesa of the forthcoming high-level stocktaking event slated for early September 2014. Kutesa will preside over the 69th session of the UN General Assembly.
Since the job lasts one year and he is not expected to chair any session until September this year, Kutesa will retain both his parliamentary seat and cabinet position. New Vision has not yet established what Kutesa’s privileges and entitlements would be as UNGA president.
The presidency of the UN General Assembly rotates among the six global regions – Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Western Europe. But the nationals of the five vetowielding power countries – France, US, Russia, Britain and France – do not vie for this position.
According to Uganda’s former senior diplomat at the UN and a former UN undersecretary general in charge of children in war ravaged areas, Dr. Olara Otunnu, African countries have over the years agreed to rotate their turn to provide candidate for the docket between the regions of East Africa, North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa and South Africa.
The last time Africa provided a president of the UNGA was in 2009 with veteran Libyan diplomat, Ali Treki holding the position.
Kutesa was unanimously endorsed by the African Union in 2013 following the decision by Cameroonian foreign minister, Pierre Moukoko, to drop his candidature.
Since then, Uganda has launched a spirited charm offensive in propping up its candidate, with Kutesa himself visiting all the countries with veto wielding powers to drum up support for his bid.
However, Kutesa’s bid has not been without hurdles. It faced resistance from a group of rights activists that include a disaffected US-based Ugandan, Milton Alimadi.
Commenting on Kutesa’s candidature on Tuesday, Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, clarified that not even the Secretary General of the UN had powers to block Kutesa.
“It is their prerogative (UN member states) and it does not involve the secretary general, though, the secretary general will speak at the plenary meeting tomorrow,” Dujarric said.
As president of the assembly, Kutesa will preside over the assembly and direct its discussion. However, the most important debate in his in-tray is the one that will result in producing a blueprint to shape a post-2015 era as Millennium Development Goals come to a close.
The Minister of State in charge of regional co-operation, Asuman Kiyingi, said Kutesa’s position as UNGA president will boost the confidence of foreign investors in Uganda and therefore spur more foreign investments.
One of the challenges Kutesa faces as UN president will relate to Uganda’s stand on gay rights. Ahead of the vote, Dujarric was asked about the matter by journalists during a June 10 briefing. He side-stepped the questions on the matter, saying Kutesa would address them after his election.
When he took over the presidency, Ashe identified “The Post 2015 Development Agenda: Setting the Stage!” as the theme for the 68th session.
Kutesa suspends all his business interests
Publish Date: Jun 13, 2014
Sam Kutesa becomes the first Ugandan to take the leadership of the UN General Assembl
By Taddeo BwambaleThe UN General Assembly president and Uganda’s foreign minister, Sam Kutesa, has suspended all his business interests, including those Entebbe Handling Services (ENHAS) to focus on the prestigious UN job.
Kutesa was elected to take the leadership of the 193-member body on Wednesday. He becomes the second East
African after Tanzania’s Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim (1979- 80) and 12th from Africa to hold the presidency of the UN’s top policy organ since it was established in 1945.
At a press briefing shortly after he was elected, Kutesa was tasked with explaining his relationship with ENHAS, which has contracts with the UN.
Kutesa announced that he had suspended his interests in the company and other businesses, prior to assuming the presidency.
Established in 1996, ENHAS offers ground handling services including passenger handling, baggage tracing, cargo and ramp services at Entebbe International Airport.
In his opening comments, Kutesa outlined his priorities during the presidency as the formulation of a post-2015 development agenda, climate change, empowerment of women and gender equality, revitalisation of the UN General Assembly and reform of the Security Council, enhancing co-operation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations, promotion of peaceful settlement of disputes and peace-building.
He also pledged cordial relations with New York senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer who were opposed to his bid for the post.
Schumer had said he was deeply concerned by the homophobic legislation passed by Uganda’s Parliament and asked the UN to review Kutesa’s participation and views on such legislation.
Why Uganda's Sam Kutesa Must Not Be Allowed to Become UN General Assembly President
Hon. Secretary of State John Kerry:
Dear Secretary Kerry,
As you know, Uganda's foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa could become President of the United Nations General Assembly in June unless the world comes to its senses.
Mr. Kutesa is reputedly one of Uganda's most corrupt and wealthiest politicians.
