Nigeria's UN Security Presidency in August Had Six Stakeouts, 2 Shakespeare Cites, E10

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 31 -- During the UN Security Council's wrap-up session on Monday morning, nearly every Council member cited the revelation of new allegations of sexual abuse by UN Peacekeepers during the month, in Central African Republic. 

  On August 13 there was a closed door briefing on the topic, after which Council president Joy Ogwu waited patiently to provide a summary to the media. But the microphone, as she told Inner City Press the next day, was occupied. She did it on the 14th.

  Ambassador Ogwu did six question and answer stakeouts during August, down from nine during her previous presidency in April 2014 but still more than most presidencies, including by Permanent Five members.

   Perhaps because of her presidency, a number of other Elected Ten members spoke up during the month about the need for a more inclusive Council: not only Venezuela and Chad but also New Zealand. Angola spoke out on the respect due to the African Union, as did Ambassador Ogwu. There was a quiet dignity to the month, and at least two references to Shakespeare.

  Inner City Press for the Free UN Coalition for Access thanked Ogwu for this erudition at Nigeria's August 31 end of presidency reception in the UN's Delegates Dining Room; she countered with descriptions of each of the dishes, including beans and beef.

  During the wrap up session, Ogwu's four presidencies total was referred to by US Deputy David Pressman; another praised her for following up on what she did in April 2014. So, that review is below:

Back on April 20, 2014 when Nigeria's Ambassador to the UN Joy Ogwu came to the Security Council stakeout after tat month as Council president, she paraphrased Shakespeare. All the world is a stage, or the Council is at the center of the play.

  She certainly did her best during the month, in terms of accessibility: she did nine question and answer stakeouts. Including one by foreign minister Aminu Wali on April 28, Nigeria did ten, on topics ranging from Western Sahara, toSyria and the Central African Republic, Darfur, South Sudan and genocide.

  On Western Sahara, to take that example, Ogwu to her credit came out and said that she had pushed the African Union position, that there should be a human rights monitoring mechanism in the MINURSO mission.

  But the MINURSO resolution is written by a "Group of Friends on Western Sahara" that does not include any African Union members, and no mechanism was included.

  On April 30 Inner City Press asked Ogwu about something France's Ambassador Gerard Araud, who once held a mere three question and answer stakeouts in a month as president, had said: that "The UN has never been a place for 'real' negotiation.  It legitimizes or implements agreements reached elsewhere."

   Ogwu said she disagreed, saying that the elected members of the Security Council have sought and obtained a global mandate. It is good, then, that it is Araud set to leave the Council, in July, and not Nigeria.

  In the run-up to Nigeria's end of presidency reception, multiple sources describe angry communications from the old UN Correspondents Association led by Pamela Falk of CBS demanding to know why they weren't at least initially invited. When it was mentioned that Inner City Press was actually at the stakeout during the month, from within the UNCA Executive Committee came an e-mail described as absurd, from a person whose first name begins with "M," on which we may have more. 

 The new Free UN Coalition for Access is not just about free food, and 4:30 pm cocktail receptions as UNCA held on April 30 as Iraq's Ambassador spoke at the stakeout - along with Nigeria's Joy Ogwu. Good month.

  And good end of presidency reception, complete with a short and heartfelt speech by Joy Ogwu, again citing Shakespeare. Talk turned to Burundi - off the record - and to the departure of the Under Secretary General for Public Information (DPI), widely known but on which FUNCA out of respect has sought comment.

  Meanwhile on the fourth floor bulletin board which DPI agreed to after FUNCA advocacy, the FUNCA flier aboutAraud telling a correspondent "you are not a journalist, you are an agent" had been torn down. This is the UN.

  Back on April 2 when Ogwu assumed the UN Security Council presidency Inner City Press asked her about Ukraine being a footnote in the month's Program of Work, and about the predicted fast approval of a new mandate for the MINURSO mission in Western Sahara. Video here, from Minute 21:21

  In the Program of Work the "consultations" on Western Sahara are set for April 17 and adoption of the resolution on April 23. Inner City Press asked if this means it is in the hands of the "Group of Friends," which does not include any African member.

Ogwu replied, "we expect to be fully involved." Given that the African Union position on Western Sahara, will that mean that a human rights monitoring mechanism for MINURSO, as exists in other peacekeeping missions, will be seriously considered? 

