UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- New U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, with a call for collective action on a host of international crises, put Sudan's Darfur conflict at the top of his list of diplomatic efforts.
While they rank high, calling in first his Darfur envoy for a briefing, Ban also was building his management team. Wednesday he announced more appointments.
In his second round of appointments Ban named Britain's Ambassador John Holmes to serve as under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, meaning he will head the high-profile Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, replacing the outspoken but highly respected Norwegian, Jan Egeland, whose contract expired last month.
Holmes, taking early retirement from the United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office to join the United Nations, is currently London's ambassador to France.
Ban's spokeswoman, Michele Montas, also announced Wednesday Alicia Barcena of Mexico was named an assistant secretary-general to serve as deputy chef de cabinet.
Sunday, in the first round, he designated Vijay Nambiar of India as cabinet chief, announced the Montas appointment and reappointment of Marie Okabe as deputy spokeswoman.
Ban met Wednesday with Jan Eliasson, former foreign minister of Sweden and former president of the U.N. General Assembly.
"I intend to attend the African Union summit meeting in the latter part of this month," the secretary-general said Tuesday, where he intended to consult African leaders.
"By engaging myself in the diplomatic process, I hope that we will be able to resolve peacefully, as soon as possible, this very serious issue," Ban said.
Eliasson, appointed last month, has been tasked with working diplomatic channels, especially outside Sudan, and encouraging governments in their home capitals to remain engaged on this issue.
Okabe said after the Ban-Eliasson meetings Wednesday the two men were hoping to meet again "possibly as early as Friday" with Salim Ahmed Salim, the Arab League's point man on Darfur.
More than three years of fighting among Sudanese Government forces, allied militias and rebel groups seeking greater autonomy have left more than 200,000 people dead and driven more than 2.5 million from their homes.
When Ban met reporters briefly for the first time as secretary-general, Tuesday he was asked about the execution Sunday of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Ban said the issue of the death penalty was a question for each country to decide, embroiling him in controversy the first day on the job.
"Saddam Hussein was responsible for committing heinous crimes and unspeakable atrocities against the Iraqi people," Ban said. "We should never forget the victims of his crimes. The issue of capital punishment is for each and every Member State to decide.
"While I am firmly against impunity, I also hope that the members of the international community should pay due regard to all aspects of international humanitarian laws. During my entire tenure, I will try my best to help Member States, the international community, to strengthen the rule of law."
This was supposed to be his stance against the death penalty, but it brought the critics out, saying he wasn't strong enough against capital punishment.
Ban did not want to come down hard on either side of the issue, because of questions before U.N. membership involving a death penalty abolishment or moratorium, Montas said.
In addition to attempting to clarify Ban's position Tuesday, Montas came out with a further explanation on it Wednesday.
The secretary-general endorsed U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour renewed call for restraint by the government of Iraq in the execution of death sentences imposed by the Iraqi High Tribunal. Last week, the death sentences of two of Saddam Hussein's co-defendants, Awad Hamad Al-Bandar and Barzan Ibrahim Al-Hassan, were upheld on appeal.
However, she said the secretary-general strongly believes in the wisdom of Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states, "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." In that context, he fully endorses the call made Wednesday by Louise Arbour for restraint by the government of Iraq in the execution of the death sentences imposed by the Iraqi High Tribunal.
Asked whether the Secretary-General had changed his views since Tuesday, when he had mentioned that the issue of capital punishment was up to member states, the spokeswoman noted that when he spoke Tuesday the secretary-general was acknowledging that there was no consensus on the death penalty.
