United Nations

City Comptroller and likely mayoral candidate William Thompson Jr. is asking the United Nations Development Corporation to pay $6 million in back rent he says it owes the city. But the UNDC is telling him to take a hike.

At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Mr. Thompson announced the results of an audit processed by his office. According to the final report, the UNDC owes the city $12 million in rent it has not paid in the last four years.

Upon receiving a draft copy of that audit, the UNDC agreed to pay half that amount, roughly $6 million, but denied the city’s request for the remaining balance. It wants to keep the money on hand in case the UN Consolidation Building Project, a 35-story office building proposed for Robert Moses State Park, revives itself.  read more »

The United Nations will break ground today on a three-story, purposefully ugly building that will serve as temporary space for the international body while its East River headquarters gets refurbished, according to an article today in Canada's Financial Post.

To make sure the temporary building on North Lawn doesn't become a permanent part of the U.N.'s landscape, the United Nations included its demolition in the project's $1.9 billion budget and, in a rather unorthodox move, intentionally designed it as an eyesore, according to Michael Adlerstein, the project's head architect.  read more »

After giving a speech at the United Nations about climate change, Michael Bloomberg told reporters that stopping global warming "is just as important as stopping nuclear proliferation" and "fighting terrorism."

When I asked him to elaborate, Bloomberg said the dangers of terrorism and nuclear proliferation could be felt instantly, while the--also enormous--danger of global warming could be realized over a long period of time.  read more »

The massive, earth-shattering February 6 party Gucci is planning to coincide with the opening of their biggest store will be held on the lawn of the United Nations in Turtle Bay. “A Night to Benefit Raising Malawi and UNICEF,” which is what the fete has been named, is to be the first event of its kind to take place on that strip of land, the north lawn, which is technically international territory.

Joining Madonna, the party’s co-host, musical performances will be given by Alicia Keys, Timbaland and Rhianna. There will also be a special presentation by Columbia professor Jeffrey Sachs. Chris Rock will emcee a live auction. The evening’s co-chairs include: Drew Barrymore, Adrien Brody, Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault, Sting and Trudie Styler, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, Gwyneth Paltrow, Arpad Busson, Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker, Téa Leoni and Lucy Liu. [WWD]  read more »

Angelina Jolie’s fame as an actress may have been eclipsed by her notoriety as a humanitarian. An organization of Filipino farmers has just sent out the alarm asking for help from the 32-year-old actress, who has recently relocated to New Orleans with Brad Pitt in order to oversee construction of “green” housing in the city’s wounded 9th Ward. The leftist agricultural group, called Kilusang Magbubukid Pilipinas, petitioned the United Nations High Commissioner to dispatch Ms. Jolie to their country, where, they hope, she can survey, react and draw attention to the dire living conditions suffered by hundreds of refugees displaced by the decades-long plague of insurgencies. Willy Marbella, the leader of the farmers’ alliance, told reporters that the Mighty Heart star can help the group rid the countryside of guerillas.

Since the 1960s, some two million Filipinos have been displaced and more than160,000 have been killed by the violent clashes among the nation’s army, communist fighters and Muslim insurgents.

The curious aptitude of Ms. Jolie’s project titles, too, labors on. She just finished shooting Wanted, a film directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Add to that her other forthcoming efforts, Kung-Fu Panda and Atlas Shrugged, and one could almost compose a fitting haiku from IMDB alone—one that very nearly conveys Ms. Jolie’s ever-expanding role on the world’s political stage.

 

Nicole Kidman played a fearlessly dedicated United Nations employee in director Sidney Pollack’s The Interpreter, but now, it seems, she has been promoted at the international organization in real life. Today, Reuters reports that the Aussie superstar has agreed to back a program launched by the U.N.’s women’s agency. The 16-day campaign, “Say NO to Violence Against Women,” which this morning began collecting signatures on an Internet petition, rejects worldwide violence against women, urging supporters to help stop it on a local level. Ms. Kidman, who is already a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), did not attend the campaign’s launch event in Turtle Bay. She did, however, release a statement, saying that violence against women is “an appalling human rights violation.”