  Will the US, which proposed such a mechanism last year, push forward again? Secretary of State John Kerry is visiting both Morocco and Algeria early in April. We'll see.

  On Ukraine, Inner City Press asked if the expect report of UN human rights deputy Ivan Simonovic will trigger a meeting or consultation of the Security Council. Ogwu replied, with due regard for strategic planning, that bridge will be crossed when reached.

  As the second question -- why there is a claim of tradition of UNCA, often the UN's Censorship Alliance trying to get others thrown out of the UN and blocking access to documents on the Internet, automatically getting the first question is and will be addressed elsewhere -- the new Free UN Coalition for Access encouraged Ambassador Ogwu to hold question and answer stakeouts, even brief ones, after closed door consultations, as Luxembourg did (14) in March.

  Ogwu noted the invitation. With agenda items on the Middle East, Central African Republic, Darfur, South Sudan and it seems North Korea, in Arria formula style, such stakeout should be useful. Watch this site.

   

Australia's SC Month Has 7 Stakeouts, Darfur to December With Afghanistan, Syria Aid

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 26 -- When Australian Ambassador Gary Quinlan began his second and last Presidency of the UN Security Council, he said he it was his plan to hold question and answer media stakeouts after Council closed-door consultation.

  November began with a flurry of such stakeouts: November 4, 12 minutes; two on November 5, of nine and 11 minutes; November 10, a full twenty minutes; andNovember 12, four minutes.

Then things fell off a bit, with nothing between a three minute “quickie” on November 18 and an appreciated 19 session, ranging from Syria to Darfur, on November 25, the evening of Australia's End of Presidency reception.

Quinlan's total of seven stakeouts, according to the UN Television website, equals that of Argentina, tops South Korea's three, but is dwarfed for example by fellow Commonwealth member United Kingdom's month of 17 stakeouts.

It has been pointed out to the Free UN Coalition for Access that the number of stakeouts it not entirely up to the Presidency, but rather depends on the news of the month. 

 While true, each Press Statement offers the chance to read the statement out on camera -- in which medium it is presumably more effective, unlike a Press Statement on Darfur rapes which the UN Spokesperson's office never emailed out -- to take questions.

In terms of substance, several issues seemed to slip past November into December -- the program of work of which, as Inner City Press reported with redactions to protect privacy, the Australian mission mistakenly emailed to other Council members with an ill-conceived comment about the Chadians, president for December, (not) understanding Christmas. 

  We all make mistakes, and the Australian mission and Quinlan himself quickly owned up to it, setting them apart from some other Council powers.

  Two Darfur issues, for example, bounced around but are ultimately slipping over into Chad's month: Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's report into allegation of cover-up in the UNAMID mission, and UNAMID's related November 9 whitewash of rapes, and community-military relations, in Tabit. 

  Quinlan to his credit circulated to all other Council members a petition from Darfur groups on this topic (click here for that), and twice said that on the cover-up report, the question is finding the right briefer(s). We'll see.

  Quinlan presided, not without humor, over the head-banging exercise of repeated votes with the same results on candidates for judgeship at the International Court of Justice; he covered Ebola in public, and Burkina Faso behind closed doors.

  Australia is interested, along with Luxembourg which like Australia leaves the Council on December 31, and Jordan which does not, in getting a new resolution on humanitarian access in Syria. Australia as pen-holder on Afghanistan also wants a resolution on new security arrangements, which we hear might be more problematic than anticipated. But we'll leave such clashes for another day, or article.

  At Australia's End of Presidency reception on November 25, a classical guitarist played, UN officials, journalists and diplomats mingled, including a recently re-appeared correspondent and the diplomat he rented out of his apartments to. This is mentioned, like the Free UN Coalition for Access push for stakeouts, including byreclusive Under Secretaries General, as a matter of press access and against censorship. That too is a fight for another day, or hour. Watch this site.

   

At UNSC, Argentina's Month Has 7 Stakeouts, Vulture Funds, Mothers of the Disappeared, Dialogue

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 28 -- Argentina's month atop the UN Security Council has three more days to run, with meetings on East Jerusalem and the International Court of Justice, but their mission held their End of Presidency reception on October 28 so we review it.

   First, press openness, reviewed by the new Free UN Coalition for Access. Maria Cristina Perceval held seven stakeouts during the month, on top of the Program of Work press conference reviewed below. By the numbers, it was neither the best nor the worst recent presidency.

