Changing the Guard at the UN

Appears the UN Politicos are starting their games.

The jockeying for top jobs in a new U.N. administration has begun in earnest with the arrival in New York of incoming Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who will take over the organization in six weeks.

And

Mr. Ban has begun a round of meetings with at least three dozen undersecretaries-general and assistant secretaries-general, as well as with key ambassadors, representatives of nongovernmental organizations and trusted advisers.

The Ban team is using the meetings mainly to gather information, but for many U.N. officials, the appointments serve as half-hour opportunities to impress the new boss and keep their jobs or trade up.
"He has a battery of appointments," said one person involved with the transition. "He wants to find out what is happening in [each] area and have a bit of look-see at these people: Can they walk and talk and shoot straight? The real emphasis is on sucking in as much info as possible."

Of course, the source added, "There are important personnel decisions looming."

Departing Secretary-General Kofi Annan has refused to approve long-term contracts for most senior management, leaving Mr. Ban a free hand to select his own heads of major departments. Most contracts will expire at the end of December or the end of February, according to current officials.

I can just imagine the panic of all the UN politicos trying to prove they are worthy of their positions. At least Annan proves that he wasn't completely incompetent by not allowing long term contracts.

Now let's see if Ban Ki-Moon can clean up the mess over there.