On Cameroon, UNHCR Asks Nigeria About "Repatriation" of Ayuk Tabe + 46, It Tells Inner City Press; UN of Guterres, Mohammed and Smale Still Silent

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video, en francais, 1st Person

UNITED NATIONS, January 30 – The UN system's deference to Cameroon's 35-year president Paul Biya, and to the government of neighboring Nigeria, continues. The UN refugee agency UNHCR in Abuja early on January 30 told Inner City Press that it has as yet no comment on the blatant forced repatriation or refoulement to Cameroon of Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and 46 others while it seeks "explanations through official channels." 

After UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres accepted a golden statue from Cameroon's 35-year president Paul Biya in Biya's palace in Yaounde, Guterres again shook hands with Biya in Paris at the One Planet event, photo here; UN told Inner City Press no meeting was scheduled. After Guterres' envoy Francois Lounceny Fall equated secessionists with extremists, Inner City Press was informed that ten officials of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia declared on October 1 including Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe have been grabbed and disappeared -- while in Nigeria. On January 29, Inner City Press again asked Guterres spokesman about the detainees, and this time deputy spokesman Farhan Haq replied that the UN and Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed, a former Nigerian minister in Abuja at the time of the detentions, had made inquiries. Less than an hour later, Inner City Press was sent Cameroon's announcement that Ayuk Tabe and more than forty others have been transferred to Yaounde. Inner City Press on January 29 wrote to UNHCR's most senior spokespeople in Geneva, and those in Nigeria, "this is a Press request for comment and information regarding the reported refoulement / "repatriation" to Cameroon of Ayuk Tabe and more than 40 others to Yaounde, from Nigeria.UNHCR has said, in "Nigeria: Update on the Cameroon Arrivals, Issue #5 (24 January 2018)" that "For others still in detention, including the leadership of the pro-independence group, the government has agreed to grant UNHCR access for the determination of their status. The government has further reassured UNHCR that those detained would not be returned to Cameroon."  Now Cameroon Minister Bakary says they are back in Yaounde (attached). On deadline, as a matter of urgency given the context, this is a request for comment and explanation and action. Please confirm receipt." On January 30 from Abuja, UNHCR'sSenior External Relations Officer Elizabeth Mpimbaza replied, "Dear Mr. Lee, Thank you for your email. UNHCR has seen the statement.  The government gave UNHCR  access to some of asylum seekers last week and we are seeking explanations through official channels." This interim response was followed, from Geneva, by an assignment of Inner City Press' question to the same UNHCR spokesperson who partially responded when a UNHCR staffer called for "harder repression" by Biya in Cameroon, still never fully explained by UNHCR. We will have more on this as soon as possible. Watch this site. Much earlier, still without substantive answer nine hours later, Inner City Press wrote to Guterres' spokesmen and deputy: "Today at the noon briefing, along with the confirmation that the Secretary General met with Omar al Bashir, Inner City Press' weeks-old question about what the UN has done about those detained in Abuja was belatedly responded to, with the statement that the UN including the Deputy Secretary General had made inquiries. Soon after the noon briefing I became aware of a document in which the Cameroon Minister of Information says that Ayuk Tabe and more than 40 others have been transferred - or refouled -- to Cameroon, see [here]. This is a formal request for comment on the legality of this transfer, separately on the political advisability of this transfer given UN envoy Fall's call for inclusive dialogue, and for all specifics of what the UN actually did about these detentions. On deadline, please confirm receipt." Receipt has been confirmed, and Inner City Press has presented to the UN what UNHCR said, about no sending back to Cameroon. Watch this site. On January 25 Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here Inner City Press: statistics of people that have fled Cameroon and Nigeria because of--  Spokesman [cutting in]:  Yeah, UNHCR has. Question:  …because of the crackdown.  Now local groups… aid groups in Nigeria said that, in fact, the number is three times what the UN's reported.  It's 43,000, not what the UN reported.  And they're saying that the UN is incorrectly only counting those who come through, like, on roads or on buses… Spokesman:  I mean, I… we'll check with our UNHCR colleagues.  They can obviously only count where they are, and I think they try to be as many places as possible, but we'll go back to UNHCR… Inner City Press: What is the UN actually doing to try to… I'm wondering, like, Mr. {Francois Lounceny} Fall, has he gone… has he spoken to Paul Biya?  Has anyone done anything on the underlying conflict? Spokesman:  Our contacts are continuing, and our efforts are continuing.  Thank you." No thanks.  On January 22, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: Since the Deputy Secretary-General was there, this controversy has been ongoing of leaders of southern Cameroons or Ambazonia being held in Nigeria.  And it's said today they were brought to court charged with running camps.  When she was there, did she learn anything about this?  Did she have any communications?  Because it's creating quite a…Spokesman:  "I understand.  As soon as I have something, I will share it with you." Then nothing, including when Inner City Press though still restricted put the question to Amina J. Mohammed, Vine video here. 

