By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 1 -- After the UN Security Council's committee on sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea met for more than three hours Monday afternoon, chair Sylvie Lucas of Luxembourg emerged and gave an explanation.
She said of the 27 countries with diplomatic missions in North Korea, 16 responded to the Committee's “note verbale” asking if they had difficulties maintaining a presence in Pyongyang.
She said there are problems, but blamed them on DPRK saying countries' missions can only have one bank account, and on “unilateral sanctions.”
Inner City Press asked Lucas if the problems faced by UN funds and programs like the UN Development Program and the World Food Program were discussed. She said yes, they were part of the report, but again ascribed them to DPRK restrictions or unilateral sanctions.
(Earlier on Monday Inner City Press spoke with South Korea's Kim Sook about the "UN Command" and DPRK's argument, here.)
Lucas said the committee aims to meet again in July but it is difficult to find a room and a translation team. She indicated that the Security Council's committees are sharing a single translation team. The meeting was held in the nearly empty North Lawn building; UN envoy to Myanmar Vijay Nambiar walked by and there was talk of incoming president of the General Assembly John Ashe.
Lucas has become more open in her briefings to the press after committee sessions. Meanwhile for the interim General Assembly hall on the first floor of the North Lawn building, there are no seats or space at all for the press or public. This was raised to the UN Department of Public Information back on June 10 by the new Free UN Coalition for Access, but no action has been taken. And so it goes at the UN.
