By Matthew Russell Lee, Follow Up on Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, December 6 -- Since Ban Ki-moon made deals to become UN Secretary General and has for example promoted his own son in law to the top UN job in Kenya, why shouldn't others? That relativist view seems to have spread in Ban's final year.
On November 7, Inner City Press first reported France, or the outgoing Hollande government, pushing Segolene Royal to take over the UN Development Program. Now a month later, the Wall Street Journal writes that David Miliband of the UK is vying for the post.
Inner City Press has been hearing from its sources, and now publishes, about Franco-British deal-making in the race to head the World Health Organization. The UK's David Nabarro is a candidate, as is Philippe Douste-Blazy of France. Inner City Press is informed of a proferred deal in which Douste-Blazy would get the Global Fund, and there would be Francophone support for Nabarro for WHO. Is it fair?
In terms of the UN Secretariat, Inner City Press first reported on November 16 Nigeria's Amina J. MohammedAmina J. Mohammed as Deputy Secretary General and reiterates that now. Alicia Barcena, on whom we have also reported, may be vying for the Chef de Cabinet job. We'll have more on this.
While Ban's Spokesperson's Office told Inner City Press that, after Ban's son in law, other top jobs wouldn't be given out before the end of Ban's term, on November 7 Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced that Egypt's Mourad Wahba, whom Inner City Press recently questions about his statement that Hurricane Matthew, and not the UN-brought cholera, is the worst humanitarian event since the 2010 earthquake, has been given a new high UN system job, in the UN Development Program.
At the November 7 noon briefing Inner City Press asked Dujarric why the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Haiti would be taken out for another job at this time. The why wasn't answered.
Now sources tell Inner City Press that it was a quid pro quo, for when UNDP chief Helen Clark, Dujarric's former boss, sought Security Council member Egypt's support for her bid to replace Ban Ki-moon. Clark didn't get the job, but she did give it, as one source put it to Inner City Press. That's the why Ban's UN has worked, or failed.
Bigger picture, who will replace Helen Clark atop UNDP? Earlier Inner City Press alluded to a French “Socialist superstar” in waiting, particular if France as it should loses the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Now we'll go further: sources tell Inner City Press that the Socialism superstar in waiting is none other than Segolene Royal. We'll have more on this.
How did the UN under outgoing Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his should-be-outgoing "Public Information" chief Cristina Gallach pretextually evict the critical Press from its long time office and confine it to minders, hindering further reporting on their corruption?
A just-filed UN report on press freedom (A/HRC/33/32, here) includes both UN Special Rapporteurs David Kaye's and Michel Forst's joint letter to Gallach, here, and her belated and untruthful response, here. Gallach says Inner City Press “trespassed” without stating that it was the UN Press Briefing Room in which the noon briefings are held.
Gallach does not mention that there was no sign that said “closed” nor that even Ban's outgoing spokesman Dujarric admits the arrangement was only oral.
On October 21, Inner City Press asked Special Rapporteur Kaye about his report. Video here. He said he would like to explore the process: if the UN offers due process to journalists. Inner City Press pointed out, for his inquiry, that it was never asked, before on February 19 having its accreditation and badge stripped, WHY it sought to cover the event in the UN Press Briefing Room on January 19. (It was to pursue the UN bribery / Ng Lap Seng story, which is ongoing.)
So an hour later, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's spoksman Dujarric about what Kaye has said, what due process exists or may in the future exist. But Dujarric cut the question off -- “it's about you” -- and said flatly, your case has been adjudicated. Really? By one unaccountable individual, Cristina Gallach, who never allowed any opportunity to be heard? With no appeals process?
Inner City Press: in this room before the Wonder Woman situation, unrelated to it or maybe related, David Kaye, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, who, in his report, has included a letter from Cristina Gallach responding to his inquiry about her decision to throw a media out for being in the room. Her letter says that the media… that the press trespassed in this room. So I wanted to know what he, he raised concerns about due process. Given that you've worked in that system, what do you learn from the inquiry from David Kaye and Michel Forst asking about it and the comments made today about, about the UN not…
Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Dujarric: I mean, I think it's about you, and I think your case has been adjudicated.