UN's Murky Approach to Holocaust Events Disclaims Serbia's But Lists It, Israel UNlisted, Smale Silent

By Matthew Russell Lee, Periscope here

UNITED NATIONS, January 26 – In today's UN, Holocaust remembrance is politicized, and the Department of Public Information which makes decisions is not transparent, does not answer Press questions. On January 25 Inner City Press went to cover a Serbia-sponsored event about the Jasenovac extermination camp, complete with a long speech by Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, Periscope here.

While there was a disclaimer sign, a representative of DPI's Holocaust Outreach unit was there. The event was listed (as "invitation only") on DPI's list of events in the UN Visitors Lobby - but an Israeli-mission sponsored event set for January 31 wasn't listed. Questions to DPI chief Alison Smale, on access and complaints by whistleblowers of malfeasance in DPI, have gone unanswered. 

At the UN's January 26 noon briefing, Inner City Press asked, UN video, transcript here: 

Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you about an event that took place in the delegates' entrance last night, sponsored by the Serbian Mission.  It was about a… a concentration camp and it's reported that Croatia wrote directly to António Guterres to try to get it cancelled, given the presentation, and I wanted to know, what can you say about that, I guess?  There seems to be a lot of controversy about it, and I did notice… note some staff of the… I guess, the Holocaust Unit of DPI [Department of Public Information] present.  What was the relationship between the UN and the event?  And do you have any comment on the… the event? Deputy Spokesman:  I don't have any comment on the event.  As you know, different Member States can use the building to hold different events, and that is their right. Inner City Press: But maybe it's related, because I guess I want to understand this.  There's… there's a separate story about an Israeli singer, Benayoun, who had sought to… yeah, who had sought to come.  There was a lot of controversy.  Somebody wrote to António Guterres to say, "Don't have him."  Alison Smale wrote back and said, "He's not invited."  Turns out he is coming, but the event that he'll be at, which is sponsored by the Israeli Mission, is not on the UN's schedule of Holocaust events, it says.  So what's the relation… I guess what I'm meaning is, even if these events have nothing to do with the UN, including the ones that have been held elsewhere in the GA Lobby, who decides which… which events get listed on the… on the list of UN Holocaust week events and which are not?  Is that a political decision?  Who decides that? 

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, the United Nations itself, including its Department of Public Information, has a programme of Holocaust events, and those are listed as such.  Of course, Member States are free to organize their own events, but many of them will not be on the UN program.  Those are events organized by Member States. Inner City Press: DPI reviews the events in advance and says this one will be listed on our programme, and this one won't? Deputy Spokesman:  DPI has an office that deals with the remembrance of the Holocaust and they deal specifically with that. Inner City Press:  So they decided that the Serbian one was too controversial?  Or how did it work? Deputy Spokesman:  No, the Serbian one is organized by Member States.  Meetings organized by Member States are separate.  You know, there are meetings that are part of the Holocaust commemoration that's organized by DPI, and then there are other ones that are organized by Member States. Inner City Press:  But there's a sign down in the GA that lists the week's events, and some of them are sponsored by missions.  Do you see what I mean?  It's not like there are UN events and mission events. Deputy Spokesman:  Those would have been agreed to beforehand." So the Serbian event was "agreed beforehand" with the UN, since it is listed, but the Israel event is not? On January 29, US Ambassador Nikki Haley is taking the UN Security Council members down to Washington, including to the Holocaust Museum. We'll have more on this. When UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres goes to the PyeongChang Olympics next month, his real dream is to get an invite to the north, to Pyongyang, UN sources exclusively tell Inner City Press. Having failed on other diplomatic initiatives like Cyprus in his first year atop the UN, Guterres is "desperate" for some high profile drama, the sources say. The UN's acceptance of a "Junior Professional Officer" who is the son of a high official of Kim John Un's Workers Party -- whom Inner City Press in October exclusively identified as Kim Joo Song, here -- was meant to built the connections to get Guterres into the country. But isn't it the US that Kim Jong Un wants to negotiate with? We'll have more on this. When the UN's Committee on Relations with the Host Country met on January 17, the representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea read a three-page statement condemning the US for issuing his Mission to the UN's tax-exempt card in the name "North Korea" and not Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He said, "We presumed it would be only a kind of technical mistake by the U.S. side, and returned the card back to the U.S. mission, while requesting them to correct that serious mistake." The statement, which Inner City Press has exclusively obtained immediately after the meeting (photos here, full PDF of letter via Patreon, here) continued that the U.S. mission replied, "It seems to be a glitch in our database, we'll reach out to our office in DC." That was on December 13, the statement said, continuing: "on 14th December there was an explanation from the U.S. mission informing that, quoted as 'Our DC office has indicated that all country / mission names on OFM credentials for Democratic People's Republic of Korea indicate North Korea which is the conventional short abbreviation. The short name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is North Korea, so the tax card will remain the same." The statement concluded by condemning "such reckless political hostile policy" and demanded an apology. Watch this site. Throughout 2016 New Zealand documentary maker Gaylene Preston and her crew staked out the UN Security Council along with Inner City Press, awaiting the results of the straw polls to elected Ban Ki-moon's sucessor as UN Secretary General. Preston's focus was Helen Clark, the former New Zealand prime minister then in her second term as Administrator of the UN Development Program. Preston would ask Inner City Press after each poll, What about Helen Clark's chances? Suffice it to say Clark never caught fire as a candidate. Inner City Press told Preston, as did many other interviewees in her documentary “My Year with Helen,” that it might be sexism. But it might be power too - including Samantha Power, the US Ambassador who spoke publicly about gender equality and then in secret cast a ballot Discouraging Helen Clark, and praised Antonio Guterres for his energy (yet to be seen). Samantha Power's hypocrisy is called out in Preston's film, in which New Zealand's Ambassador complains that fully four members of the Council claimed to be the single “No Opinion” vote that Clark received. There was a private screening of My Year With Helen on December 4 at NYU's King Juan Carlos Center, attended by a range of UN staff, a New Zealand designer of a website for the country's proposal new flag, and Ban Ki-moon's archivist, among others. After the screening there was a short Q&A session. Inner City Press used that to point out that Guterres has yet to criticize any of the Permanent Five members of the Council who did not block him as the US, France and China blocked Clark, with Russia casting a “No Opinion.” And that Guterres picked a male from among France's three candidates to head UN Peacekeeping which they own, and accepted males from the UK and Russia for “their” top positions. Then over New Zealand wine the talk turned to the new corruption at the UN, which is extensive, and the upcoming dubious Wall Street fundraiser of the UN Correspondents Association, for which some in attendance had been shaken down, as one put it, for $1200.  The UN needed and needs to be shaken up, and hasn't been. But the film is good, and should be screened not in the UN Censorship Alliance but directly in the UN Security Council, on the roll-down movie screen on which failed envoys like Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed are projected. “My Year With Helen” is well worth seeing.

