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Exclusive: Meet India's numero UNO
Published on Fri, Jun 16, 2006 at 09:16, Updated on Sat, Jun 17, 2006 at 08:09 in World section
Tags: UN, Shashi Tharoor , New York
New York: It was a hectic on Thursday for UN Undersecretary General Shashi Tharoor after his name was announced as India's nominee for the post of UN Secretary General.
In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN's Anirudh Bhattacharyya, Tharoor talks about himself and the challenges ahead.
Anirudh Bhattacharya: Did you know that you were being considered as India’s candidate for UN Secretary General?
Shashi Tharoor: Well, I was certainly told by the Government a couple of days ago that they would make the announcement but it happened very quickly and it's been a busy day as a result.
Anirudh Bhattacharya: Where did the initiative for the candidature come from?
Shashi Tharoor: There were mutual conversations between the Government and myself. The Government was interested and I was interested so it turned out, at the end of the day, the right thing for both of us.
Anirudh Bhattacharya: What is your particular interest in running for the Secretary General of the United Nations?
Shashi Tharoor: I've devoted pretty much my entire adult life to the United Nations. I began 28 years ago. I've worked with refugees, humanitarian work, peacekeeping, the Secretary General's office and finally, the management of a rather large department which has given me an overview of the United Nations, in a sense, from the inside, from the group up, of the challenges a Secretary General needs to be familiar with and needs to face. Obviously, when you're doing that you do feel it would be a great honor, a great privilege to lead this wonderful institution.
Anirudh Bhattacharya: Of course, it's a tough campaign ahead for you. How are you planning to coordinate with the Indian Government and the Permanent Mission of India here in New York?
Shashi Tharoor: The Government certainly has a vital role to play because they are nominating me. I'm in a slightly unusual position, not unprecedented, that's I'm a serving official of the United Nations. I have a job to do so my primary duty is to my work and the United Nations and to fulfill obligations and the campaign, to that degree, comes second in the course of a normal working day. For example, even though this has been the day on which the announcement was made, I've had to deliver a speech to the United Nations Association of the US, takes questions from NGO activists, I've done a briefing on the Human Rights Council and I've received the Commissioner of New York City that deals with the United Nations and so on and so forth. A normal day, a normal busy day in addition to the calls I've been fielding and the visits I've been taking on this question. So, it's a challenge but I do feel, at this point, its something one simply has to adjust to. There's only a few months, I imagine, left in the race. Kofi Annan's term finishes at the end of this year and we expect a decision to be made a couple of months before that. So, it'll be a bit insane, there won't be enough sleep for the next few months but once it've over, it's over.
Anirudh Bhattacharya: Did you manage to speak to Mr Annan? Any feedback from him?
Shashi Tharoor: Oh, of course, I spoke to Mr Annan the moment the matter looked likely to come to a head. Above all, there's the fact he's my boss, he's the person to whom I report and it's only appropriate that he should be aware before I take such a step. He's been very gracious about it and, of course, it's an unusual coincidence that he himself had come from such a background as Undersecretary General. I'm certainly hoping to be worthy of the extraordinary standards he has set in this organization.
Anirudh Bhattacharya: Did you get any feedback from other representatives of other countries today?
Shashi Tharoor: Many many members have been kind enough to be in touch with me both before this decision and after it. Some ambassadors have dropped by, some have telephoned. The way the day's been going, I haven't even returned all the calls that have come in. It's good to know that certain diplomatic representatives have taken an interest and are supportive. Beyond that, it's not appropriate for me to characterize what other Governments are thinking or saying, it's for them to say.
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