By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 28. updated -- In covering the UN, Inner City Press is often asked by UN officials to “write more positive stories,” and tries to. Friday in front of the General Assembly, it was suggested that a ceremony later that morning in the Indonesian Lounge next to the GA would provide some “feel-good” news.
“Just get someone from MALU” -- the UN's Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit -- “to escort you,” Inner City Press was told. Ten minutes before the ceremony, to mark a $2 million contribution from the International Road Transport Union (IRU) to the UN Mine Action Service for use in Afghanistan, MALU arrived.
Inner City Press was escorted to an area just outside the Indonesian Lounge, where two bottles of champagne waited along with a half dozen glasses. In the front part of the lounge, Inner City Press was greeted by the Permanent Representatives of Kazakhstan, Iraq and Chad.
Then a representative of the Mine Action Service arrived, calling himself “Lee,” and said that he was sorry to inform Inner City Press but “some Ambassadors” did want it to cover the ceremony. Not to worry, he said, Mine Action director Maxwell Kerley would give an interview after the ceremony.
Inner City Press walked to the entrance of the ceremony and was told by the head of the UN Department of Peacekeeper Operations Rule of Law office Dmitry Titov that the event was private. But behind him, there was a television crew and a still photographer in front of the microphone.
Inner City Press objected that the UN is not free to allow in some accredited journalists and not others. “They are getting paid,” was the response. Inner City Press asked who they were, and after several refusals to answer was told they were from Zvezda TV, and are accredited by the UN and its MALU.
A woman from Peacekeeping came out and said no answer could be given until the ceremony was over (and could no longer be covered by Inner City Press). She said she would call Protocol.
Inner City Press waited until the ceremony, filmed by the Russian TV crew, was over. The Mine Action spokesman Lee, believed from the UN's staff roster to be Edward Lee Woodyear, then brough Maxwell Kurley over.
Kurley said that the Russian TV crew was making a documentary about the International Road Transport Union. Inner City Press asked who had thought to direct the donation to Afghanistan, the UN or IRU? We suggested Afghanistan, Kerley said.
Minutes later, deputy Secretary General of the IRU De Pretto told Inner City Press that his organization had suggested Afghanistan, as it has an interest the entire Silk Road. In order to put the $2 million into context, Inner City Press asked what the annual budget of the IRU is.
I'm not going to tell you, De Pretto answered.
From outside UN Lounge, Kerley & De Pretto, Titov blocks camera (c) MRLee
Inner City Press asked, are you a non-profit? Yes, De Pretto said, but in Geneva, not the United States. He said that the American Truckers Union is part of the IRU. Inner City Press asked if IRU has a position on Mexican trucks in the US. We are against protectionism, De Pretto answered.
Kerley said that the $2 million will not be subject to competitive bidding, but rather proposals from five local NGOs. The work of removing mines, at least in this case, is not done by the UN. On his way out, Chad's Permanent Representative told Inner City Press dismissively that his country doesn't use the use for mine removal, “we deal with the Canadians bilaterally,” cutting out the middle man.
Update: that's apparently what the UN wants to do, cut out the middleman of an independent press. Hours after excluding such Press from its ceremony, the UN's News Service published this.
Inner City Press still wants to cover positive UN stories. Watch this site.