For UN's Guterres 2018 Town Hall, Budget Cuts Double Speak & Delayed Minders, Press Restricted

By Matthew Russell Lee, photo, Periscope

UNITED NATIONS, January 17 – When UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held a "Global Town Hall Meeting" on January 17, the meeting was closed but Inner City Press came in early to stake it out: to stand in front and ask the attendees what they think of Guterres' performance. Unlike other correspondents at the UN, Inner City Press is required to have a minder to do such stakeouts on the UN's second floor - and on January 17 at the appointed hour, 8:45 am, there was no minder available. Periscope video here. Finally it was possible, after Guterres passed by and started his pitch. At his press conference the day before he twice said, "there were no budget cuts in relation to the regular budget of the United Nations." This is contrary to what Inner City Press found when it, as the only media present, covered the UN budget endgame through 2 am on Christmas Eve. It is also contradicted by this statement exclusively to Inner City Press from staff, edited to preserve anonymity: "What I feel the public or even the missions themselves don't understand, are the repercussions of the proposed cuts. The Fifth Committee members slashed the budget left and right, without thinking for one second what it actually meant. The first thing to go as a result, is one of your favorite topics: transparency. Based on what has been said internally, they are looking to cut down on multilingualism and language accessibility within DPI production, leaving English as a lingua franca (!).  This means that missions interested in staying up to date on UN news and events will not be able to access information in their language, if that language is indeed French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian. Nor will the public. As you may imagine, this raises a serious issue in regards to transparency and multilingualism. The founding values of the UN were set in place in order to make the body a fair playing field for all. By making information available only in English, what message will that send? How will it affect the missions? How will the UN be able to forge a closer relationship with the public around the world? The bias will shift heavily in favor of developed countries, who will have the initial access to all information due to linguistic advantages. These talks on cuts are happening behind closed doors and only potentially affected employees are being informed. The missions and the public won't know until it's too late to do anything about it, unless somebody holds them accountable now.But now, you know. And I hope that disseminating this information and holding those in power at the higher echelons of DPI accountable, will help preserve access to information -- which is after all, a human right.We hope to see you there too." But the meeting was closed, and minder only belatedly available. We'll have more on this. The day before on January 16 when Guterres came to give his speech for 2018 to the UN General Assembly, the Press was blocked from staking it out by the censorship restricts he has in place. Periscope here, UNresponded to letter here. Once inside the Trusteeship Council Chamber, Guterres said he had 12 points. One was Myanmar, although he did not even mention the mandate on his to name an envoyto the country, which he has not done. Another was North Korea; he confirmed he will go to the opening ceremony of the PyeongChangOlympics. He lumped all of Africa into just one of his 12 points, despite the Continent being 60% of the UN Security Council's agenda. He did not mention Cameroon or other long time family ruled countries like Togo and Gabon that his envoys are propping up. His Deputy Amina J. Mohammed, who is in “her” Nigeria silent on the abductions there, was not present; her chief staff was, but as before, no response to emails or questions about the 4000 rosewood signature. Guterres hasn't even started an audit of the UN bribery indictmentsof Patrick Ho and Cheikh Gadio and regarding China Energy Fund Committee brought November 20 in the Southern District of New York. Guterres said he has zero tolerance for sexual harassment but has done none, and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric hasn't even answered Inner City Press on, the case of Frank La Rule at UNESCO. The UN like UNESCO claims it is for free speech and press freedom, but no answer on The Rappler; nor has DPI chief Alison Smale even answered Inner City Press' and the Free UN Coalition for Access' three petitions about even handed media access and content neutral rules, or thispetition. Guterres is slated to take, selected by Dujarric, questions at 12:45. Watch this site. 

