The Hindu : Front Page : Nirupam Sen made Special U.N. Adviser

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Tuesday, Apr 07, 2009
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Nirupam Sen made Special U.N. Adviser

NEW YORK: The former Indian ambassador to the United Nations, Nirupam Sen, has been appointed Special Senior Adviser to the president of the 192-member General Assembly on the world financial and economic crisis.

Announcing the appointment, General Assembly president Miguel D. Escoto Brockmann spoke of Mr. Sen’s experience and expertise which, he said, would provide “valuable support” to his office. New Delhi has yet to name his replacement.

Mr. Escoto is preparing for a high-level U.N. conference on the financial and economic crisis on June 9. The conference is expected to, among other things, suggest changes in the structure of the international financial institutions. Mr. Sen, who retired as Indian ambassador to the U.N. on March 31, is expected to play a major role in drawing up the final recommendations that the conference is expected to issue.

As ambassador, Mr. Sen played an active role in the General Assembly discussions on the Stiglitz Commission which had recommended, among other things, introducing double majority voting in the International Monetary Fund. The Commission was appointed by Mr. Escoto to give its recommendation on dealing with the global financial crisis.

Mr. Sen pointed out that while the proposal may prevent developed countries from opposing the agenda of developing states, they would still be able to block, in the absence of other reforms, any proposal they do not like. This could entrench existing policies based on western dominance and even risk legitimising them.

In the Assembly, Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel prize winner in economics, later admitted that Mr. Sen’s argument was correct.

Popular figure

A highly popular figure, he often spoke extempore and had a penchant for quoting Shakespeare and other classical writers to make a point. His scholarly presentations, interspersed with humour, were so much liked that mostly it was difficult to find a vacant seat when he took the stand. — PTI

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