“The idea of having a real transition period makes eminent sense, and most member states would tend to agree in theory. The problem is, can they settle on a candidate by the middle of the year? It would be a major triumph, but I'm not betting the farm on it.”
“The reforms on the table really get to the meat of the matter, which is changing an institution envisioned for the post-World War II period to work in a very changed world. The challenge now is that after so much attention to expanding the Security Council, this package sounds like leftovers - when it's really the meat and potatoes of reform.”
“It doesn't seem that the best time to start reform is when there's a major political crisis, ... In fact, it seems to me he was putting the cart before the horse, because you can't get major institutional reform unless you have a rather good political climate, and a fair degree of trust and common views among the membership. When they have very different views, when they are deeply divided, they can't agree on fundamental structural reforms. Never have they been able to agree on those things when they were deeply divided.”
“These people should have been put under a watch list; to let them creep back into procurement is the height of irresponsibility. Reform, in the end, is really a question of people and you can put in all the rules and regulations you want, but clever determined people who know the system well will find a way of getting around the rules.”