  Argentina leaves a mark on the Council's "Working Methods," advocating for more participation by the elected ten members, questioning the veto.

  But what Argentina in particular brought to the table was a human feel, not only talking about the Mothers of the Disappeared and where appropriate the issue of sovereign debt and vulture funds, but also saying to Palestine and Israel, and Ukraine and Russia, we will let you speak, we want dialogue.

   These all came together at 6:30 pm on October 28, when with rights of reply between Russia and Ukraine still ongoing in the Council, Perceval bid adieu to go host her reception. 

  Up in the Delegates' Dining Room, after a video and a talk by a “recovering grand-daughter” of the disappeared and amid the tango, Inner City Press was approached by the workers, saying the Aramark has lost the DDR contract, replaced the workers said by “Culinary” (Arts?). Will they keep on the workers, as the UN's cleaning contractor did, no thanks to the UN but rather to the union? This seems the kind of question Argentina cares about, to their credit.

   Venezuela is coming into the Council in Argentina's place, as Angola will replace Rwanda and New Zealand, Australia. Quiet South Korea will be gone, with Malaysia coming in; Spain will take over for Luxembourg, one of the champions of the stakeout. Speaking of the stakeout, the Internet has been dead there for two days, as the UN seems to want Council coverage to die. But not only Inner City Press but also the Free UN Coalition for Access will oppose it, unlike the UN's Censorship Alliance.

 Back on October 2 when Argentina took over the UN Security Council's Presidency, the closed-door consultations on the program of work went longer than usual. Inner City Press learned from sources in the meeting that the hang-up was Ebola, specifically whether the issue and new UNMEER mission are on the agenda of the Council for a briefing.

  When Argentine Permanent Representative Maria Cristina Percevalcame to take questions on the month's Council schedule, Inner City Press first asked her on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access to hold many Q&A stakeouts, then asked about Syria as well as the Ebola debate. Video here and embedded below.

  On Syria, Inner City Press asked if she anticipates there being a vote in the Security Council about the airstrikes in Syria by the US and (so far) five Arab countries. She replied that the program of work has Syria meetings on chemical weapons and on humanitarian access but the airstrikes are not included. Not yet?

  On Ebola, Perceval confirmed that the debate behind closed doors had been about the issue; she recounted that since there are already UN Peacekeeping (and political) missions in the Ebola hot zone, the Council has some jurisdiction. She said to give her time to find a solution. Guess: Arria formula meeting?

Argentina, given its stand-off with hedge / “vulture” funds, has been raising the issue of sovereign debt in every UN forum possible. Why not in the Security Council? Especially if the Ebola mission gets in there? Watch this site.

Footnote: Before replying to Inner City Press, Perceval said as an aside that “our friend is at the Security Council before many of us, and afterward too” and therefore has precise questions. The reality is that covering the Security Council has been made more difficult, with no fightback and sometimes collusion by the old UN Correspondents Association. 

   More on HuffPost Live, here.

  Those are some of the reasons Inner City Press quit and opposes UNCA, calling it the UN's Censorship Alliance, and co-founded theFree UN Coalition for Access, which pushes for transparency including a Freedom of Information Act covering the UN, and protection of the right to investigative journalism. FUNCA is looking forward to Argentina's month atop the Council.

   

African Group Diplomats Tell Inner City Press They're Rejecting Ban Ki-moon's Bid for Achim Steiner II at UNEP, Showdown on Human Rights Council Focal Point

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, December 18 -- Three weeks ago, the African Group beat the European Union and US 78 to 76 on Thanksgiving Eve in the UN's Third Committee, with 18 abstaining. 

  The issue was whether at the UN Human Rights Council a new "Focal Point" could be established without General Assembly review. The answer, then, was no.

  Now it and other items are coming up in the full General Assembly. The African Group has met and members have told Inner City Press they've decided to "stand strong."

  They tell Inner City Press exclusively that they're taking the same position on Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's request to give Achim Steiner another two years atop the UN Environment Program in Nairobi, Kenya. Team Ban is sure to try to push back.

   Inner City Press was the first to report the November 27 result, linking it to the UN Security Council's rebuff of the African Union's request for a one year deferral of the International Criminal Court's Kenya proceedings on November 15.

