[GA]: Secretary-General's Call to Spain

[Global Assembly]

Upon receipt of the diplomatic letter from the Prime Minister of Spain, Secretary-General Édith Cresson deemed it prudent to address the matter raised verbally. She instructed Norman Howard, Chef de Cabinet of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, to contact the Spanish Ambassador to the Global Assembly and inquire whether the Prime Minister might be available for a brief telephone conversation.

As the arrangements were being made, the Secretary-General remained seated behind her desk, awaiting the secure connection in the privacy of her office.

Zak

 

[Zak]

Agustín Santos Maraver sat alone in the office that still felt faintly like someone else’s. The scent of fresh paint hadn't yet replaced the underlying trace of old paper and cologne, a reminder that the walls held the memory of another ambassador’s tenure. The folders on his desk were creased at the edges from a long morning of handovers, protocol briefings, and annotated speeches dating back from previous administrations.

Balanced precariously between a dense policy summary on Security Council reform and a page of handwritten names he needed to memorize by tomorrow, sat a cardboard takeout container which was half-open, its contents slowly losing warmth in the hum of the air conditioner. He had taken two bites of the empanada when the phone rang.

He wiped his fingers on a napkin, sat up straighter without meaning to, and answered with the practiced calm that had followed him through embassies in Beijing, New York, and beyond.

“Ambassador Agustín Santos Maraver... Oh, hello Mister Howard.”

He listened. No notepad, no pen, just memory, his most trusted ally after all these years. His eyes flicked once to the edge of the desk, where a small Spanish flag rested beside a photo of his family and an old Foreign Service medal from his early days.

Global Assembly

 

[Global Assembly]

"Mr Ambassador," Norman Howard responded, "Thank you for taking my call at this hour."

"I'm calling on behalf of the Secretary-General regarding the letter submitted by your Minister of Foreign Affairs concerning the request for an Emergency Session of the Assembly. She is hoping to have a brief call with the Prime Minister at his earliest convenience. Given the rapidly evolving nature of the situation, we fully understand that his schedule is likely constrained. That said, I’d be grateful if you could raise this request through the appropriate channels and let me know if there might be a brief window of availability. Even just a few minutes would be greatly appreciated."

Zak

 

[Zak]

"Mr. Howard," the Ambassador replied, his tone warm but weighted with the quiet tension of a long day’s unraveling, "I appreciate your reaching out, and I fully understand the importance of the Secretary-General’s request."

He drew in a breath before continuing, voice low but steady.

"Regrettably, the Prime Minister is currently engaged in a closed door meeting with the President of Turkey and the Minister of Foreign Affairs is currently holding a meeting both that are expected to extend well into the morning. I have been advised that, due to the nature of the briefings and immediate decisions at hand, he will not be able to step away, even briefly, for the foreseeable future."

A pause, then a pivot.

"However, with the Prime Minister’s authorization, either his Chief of Staff or the Deputy Prime Minister, would be fully prepared to join the Secretary-General for a direct and substantive call within the next few hours. Both are fully briefed and empowered to speak on his behalf, particularly on matters relating to the Assembly and the current crisis."

The Ambassador offered a faint, professional smile that could be heard in the tone alone.

"If the Secretary General would find that acceptable, I would be pleased to coordinate directly with your office to schedule the call at her earliest convenience."

He added, more quietly. "Please know that your outreach is not only understood but respected."

Global Assembly

 

[Global Assembly]

"I understand," Howard said with a nod. "The Prime Minister’s time is undoubtedly limited."

He paused momentarily, weighing the ambassador’s proposal. "I appreciate your suggestion and would be pleased to proceed with a call between the Secretary-General and the Deputy Prime Minister."

"If you would be so kind as to convey this request, please instruct their office to place the call through the GA Switchboard. The switchboard will ensure the call is properly routed to the Office of the Secretary-General."

Zak

 

[Zak]

Ambassador Agustín Santos Maraver made a few taps on his phone and patched the Deputy Prime Minister's Chief of Staff into the call and then moments later the Deputy Prime Minister joined the call which was routed through the Global Assembly switchboard to the Secretary General's office.

"Madam Secretary General, this is Ambassador Agustín Santos Maraver of Spain. I have been speaking with Norman Howard. I am joined on the line by First Deputy Prime Minister María Jesús Montero."

Dutchy

 

[Global Assembly]

"Deputy Prime Minister, thank you for calling. Édith said.

"I have received Prime Minister Sánchez's letter and wish to begin by acknowledging both the gravity of his concerns and the clarity with which they were conveyed. Let me begin by reaffirming my full recognition of the Kingdom of Spain’s steadfast commitment to the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and the sovereign equality of states as enshrined in the Charter of the Global Assembly."

"Allow me also to be clear, I with to reaffirm that I will not allow the Secretariat to serve as a vehicle for the politicisation of domestic matters. It is my view, reflected in my decision not to invoke Rule 11 of the Provisional Rules of Procedure to convene an Emergency Special Session myself, that the situation at hand constitutes an internal constitutional matter within the domestic jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Spain."

"That said, Rule 8 of the Rules of Procedure provides that Member States possess the right to request such a session, and should four Member States notify the Secretariat within fourteen days, I would be bound to act accordingly. That I follow this procedural framework is not a matter of discretion but of obligation."

"I trust you will understand that my actions are guided solely by the need to preserve the institutional integrity of the Global Assembly, and by my responsibility to act in accordance with the will and mandates of the Member States."

"I extend to you my sincere wishes for strength and resolve during this challenging time, and I remain hopeful that the matter will be addressed through dialogue and within the constitutional framework of the Kingdom of Spain."

Zak