WIF GOT ITS HIGH-PROFILED SPEAKER

By Manik Mehta

NEW YORK, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- The Women's International Forum (WIF), headed
by Datin Amy Hamidon, the wife of the Malaysian permanent representative to the
United Nations, got its high-profiled speaker Friday.

The speaker Sir John Sawers, Britain's permanent representative to the
United Nations spoke to the WIF, whose members comprise wives of diplomats of
foreign missions, about the significance of the United Nations in a world that
is characterised by increasing uncertainties and instability.

This was the first event of the WIF under the presidency of Amy the wife of
Datuk Hamidon Ali, the Malaysian permanent representative to the United Nations.

Sir John, who spoke on "Peace Building through the United Nations", called
for "patient diplomacy" in a world beset with major challenges such as climate
change, development, nuclear proliferation and terrorism.

In the course of the lecture, which presented a balanced view of world
affairs, Sir John depicted the two key problems that will consume a great deal
of the world's attention -- development and climate change.

He also expressed his appreciation for the difficult role of UN secretary
general Ban ki-Moon who has recently faced challenges in a number of
crisis-plagued regions.

A career diplomat in the British foreign service since 1981, Sir John has
had postings to Yemen, Syria, South Africa, Washington DC, Egypt and, finally,
the United Nations in New York.

He was also a foreign policy advisor to former Prime Minister Tony Blair
from 1999-2001, a period dominated by the Bosnia war and the Middle East crisis
and was sent to Baghdad in May 2003 for three months as Prime Minister Blair's
personal envoy in the aftermath of the invasion.

Meawhile, in her first important task as president, Amy scored a major point
when she was able to present Sir John to the - almost exclusively - female
audience which showed its appreciation by applauding the speaker's "highly
objective and balanced views" on global affairs, as one European diplomat's
spouse told Bernama.

Spotted in the audience were also Ban Soon-Taek, the wife of UN
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, and Malini Nambiar, the wife of UN chef de
cabinet Vijay Nambiar; both Ban Soon-Taek and Malini Nambiar were pleased with
the event and were seen congratulating some of the WIF representatives,
including Amy.

"I would like to bring in more important speakers under the auspices of the
WIF," Amy told Bernama. The line-up of impressive speakers in the future
include Thomas Friedman, a columnist for The New York Times; Susan Rice, the US
representative to the United Nations, and the UN secretary general, Ban ki-Moon
himself.

"By listening to such diverse views, I hope, the ladies and, through them,
their spouses will get a balanced view of world affairs. This is also one way to
promote international understanding," Amy said.
-- BERNAMA