Cory eyed as next UN refugee chief

WASHINGTON – Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino has been suggested as an "outside choice" to succeed Mary Robinson as UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Washington Times reported Monday.

The newspaper said Aquino was included in a long list of high-caliber candidates whose names were being bandied about as possible successors to Robinson, a former president of Ireland, or who were actively seeking the post.

In a report from Geneva the Times said UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was expected to announce sometime in August his choice to head the United Nations’ human rights agency, considered one of the most sensitive jobs in global diplomacy. But the field is still wide open and a mystery.

Robinson, who steps down in September, has dramatically altered the profile of the office in her five-year tenure and the list of candidates hoping to succeed her reflects the importance of the rights commission.

Quoting senior diplomats close to the shadow diplomatic campaign, the Washington Times said the current field of candidates to succeed Robinson includes Surin Pitsuwan, former foreign minister of Thailand, Han Seung-Soo, former foreign minister of South Korea, Bronislaw Geremek, former foreign minister of Poland, and Shambhu Ram Simkhada, Nepal’s ambassador to UN organizations in Geneva.

A popular candidate waiting in the wings is Sergio Vieira de Mello of Brazil, a former interim UN administrator of East Timor.

Alpha Omar Konare, former president of Mali, has also been mentioned in UN circles as a contender.

Surin, Bangkok’s foreign minister from 1992 to 2001, has the broadest support, well-placed sources told the Times. However the same sources say Annan’s office is being heavily lobbied by women’s rights groups, which insist he choose a woman to take over from Mrs. Robinson.

"The name of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino has been suggested as an outside choice, as have the names of a number of other women from Asian countries with human rights credentials," the Times said.

Senior Asian sources say that China, a permanent member of the Security Council, is insisting that the appointment should go to an Asian.