By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - Song
SDNY / UN GATE, Feb 28 – When Russia announced it will recognize independence for the Donetsk and Luhansk "People’s Republics," eyes turned to the United Nations, full of corruption and ineptitude under Antonio Guterres.
Guterres was nowhere to be seen, only recently back from the Genocide Games in Beijing. His spokesman Stephane Dujarric banned Inner City Press from his noon briefing, which he started late cutting off even others by WebEx. In the room, he took three questions in a row from China state media.
After military action began literally during a Security Council meeting, a draft resoluation came out - Inner City Press has published it here and here -- sure to be vetoed, Inner City Press wrote on February 24.
On February 25 it happened. Not only the veto, but abstentions by China (population 1.4 billion and a genocide supported by Guterres), India also with population of 1.4 billion, and the president of the Security Council for March, the UAE. Inner City Press has asked the UAE Mission, in writing, for access to its March 1 and all March press availabilities - without answer yet.
Now this: "U.S. Mission to the United Nations Spokesperson Olivia Dalton says: The United States has informed the United Nations and the Russian Permanent Mission to the United Nations that we are beginning the process of expelling twelve intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission who have abused their privileges of residency in the United States by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security. We are taking this action in accordance with the UN Headquarters Agreement. This action has been in development for several months." We'll have more on this, including on inaction. Inner City Press' continued exclusion, and non-response by Under SG Melissa Fleming, was raised by a pro bono law firm to the State Department's Laurel Rapp in December 2021.
On Monday Feb 28 in Geneva, with the Human Rights Council saying any action before Thursday would be inconvenient, a slew of rapporteurs silent on Guterres' banning of Press tried to get on the band wagon: " *The experts: Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Siobhán Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; Sorcha MacLeod (Chair-Rapporteur), Jelena Aparac, Ravindran Daniel, Chris Kwaja, Working Group on the use of mercenaries; Melissa Upreti (Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck (Vice-Chair), Elizabeth Broderick, Ivana Radačić, and Meskerem Geset Techane, Working Group on discrimination against women and girls; Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences; Elina Steinerte (Chair-Rapporteur), Leigh Toomey, Mumba Malila, Priya Gopalan, Working Group on arbitrary detention; Vitit Muntarbhorn, Special Rapporteur on Cambodia; Obiora Okafor, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; Fernand de Varennes, Special Rapporteur on minority issues; Victor Madrigal-Borloz, Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity; Saad Alfarargi, Special Rapporteur on the right to development; Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; Claudia Mahler, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons; Gerard Quinn, Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities; Felipe González Morales, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants; Fabián Salvioli, Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence; Pedro Arrojo Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; Michael Lynk, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967; Yao Agbetse, Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic; Luciano Hazan (Chair-Rapporteur), Ms. Aua Baldé (Vice Chair), Ms. Gabriella Citroni, Mr. Henrikas Mickevičius and Mr. Tae-Ung Baik, The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; José Francisco Calí Tzay, Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; Livingstone Sewanyana, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; David R. Boyd , the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment; Marcos A. Orellana, Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes; Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing; Mama Fatima Singhateh, Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material; Attiya Waris, Independent Expert on foreign debt, other international financial obligations and human rights; Tendayi Achiume, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences; Alice Cruz, Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members; Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons; Ms. Elżbieta Karska (Chairperson), Fernanda Hopenhaym (Vice Chairperson), Surya Deva, Anita Ramasastry Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises; Koumba Boly Barry, Special Rapporteur on the right to education; Muluka Anne Miti-Drummond, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism; Dominique Day (Chair), Catherine S. Namakula (Vice-Chair), Miriam Ekiudoko, Sushil Raj, Barbara G. Reynolds Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Eritrea . Gladys Acosta Vargas, Chair, on behalf of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women; Carmen Rosa Villa Quintana, Chair, on behalf of the Committee on Enforced disappearances; Mikiko Otani, Chair, on behalf of the Committee on the Rights of the Child; Rosemary Kayess, Chair, on behalf Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Suzanne Jabbour, Chairperson, and the Bureau, on behalf of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT); Can Osman Unver, Chairperson, and the Bureau, on behalf of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families."
