Coate Tales

Accounts of a former United Nations member

A professional development project has recently been launched by Roger Coate, Paul D. Coverdell Endowed Chair of Policy Studies. The project is in collaboration with the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General and the Academic Council on the United Nations system.

This project is geared towards training young professionals in sub-Saharan Africa to work in think tanks, an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy. His previous work with the United Nations enables him to lead such an ambitious project.

Coate began as a professor at the Arizona State University in 1977 and later taught at the University of South Carolina for four years. Coate applied his various degrees, including a Ph.D in Political Science from Ohio State University and a Masters in Advanced International studies from Johns Hopkins University to his involvement with international affairs.

“It was all serendipity,” said Coate when reflecting on how he began to be involved in international affairs.

Coate had the opportunity to watch the major powers in action. Although he witnessed countless momentous events, one in particular stands out the most in his mind.

“The most significant event was the U.S. Delegation’s (to the UN Commission on Human Rights) work behind the scenes to protect the corrupt Barr regime in Somalia from being censored and condemned for its gross human rights violations,” Coate said.

In 1998, Coate partnered with United Nations University when directing the project called Creating Effective Partnerships for Human Security. He continued with this initiative until 2006.

In recent times, Coate was selected by the United Nations Systems to serve on the executive committee and the board of directors of the Academic Council, an educational association focused on studying multilateral relations, international partnerships and governing.

“You have to love international (work) if you want to do it,” Coate said, “because it can be frustrating.”

To add to his long list of achievements, Coate has also had many published works including Global Issue Regimes in 1982 and International Cooperation in Response to AIDS in 1995. He also added several reports on the United Nations to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

From becoming a published author to “watching the major powers manipulate the rules, procedures, and institutional processes to push their narrow foreign policy agendas,” His eminent accomplishments can be described as nothing less than eye opening.

Posted by Anna Morris on Sep 24 2010. Filed under Close Up, Special Sections. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.