For UN's Guterres 2018 Town Hall, Budget Cuts Double Speak & Delayed Minders, Press Restricted

By Matthew Russell Lee, photo, Periscope

UNITED NATIONS, January 17 – When UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held a "Global Town Hall Meeting" on January 17, the meeting was closed but Inner City Press came in early to stake it out: to stand in front and ask the attendees what they think of Guterres' performance. Unlike other correspondents at the UN, Inner City Press is required to have a minder to do such stakeouts on the UN's second floor - and on January 17 at the appointed hour, 8:45 am, there was no minder available. Periscope video here. Finally it was possible, after Guterres passed by and started his pitch. At his press conference the day before he twice said, "there were no budget cuts in relation to the regular budget of the United Nations." This is contrary to what Inner City Press found when it, as the only media present, covered the UN budget endgame through 2 am on Christmas Eve. It is also contradicted by this statement exclusively to Inner City Press from staff, edited to preserve anonymity: "What I feel the public or even the missions themselves don't understand, are the repercussions of the proposed cuts. The Fifth Committee members slashed the budget left and right, without thinking for one second what it actually meant. The first thing to go as a result, is one of your favorite topics: transparency. Based on what has been said internally, they are looking to cut down on multilingualism and language accessibility within DPI production, leaving English as a lingua franca (!).  This means that missions interested in staying up to date on UN news and events will not be able to access information in their language, if that language is indeed French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian. Nor will the public. As you may imagine, this raises a serious issue in regards to transparency and multilingualism. The founding values of the UN were set in place in order to make the body a fair playing field for all. By making information available only in English, what message will that send? How will it affect the missions? How will the UN be able to forge a closer relationship with the public around the world? The bias will shift heavily in favor of developed countries, who will have the initial access to all information due to linguistic advantages. These talks on cuts are happening behind closed doors and only potentially affected employees are being informed. The missions and the public won't know until it's too late to do anything about it, unless somebody holds them accountable now.But now, you know. And I hope that disseminating this information and holding those in power at the higher echelons of DPI accountable, will help preserve access to information -- which is after all, a human right.We hope to see you there too." But the meeting was closed, and minder only belatedly available. We'll have more on this. The day before on January 16 when Guterres came to give his speech for 2018 to the UN General Assembly, the Press was blocked from staking it out by the censorship restricts he has in place. Periscope here, UNresponded to letter here. Once inside the Trusteeship Council Chamber, Guterres said he had 12 points. One was Myanmar, although he did not even mention the mandate on his to name an envoyto the country, which he has not done. Another was North Korea; he confirmed he will go to the opening ceremony of the PyeongChangOlympics. He lumped all of Africa into just one of his 12 points, despite the Continent being 60% of the UN Security Council's agenda. He did not mention Cameroon or other long time family ruled countries like Togo and Gabon that his envoys are propping up. His Deputy Amina J. Mohammed, who is in “her” Nigeria silent on the abductions there, was not present; her chief staff was, but as before, no response to emails or questions about the 4000 rosewood signature. Guterres hasn't even started an audit of the UN bribery indictmentsof Patrick Ho and Cheikh Gadio and regarding China Energy Fund Committee brought November 20 in the Southern District of New York. Guterres said he has zero tolerance for sexual harassment but has done none, and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric hasn't even answered Inner City Press on, the case of Frank La Rule at UNESCO. The UN like UNESCO claims it is for free speech and press freedom, but no answer on The Rappler; nor has DPI chief Alison Smale even answered Inner City Press' and the Free UN Coalition for Access' three petitions about even handed media access and content neutral rules, or thispetition. Guterres is slated to take, selected by Dujarric, questions at 12:45. Watch this site. 

For UN's Guterres 2018 Town Hall, Budget Cuts Double Speak & Delayed Minders, Press Restricted

