New York, NY - Lubavitch Assumes High Profile Meetings With Prospective Candidates for Secretary-General of U.N.

New York, NY - As the U.N. General Assembly opens, diplomats vying to be the world’s top peacekeeper are taking the time to consult with a group that has emerged as a critical constituency.

At least three of the favored candidates to replace Kofi Annan as U.N. secretary-general have met in recent months with leaders of the U.S. Jewish groups that routinely deal with the United Nations, organized by Lubavitch.
"It’s a recognition that we’re part of the equation and the political calculus," said David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, who acknowledged “several” meetings with prospective candidates. “It’s clear that no candidate can win without the support of the five permanent members, and there is thinking that American Jewry would have some impact on the thinking of the United States.”

The United States, Russia, France, China and Britain are the five permanent members wielding veto power on the U.N. Security Council, the body that recommends a candidate for secretary-general to the General Assembly for confirmation.
The casting call comes because Kofi Annan’s term lapses at the end of this year, and Jewish leaders are considering the disappointments of his term as well as its highlights.