THE 185-member General Assembly yesterday approved the President, Mrs Robinson, as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, but left open her starting date.
The endorsement, without a vote, was in response to a note from the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, saying he "proposes to appoint Mrs Mary Robinson (Ireland) as for a term of office for four years". The Assembly President, Mr Razali Ismail, said Mr Annan would inform the body of when she would begin the four-year term.
Latin American states and some other developing countries would have preferred the appointment of Ms Sonia Picado, Costa Rica's ambassador to Washington, to succeed Mr Jose Ayala Lasso, the first high commissioner for human rights, who resigned in March to become Ecuador's foreign minister. Ms Picado indicated last month, after hearing from Mr Annan that she would not get the top post, that she had been offered the deputy job but probably would not accept it.
Reflecting unhappiness with Mrs Robinson's appointment, the Cost a Rican ambassador to the UN, Mr Fernando Berrocal Soto, told the assembly he "would not be participating in the decision" it was about to take.
While recognising the "high merits of the distinguished President of Ireland", he objected to the fact that the Latin American and Caribbean regional group would be deprived of filling the remainder of Mr Ayala Lasso's four-year term, as well as a likely second term.
After Mrs Robinson's appointment was endorsed by consensus, the Irish Ambassador, Mr John Campbell, thanked the assembly on her behalf and on behalf of the Government and people of Ireland. "Mrs Robinson will work to serve the high trust that you have placed in her," he added.
In an apparent effort to raise the profile of the human rights activities in the world organisation, Mr Annan last Thursday announced he had chosen Mrs Robinson, calling her an "extraordinary leader" who would bring "dynamism to the job".
Mr Annan said last week he had asked Mrs Robinson to step down from the Presidency by September so she could begin the job at the beginning of the 52nd General Assembly session. But there was no word as to whether she would do so. Her starting date will be discussed when she meets Mr Annan in New York next month.