By Matthew Russell Lee, photo, Periscope

UNITED NATIONS, January 17 – When UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held a "Global Town Hall Meeting" on January 17, the meeting was closed but Inner City Press came in early to stake it out: to stand in front and ask the attendees what they think of Guterres' performance. Unlike other correspondents at the UN, Inner City Press is required to have a minder to do such stakeouts on the UN's second floor - and on January 17 at the appointed hour, 8:45 am, there was no minder available. Periscope video here. Finally it was possible, after Guterres passed by and started his pitch. At his press conference the day before he twice said, "there were no budget cuts in relation to the regular budget of the United Nations." This is contrary to what Inner City Press found when it, as the only media present, covered the UN budget endgame through 2 am on Christmas Eve. It is also contradicted by this statement exclusively to Inner City Press from staff, edited to preserve anonymity: "What I feel the public or even the missions themselves don't understand, are the repercussions of the proposed cuts. The Fifth Committee members slashed the budget left and right, without thinking for one second what it actually meant. The first thing to go as a result, is one of your favorite topics: transparency. Based on what has been said internally, they are looking to cut down on multilingualism and language accessibility within DPI production, leaving English as a lingua franca (!).  This means that missions interested in staying up to date on UN news and events will not be able to access information in their language, if that language is indeed French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian. Nor will the public. As you may imagine, this raises a serious issue in regards to transparency and multilingualism. The founding values of the UN were set in place in order to make the body a fair playing field for all. By making information available only in English, what message will that send? How will it affect the missions? How will the UN be able to forge a closer relationship with the public around the world? The bias will shift heavily in favor of developed countries, who will have the initial access to all information due to linguistic advantages. These talks on cuts are happening behind closed doors and only potentially affected employees are being informed. The missions and the public won't know until it's too late to do anything about it, unless somebody holds them accountable now.But now, you know. And I hope that disseminating this information and holding those in power at the higher echelons of DPI accountable, will help preserve access to information -- which is after all, a human right.We hope to see you there too." But the meeting was closed, and minder only belatedly available. We'll have more on this. The day before on January 16 when Guterres came to give his speech for 2018 to the UN General Assembly, the Press was blocked from staking it out by the censorship restricts he has in place. Periscope here, UNresponded to letter here. Once inside the Trusteeship Council Chamber, Guterres said he had 12 points. One was Myanmar, although he did not even mention the mandate on his to name an envoyto the country, which he has not done. Another was North Korea; he confirmed he will go to the opening ceremony of the PyeongChangOlympics. He lumped all of Africa into just one of his 12 points, despite the Continent being 60% of the UN Security Council's agenda. He did not mention Cameroon or other long time family ruled countries like Togo and Gabon that his envoys are propping up. His Deputy Amina J. Mohammed, who is in “her” Nigeria silent on the abductions there, was not present; her chief staff was, but as before, no response to emails or questions about the 4000 rosewood signature. Guterres hasn't even started an audit of the UN bribery indictmentsof Patrick Ho and Cheikh Gadio and regarding China Energy Fund Committee brought November 20 in the Southern District of New York. Guterres said he has zero tolerance for sexual harassment but has done none, and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric hasn't even answered Inner City Press on, the case of Frank La Rule at UNESCO. The UN like UNESCO claims it is for free speech and press freedom, but no answer on The Rappler; nor has DPI chief Alison Smale even answered Inner City Press' and the Free UN Coalition for Access' three petitions about even handed media access and content neutral rules, or thispetition. Guterres is slated to take, selected by Dujarric, questions at 12:45. Watch this site. 

For UN's Guterres 2018 Town Hall, Budget Cuts Double Speak & Delayed Minders, Press Restricted

By Matthew Russell Lee, photo, Periscope

UNITED NATIONS, January 17 – When UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held a "Global Town Hall Meeting" on January 17, the meeting was closed but Inner City Press came in early to stake it out: to stand in front and ask the attendees what they think of Guterres' performance. Unlike other correspondents at the UN, Inner City Press is required to have a minder to do such stakeouts on the UN's second floor - and on January 17 at the appointed hour, 8:45 am, there was no minder available. Periscope video here. Finally it was possible, after Guterres passed by and started his pitch. At his press conference the day before he twice said, "there were no budget cuts in relation to the regular budget of the United Nations." This is contrary to what Inner City Press found when it, as the only media present, covered the UN budget endgame through 2 am on Christmas Eve. It is also contradicted by this statement exclusively to Inner City Press from staff, edited to preserve anonymity: "What I feel the public or even the missions themselves don't understand, are the repercussions of the proposed cuts. The Fifth Committee members slashed the budget left and right, without thinking for one second what it actually meant. The first thing to go as a result, is one of your favorite topics: transparency. Based on what has been said internally, they are looking to cut down on multilingualism and language accessibility within DPI production, leaving English as a lingua franca (!).  This means that missions interested in staying up to date on UN news and events will not be able to access information in their language, if that language is indeed French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian. Nor will the public. As you may imagine, this raises a serious issue in regards to transparency and multilingualism. The founding values of the UN were set in place in order to make the body a fair playing field for all. By making information available only in English, what message will that send? How will it affect the missions? How will the UN be able to forge a closer relationship with the public around the world? The bias will shift heavily in favor of developed countries, who will have the initial access to all information due to linguistic advantages. These talks on cuts are happening behind closed doors and only potentially affected employees are being informed. The missions and the public won't know until it's too late to do anything about it, unless somebody holds them accountable now.But now, you know. And I hope that disseminating this information and holding those in power at the higher echelons of DPI accountable, will help preserve access to information -- which is after all, a human right.We hope to see you there too." But the meeting was closed, and minder only belatedly available. We'll have more on this. The day before on January 16 when Guterres came to give his speech for 2018 to the UN General Assembly, the Press was blocked from staking it out by the censorship restricts he has in place. Periscope here, UNresponded to letter here. Once inside the Trusteeship Council Chamber, Guterres said he had 12 points. One was Myanmar, although he did not even mention the mandate on his to name an envoyto the country, which he has not done. Another was North Korea; he confirmed he will go to the opening ceremony of the PyeongChangOlympics. He lumped all of Africa into just one of his 12 points, despite the Continent being 60% of the UN Security Council's agenda. He did not mention Cameroon or other long time family ruled countries like Togo and Gabon that his envoys are propping up. His Deputy Amina J. Mohammed, who is in “her” Nigeria silent on the abductions there, was not present; her chief staff was, but as before, no response to emails or questions about the 4000 rosewood signature. Guterres hasn't even started an audit of the UN bribery indictmentsof Patrick Ho and Cheikh Gadio and regarding China Energy Fund Committee brought November 20 in the Southern District of New York. Guterres said he has zero tolerance for sexual harassment but has done none, and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric hasn't even answered Inner City Press on, the case of Frank La Rule at UNESCO. The UN like UNESCO claims it is for free speech and press freedom, but no answer on The Rappler; nor has DPI chief Alison Smale even answered Inner City Press' and the Free UN Coalition for Access' three petitions about even handed media access and content neutral rules, or thispetition. Guterres is slated to take, selected by Dujarric, questions at 12:45. Watch this site. 

