Ambassador of Ecuador to the United Nations Luis Gallegos Chiriboga came to campus last week to speak on the viability of the international organization during and after the war in Iraq.

The event, organized jointly by the Departments of Latin American Studies and International Studies, took place on March 24 in an overflowing John B. Davis Lecture Hall.

Ambassador Gallegos received an extended and warm introduction from Macalester History Professor Jim Stewart, who contrasted the ambassador's real world experiences with the Macalester community's relative isolation from such events.

Ambassador Gallegos, who currently holds the UN General Assembly Vice-Presidency and is chairperson of the Non-Aligned Movement, addressed such topics as reform within the UN Security Council, the role of Kofi Annan, the "public diplomacy" of the media, the immediacy of decision-making and a post-Iraq war UN.

He reflected on his early idealism regarding world politics, saying that he had become a cynic later in life, more aware of the major powers' national interests. "Problems do not go away easily in the international community," he said.

Noting that he has been posted around the world, the ambassador singled out his experience in Eastern Europe in the 1980s as having impressed upon him the deep lesson of ethnic rivalries. "I never thought educated human beings could do that," he said.

Before speaking directly about Iraq, he drew attention to broader trends in diplomacy such as the increased prominence of technology and the role of civil society in international decision-making.

The ambassador cautioned that Iraq, which he called "a particular situation" in a "complex neighborhood," would not change everything. "Iraq is not the end of history" he said, stressing that the coalition effort underway was "not the first time a country has done that."

One of the fundamental rules of effective diplomacy, he said, was not to adopt locked positions. The United Kingdom's and the U.S.'s locked position at the Security Council contributed to a failure of diplomacy among "a few nations, not the United Nations," he said. "The veto power as used may not be the intelligent way to go," he continued.

When asked what effect the discovery of chemical and biological weapons in Iraq would have on the war, he responded simply that "it would prove the American assertion that [Saddam Hussein] has them."

Nicolas Meneses '05, who is from Ecuador, said "many people were frustrated because the lecture title was very controversial, but given that he is an ambassador, he could not say much that would compromise the official position of his country or the UN."

Dean of International Studies Amhed Samatar delivered the most impassioned question of the evening, receiving applause from the audience as he doubted the relevance of the United Nations in a world "dominated by President George W. Bush and the militants behind him."

Asked if he felt the ambassador had answered his question, Samatar said "I think he did. In a way you have to read between the lines because he's a diplomat."

The ambassador singled out Macalester Professor of International Studies Amparo Menendez-Carrion, a friend of his, to thank her for the invitation to speak at Macalester. He did not charge an honorarium and the Latin American Studies Department paid his airfare.

"He gave us an insider's UN perspective on just how difficult peacekeeping and international dispute settlement really is. In his world, there are no easy answers," Professor Stewart said.

As to the role of Macalester graduate and UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan during the Iraq conflict, Ambassador Gallegos stated that while he "has his limitations," he needs to speak out more.

"He simply doesn't own a rifle and I can testify to that," he said.