Al Gore, along with the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, it was announced late yesterday.

And now, speculation (and, in some quarters, hope) that he will throw his hat into the 2008 presidential race is rampant. (Our own canvas of people close to Gore, as of yesterday afternoon, made the prospect sound dim.)  read more »

The United Nations is moving at least 700 employees and 180,000 square feet of office space to 305 East 46th Street, according to a report in Real Estate Weekly.

A spokesman for the UN confirmed to Real Estate Weekly that the move will begin next year, as the famed UN Building undergoes an extensive renovation. The renovation of the building should last through 2015.  read more »

Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff has been shopping a 35-story tower on Robert Moses Playground just south of the Secretariat "that would consolidate United Nations offices now housed in widely scattered city-owned buildings," The Times reported. The neighborhood "would be compensated for the park's loss by a planned esplanade and bike path along the East River," a city spokeswoman said.

- Matthew Schuerman (via Curbed)

It’s hard to imagine that the founders of the National Model United Nations program intended t  read more »

Two Weeks is another of those Fatal Disease of the Week movies about death, grief and saying goodbye  read more »

8 a.m. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric kick off Women's History Month at Macy's Herald Square, 151 West 34th St and Broadway.

8:30 a.m. The Observer's Joe Conason talks about his book "It Can Happen Here: Authoritarian Peril in the Age of Bush" on C-SPAN.

8:30 a.m. Schools Chancellor Joel Klein discusses school reform at a Crain's New York Business breakfast forum at the Sheraton New York, 811 Seventh Ave.

8:45 a.m. City Council Speaker Christine Quinn will tour PS/MS 187/287 Hudson Cliffs to view a K-8 middle school model. She will also discuss the Council's Middle School Task Force, and will be releasing the names of members recently appointed to the group at 349 Cabrini Boulevard at Fort Washington.

10 a.m. State Senator Malcolm Smith holds a hearing on judicial diversity at Fordham University Law School's McNally Amphitheater, 140 West 62nd St.

10 a.m. State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz will meet with Evangelical Ministers and Expectant Mother Care representatives to discuss the success of the Free Mobile Pro-Life Ultrasound Unit for pregnant Bronx women 910 East 172nd Street and Southern Boulevard.

10:15 a.m. Governor Eliot Spitzer holds a news conference with legislative leaders to announce a major criminal justice initiative in Albany.

11 a.m. Brooklyn borough president announces the fourth annual "Dine in Brooklyn" Restaurant Week at Borough Hall in Brooklyn.

Noon. Al Sharpton will have an exclusive interview with Nation of Islam leader Min. Louis Farrakhan on the Al Sharpton Show. (Live on Sharptontalk.net.)

Noon. Jewish groups and supporters will hold a prayer vigil to protest Iranian policy toward Israel outside the Iranian Mission to the U.N., 40th Street and Third Avenue.

6 p.m. The Queens Library hosts a reception for legislators at Cafe on the Green in Bayside.

6:15 p.m. A discussion with Iraqi Ambassador to the U.N. Dr. Hamid Al Bayati will be held at the Woolworth Building, 15 Barclay St.

6:30 p.m. Assemblyman Jim Brennan hosts a town hall about service at the Kensington Post Office, 3002 Ft. Hamilton Parkway.

7:30 p.m. The Log Cabin Republicans of New York will have a "Coming Out!" party at Bamboo 52, 344 W 52nd Street.

-- Gillian Reagan

The Bush administration’s popularity and influence have never been lower.  read more »

The new Secretary-General of the United Nations made his first public speech outside the confines of his Turtle Bay HQ this morning - and took the opportunity to talk about traffic jams.

Ban Ki Moon, who officially succeeded Kofi Annan on January 1, tried to reassure New Yorkers that he would do his best to minimize inconvenience during major meetings of the world body. "Maybe I can help reduce traffic jams by asking visiting heads of state to take subways as Mayor Bloomberg does," he joked.

