WORLD ACADEMY OF INFORMATICS AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
ISSN : 2278-1315
General for Program Planning, Budget and Finance, and
beating Amara Essy by one vote in the first round. However,
Control. When Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
France vetoed Annan four times before finally abstaining. The
established the Department of Peacekeeping Operations
UN Security Council recommended Annan on 13 December
(DPKO) in 1992, Annan was appointed to the new
1996. Confirmed four days later by the vote of the General
department as Deputy to then Under-Secretary-General
Assembly, he started his first term as Secretary-General on 1
Marrack Goulding. Annan was subsequently appointed in
January 1997. Due to Boutros-Ghali's overthrow, a second
March 1993 as Under-Secretary-General of that department.
Annan term would give Africa the office of Secretary-General
On 29 August 1995, while Boutros-Ghali was unreachable
for three consecutive terms. In 2001, the Asia-Pacific Group
on an airplane, Annan instructed United Nations officials to
agreed to support Annan for a second term in return for the
"relinquish for a limited period of time their authority to
African Group's support for an Asian Secretary-General in the
veto air strikes in Bosnia". This move allowed NATO forces
2006 selection. The Security Council recommended Annan
to conduct Operation Deliberate Force and made him a
for a second term on 27 June 2001, and the General Assembly
favorite of the United States. According to Richard
approved his reappointment on 29 June 2001. Soon after
Holbrooke, Annan's "gutsy performance" convinced the
taking office in 1997, Annan released two reports on
United States that he would be a good replacement for
management reform. On 17 March 1997, the report
Boutros-Ghali. He was appointed a Special Representative
Management and Organizational Measures (A/51/829)
of the Secretary-General to the former Yugoslavia, serving
introduced new management mechanisms through the
from November 1995 to March 1996.
establishment of a cabinet-style body to assist him and be
CRITICISM
grouping the UN's activities in accordance with four core
In 2003, retired Canadian General Romeo Dallaire, who was
missions. A comprehensive reform agenda was issued on 14
Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission
July 1997 entitled Renewing the United Nations: A
for Rwanda, claimed that Annan was overly passive in his
Programme for Reform (A/51/950). Key proposals included
response to the imminent genocide. In his book Shake
the introduction of strategic management to strengthen unity
Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda
of purpose, the establishment of the position of Deputy
(2003), Dallaire asserted that Annan held back UN troops
Secretary-General, a 10-percent reduction in posts, a reduction
from intervening to settle the conflict, and from providing
in administrative costs, the consolidation of the UN at the
more logistical and material support. Dallaire claimed that
country level, and reaching out to civil society and the private
Annan failed to provide responses to his repeated faxes
sector as partners. Annan also proposed to hold a Millennium
asking for access to a weapons depository; such weapons
Summit in 2000. After years of research, Annan presented a
could have helped Dallaire defend the endangered Tutsis. In
progress report, In Larger Freedom, to the UN General
2004, ten years after the genocide in which an estimated
Assembly, on 21 March 2005. Annan recommended Security
800,000 people were killed, Annan said, "I could and should
Council expansion and a host of other UN reforms.
have done more to sound the alarm and rally support". In his
On 31 January 2006, Annan outlined his vision for a
book Interventions: A Life in War and Peace, Annan again
comprehensive and extensive reform of the UN in a policy
argued that the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping
speech to the United Nations Association UK. The speech,
Operations could have made better use of the media to raise
delivered at Central Hall, Westminster, also marked the 60th
awareness of the violence in Rwanda and put pressure on
Anniversary of the first meetings of the General Assembly
governments to provide the troops necessary for an
and Security Council.
intervention. Annan explained that the events in Somalia
On 7 March 2006, he presented to the General Assembly his
and the collapse of the UNOSOM II mission fostered a
proposals for a fundamental overhaul of the United Nations
hesitation amongst UN Member states to approve robust
Secretariat. The reform report is entitled Investing in the
peacekeeping operations. As a result, when the UNAMIR
United Nations, For a Stronger Organization Worldwide.
mission was approved just days after the battle, the resulting
On 30 March 2006, he presented to the General Assembly his
force lacked the troop levels, resources and mandate to
analysis and recommendations for updating the entire work
operate effectively.
programme of the United Nations Secretariat. The reform
SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS
report is entitled: Mandating and Delivering: Analysis and
(1997–2006) APPOINTMENT
Recommendations to Facilitate the Review of Mandates.
In 1996, Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali ran
Regarding the UN Human Rights Council, Annan said
unopposed for a second term. Although he won 14 of the 15
"declining credibility" had "cast a shadow on the reputation of
votes on the Security Council, he was vetoed by the United
the United Nations system. Unless we re-make our human
States. After four deadlocked meetings of the Security
rights machinery, we may be unable to renew public
Council, Boutros-Ghali suspended his candidacy, becoming
confidence in the United Nations itself." However, he did
the only Secretary-General ever to be denied a second term.
believe that, despite its flaws, the council could do good.
Annan was the leading candidate to replace him,
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