The General Assembly today elected by acclamation Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann of Nicaragua as President of its sixty-third session to begin in September. Mr. Brockmann – a Catholic priest who is described as a “stern critic” of the United States – delivered an inaugural address in which he called for greater “democratization” of the United Nations, increased efforts to combat hunger, poverty, and terrorism, as well as more cooperation on climate change, human rights, and disarmament.
“Our nations must be united in the struggle to democratize the United Nations… I firmly believe solidarity is essential to ensure that we achieve our common goals,” said Ambassador Brockmann. “I firmly believe in the revitalizing power of love.”
What the ex-Sandinista means by “democracy,” of course, is more power at the UN to dictatorships like Syria, Zimbabwe and Cuba, and less to elected liberal democracies on the Security Council like the U.S., France and the U.K.
In a jab at the
“The president of the General Assembly is supposed to be a uniter,” said Richard Grenell, a spokesman for the U.S. Mission. “We have made it clear that these crazy comments are not acceptable, and we hope he refrains from this talk and gets to work on General Assembly business.”
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