australia in washington's thrall

From Crikey.com

Gareth Evans would have been the next United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees if Australia's standing in the world body was higher. Sources in New York and Canberra say Evans was on a final list of three contenders for the job, which was eventually handed to Portugal's Antonio Guterres. The sources confirmed that there were two main stumbling blocks – first, Canberra's siding with the United States and Israel on an International Court of Justice matter and, second, our record on refugees and asylum seekers.

Australia was one of five nations out of the 191 represented at the UN which voted against a Court of Justice decision calling for the dismantling of the wall separating Israel from the Occupied Territories. Canberra sided with the US, Israel and two other Pacific Islands states whose votes were purchased – Pilau and the Marshall Islands. One former top Australian diplomat today described the decision as “one of Australia's most disgraceful in a decade” which reinforced the view in the world body that “we echo Washington's foreign policy.”

Crikey was told that as late as last week a top aide of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan questioned Evans's record on refugees and asylum seekers while he was foreign minister, and it was pointed out the current regulations and rules which attract worldwide attention were drafted after the 1996 election when Evans was no longer foreign minister and no longer a member of the Australian government.

The source confirmed the Evans decision has wider implications in the UN. While Australia continues to appear to be in the thrall of Washington, any chance we may have of a seat on the prestigious Security Council is diminished. The last time Australia was represented on the Council was in 1985-1986 when Richard Woolcott was ambassador at the UN. Subsequent lobbying by Richard Butler was unsuccessful.

While Gareth Evans is held in extremely high regard in New York, lobbying by the Government for him to be appointed to the UN job may have been the last nail in his coffin. Canberra's policies do not sit easily with many members with long memories.