In Egypt, Shafik Now Won't Run, UN Amina J. Mohammed Was Silent, As Now on Abuja Disappearances

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 8 – In Egypt, Ahmed Shafik who was deported from the UAE to Cairo when it was reported he would run for the Egyptian presidency has announced that he will not; his lawyers say the Sisi government coerced him with threats to drop out. When Inner City Press asked the UN about Shafik in December, when Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed was in Egypt "enjoying the light show," the UN had no comment.

 Now Mohammed is in Abuja in "her" Nigeria right when nine leaders pursued by Cameroon's dictator Paul Biya have been grabbed up, by Nigerian security. She and the UN have had nothing to say. To this has the UN descended: acquiescence and even complicity in tyrants shutting down their opposition. We'll have more on this. On December 1 UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric who has refused to answer Inner City Press' rosewood questions announced that Amina Mohammed "will depart New York for Cairo to hold consultations with senior Egyptian Government officials." So far, with no read-outs at all from the UN, there is only Egyptian government propaganda, that "Upon her arrival at Cairo International Airport, she was received by Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister for African Affairs Mohamed Idrees and the UN Resident Coordinator to Egypt Richard Dictus. The chairman of Egyptian Tourism Promotion Authority and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited Mohamed to attend the sound and light show at the Giza Pyramids which she enjoyed greatly and noted in the VIP Guest Book which the General Manager of Sound and Light invited her to sign." That's it? Meanwhile the same Egyptian state media that Mohammed's and Alison Smale's UN DPI retains in Inner City Press' long-time UN workspace, Akhbar al Yom, reports darkly that Ahmed Shafik "is facing charges of violating building regulations and will be investigated on the matter within the coming hours, state-run Akhbar Al-Youm indicated on Sunday." Mohammed favors this state media, and is silent on the crackdown but "enjoyed greatly" the sound and light show. Next stop, rosewood unresolved: Wall Street! 

While Kazakh Media Law Called Repressive, UN Correspondents Association Serves Their Delicacies

By Matthew Russell Lee, Photo

UNITED NATIONS, January 4 – It seems obvious that journalists should not be serving up the "delicacies" of those they purported to be covering. But at the UN, as with content neutral accreditation and access rules, that is thrown out the window. This month the UN Correspondents Association is partnering with Kazakhstan, whose new media law is called repressive and draconian, to distribute "national delicacies" every Tuesday and Thursday. Photo here. 

It's that Kazakhstan is president of the Security Council this month, and UNCA is selling the correspondents it charges a hundred dollars to access, or the illusion of access, however it might appear. In December it was espresso served up by Italy, the country of UNCA's long time landlord president Giampaolo Pioli. Now, it's Kazakhstan. A new and peculiarly UN tradition, of sycophantry, is born. And the Free UN Coalition for Access opposes it. 

We are certainly open to hearing from the Kazazh Mission its side of the story. But any "press" group which partners to hand out delicacies, and limits information to those who pay it money, is no press organization at all, except in today's UN. Here is RSF's review of Kazakhstan's new law: "Under one of the most controversial amendments, journalists are required to obtain the permission of persons named in their articles before publishing information involving matters of 'personal and family confidentiality.' Investigative journalists fear it could obstruct their reporting, especially coverage of corruption. There is similar concern about a ban on “information violating lawful interests,” which are also not defined. One of the amendments complicates the right of access to state-held information. The length of the time within which officials must answer journalists’ questions is more than doubled, with the result that by the time journalists get their answer, there is every chance it will no longer be newsworthy. Furthermore, officials are also given the right to classify certain answers. Under one of the amendments, Internet users are required to identify themselves before posting a comment on a news website, and their information will be stored for three months. This suggests that there could be a further increase in the number of people being jailed because of their online comments, which has already grown sharply in recent years." 