Keeping the focus local, Mr. Ban also cautioned that the renovation of the UN's headquarters might cause "disruption for the neighbors."

Mr. Ban mostly steered clear of contentious topics. However, in response to a question from the floor about anti-Semitism, he talked about the concern he felt when "a certain country would not recognize the existence of a certain other member state of the United Nations. This is not acceptable." The reference, presumably, was to Iran and its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Mr. Ban's remarks came at a breakfast hosted by The Association for a Better New York (ABNY) and The Business Council for the United Nations (BCUN.) Among the attendees were former mayor David Dinkins and Diana Taylor, the mayor's partner and the Superintendent of Banks for the state.

On the vexed issue of the U.S. relationship with the UN, Mr. Ban played safe, arguing that the world body and the superpower both benefited from engagement with each other. But, perhaps showing the degree to which Turtle Bay feels under siege, Mr. Ban told the audience, "I hope you will speak up in favor of the United Nations in New York and around the world, and about the importance of U.S. leadership and engagement with the organization. All of us have a stake in getting these relationships right."

The Secretary General also treated the audience to a long and somewhat labored joke about the pronunciation of his first name. Apparently, it should not be pronounced 'ban' but more like 'bawn'. He admitted that he should have changed the English spelling -- maybe 'Bahn' or 'Bon', he said -- before now. But "since there will be so many things to ban as Secretary General, it is very relevant to my job."

-- Niall Stanage

With the Democrats now in control of Congress, Dennis Kucinich, one of Washington's most committed opponents to the war in Iraq, plans to unveil sometime over the next few days what he calls a "comprehensive plan" to withdraw American troops and bring an immediate end to the war.

The Ohio congressman, who is mounting another presidential bid, has been on the fringes of Congress' war critics, going so far to call for immediately cutting off funds for the war. He estimates that the war costs about eight billion dollars a month, and that of the $70 billion appropriated for the war in October, roughly $46 billion is left over. "The next question is what do you use that money for," Kucinich said. "Do you use it to dig a deeper hole or to get out. What I am advocating is to use the existing funds to brings the troops home."

Kucinich's plan depends, somewhat fantastically, on the cooperation and active involvement of an international community that to say the least seems extremely reluctant to help stabilize and rebuild Iraq.

"That money can also be used to set in place a security transition an international security force organized with the help of the UN," he said. "If you want a new direction you have to reach out. And that includes Iran and Syria. The money is there to help fund an international force. The money can also be used for reconstruction, and reparations for Iraqis who have lost family members."

That plan is unlikely to go anywhere, but the question of what to do with the next emergency supplemental funding request sent by the President, now expected to be as much as $160 billion, is very much up for discussion among Democrats.

--Jason Horowitz

The Forward prints a frontpage article about the UN and Israel that characterizes support for Israel as the "national liberation movement of the Jewish people" (penned by Eve Epstein, a professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary).

I'm confused by this. I'm a Jew, but I'm a citizen of this nation, the U.S. I don't feel like I need to be liberated, I'm plenty free where I am. I think the Palestinians require liberation.

This type of confusion is common in pro-Israel policy circles. At a time when Israel's interests and the U.S.'s are not congruent (we should be opposing Israel's illegal occupation vigorously to win points in the Arab world), rhetoric like this creates a real question in my mind, and I'm sure in others, of dual loyalty. It is precisely the confusion that the American Council for Judaism warned about more than 60 years ago when it supported Jewish immigration to a democratic multicultural country in Palestine, but opposed the creation of a Jewish state.

Charles Barron is now vowing to lead the Sean Bell marchers to the United Nations.

