Frank Comer, N.Z. Delegate To U.N.

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31115, 19 July 1966, Page 24

Frank Comer, N.Z. Delegate To U.N.

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FRANK OLIVER

i Special

Correspondent—N Z P A.J

WASHINGTON

There is no more interesting and no more challenging diplomatic assignment for a man than to be posted as a chief delegate to the United Nations. And very often no tougher job can be found than to be President of the Council, a n honour which this month falls to New Zealand’s Permanent Representative, Mr Frank Comer.

His four yean at the United Nations and his contacts over that period with the delegations of more than 100 nations made it certain he would be a popular President this month and the characteristics which have made him a popular figure at the United Nations have served to make him, in the view of many delegates, a first-class president. This Is not of course, his first experience as a presiding officer at the United Nations, for he was president of the Trusteeship Council in 1964. and his work there is still vivid in United Nations memories, in spite of the complex and ever-changing picture in an organisation where 118 nations are gathered to watch and preserve their own national interests and smooth out the difficulties and problems that arise among other nations. Mr Corner’s figure has become very well known in the last four years. A man of medium height, in his middle forties, he is instantly recognisable by his silvery grey hair and he has become known and respected for his quick and lively intelligence. He is a forceful speaker and can be a blunt speaker and he Is blessed with that attribute without which a delegate can have a rough time at the United Nations—a lively sense of humour.

I asked him a day or two ago how he felt about being here and he said without hesitation, “This is the most interesting overseas assignment I can imagine.” Then he added, “I enjoy it most because if one is assigned to an individual government all one’s work is

with the government of that country and one doesn’t get to know well many of one’s diplomatic colleagues from other nations. One sees them occasionally at social affairs and similar occasions. But here one is concerned with all 118 countries members of the United Nations and one is engaged with them every day. “In time one gets to know them all during working hours and then there are a lot of social activities at which informal talks about work at the United Nations is possible.” It is obvious of course that the great affairs of the world are still mainly influenced by the Great Powers and often the influence of the smaller powers here is marginal but in many things the smaller nations in the United Nations are on what Mr Corner calls “the cutting edge of things."

The work of the council is much more interesting than

the outside observer would realise. In the course of a month the council may meet once or twice or maybe not at all but its work goes on day after day. It has been said that the work of the council is like the proverbial iceberg, most of it goes on out of sight so to say, something in the nature of settling a difficult legal case out of court instead of its being all exposed to public view in the rough and tumble of debate. The case of Cyprus last week is to the point. It came before the Council last Thursday when the Council unanimously voted to extend

the term of the peace-keeping force on the island for another six months. The meeting, in fact, was nothing more than a formality because much work went on behind the scenes and Mr Corner was largely responsible for achieving a generally acceptable resolution to make things as easy as possible. The Council meeting, to be blunt, was as dull as could be.

Two other things are this month to be handled by Mr Comer. One will be the application of Guyana to be a member of the United Nations, the other concerns the possibility of the United Nations overseeing the elections in South Vietnam.

No fireworks appear to be expected over the first of these items unless the Russians decide to try to get East Germany into the organisation. There are various methods she eould adopt and the President of the Council has to be ready with strategy and tactics if the attempt is made.

No-one at this stage appears to think the business of election supervision in South Vietnam can be taken much further. A majority of the council clearly is in favour of such supervision, but if the matter is raised in the council it might not be worth pressing because it would undoubtedly invoke a veto and seems little point in pursuing something if there is no prospect of effective political action. The United States has agreed to such supervision and Air Vice-Marshall Ky has indicated that he would be agreeable but at this stage it does not appear that anything more can be done.

When I asked Mr Comer ! why he found things so interesting, he replied that for most countries the three important diplomatic posts were London, Washington and the United Nations, but he enjoyed the United Nations for reasons given earlier and then referred to all the new African States which had become members in the last few years—36 of them. They are not powerful States but they all have votes and thus importance. African countries, he said, considered this the most important diplomatic post and they sent their best men to represent them in the United Nations, men who went back home to be foreign ministers

in their own countries. They were an interesting and important group of people and added considerably to the intellectual, political and diplomatic ferment in the United Nations. Mr Corner has earned an envied reputation in the United Nations through his work in connexion with Pacific affairs, in which he takes the keenest interest. He had a great deal to do with the development of a constitution for the Cook Islands and it was widely agreed at the United Nations that he acquitted himself remarkably well in working out a formula whereby a small territory not wishing for full independence could yet take its place in the family of nations.

He was, it will be remembered, chairman of a United Nations mission which concerned itself with the problems of New Guinea and Micronesia and his work with that mission - is highly regarded at the world organisation.

It is not possible to canvass 118 nations concerning what they feel about Mr Corner and his work during the last four years at the United Nations but it is very easy to find delegates from nations large and small and in all continents who have affection and respect for him and his work.