Before that was the president of the Dominican Republic, Danilo Medina Sanchez, who insisted despite Guterres' resistance on signing the visitors' book before the grip and grin. Alamy photo here. When the read-out comes out, we bet Dominican deputy ambassador Francis Lorenzo, who pleaded guilty to UN bribery in the Ng Lap Seng / John Ashe case, is not mentioned in it. Before that was Jordan's King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein. Photos on Alamy here. Guterres' holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric showed up just before the meeting, but even of the Saudi meeting an hour before there was still no read-out. [Then this update.] It was not at his office on the 38th floor, but rather in a suite on the 27th floor with an Oriental rug, two flags and a small stand on which to sign the UN Visitors' book. Under Guterres the UN has become (even) less media friendly, with the investigative Press restricted to minders and, on September 16, barred from entering to cover a UN Media Alert-listed even on Guterres' signature issue, refugees. Guterres' head of Global Communications Alison Smale, petitioned on these issues since September 1, has done nothing to reverse them. UN is both UNprepared and UNfair - including on such issues as Myanmar, Yemen, Burundiand Cameroon. Next up,on September 18, US President Trump, Ambassador Nikki Haley and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in the UN's ECOSOC Chamber. On September 12, Guterres was scheduled to take the credentials of four countries' new Ambassador to the UN. But a fifth one, Cote d'Ivoire, was added without any notice; then the International Sea Bed Authority's representative, for whom Inner City Press was asked to leave. As Norway's Tore Hattrem left, he told Guterres he would be working hard next week. Guterres responded that it was a "merry-go-round." Earlier in the day Guterres gave a job, the Oceans Envoy post, to just-former President of the General Assembly Peter Thomson. It's not only a merry-go-round, it's a revolving door. Here are Inner City Press' Alamy photos of the new Ambassadors of Ecuador (Diego Fernando Morejon Pazmino), Norway, Guinea Bissau(Fernando Delfim Da Silva) and Iraq(Mohammed Hussein Bahr Aluloom). The UN is getting more and more murky; Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric has refused to say how NGO(s) purchasing an event in the UN General Assembly Hall on August 23 were vetted, even after the Ng bribery verdict. On August 18 Guterres said that the UN's principles are those of humanity; he made much of Miroslv Jenca being from Slovakia. Meanwhile his spokesman wouldn't confirm that Jenca's colleague Taye-Brook Zerihoun is leaving, to be replaced by Kenya's Monica Juma. We'll have more on this. There were: Gabon PR Michel Xavier Biang, Lithuania PR Audra Plepytë, Slovakia PR Michal Mlynár, Slovenia PR Darja Bavdaž Kuret, NZ PR Craig John Hawke, Ireland PR Geraldine Byrne Nason, PR, Ireland and Francophonie PO Narjess Saidane. On August 16 Guterres schmoozed correspondents about Croatia and his vacation; after a stakeout in which he refused to comment on the Ng Lap Seng verdict, photos here, he had a 4:30 pm photo op with meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic. Photos on Alamy here; Inner City Press Periscope here; it was the only media there other than a lone Serbian cameraman. Guterres called Dacic young and the latter replied that he is 51. Then the press was ushered out. Before Dacic arrived, Guterres squired out a duo who was not on his schedule. As noted, a diplomat complained Guterres is "just bringing in people he knew in Geneva, nothing new, no improvements." On Press freedom, Inner City Press must concur: it remains restricted for covering now convicted Ng Lap Seng's bribes; the Egyptian state media the UN is trying to give its office wasn't even present for Egypt's August 2 press conference, has never asked a question. And on transparency: the sources said seven day, but when Inner City Press asked Guterres' holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric on July 31, Dujarric said for two week, Guterres will be "in Europe." Periscope video here. He is on leave, on vacation. On August 1, Dujarric repeatedly said the Secretary General thinks this, feels that - and Inner City Press asked, how do you know? At briefings in Washington reporters routinely ask, did you speak with your principle about X, Y or Z. But the UN feels it doesn't have to answer. From the UN transcript: Inner City Press: in the answers you were giving about the Secretary-General believes this on Venezuela, thinks this, can… given what you have said yesterday about his schedule, is this based on, is this a DPA statement, is it actually something they run by him, how does it work?
Spokesman: It works that it comes out of my mouth. That’s how it works. Next question. Next question.
Yes, we will have more questions. On July 31, Inner City Press asked if there is any press pool - no - and if Dujarric will at least in the future announce week-long absences by Guterres in advance. Dujarric did not say yes (he did, however, repeat that claim that the UN was the victim in its corruption case, saying that Yiping Zhou is gone. But what about Navid Hanif, who went to Macau? What about Meena Sur, who helped Ng? Both of them, and others involved, are still in the UN). This lack of transparency stands in contrast to the executive branch in Washington and even New York routinely disclosing travel including vacation travel. But the UN has no press protections either - Guterres has been asked. Meanwhile his spokespeople says the UN should get paid for the UNreformed corruption shown in the Ng trial and verdict. We'll have more on this. When UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on July 27 had a brief meeting with Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Qatar state media and other UN based photographers went up. Alamy photos here. There were complaints how short the handshake was; Inner City Press noted that on the UN side of the table were only four people, all men, including Jeffrey Feltman. Periscope video here. Guterres was scheduled to be at another meeting in 25 minutes time. So will the UN help solve the stand-off in the Gulf? It seems unlikely. The UN never answered Inner City Press' questions of if Feltman had visited Saudi Arabia and if not, why not. Back on July 19 Guterres.had a meeting and photo op with Spain's Foreign Minister Alfonso María Dastis Quecedo. Inner City Press went to cover it, Alamy photos here, Periscope video here including of whether Dastis should write "una poema" in the UN visitors' book. Inner City Press barely arriving on time due to the crowd of tourists at the UN's visitors entrance. It has been this way since Spain's now-gone Under Secretary General Cristina Gallach had Inner City Press evicted from and still restricted at the UN after Inner City Press asked her about attending indicted Macau-based businessman Ng Lap Seng's South South Awards, and allowing Ng fundees improper events in the UN. Although Guterres did not continue Gallach's contract - she lobbied to stay, but failed - her negative impacts are still in evidence. The Spanish Mission to the UN, now off the Security Council, likewise did nothing to reign Gallach in. But surely they are lobbying Guterres to get another Under Secretary General position, even as their Fernando Arias Gonzalez runs against six others to head the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. We'll have more on this. The day before on July 18 Guterres had a meeting and photo op with the Dominican Republic's Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas Maldonado (Alamy photos here,Periscope video here); it came one day after in the UN bribery case against Ng Lap Seng a video of then then-President Leonel Fernandez Reyna visiting South South News near the UN was discussed. That video is here. South South News was a bribery conduit, its funds used for gambling by Dominican Deputy Permanent Representative Francis Lorenzo in Las Vegas and Atlantic City while the UN's Department of Public Information let SSN's content into UNTV archives and let Ng fundees have impermissible events in the UN. On July 18, Guterres' Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq refused to answer Inner City Press' yes or no questions about South South News and the UN. After the July 18 photo op, Inner City Press had nowhere to edit - for seeking to cover an event in the UN Press Briefing Room in pursuing the UN / SSN corruption story, Inner City Press was evicted and still restricted. And in the DR there are protests about corruption. So what did the minister and Guterres discuss? Haiti?