But UNCA, now the UN's Censorship Alliance, will be serving up those Kazakh national delicacies for the Mission. In other related news, Iran will be the subject of a UN Security Council meeting of some type on January 5 at 3 pm. There may be a procedural vote - Inner City Press on January 4 asked Russian Ambassador Nebenzia about any Iran meeting and he replied, "Not unless they held one without me." Kazakhstan is the president of the Security Council for January, and just as they refused on January 2 to take a single Press question about Africa (the first question was given as a delicacy to UNCA, which allowed for questions to be bundled in packs of five to be evaded), on January 4 they sent notice only to their favored correspondents. (Notable, given press freedom issues there.) As quickly obtained by Inner City Press from multiple sources, they wrote: "Dear friends, To keep you informed, tomorrow SC meets on Iran at 3.00PM, open format. And a short announcement, our Delegation is delighted to invite you to a Tea and Coffee table with Kazakh national delights, to be served every Tuesday and Thursday, starting from 9 January, 9.30 to 11.30AM, in the UNCA Room, 3d Floor, Secretariat Building. Alma Konurbayeva, Spokesperson / Counsellor, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the United Nations." Of what might those "national delights" consist? When Kazazhstan held a press conference about its Presidency of the UN Security Council for January, Ambassador Kairat Umarov began by noting that the majority of the agenda involves countries in Africa: at least seven peacekeeping missions to be reviewed in the month, with Burundi and Cameroon not even listed. But when the Kazakh mission spokeswoman took questions, not a single one was on anything in Africa. There was climate change, from a self-described syndicated columnist. There were questions about two (non-African) countries in the Program of Work's footnotes. But not a single one on anywhere in Africa. 

Inner City Press said loudly, “On the DRC did anyone even ask for a statement on the crackdown?” Video here from 44:15. But the Ambassador chose to answer another question, about an issue he called close to Kazakhstan's heart, then ended it.

 He had said, during the press conference, the Kazakhstan has energy resources for the next 100 years. They won the Asia seat over Thailand; apparently that didn't require political resources, at least in Africa. We'll have more on this. 

For US Friendship Reception, Canada, Poland, Israel & Ukraine Despite UNSC Vote

By Matthew Russell Lee, Photos

UNITED NATIONS, January 3 -- The US Mission to the UN held a reception on January 3 to thank for their friendship with the US the countries which on Jerusalem voted with the US, abstained or didn't vote at all. Inner City Press, which covered that December 21 vote in the UN General Assembly, went to see who accepted Ambassador Nikki Haley's invitation. 

Periscope video here. 

Inner City Press@innercitypress

Outside US "Friendship" / #Jerusalem vote reception, across from UN https://www.pscp.tv/w/bRwGIDMwMDIyNDd8MU1ueG5nUW9Wa0VLT6o8YKyNPJd8N0xWzhotnUWTvJ9ZWZvEEepYya_EMGGn …

5:58 PM - Jan 3, 2018

Inner City Press @innercitypress

Outside US "Friendship" / #Jerusalem vote reception, across from UN

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Canada's Ambassador Marc-André Blanchard stopped and spoke, photo here; some other Ambassadors rushed in declining any comment.

This was not the case with Hungary's Katalin Bogyay, who also greeted Nikki Haley in the General Assembly on December 21, nor Volodymyr Yelchenko of Ukraine, which didn't vote in the GA, after voting with the other 13 members of the Security Council later in the month. Ukraine's replacement on the Security Council, Poland, abstained in the GA and attended on January 3. 

Israel Danny Danon arrived and spoke; a man accompanying him was asked for his ID but it was eventually solved. Inner City Press was the only media in front of the Mission as 7 pm approached, closing hour of the UN Visitors Entrance it is still forced to use for covering UN corruption. So this story will have to be continued. 