The last time I saw Barron at the U.N., he was protesting in favor of Robert Mugabe, who is actually quite in favor of shooting innocent people multiple times. (Sorry, subscription required.) -- Andrew Rice

To be born a Zeckendorf is to try to avoid the fate of your father.    read more »

To be born a Zeckendorf is to try to avoid the fate of your father.  read more »

At least one former member of the Bush administration’s State Department began celebrating when ne  read more »

At least one former member of the Bush administration’s State Department began celebrating whe  read more »

Time's Up! holds a press conference on the amount of taxpayer dollars spent on the police response to the Critical Mass bike rides on the steps of City Hall.

Former Czech President Vaclav Havel, former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevick, and Elie Wiesel discuss a report urging UN action on North Korean human rights violations at the UN.

The Port Authority Board of Commissioners holds their monthly meeting at Port Authority headquarters.

Andrea Stewart-Cousins, along with David Paterson, Malcolm Smith and Liz Krueger, announces the Senator-elect's victory in the 35th state senate district at the Westchester County Courthouse.

The New York Young Republican Club holds its November meeting with the New York Post's Ryan Sager at the Union League Club.

Also the City Council will release a report on "how to strengthen the State's ailing hospitals and ensure that all New Yorkers have access to affordable health care." [added].

And House Democrats vote on whether Jack Murtha or Steny Hoyer should be their majority leader[added].

—Nicole Brydson

Rockefeller Center installs its Christmas tree tomorrow! And we're leading up to Veteran's Day..

There will be an unveiling of tribute panels honoring Vietnam War heroes at Vietnam Veterans Plaza, otherwise known as 55 Water Street.

A new WWII Veterans Memorial Plaza at Queens College will have its dedication ceremony in Flushing.

France presents the Legion of Honor award to WWII veterans at the French Consulate General.

Princeton University hosts a conference on "The Future Role of the United Nations in the Middle East" featuring U.N. Deputy Secretary General Mark Malloch Brown, former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer and U.N. ambassadors from Iraq, Iran, and Israel at the Princeton Club.

Urban Tech unveils a reality-based AIDS/STD course for high school students at the Fredrick Douglas Academy.

The Long Island Housing Partnership holds its 5th Annual Chairman's Symposium on inclusionary zoning at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury.

Update: Lewis Lapham and Gary Younge discuss "Creating a Real Opposition Force in American Politics" at the New School. —Nicole Brydson

The man who is set to become the new leader of the United Nations has a startlingly triangular head.  read more »

Pity poor John Bolton.

No, really.  read more »

On Tuesday, Sept.  read more »

Pity poor John Bolton.   No, really.    read more »

Charlie Rangel, who has been around long enough to see just about everything, finds himself on unfamiliar turf today, defending President Bush from the colorful criticisms of Hugo Chavez in his presentation to the U.N.

Among other things the ever-quotable Rangel said:

You don't come into my county, you don't come into my congressional district and you don't condemn my president. If there is any criticism of the president, it should be restricted to Americans...Are there any questions? I've said it all.

It's actually smart politics. Which may be why Nancy Pelosi is also going after Chavez, who comes across to most Americans more as a pro-wrestling heel than a world leader, in what looks like a suspiciously concerted effort by the Democrats to score easy patriotism points.

Not that Rangel, a decorated veteran, particularly has anything to prove in that department.

Watch his remarkable performance here.  read more »

-- Azi Paybarah

The Fifth Annual U.S. Maritime Security Conference and Exposition will be at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.

The City Council holds hearings on zoning and franchises oversight, special education, and maritime uses.

United for Peace and Justice holds an anti-war march and rally near the U.N.

Vito Fossella and Diane Savino make an announcement about the "homeless problem" around the 65th rail yard in Brooklyn.

Vito Fossella then joins Joe Crowley to warn that New York City could face cuts in homeland security funding outside of the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Manhattan.

Meredith Vieira moderates Newsweek Magazine's annual "Women and Leadership Conference" at the Museum of Natural History.

Adolfo Carrion unveils the new "green roof" atop the Bronx County Courthouse building.

David Paterson unveils a plan to address minority and women businesses in New York State at York College in Queens.

