By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 7 -- Some say the UN's golden age, if one existed, was when a slew of countries became independent.
But Monday afternoon in the UN basement, when the Special Political and Decolonization Committee met, the UN as a vehicle for neo-colonialism was in view.
Country after country decried the UK's claim to sovereignty over the Malvinas, which it calls Falkland Islands. In reply, the UK simply reasserted sovereignty. It has a permanent veto on the UN Security Council, one of five.
Many countries denounced the US for ignoring General Assembly resolutions calling for an end of its blockage on Cuba. But the US has another of the five veto-wielding seats on the Security Council. Reuters at the UN highlighted a piece about the blockade -- not even written from or about the UN, but mocking this as the 22nd request.
It was UNclear what Reuters said about Malvinas - in the past, Reuters' UN bureau chief has tried to act in the UK's favor, mocking how long Argentina's foreign minister's family has been in that country.
Something new this year, on the Committee's list of non self governing territories, is French Polynesia, which along with Western Sahara (where France long opposed any UN human rights monitoring) and Guam will be debated Tuesday.
While Monday's opening session took place, the Permanent Representatives of the UK, US, Morocco and others were traveling in Africa -- "led," according to the UN, by France's Deputy Permanent Representative.
In a nitty-gritty but telling example of the UN as colonialism, France was allowed to alone decide which media could accompany the Security Council delegation and fly, for free, on the UN plane. (See UN admission to Inner City Press, on video, here.)
This despite being only a co-leader of one of the trip's four legs. (Rwanda, for example, co-led one leg but has said it was allowed no role in deciding about press coverage.)
What's the point of running for the Security Council if one is still so excluded? If Secretary General Ban Ki-moon deems fit to openly meet first with only the Permanent Five members, for example on Syria?
But the debate will continue, for example tomorrow Tuesday down in the UN basement, and this coverage will continue, undaunted, doubling down. The UN was supposed to be against colonialism, not embody it. Watch this site.