Previously, UN senior administration officials confirmed to the Press at 5:30 pm on December 5 that President Trump would on December 6 not only recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital but also order the US State Department to act to move its embassy there. After that happened, the US on December 18 vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution that sought to call Trump's decision null and void. A General Assembly meeting was set for today on a similar draft, below, with the same "null and void" language. After speeches, see below, and after Mali and Afghanistan dropped out as sponsors, the resolution passed 128 in favor, nine against and 35 abstaining. Photo here - including countries simply not voting, including DR Congo, Myanmar, CAR, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, El Salvador, Mongolia, Moldovia, Zambia, Timor Leste, Sao Tome, Sierra Leone, Samoa (their UNGA seat was empty), Georgia - and Ukraine, which voted Yes in UNSC. Inner City Press, arriving early, was told by sources that a request by Israel and the US to place replica coins on each desk ran into opposition. Inner City Press asked the Secretariat and PGA spokespeople for comment. Secretariat's Dujarric had or said he had nothing; the PGA's said it was Secretariat's DCACM's branch chief's call. We'll have more on this. Before the more, Nikki Haley spoke, then Danny Danon. Here is InnerCityPro.com's fast summary: Haley: The UN has long been a hostile place for the state of Israel. It’s a wrong that undermines the credibility of this institution, and that in turn is harmful for the entire world. I’ve often wondered why Israel has chosen to remain a member of this body. Israel must stand up for its own survival as a nation. But it also stands for the dieals of freedom and human dignity that the UN is supposed to be about. The US is by far the single largest contributor to the UN and its agencies. We do this in part to advance our values and our interests. We do this because it represents who we are. It is our American way. But when we make generous contributions to the UN, we expect that our goodwill is recognized. When a nation is singled out for attack, that nation is disrespected What’s more, that nation is asked to pay for the privilege of being disrespected. We have an obligation to acknowledge when our political and financial capital is being poorly spent. And if our investment fails, we have an obligation to spend our investment in other way. The decision [to move the embassy] was in accordance with US law dating back to 1995. the decision does not preclude a 2-state solution, if the parties agree. The decision does nothing to harm peace efforts. The decision reflects the will of the American people and our right to choose the location of our embassy. The US will remember this day, on which it was singled out for attack for the very act of exercizing our sovereign right as a nation. American will put our embassy in Jerusalem. No vote in the UN will make any difference. But this vote will make a difference in how Americans look at the UN, and how we look at countries who disrespect us in the UN. And this vote will be remembered. Israel's Danon: Jerusalem is the holiest place on earth for the Jewish people. King David declared Jerusalem the city of the Jewish people 3,000 years ago. The Jewish bible mentions Jerusalem 660 times. Our prayers recall Jerusalem’s holy name over and over again. I am holding an original coin. It’s from 67 AD. It says in Hebrew, “freedom of Zion.” It proves the ancient connection of Jews to Jerusalem. Our connection to Jerusalem is unbreakable. No UNESCO declaration; no empty speeches; no GA resolution will ever drive us from Jerusalem. These are the facts this body does not want to hear. The one-sided steps of the Palestinians and the UN have pushed away peace for years. The UN has perfected its double standard. It’s only when it comes to Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, that this assembly remains in an open session. How many times have our calls for peace been rejected? All of us have lost count. Those who support today’s resolution are like puppets. You are like marionettes forced to dance while the Palestinan administration looks on with glee. This resolution only encourages violence. You permit them to pursue violence in the name of Jerusalem, a city of peace. 42 years ago, this body adopted a different, shameful resolution. It equated Zionism with racism. It took 16 long years for that resolution to be revoked. I have no doubt that today’s resolution will also end up in the trash bin of history." Could the Security Council, much less the non-binding General Assembly, nullify such a bilateral decision? In response, occupation is cited - perhaps even by speaker Morocco, despite Western Sahara.

For Kazakhstan's UNSC Month, Not A Single Question Taken on Africa, Despite DRC, Cameroon, Burundi

By Matthew Russell Lee, Photo

UNITED NATIONS, January 2 – When Kazazhstan held a press conference about its Presidency of the UN Security Council for January, Ambassador Kairat Umarov began by noting that the majority of the agenda involves countries in Africa: at least seven peacekeeping missions to be reviewed in the month, with Burundi and Cameroon not even listed. 

But when the Kazakh mission spokeswoman took questions, not a single one was on anything in Africa. There was climate change, from a self-described syndicated columnist. There were questions about two (non-African) countries in the Program of Work's footnotes. But not a single one on anywhere in Africa. 

Inner City Press said loudly, “On the DRC did anyone even ask for a statement on the crackdown?” But the Ambassador chose to answer another question, about an issue he called close to Kazakhstan's heart, then ended it.

 He had said, during the press conference, the Kazakhstan has energy resources for the next 100 years. They won the Asia seat over Thailand; apparently that didn't require political resources, at least in Africa. We'll have more on this. 

Back in September 2017 with the UN Security Council presidency being taken over by Ethiopia's Tekeda Alemu, Inner City Press on September 1 asked Ambassador Alemu four questions, the answers to which sketch out the Ethopian government's worldview. Video here. In response to Inner City Press asking why Burundi, where even the UN says there is a risk of genocide, is not on his September Program of Work nor on the agenda of the Council's visit to Addis Ababa, Alemu said that you can't compare Burundi to Central African Republic, that Burundi has “strong state institutions.” But it is that very “strength,” which some say the country shares with Ethiopia, and with until recently military-ruled Myanmar about which Inner City Press also asked, that has led to the human rights violations. In this context, Inner City Press asked Alemu about the Oromo protests - and crackdown - in his country. He diplomatically chided Inner City Press for not having asked in private, saying that social media has played a dangerous role. On the other hand, when Inner City Press asked Alemu at the end about the murders of two UN experts Michael Sharp and Zaida Catalan, he replied that while the DR Congo is due to sovereignty the one to investigate the murders, the gruesome nature of the killings put a “great responsibility” on the DR Congo. We'l have more on this. Alamy photos here. Earlier on September 1 in Alemu's briefing to countries not on the Security Council, Bangladesh specifically asked that the Council remain seized of the situation in Myanmar. When Inner City Press asked Alemu about this, he said he still had to inform himself more about that situation. The Security Council is traveling to Addis from September 5 through 9, when alongside African Union consultations the Council's member will meet for an hour with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Alemu said. The Council will receive the “maiden briefings” late in the month of the new Under Secretaries General of OCHA and on Counter-Terrorism. There will be peacekeeping on September 20, during the High Level week of the UN General Assembly, and Yemen on September 26. But tellingly, there will not be Burundi. Watch this site.