But based on feedback, including at China's classy and uncensored End of Security Council Presidency reception and then at an Indian Fifth Committee reception, a bit more explanation was necessary. The African Group in essence protested an end run around the 193 members of the General Assembly. And on that basis, they won.

The issue was whether the Human Rights Council, created by and a subsidiary of the General Assembly, could create a new Focal Point without review by the General Assembly. The answer was no.

This was discussed, animatedly and over dumplings, at the Chinese mission on 35th Street minutes later. Many Permanent Representatives still hadn't heard of the vote. Sri Lanka's, for example, after conferring with a former landlord / scribe pitched Inner City Press on the sins of the British, for example the Chagos Islands and further back, the Mau Mau.

  Then at the Indian mission, the Fifth Committee which still has yet to hit its Superbowl / late night moment noshed and drank. But back in the UN, the Third Committee continued. On women human rights defenders, Norway agreed to strip out a paragraph, PP 13, which led a slew of countries to pull out as co-sponsored.

   In the traditional end of session of poem, the UK said that "UK fully endorses, as long as it's within existing resources." Egypt responded with a rhyme about R2P. And that was that! Until the full General Assembly takes up all these items. Watch this site.

   

China PR Tells Inner City Press He Just Signed Libya UN Guard Approval Letter, After 9 Stakeout Month, Quoi's Next?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 27 -- As UN Security Council president for November, China's Liu Jieyi held eight, soon to be nine, question and answer stakeouts. This surpassed most presidencies, including France's, with only three. Vive la transparence!

  In his end of presidency press conference, Inner City Press asked Liu Jieyi if the plan to send 200 guards for the UN Mission in Libya had been approved, and what the impact has been of the rejection of the African Union's request that the International Criminal Court's Kenya proceedings be deferred.

  Liu Jieyi replied that he had just signed the approval letter for the new Libya guards. On the Kenya ICC vote, he said that since 70% of the Council's work is about Africa, the African Union should be listened to.

One scribe used a question to argue that the Assembly of State Parties is in part granting the African Union's request; another lobbed a vague softball question about the Geneva II talks on Syria.

For those, the Free Syrian Army has already said it is not attending. On November 26, at the last noon briefing of the month, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky:

Inner City Press: it seems like General [Salim] Idriss is quoted saying that they will not attend Geneva II representing the Free Syrian Army. Is there a response to what seems to be a pretty major announcement?

Spokesperson Nesirky: We’re not going to comment on the positions of individual groups, firstly. But, what’s really important for the success of the conference is that the Syrian sides be represented by credible delegations, and the Secretary-General has made clear, indeed in his statement yesterday, his own expectation for all sides to start working now to take steps to help the Geneva conference succeed, including toward the cessation of violence, humanitarian access, release of detainees and return of Syrian refugees and internally displaced to their homes. Okay? Alright, thank you very much.

And that's the end of the month at the UN. UNless...

Footnote: France takes over the Security Council on Monday; because of Central African Republic (and Mali), the new Free UN Coalition for Access expects more than three stakeouts, and for questions to be granted somewhat objectively. Watch this site.

   

In Its April Rwanda Tried on Syria, Channeled the E10, Now to Mediate

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 30 -- There were some who argued that Rwanda didn't deserve to be on the UN Security Council. This despite its Permanent members, just as timely examples, having used chemical weapons in Iraq, nuclear weapons and running penal colonies.

  But Rwanda was elected, and completed the first of its two Presidencies on Tuesday. At the end of presidency reception at the River Club, it emerged that the Rwandan mission's leader had questioned the lack of action on Syria, when Sudan and South Sudan are on the agenda every fifteen days.

  In the morning's wrap up session, fellow elected member Argentina memorably questioned by the non-Permanents are given draft resolutions so late in the process and expected to just vote yes. It should not be that way.

  Especially for troop contributing countries, like not only Rwanda but Pakistan and Guatemala, for example. UN Peacekeeping Under Herve Ladsous seems to have given up its claim to impartiality, still on its website, and created an "Intervention Brigade" in Eastern Congo, and a fig leaf for the French in Mali.

  Still, there was praise for Permanent member the UK, at least its ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, for having tried this year to consult with the other members before they were assigned committee roles. There were still three or four disagreements, but at least consultations took place.

  But what about "the pen"? Why should former colonial powers always hold them? For now among the E-10, only Australia holds Afghanistan, with Guinea Bissau held by Togo, May's president.

