Miguel D'Escoto

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Rev. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, born in Los Angeles[1] on February 5, 1933, is a Nicaraguan diplomat, politician and Catholic priest.[2] He is the current President-elect of the United Nations General Assembly; his one year term at that post will begin in September 2008. He will preside over the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.[3] [4]


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[edit] Political career

D'Escoto was ordained a Roman Catholic priest for the Maryknoll congregation, before engaging in politics. He was a key figure in the founding of the Maryknoll imprint, Orbis Books, in 1970, and was an official with the World Council of Churches. As an adherent of liberation theology, he secretly joined the Sandinistas.

He first publicly expressed support for the FSLN as one of Los Doce, in October 1977, and was appointed foreign minister after the Sandinista triumph in 1979. He served as foreign minister in Daniel Ortega's FSLN government from 1979 to 1990.[5] Pope John Paul II admonished him and other priests in the government for getting involved in politics. Early in the Contra war, the Reagan administration perceived him as a relative moderate who might break with the regime. While foreign minister, he received the Lenin Peace Prize for 1985-6, and the Thomas Merton Award for 1987.[6]

After the Sandinistas lost the 1990 elections, he led the Communal Movement, but resigned that post in December 1991 after his support within the organization waned.[7] He has staunchly supported Ortega against the Sandinista Renovation Movement dissidents.[8]

Latin American and Caribbean nations selected Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann as their candidate to become the next president of the U.N. General Assembly. On June 4, 2008, he was elected by acclamation to preside over 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, from September 2008 to September 2009.[9]

[edit] Views and priorities as President of the General Assembly

Shortly after his election, d’Escoto Brockmann stated during a press conference:

"They elected a priest. And I hope no one is offended if I say that love is what is most needed in this world. And that selfishness is what has gotten us into the terrible quagmire in which the world is sinking, almost irreversibly, unless something big happens. This may sound like a sermon. Well, OK."[10]

D'Escoto also stated that addressing rising energy and food prices around the world would be priorities.[11] Other priorities would include hunger, poverty, climate change, terrorism, human rights, disarmament, nuclear control, cultural diversity, the rights of women and children, and the protection of biodiversity.[12]

[edit] Reform of the United Nations

D'Escoto has criticised the veto power wielded by the five permanent members of the Security Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States): "I hope my presidency will address what has become a universal clamor all over the world for the democratization of the United Nations. I promise to give full support to the working group on the revitalization of the General Assembly."[13]

[edit] Relations with the United States

Described by Reuters as "a fierce critic of the United States", he referred to Ronald Reagan in 2004 as "the butcher of my people"[14], and added: "Because of Reagan and his spiritual heir George W. Bush, the world today is far less safe and secure than it has ever been."[15]

Following his election to the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly, he offered a statement interpreted as renewed criticism aimed at the United States: "The behavior of some member states has caused the United Nations to lose credibility as an organization capable of putting an end to war and eradicating extreme poverty from our planet."[16] He denounced what he called “acts of aggression, such as those occurring in Iraq and Afghanistan.”[17] At the same time, he expressed his "love" for "the United States as a country", and added: "I do not want to turn this [General Assembly] presidency into a place to take it out on the United States."[18] Reacting to those comments, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad responded: "We have been assured that a page has been turned and that he understands his new responsibilities... We will wait and see."[19] Richard Grenell, spokesman for the U.S. permanent mission to the United Nations, added: "The president of the General Assembly is supposed to be a uniter. 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."[20]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "FACTBOX-Facts on new UN assembly head D'Escoto", Reuters, June 4, 2008
  2. ^ "Nicaraguan U.S. critic made U.N. assembly president", Reuters, June 4, 2008
  3. ^ "General Assembly Elects, by Acclamation, President for Sixty-Third Session", United Nations General Assembly official website
  4. ^ "Nicaraguan elected to head next session of General Assembly", United Nations General Assembly official website
  5. ^ "Nicaraguan U.S. critic made U.N. assembly president", Reuters, June 4, 2008
  6. ^ "The Thomas Merton Award 2006 will honor Angela Y. Davis!", Thomas Merton Center
  7. ^ The Popular Organizations in Nicaragua Yesterday and Today
  8. ^ Revista Envío - “We’re Independent Leftists”
  9. ^ "UN Elects Ex-Sandinista as Assembly President", Voice of America, June 4, 2008
  10. ^ "Priest elected UN General Assembly president", Associated Press, June 5, 2008
  11. ^ "UN Elects Ex-Sandinista as Assembly President", Voice of America, June 4, 2008
  12. ^ "Roundup: former Nicaraguan FM elected head of UN General Assembly", Xinhua, June 5, 2008
  13. ^ "UN Elects Ex-Sandinista as Assembly President", Voice of America, June 4, 2008
  14. ^ "FACTBOX-Facts on new UN assembly head D'Escoto", Reuters, June 4, 2008
  15. ^ "Nicaraguan U.S. critic made U.N. assembly president", Reuters, June 4, 2008
  16. ^ "Nicaraguan U.S. critic made U.N. assembly president", Reuters, June 4, 2008
  17. ^ "Former Nicaraguan Official Wins U.N. Assembly Presidency", New York Times, June 5, 2008
  18. ^ "Nicaraguan U.S. critic made U.N. assembly president", Reuters, June 4, 2008
  19. ^ "Nicaraguan U.S. critic made U.N. assembly president", Reuters, June 4, 2008
  20. ^ "Priest elected UN General Assembly president", Associated Press, June 5, 2008