By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, February 19 – The first item in an hour long February 15 meeting of UN Correspondents Association concerned the UNCA Executive Committee's vote to "be present at every noon briefing." Click here for audio of the meeting, Part 1.
This was presumably to raise the profile or defend the place of the decaying organization, now called the UN's Censorship Alliance. Getting the first question at noon briefings, of course, involves invoking favoritism from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson's office.
This was presumably to raise the profile or defend the place of the decaying organization, now called the UN's Censorship Alliance. Getting the first question at noon briefings, of course, involves invoking favoritism from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson's office.
At the very next UN noon briefing on February 19, none of the 15 members of UNCA's Executive Committee was present. Had the decay proceeded even further over the three day weekend?
It's not that the UNCA "leaders" weren't present elsewhere in the UN on Tuesday morning. They ripped down substantive flyers of the Free UN Coalition for Access which critiqued by the UN's accreditation rules and UNCA's capture by the largest media.
A flyer was torn down right next to the door of UNCA's president Pamela Falk of CBS. She has written that a non-UNCA "open" bulletin board will be permitted: but it has not been in the 12 days since. This is UN-itis.
Financial opacity, too: though no written UNCA financial statements were provided, total cash of $237,940 was alluded to at Friday's meeting, the vast majority of it collected at UNCA's $250 a plate annual dinner. A member asked for a written report; this was referred to “Other Matters” but was never addressed.
It was said that the 15 members of the Security Council and their spouses are let in for free. Members were urged to now lobby the Council members about the layout of the Security Council stakeout, an issue on which UNCA apparently fell asleep in 2012 while they focused on trying to expel the investigative Press, first from UNCA then from the UN as a whole.
A “leader” of that drive, Reuters' Louis Charbonneau, bragged in Friday's meeting that French Ambassador Gerard Araud supports the tearing down of a wall near the so-called Turkish lounge; “we need more countries like that,” Charbonneau said.
He also said, “we need a few people with sledgehammers - then problem solved.” This is the approach he and UNCA have taken to the FUNCA flyers. Charbonneau's twist is to also suggest to the UN that it charge money for “a new paint job” after the flyers are torn down.
This passive-aggressive approach was on display Friday when as soon as an UNCA member objected to a financial proposal, Charbonneau immediately called for a vote, like the last President of the General Assembly from Qatar used to it.
On the question of UNCA presence at noon briefings, Charbonneau perhaps to make it easier on himself and his 14 peers said it didn't have to be an Executive Committee member. So anyone that pays the UNCA annual dues gets a question before those who choose not to be part of UNCA? Pay to play?
One of those actually witnessed tearing flyers down has been Tim Witcher of Agence France Presse, who at Friday's meeting spoke only once, to urge members to send “e-mail and letters” to member states.
One wonder if the regurgitation of fawning coverage might be part of the plan to get the support of some member states? Watch this site.