  Outgoing Rwanda, amazingly, has offered to mediate aconflict that the UN itself has shied away from. Whatever the outcome, it's to Rwanda's credit. Watch this site.

Pakistan Ends Month with Speeches Under High Ceilings, Syria & DPRK Await

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, January 31 -- Even with five hours left in Pakistan's UN Security Council presidency for January, the jokes and chick pea dishes flowed Thursday night on 65th Street at the country's End of Presidency reception.

  The second floor ballroom with its high ceilings was packed and noisy. Downstairs the coat racks collapsed. Guests ranged from, as they say, from DPRK and DPKO -- from Sing Son Ho of North Korea to Herve Ladsous the UN Peacekeeping.

  The former jovially lined up for food, even as South Korean Permanent Representative (and February's Council president) Kim Sook prepared to speak. The latter droned around, as one wag remarked.

  Drones were in fact a theme of the evening. It emerged that the compromised reached that led to Masood Khan's January 22 letter was that Ladsous can ONLY use drones in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 But more than one diplomat, noting the publication by Inner City Press of Ladsous' procurement for West Africa in November 2012 before he had any approval, predicted he would try to use drones there.

  Israel's bombing of Syria and the expected response was also a hot topic. Syria's Bashar Ja'afari was in fine form, greeting all and sundry. Photo here. But what would the response to the bombing be?

  Once Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson arrived the speeches started. First Masood Khan, quoting Virginia Woolf and then thanking each member of his team, by name.

  Khan spoke of 7 pm stakeouts, to which Inner City Press can attest. There was more than one, every Friday night it seemed. And those who most try to control the press corps, while being spoonfed in the hall by and defending Ladsous, were rarely there.

   Khan then gave the floor to February's president Kim Sook of South Korea, who said with only one month so far on the Council, they would do the best then can. Their thematic debate will be on protection of civilians. Some wonder, what will North Korean do?

  Then Jan Eliasson spoke, trying as always to represent both member states (since he was President of the General Assembly) and the Secretariat.

  Some wondered, where is Ban Ki-moon, if the Kuwait pledging conference for Syria ended a day and a half ago? He's back, another said. The UN Staff Union is still trying to put a price on all this travel.

  The topic of pledges not being fulfilled came up: a Pakistan pledge conference in Geneva was not fully fulfilled; some wonder if for Syria and Mali it will be the same.

 Why not require ten percent down at the time of pledging, like at auctions of art? Why not indeed. Watch this site.

Colombia's Caffeinated Month Jumped through 9 Stakeouts from Cyprus to Bissau

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 30 -- Colombia's months atop the UN Security Council began and ended with backlogs caused by French grandstanding, on Syria and Congo. 

  In between, Nestor Osorio managed issued ranging from Cyprus through Sudan and Guinea Bissau to, on his last day, the Mission in Darfur. Throughout the month the coffee flowed, hot and cold, drawing a crowd.

   On the next to last night, Osorio threw his end of presidency reception in the Juan Valdez coffee house on 57th Street. It was better than most such events, with a Latin music trio, barrista bar set up, and even dancing.

Inner City Press asked if the Somali foreign minister was still on for Tuesday. No, was the answer, he has left town. There were other answers, ranging from if the Lord's Resistance Army is still in the UNAMID resolution (yes) to whether Rwanda will be mentioned in France's Congo draft -- another P5 member did not know.

France was again over represented, with PR Araud, DPR Briens and the deputy spokesman. They intend to dominate August, even with their ruling class on a month long vacation.

The backlog at the start was triggered by France's loud request for Navi Pillay to brief on Syria. In retrospect she had little new information, and little came of it.

On July 30, while France spun the media it would circulate a draft press statement about the Congo it did not. One wondered if the goal was to delay so that Osorio's replacement, Gerard Araud of France, could read out the statement on UN TV.

Last time Araud was Council president, in May 2011, he did only three question and answer stakeouts, and fled one of them without taking any questions.

Osorio by contrast did at least nine stakeouts this July, foregoing one so his foreign minister Holguin could speak. Osorio strove to live up to what's call the gold standard: a stakeout by the president after closed door consultations, to try to explain what happened.

  And at his end of Presidency reception he was gracious, even explaining how some sessions were canceled, and giving out flowers and taking photos to the end. Nestor Osorio: presente! Watch this site.