By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 7, updated -- In the hours after the deadly attack on the French satirical publication Charlie Hebdo in Paris, statements rolled in from the UK's David Cameron, Canada's Harper, the White House and Scandinavian countries. France 24 linked this last to the Danish newspaper against which this seeming trend began. But three hours in, where was the UN?
At 10 am -- while Ban Ki-moon had still said nothing -- High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said, “I utterly condemn the appalling and ruthless attack on media workers and police officers in Paris earlier today, and urge anyone who has information that could help to locate the individuals who planned or carried out this hideous crime to immediately bring it to the attention of the French authorities, before other lives are lost."
A range of countries' Ambassadors to the UN spoke out on Twitter:
The UN Mission of Chile, president this month of the Security Council, said "Chile condemns terrorist attacks to weekly paper Charlie Hebdo in París http://www.minrel.gov.cl/chile-condena-ataque-a-semanario-charlie-hebdo-en-paris/minrel/2015-01-07/114053.html"
At 10:22 am it was announced 11:30am LIVE Stakeout 2nd floor outside the Security Council Chamber Ambassador Cristián Barros Melet, Permanent Representative of Chile and President of the Security Council statement on Paris shooting
(There was still no similar announcement for Ban Ki-moon)
Then, after complaint, this: "10:45am or later TAPE FEED SG Remarks Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will make a statement on the Paris shooting."
Why "tape feed"? Why not do it in the UN Press Briefing Room?
Update: The UNCA president told Inner City Press, citing "English and Italian," that despite only sending notice of Ban's remarks to those who pay his UNCA money, all were "invited." Inner City Press asked why Ban's remarks were not in the UN Media Alert. We have nothing to do with the Media Alert, the UNCA president said. Exactly: a private club.
Here is a Free UN Coalition for Access upload of the one minute statement Ban made, provided to FUNCA, here.
At the January 7 noon briefing, Inner City Press for FUNCA asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric why it wasn't put in the UN Media Alert. Rather than explain, he said it was announced on the UN's in-house "squawk" system at 9:45 am. This is rarely heard, certainly not to media not physically inside the UN building, and in any event left a full hour for the remarks on Charlie Hebdo to be issued widely in the UN Media Alert email. It is very telling that it wasn't. We'll have more on this.
Italy's mission to the UN, meanwhile, tweeted and promoted a photo of Ban and the (Italian) UNCA president.
The UN's special rapporteur on freedom of expression David Kaye tweeted, "some will urge satirists to exercise caution after horrific #CharlieHebdo attack. wrong. right: broad support for free expression/press."
The US Embassy in Paris said, "“Despite misleading press reports, there are no plans to close or limit access to the U.S. Embassy in Paris or other diplomatic facilities in France. We are open for business as usual.”
Lithuania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it "strongly condemn horrible terrorist attack in #Paris, CharlieHebdo. Express solidarity with France, condolences to the families of victims."
Jordan's Ambassador Dina Kawar tweeted, "Saddened by the horrific attack in Paris. Our deep condolences to the families of the victims and to the people & Government of France."
Slovakia's Frantisek Ruzicka, chair of the UN's Fifth (Budget) Committee, said "terrifying start of 2015!"
The Netherlands said its foreign minister (and former UN envoy to Cote d'Ivoire and Mali) Bert Koenders is "horrified by attack on #CharlieHebdo. Shares grief of victims, expresses solidarity with French people."
Israel's UN mission said that FM Avigdor Liberman "sends condolences to French nation, says free world must stand determined & united in face of terror threat."
The UK re-tweeted Philip Hammond: "Appalled to hear news of apparent terrorist attack in Paris. My thoughts are with the family and friends of those killed."
That the UN Security Council will issue a statement is near inevitable. The Office of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon can or should be able to move faster, since fewer approvals are needed. But where was Ban Ki-moon?
Ban's office put out a statement two hours after the Charlie Hebdo attack, but it was to “clarify” Ban's acceptance of Palestine's papers to join the International Criminal Court.
Before that, Ban's office had put out photos of him smiling with staff members -- some grumbled that the UN Staff Union has essentially been broken during Ban's tenure -- and a January 7 similar or worse photo op with correspondents was planned, or selectively announced only to those who pay dues money to a group whose Board tried to get the investigative Press thrown out of the UN.
Are such stunts appropriate? Will they simply go forward? Watch this site.
