By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, September 22 -- An hour before the International Conference on Population and Development event of the UN General Assembly on September 22, Inner City Press asked Babatunde Osotimehin of the UN Population Fund to confirm or deny if he could a possible deal between Boko Haram and the government of Nigeria, of which he used to be Minister of Health, to Bring Back Our Girls.
Rather than confirm or deny, he linked Boko Haram to 9/11/01 in the United States, and ISIL, and Malala in Pakistan and women and girls in India; he said all of these should be taken more seriously. Well, yes. But what about the girls kidnapped in Chibok, on which UNFPA and the UN say they are working.
Back on September 19, Inner City Press asked UN officials Thomas Gass and John Wilmoth of the place of sexual and reproductive health issues in the event.
Gass said the question goes to the heart of what humanity is, citing gender equality and access to sexual and reproductive health services. Wilmoth emphasized that the Cairo Declaration is not being re-negotiated; the previous position, that abortion should be safe where it is legal, remains.
Back in April 2014 there was an all-night session of fight over the Commission on Population and Development.Past 11 pm the Permanent Representative of Kenya, that month's chair of the African Group, said there would be nosleight of hand solution. He went into Conference Room A with other Permanent Representatives, including those of Norway and then of Cameroon, who told Inner City Press that "in Africa we don't do Programs of Action, we do Declarations."
And after a long and murky night in the basement of the UN, a text was in fact adopted followed by a slew of mostly angry speeches from 6 to 7 am.
Argentina's Permanent Representative regretted that language about unilateral sanctions, debt was not retained. She was followed by speakers from Jordan and Australia, all Security Council members this year. There are not a lot of 6 am Security Council meetings. But this is another part of the UN.
Iran, set for a big role in CPD 48, joined with Egypt and Oman in slamming the deletion of language about "foreign occupation." South Africa pointed out paragraphs on which it negotiated in it national capacity, NOT as part of the African Group.
The US speech was surprisingly upbeat, glad for citations to sexual and reproductive health, eager for the ICPD session in General Assembly. (Here is a John Kerry speech, since.)
Hungary said it does not take "reproductive rights" to include abortion. The Holy See took this further. The European Union's deputy said that principles agreed to in Cairo 20 years ago are being re-litigated now.
But on September 19, that's not what the UN's John Wilmoth told Inner City Press. And as Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access have asked before, what of Myanmar's anti-Royhinga census and reproduction policies? Speaking of reproductive issues?
But on September 19, that's not what the UN's John Wilmoth told Inner City Press. And as Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access have asked before, what of Myanmar's anti-Royhinga census and reproduction policies? Speaking of reproductive issues?
At the September 19 press conference, Inner City Press for the Free UN Coalition for Access thanked Gass and Wilmoth. Only two questions were asked: press briefings are being privatized as the UN, by its Censorship Alliance. We will be covering that, and the September 22 event. Watch this site.
