Candidate For UN Post Urges Accountability, Transparency

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP)--Thailand's deputy prime minister said Sunday
he's eager to take on the role of U.N. chief should he be selected to
replace Secretary- General Kofi Annan, whose term expires next year.

Surakiart Sathirathai said in an interview with The Associated Press
that the U.N. has an important role in peacekeeping, human rights and
international development, and leading it would be a rewarding
challenge.

"If my contribution would help only one person, helping them from
starvation, that would be my success," he said.

Surakiart discussed his campaign for Annan's spot during an AP
interview at Harvard Law School. He was in Cambridge to visit his son,
a graduate student at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
The trip came on the heels of a visit to New York, where he attended
the U.N. Summit and meetings with world leaders.

"The United Nations is a very important institution," he said. "I would
be able to apply my experience, my knowledge, my training...to the work
to promote peace, to create conflict avoidance, to help the poor."

A Harvard-educated lawyer and economic expert, Surakiart, 48, became
Thailand's deputy prime minister in March. Before that he was
Thailand's foreign minister.

Surakiart's career has shifted between academia, government and
business, always focusing on international issues, including the peace
process in Cambodia and trade negotiations with the United States on
intellectual property rights issues.

As U.N. chief, Surakiart said he would work to make sure the
organization is effective, accountable and transparent.

"From there, you have issues you have to do for U.N. reform -
management reform, strengthening of human rights organizations, the
peace building commission, poverty alleviation," he said.

Surakiart said debt relief "is extremely important."

"I appreciate the role of the G-8 on the debt financing and debt
cancellation, but at the same time, we have to work together on the
income creation, job creation revenue creation. Otherwise, once debt is
relieved, then you create debt again," he said.

Surakiart has been on what he describes as "a learning tour" since the
announcement last year that he was interested in the post. As part of
the tour, he's met with world leaders, discussed debt relief and
advocated good government.

"You see, I don't believe in one medicine for all diseases," he said.
"The peace and security, development work, poverty reduction has to be
tailor-made for each subregion and each country," he said.

Surakiart explained that he decided to start campaigning for the job
early because it illustrates his belief in the transparency of
government.

Traditionally, the U.N.'s top job rotates every 10 years by region.
Africa - in theory - should have handed over the secretary general's
post in January 2002, but Annan was selected for a second five-year
term in 2001, partly because Asia couldn't agree on a candidate.

Not since Burma's U Thant retired in 1971 after 10 years in office has
an Asian led the organization.

Surakiart said it's time again for someone from an Asian country to
lead the world body.

"It is the general emerging consensus now that this is an Asian's
turn," Surakiart said.

A candidate from Sri Lanka also has come forward.

Surakiart described his lifelong interest in foreign affairs and
international relations, which he said was why he attended Tufts
University and got a doctorate in law at Harvard.

He said while the U.N. can't do everything, it can be very effective
when it works in partnership with other countries, especially the U.S.

He said disaster relief efforts after last year's tsunami was an
example of how the U.N. and U.S. can work effectively together.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

09-25-051836ET

Copyright (c) 2005 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

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2005-09-25 18:36 -04

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