Don't believe the hype: these rapporteurs don't even hold the UN accountable for child rapes and censorship.
On Saturday, with the UN dead. it announced a renewed UN Security Council clown show for Sunday 3 pm, to send the whole circus of hot air and Guterres' corruption on Monday to the UN General Assembly, bought by Chinese state bribers Ng Lap Seng and CEFC China Energy / Ye Jianming under John Ashe and Sam Kutesa. And Abdulla Shahid? He and his spokesperson Paulina Kubiak won't answer Inner City Press' written questions about who pays the UNPGA staff.
And on Sunday, February 27, not a single vote was flipped: still three abstentions, including China, and Russia against. Yet some bragged of the vote as a win, or somehow making the UN something other than a failure, like the League of Nations. Video here.
And see, song:
Inner City Press, now banned by Guterres, exposed Awad siding with the extremist government of Sri Lanka:
The Staff Union alleges a pattern: "The recent action of Sri Lanka to detain two national staff appears to be a campaign against UN personnel, which is illegal under international law. Authorities have been arresting, without explanation, UN staff members, initially refusing to provide access to them by UN officials." Click here to view the Staff Union statement.
Before issuing their statement, UN Staff Union officials expressed outrage at quotes by the UN's Country Representative in Sri Lanka, UNHCR's Amim Awad, that "the UN acknowledges without reservation the right of the security services of Sri Lanka to investigate any allegations of criminal wrongdoing, including by UN staff members, and will cooperate fully to support due process."
The UN is advertising its obsolescence, like a badge of honor. It is time to move on.
UAE takes over UNSC Presidency March 1. Will they too exclude Inner City Press? Watch this site.
The deep decay of the UN under Guterres came into focus, but its supporters looked away and made excuses. Stand-up here. First Ukraine song here
At the courts, which Inner City Press while banned from the UN by Guterres covers, Ukraine, fending off troops on its borders and separately an arbitral award to Tatneft, cited both in arguments before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn on February 17. Inner City Press live tweeted it (more on Patreon here), thread here:
now Ukraine v. PAO Tatneft, in which Ukraine is opposing discovery requests by citing troops on its border. SDNY judge says, I understand, but... Ukraine's lawyer Maria Kostytska: There is no justification for these 52 subpoenas from Tatneft. There are troops on Ukraine's border.
Judge: I understand that. But I am concerned with efficiencies in these two litigations. Ukraine wants a protective order entered - not (just) to protect it militarily, but hear to keep documents in the case secret, from the Press and public. Inner City Press may after research oppose this - this week we won some unsealing, here
Tatneft's lawyer: Ukraine wants to delay. We have subpoena-ed financial institutions. [From docket, involved: #BankOfAmerica, #WellsFargo, #MorganStanley, #Santander, #CIBC, #CreditAgricole & #GoldmanSachs (which we're covering #EDNY: US v. Ng.
Ukraine: There are discovery proceedings in four Federal courts, in NY and DC. [So what's the 4th?] We are speaking on behalf of the highest levels of Ukraine's government. The Prime Minister is considering this. There is a mediation upcoming.
Ukraine's lawyer: We are not delaying. We are exercising our recourse against an award based on illegal share purchase using promissory notes. We have not waived this due to estoppel. We have not provided on appeal. So we seek certiorari
Tatneft's lawyer: The discovery could be avoided if Ukraine would secure the judgment. The arbitral award is what it is. We are entitled to pursue discovery without further delay. Judge: Maybe Ms. Kostytska tomorrow will have more info from her client [Ukraine]
Judge: So this is how we're going to proceed -- Ukraine's lawyer: We want to add an additional suggestion, we want reconsideration under Local Rule 6.3, your clear error.
Digging into the docket, we find a declaration by Ukraine citing the US State Department on an "invasion force of 175,000."
More on Patreon here.
This case is Ukraine v. PAO Tatneft, 21-mc-376 (Koeltl / Netburn)
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