By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 3, updated – After 8 pm on Friday, October 3 a series of what are called UN Security Council “Press Statements” were read out in front of the UN Security Council, with only one and then a second member of the press present.
The statements ranged from Syria through Ukraine to the DR Congo and Mali. But the UN did not inform the Press that they would be read out. It was the UN as theater, or as front.
Inner City Press became aware of the read-outs only by chance, on Twitter, and ran to the stakeout. There the Presidency said they had done their part and informed “the Secretariat.” So Inner City Press on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access immediately asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric and the listed weekend duty spokesperson the following:
“Please explain why the UN Spokesperson's office did not email or squawk about the reading out just now at the UNSC Stakeout of many UNSC Press Statements. When was the UN Spokesperson's office informed of this press availability? On behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access, who did the UN inform of it? Why not all correspondents?”
There was no response. [Then see update below.] The UN has become a selective theater of concerns, from former colonies to belated expressions of concern about genocidal groups, with UN Peacekeeping overseen by Herve Ladsous who while flying the latter goes to work on the former and refuses to answer questions.
And now this new low. Watch this site.
Update: later the UN Spokesperson's office responded to Inner City Press' and FUNCA's questions, above, with this: "it was a mistake, no alert was sent to the press." On Syria, Mali, DRC and Ukraine? We'll have more on this.
