By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 14 --
It was dark
outside on
Friday when
the UN's
Second
Committee
finally got
down to voting
on its dispute
about
migration.
The
fight was not
actually about
immigration,
but rather
which
non-governmental
organizations
could
participate in
the UN's
"high level
dialogue" on
the topic.
As
a proponent of
Free Access --
in fact, as a
founder of the
Free
UN
Coalition for
Access,
FUNCA -- Inner
City Press is
predisposed to
more
rather than
less groups.
But a serious
Group of 77
source told
Inner
City Press
that "the
Westerners"
were using the
resolution
and vote to
try to go
beyond the
groups that
"ECOSOC and
the NGO
Committee let
in." He added,
"you know,
front groups."
Before
the voting
began, Algeria
asked to know
who had even
requested the
recorded vote.
The chair,
full of jokes
as the
proceedings
went on,
said it was
Cyprus, for
the European
Union.
Then
the voting
screens lit
up. But no
votes were
recorded.
There was
laughter;
there was a
call to
re-boot the
machine, which
the chair
said would
take 15
minutes. There
were groans.
Finally some
votes
started
showing up.
Australia said
it's vote was
wrong, then
relented.
Ultimately
only
two countries
voted against:
the US and
Canada. Their
allies in
opposing
Palestine's
Observer State
status, Palau,
Micronesia and
the
Marshall
Islands,
didn't even
come to vote.
(Inner City
Press took a
photo of
Palau's seat,
next to where
Palestine
might be,
empty).
Israel didn't
vote - but it
was after dark
on Friday.
Then,
this being the
UN, there were
speeches.
Everyone cares
about
migration, but
some said
they'd had to
abstain: 46 in
all. Still
there were 110
in favor, so
the dialogue
will happen.
But how will
it
go? Watch this
site.
Footnotes:
Simultaneous
in the UN
North Lawn
building
Friday night
were budget
consultations,
and a meeting
abut the
proposed
mission in
Mali, with
resistance to
the support
package
proposed by
the AU.
At 8:30 pm
there was a
fire alarm -
did someone
want to leave?
Others asked
about the
delay in
giving even
the direction
to "please
stand by." But
it was the
night of the
Department of
Safety and
Security
holiday party,
following
DPKO's. So it
was
understandable.
From within
ACABQ, Inner
City Press has
some advance
knowledge of
the fights
that
will last to
Christmas. But
that will be
for next week
- with or
without fire
alarms. Watch
this
site.
