UN denies Downer compromised envoy role
Posted 8 hours 38 minutes ago
The United Nations has denied allegations that Australia's former foreign minister Alexander Downer has compromised his role as UN special envoy to Cyprus by getting involved in domestic politics.
The ABC has confirmed Mr Downer personally called the president of Nauru to discuss reopening the Pacific nation's asylum seeker processing centre.
The UN has released a statement saying the matter is unrelated to Mr Downer's work in Cyprus.
But Labor MP Melissa Parke, who chairs Australia's UN Parliamentary Group, says Mr Downer should relinquish his UN appointment if he wants to get involved in Australian politics.
"While he has the status of a UN special envoy, that carries with it an obligation to avoid any kind of public pronouncement that may adversely affect on his UN status or on the integrity that is required by that status," she said.
"If he can't do this he should relinquish his UN appointment, because what he's doing at the moment is in violation of UN regulations."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010 ... 984212.htm