Without any due process at all, no appeal, any questioning cut off. Even the countries the UN criticizes offer more due process than this. There should be firings.
This UN "Aide Memoire," which Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric called "leaked" and refused to answer questions on, shows how - as does this Gallach's letter of May 25, 2016. On June 16, Inner City Press was belatedly provided with a copy of the questions UN Special Rapporteurs Kaye and Forst sent to Gallach on February 25, put it online here:
So Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about the letter(s), Video here, Vine here, UN Transcript here and below.
On June 27 at the UN Human Rights Council, Ban's and Gallach's pretextual eviction of Inner City Press as it reported and reports on their links to the Nb Lap Seng / John Ashe UN bribery scandal and other UN misdeeeds, was raised by International Lawyers in a formal session, video here, statement here:
"The Vienna Declaration and Program of Action was adopted under the auspices of the United Nations. It led to the creation of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights the focal point of human rights within the United Nations and established the United Nations at the center of the global human rights movement. At that time, as today, many believed that the United Nations itself should set the example for the rest of the world for upholding respect for human rights. Too often, however, we have seen this is not the case. It is with regret and concern that we must request the Council’s attention for a matter of interference with the right to freedom of expression of a journalist at the United Nations in New York by the office of the United Nations’ most senior official.
After covering the United Nations for more than a decade, on 19 February 2016, Inner City Press was ordered to leave the United Nations’ premises on two hours’ notice in a letter signed by the UN Under-Secretary- General for Public Information. The official reason given was that the journalist covered a private meeting. This meeting was held in the UN Press Briefing Room, which all press are ordinarily allowed to attend, and the journalist immediately left the room when asked to do so by UN Security. Moreover, the apparent harassment of Inner City Press, which had been covering the United Nations for more than a decade, appears to have commenced after it began covering a story concerning corruption linked to the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General. While the story has been widely covered, it was Inner City Press that repeatedly asked pointed questions about it at UN Press Conferences given by the spokesperson of the Secretary-General. The timing of the expelling of an Inner City Press journalist from the UN, then the closing of its office, at the time this story alleging corruption within the Office of the Secretary-General was being covered, at best seems suspicious and at worst a blatant interference with the human rights to freedom of expression by a body who should know better and set a better example.
Moreover, we have just recently learned that the UN’s Office of the Secretary-General, apparent to justify its action, provided one of the Council’s mandate-holders false information when he enquired into the matter. The veracity of the information provided by the UNSG’s Office alleging “an altercation” took place at the alleged ‘closed meeting’ is contradicted by video showing this to be untrue.
We call on the High Commission for Human Rights, who is himself an Under-Secretary- General, to condemn the actions of the Office of the Secretary-General and to urge him to exercise his good offices to resolve this dispute in a manner that is consistent with the right to freedom of expression, including a free press, and to report to the Council the results of his efforts."
Inner City Press' long time shared office, pretextually taken and purported to be give to an Egyptian state media which never comes and never asks questions must be returned, immediately, among other remedies to protect freedom of the press.
From the UN's June 16 transcript:
Inner City Press: I've become aware today of a letter that was sent by Special Rapporteur David Kaye and Special Rapporteur Michel Forst to Ms. [Cristina] Gallach of DPI [Department of Public Information] on 25 February, asking about ouster and eviction of Inner City Press. And her response was two months later, and she referred to an altercation in this room that required… so I'm asking you. You were here. Other than you turning off my phone, was it an altercation? Is that an accurate statement?
Spokesman Dujarric: Matthew, Matthew… I have not… I will not comment on your personal issues.
Inner City Press: You're saying it's a personal issue. This was a letter sent to the Special Rapporteur.
Spokesman: And the letter, if you want to ask for the letter, you could ask the Special Rapporteur.
Inner City Press: No, I've seen the letter.
Spokesman Dujarric: Matthew, Matthew… I have not… I will not comment on your personal issues.
Inner City Press: You're saying it's a personal issue. This was a letter sent to the Special Rapporteur.
Spokesman: And the letter, if you want to ask for the letter, you could ask the Special Rapporteur.
Inner City Press: No, I've seen the letter.
And below is Gallach's letter, here, which itself calls for action.
