NEW YORK // Coming amid mounting criticism of his leadership style, the UN's secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, can expect a frosty reception when he arrives in Norway this week to assess the impact of global warming.
Aides have confirmed that Mr Ban will not cancel his planned tour of the Arctic Circle despite the leaking of an internal memo from Norway's foreign ministry that blasted the UN chief for poor helmsmanship.
The secretary general's visits to polar stations had been put on hold after a confidential letter penned by a senior Norwegian diplomat was published in a Scandinavian newspaper.
Aftenposten, the Norwegian daily, revealed that Mona Juul, Norway's deputy ambassador to the UN, had written that Mr Ban had "struggled to show leadership" and suffered from a "lack of charisma".
In a classified letter to ministry colleagues in Oslo, Ms Juul described the UN chief as "passive" on important security issues, from Sri Lanka and Myanmar to Darfur and Zimbabwe. "At a time when the UN and multilateral solutions are more necessary than ever to resolve global crises, Ban and the UN are notable by their absence," wrote the diplomat, the wife of the UN special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen.
Ms Juul accused the world's top diplomat of being a control freak, saying "he appears to prefer being always in the spotlight, without the competition from his advisers and he makes it known quite clearly by making sure it is only him that speaks to the media". Mr Ban's supposed personality flaws put off colleagues and he "regularly throws a fit, which even his most cool-headed and experienced collaborators have a problem in dealing with", added the envoy.
Last weekend, Norway's foreign minister, Jonas Gahr Stoere, sought to defuse tensions between the philanthropic Scandinavian nation and the world body, saying it was unfortunate the memo had been leaked.
"I regret that it happened, but let me stress that this is a report to the Norwegian foreign ministry; it was not a statement by the Norwegian government," Mr Stoere told journalists.
Last week, Mr Ban's spokeswoman, Michele Montas, told reporters the secretary general would press ahead with his scheduled visit to Norway and would arrive in the capital, Oslo, tomorrow.
On Wednesday, Mr Ban made an unscheduled visit to the regular UN press briefing, during which he made his first public comments on the memo debacle after days of speculation.
"As a matter of principle, I welcome criticism. Criticism, when it is constructive, helps me to improve my work, my performance," he told members of the UN press corps. "I will continue to work very closely, not only with member states, but with the media, with journalists.
"You have the right to say what you believe and what you have seen in my job as secretary general."
Coming halfway through his first term as secretary general, the letter is particularly damaging to Mr Ban because Norway is a key funder of UN activities and has earned a reputation for even-handedness.
The criticism follows a glut of articles in magazines and newspapers that blast South Korea's former foreign minister for myriad failings since becoming UN chief on January 1, 2007.
Under the headline Nowhere Man, Foreign Policy magazine recently made a comical reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in an article that explained "Why Ban Ki-moon is the world's most dangerous Korean".
Ranking the secretary general's scorecard halfway through his first term, The Economist awarded Mr Ban only two out of 10 for his management skills and three out of 10 for diplomatic successes in a June issue.
During a press conference in the same month, Mr Ban defended himself against allegations of poor leadership, saying member states were to blame for lacklustre progress during his first term.
"Without the political support, without resources provided by the member states, it is difficult, however capable a person may be the secretary general," he told reporters. "It is just impossible."
In an interview with The National in May, Mr Ban said he was prepared to follow the tradition of previous UN chiefs and continue for a second five-year term. But the volume of negative publicity has left many in the corridors of the UN headquarters question whether Mr Ban can garner the support he needs from the UN Security Council's permanent members - Russia, China, the UK, the US and France.
The leaked criticisms echo concerns that have been expressed for months on midtown Manhattan's slice of international territory, but are particularly damaging because they are the first to be attributed to a named diplomat.
Despite attempts by aides to bolster the image of Mr Ban as a strong and energetic leader, the Norwegian letter has fuelled speculation about whether the secretary general will run for a second term or leave the UN and run for the presidency in his native South Korea.
jreinl@thenational.ae
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
If you go...
Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Zayed%20Centre%20for%20Research
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Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
Representing%20UAE%20overseas
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate