THE US: UN Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan has appointed former US president Mr Bill Clinton as the United Nations' special envoy for tsunami reconstruction, with the aim of ensuring that the world doesn't forget the needs of those devastated by the December 26th earthquake, a UN official confirmed last night.
Mr Clinton may also mediate in the conflicts in two of the worst-hit regions, Aceh and Shri Lanka, but this is not specifically part of the brief, the official said.
The former Democratic president and former Republican president, Mr George H W Bush, are currently heading a joint-fund-raising drive in the US for the devastated areas. Mr Clinton wanted to keep the appointment secret until after he and Mr Bush had made a visit to the area next week, but the news leaked yesterday and UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said his office would soon release a statement.
Former president Bush said last week that he and Mr Clinton hoped to go to the Indian Ocean region to highlight the need for Americans to continue contributing to the US fund. The post of special UN envoy for tsunami reconstruction comes amid speculation that Mr Clinton might be in the running for UN Secretary-General after Mr Kofi Annan's term ends in December 2006.
Mr Clinton's prestige as an international statesman could be enhanced by his new role. He recently launched a $45 million appeal with UNICEF for clean water and sanitation.
His job as tsunami point-man would be "basically seeing that countries follow through on their commitments for disaster relief when the story is off the front pages", the UN official said.
The role of envoy will give Mr Clinton a chance to use his mediation skills - honed in Northern Ireland - in dealing with a conflict involving separatist rebels fighting for independence since 1976 in Indonesia's Aceh province, and a war in Sri Lanka where Tamil Tiger rebels have been fighting for a separate homeland since 1983.
The Aceh war is already being mediated by Finland. "Being Clinton, who knows what he will get up to round the edges," a UN diplomat said.
The Clinton-Bush drive in the US has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for tsunami relief. A celebrity tennis match on Monday raised more than $500,000 for the fund.