Iranian Americans hold a rally for a Democratic, nuclear-free Iran at the Dag Hammarskjold UN Plaza.

Reuters hosts a discussion with Ted Turner on the future of the United Nations at the Reuters Building in Times Square.

Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez speaks at Baruch College.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is honored with the Appeal of Conscience World Statesman Award at the New York Marriott Marquis.

The new president of Ben-Gurion University speaks on "Creating a More Secure Israel" at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue.

Association of Fundraising Professionals Long Island Chapter hosts a Legislative Breakfast at the Melville Marriott.

Immigrant advocates protest proposed legislation that would force contractors to verify employee's legal statusat the Suffolk County Legislature Office in Riverhead.

The State Republican Party's first Judicial District Convention will be held at the Metropolitan Republican Club on East 83rd Street in Manhattan.

—Nicole Brydson

Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami’s widely covered and high-profile 12-day trip to the U.S  read more »

Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami’s widely covered and high-profile 12-day trip to the  read more »

ERICA: "The wedding summit will be happening this Sunday," said my Aunt Kim.

"The wedding summit? ... What the hell does that mean?" I wondered.  read more »

Apparently my aunt (who is throwing our fab wedding) has gathered a veritable international think tank of wedding impressarios that are all scheduled to meet, UN style, this Sunday at her home in Big Horn where our wedding will take place.

Lebanon’s representative to the United Nations has to find humor where he can these days—even if  read more »

Lebanon’s representative to the United Nations has to find humor where he can these days&mdash  read more »

• Miles of silly saffron brought 3.25 million extra tourists to Central Park in February 2005. What will attract non-New Yorkers when the weather turns cold here next time around? "A cinematic art experience that will directly integrate with the city's architecture, while enhancing and challenging viewers' perception of public space." Perfect. Midwesterners are already lining up at MoMA for their January 16 "challenge." (Crain's)
• The UN is getting some new neighbors at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza (aka 305 East 47th). The glorious Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan is moving from 866 UN Plaza to 13,800 square feet on the Dag condo's third floor, while the old American Federation for the Arts is moving to the tenth. We hope they both get along with their Sudanese and Arab Emirate housemates. (Globe St.)
• Downtown finally gets tastier: the "terrific" Italialian Via Emilia moves to 47 E. 21st Street, and the Tasting Room leaves its old "trap-door basement cubbyhole" for 264 Elizabeth. See also: 101 cheap eats. (New York)
• 22 Ugliest Words of the Day, Gray's Anatomy Style: "the housing industry appears to be moving from a boom to something that is starting to look a lot like a bust." (New York Times)
- Max Abelson  read more »
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The story had everything: secret agents, political intrigue, personal betrayal and cash.  read more »

“We will stand for Israel because Israel stands for American values as well as Israeli ones,” Se  read more »

TEL AVIV, Israel, July 18—The café shift manager snickered at the suggestion that his b  read more »

A commemoration will be held for slain Council Member James E. Davis at City Hall.

Tom Suozzi will hold a town hall meeting at Medgar Evers College at 7pm.

United for Peace and Justice will deliver a letter demanding U.S. Ambassador Bolton to support the UN resolution call for cease-fire in Lebanon at the U.S. Mission to United Nations.

—Nicole Brydson

B’esm’allah-o-rahman-o-rahim,” began the Iranian foreign minister.  read more »

B’esm’allah-o-rahman-o-rahim,” began the Iranian foreign minister.  read more »

A few weeks before the invasion of Iraq, Melissa Block of National Public Radio interviewed Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz about what war would mean for Iraq. It's a good interview, worth reviewing. Wolfowitz is of course now at the World Bank. Here's a taster's selection of quotes:

Block: At the United Nations yesterday there were envoys from Muslim countries warning of massive political instability in the region, of huge numbers of deaths and injuries as well as refugees.

Wolfie: Clearly some of the fears come from I think probably exaggerated notions of what may happen... But at the end of the day I think many of these governments understand that...that it will be an act of humanity [to] the Iraqi people, that it will be an act that will bring more stability to the region, not less.

Block: There are concerns, too, though about the rise of Muslim extremism in the region inflamed by the U.S. occupation of Iraq...

Wolfie: We're not talking about the occupation of Iraq. We're talking about the liberation of Iraq. We're talking about the liberation of one of the most talented populations in the Arab world and perhaps the most long-suffering population in the Arab world. Therefore, when that regime is removed we will find one of the most talented populations in the Arab world, perhaps complaining that it took us so long to get there... basically welcoming us as liberators.... The Arab world is going to see that and it's going to have a very big impact not just in Iraq but throughout the Arab world.

Block: The presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia has been one of the most inflammatory things for al Qaeda and groups like that. That they see U.S. occupation or U.S. presence in that country as something that they must fight against. How would it be any different in Iraq?

Wolfie: The Iraqis are among the most educated people in the Arab world. They are by and large quite secular. They are overwhelmingly Shia which is different from the Wahabis of the [Saudi] peninsula... But the most fundamental difference is that, let me put it this way. We're seeing today how much the people of Poland and Central and Eastern Europe appreciate what the United States did to help liberate them from the tyranny of the Soviet Union. I think you're going to see even more of that sentiment in Iraq. There's not going to be the hostility that you described...There simply won't be.

Diplomats at the United Nations have found U.S.  read more »

Diplomats at the United Nations have found U.S.  read more »

Before Michael Bloomberg went to testify in Washington at Pete King's Committee on Homeland Security, some Democratic congressional staffers we spoke to complained about the mayor's remarks to president Bush that he "appreciated (the President's) focus on distributing money.....based on threat and threat alone," and the he was "disappointed that Congress hasn't done that."

Congress had nothing to do with the allocations, the staffers argued. The cut to New York's security money came directly from the Homeland Security.

So it seemed to make more sense that Bloomberg's testimony today (full text after the jump) goes right at Homeland Security, attacking it as a department that "penalizes us for our aggressiveness and diligence in protecting our City" and blaming it for "bureaucratic "group think.'"

Full testimony after the jump.  read more »

- Jason Horowitz

One thing the Observer left out of its soccer piece yesterday was internationalism. Soccer doesn't just license Anglophilia; if you're a lefty, it's a giant third world bath. You get to pull for Africans. Thus the Cinderella of the 2006 games: Ecuador, which punished Poland and now Costa Rica. No one has scored a goal against Ecuador. Maybe they are the Brazil-killers? Suitably, today's game was intercut with the fabulous Adidas ad, Jose +10. Imagine: that the advertising gem of this soccer orgy is an ad all in Spanish. Throw in the United Nations' new esteem in the wake of the U.S.-U.K.-John-Podhoretz-led Iraq debacle, and we are looking at a real internationalist moment. Ole.

The apparently accidental killing by Israeli artillery of a Palestinian family on a Gaza beach yesterday has proved calamitous, resulting in the end of Hamas's truce with Israel.

The incident in some ways parallels another border event of ten years ago that is now in the American courts, in which a humans-right group has sued a fellow at a leading rightwing Washington thinktank, over the deaths of 100 civilian neighbors of Israel ten years ago.  read more »

Under Terry Gross's fine questioning on Fresh Air today, Hans Blix pointed out that the U.N.'s reports on WMD in Iraq proved to be much more accurate than all the national reports on the same question, from the U.S. and U.K. In view of the tragedy that resulted from the bad national reports, he argued that this demonstrates the fitness of international inspection bodies.

The neocons have of course been trying to discredit the U.N. forever (concern for Israel is again a factor). They will, for instance, tell you all about the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal, the details of which I have somehow forgotten. Isn't it funny, though, how the war they pushed for in Iraq has backfired on their agenda? It has wound up giving the U.N. more prestige (and driven Bush to seek out an international consensus on Iran).