The United Nations does not need this kind of embarrassment. The UN is still dealing with the damaging reports about alleged misconduct, including rapes of young girls, by UN peacekeepers deployed to DR Congo; and, the serious allegations that peace-keepers spread cholera in Haiti.
The post of president of the GA rotates amongst the world's regions, and this year is Africa's turn. So Mr. Kutesa is running unopposed. His election would be the most embarrassing thing that the United Nations Organization has endured in recent memory.
This must not be allowed to happen.
As President, Mr. Kutesa would preside over important meetings including the General Assembly, when you and President Obama attend in the Fall. As you are aware, his boss and partner Gen. Yoweri Museveni has now presided over a repressive and brutal dictatorship in Uganda for 28 years.
Gen. Museveni's domestic repression in Uganda and multiple invasions of neighboring countries such as Rwanda, DR Congo and South Sudan have caused the deaths of millions of innocent African civilians and has been well documented by the United Nations, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, as a simple Google search will confirm.
Mr. Secretary, Congo has been turned into the "rape" capital of the world by the marauding militias he's trained and financed including M23.
Mr. Secretary, most recently Gen. Museveni on Feb. 24, 2014, defied the international community by signing a law that incites violence against Uganda's sexual minorities, the LGBT community, purely for political purposes, as he's desperate to retain power in the 2016 elections. Gen. Museveni knows rural voters who form the majority are conservative and not educated on issues of LGBT people -- by demonizing them Gen. Museveni hopes to translate fears into votes. In the process he does not care about the consequences on the safety and lives of LGBT community and referred to them as "disgusting" in a CNN interview.
What's more, Gen. Museveni's family and his ministers have embezzled so many public funds, including monies designated for development assistance through the years that in 2012 the UK cut off all foreign aid.
Mr. Sam Kutesa, as foreign affairs minister, has been Gen. Museveni's top advisor and spokesperson. He is part and parcel of all these transgressions including the invasion of neighboring countries, which is a violation of the United Nations' cardinal rule -- the respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In 2005 the International Court of Justice found Uganda liable for what amounts to war crimes in Congo (massacres and plunder) as a result of the invasions and occupation of Congo. Uganda was ordered to pay $10 billion in reparations; not a dime has yet been paid.
The Court found that "Uganda violated the principles of non-use of force in international relations and of non-intervention; that it violated its obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law; and that it violated other obligations owed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo."
Separately, on June 8, 2006, The Wall Street Journal reported that the International Criminal Court (ICC) also launched it's own criminal investigation linking Gen. Museveni to Congo war crimes and that the Ugandan ruler urged Kofi Annan, then UN Secretary General, to block the investigation. Might Kutesa not try to hinder possible investigations in connection to alleged crimes by M23 and by Uganda's army in South Sudan?
Mr. Secretary, on a personal level Mr. Kutesa should be disqualified even from consideration as candidate for the General Assembly presidency. He has been linked in numerous corruption scandals in Uganda dating back to 1999. More recently, his name was mentioned in a 2009 cable to the U.S. Department of State by former U.S. ambassador to Uganda Jerry Lanier in which he discussed officials who were alleged to have received millions of dollars in bribes from foreign oil companies. The cables were published on Wikileaks.
Mr. Secretary, Mr. Kutesa becoming President of the UN General Assembly would be a mockery of all the ideals that the UN is supposed to stand for.
While it's true that it would be a great honor for the next GA president to come from Africa, Mr. Kutesa's election would be irreparable damage to the UN's reputation. There are many African women and men who would be stellar candidates for the position.
Mr. Secretary, the U.S. recently denied a visa to Hamid Aboutalebi, Iran's designated Permanent Representative to the UN, when it was discovered that he was one of the students who seized hostages at the American embassy in 1979.
Mr. Secretary, as a global citizen who still cherishes and believes in the ideals of the United Nations, I urge you to do the right thing and revoke Mr. Kutesa's visa. Please help protect the reputation of this important body -- the United Nations Organization.
Readers can help stop Kutesa from becoming the GA president by signing the petition on Change.org. Please use the search term "U.S. Must Deny Visa To Uganda's Sam Kutesa" to access the correct petition as there may be more than one campaign.