UN Guterres Met Greek FM Kotzias, Echoes of Crans Montana Failure, DR & Lithuania

By Matthew Russell Lee, DR, Greek, Photos

UNITED NATIONS, September 17 – The day before the UN reform speech by US President Donald Trump, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on September 17 held a meeting and short photo-op with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias. Alamy photos here. Present was the UN's long time envoy on the "name issue" (FYROM / Macedonia), Matthew Nimetz. Kotzias signed the visitors book first; Guterres told him no one else could be in the room while he signed. So that he could, if needed, write that he was taken hostage? On the agenda, one imagines, is Cyprus and the Crans Montana failure. 

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? 

At UN's Protection of Journalists Event, No Questions from Press, On Bloggers Killed in Bangladesh & DPKO

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 2 -- For the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, there are events at UNESCO in Paris, in London and at the UN in New York, sponsored by Greece and Lithuania, on “Ending impunity for crimes against journalists: putting resolutions into practice."

  At the event Rafida Bonya Ahmed, the widow of Avijit Roy, one of the bloggers hacked to death in Bangladesh, said that the government in Dhaka stands by amid the murders, most recently of publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan.

  Inner City Press, assuming there would be a question and answer period, waited to ask her about the UN unquestioningly continuing to use Bangladeshi peacekeepers despite those and other human rights violations.

 But this UN event ABOUT journalists did not allow any questions from journalists. Photo here.  It ended with statements by three states -- Costa Rica, Tunisia and Latvia -- then a second round of comments from the panelist, listed as:

AMBASSADOR CATHERINE BOURA, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF GREECE TO THE UN

AMBASSADOR RAIMONDA MURMOKAITE, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF LITHUANIA TO THE UN

MR EDRIC SELOUS, DIRECTOR, RULE OF LAW UNIT, EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL

MR VERAN MATIC, CHAIR OF SERBIA’S COMMISSION FOR INVESTIGATING KILLINGS OF JOURNALISTS

MS DELPHINE HALGAND, DIRECTOR OF WASHINGTON BUREAU, REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS

  And that was it.

 There is a lot of talk at the UN about protecting journalists and about the right to information, but what does it really come to? On the latter, the UN still has no Freedom of Information Act or procedure, as we have repeatedly noted and advocated for. On protection of journalists, the UN and its partners are selective and too often silent.

  When from Burundi, Radio Publique Africaine journalist Egide Mwemero was forced to flee into the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he was banned from broadcasting and then arrested, the UN said nothing. Inner City Press on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Accessasked about his plight at the October 20, 2015 noon briefing. But the UN, and Herve Ladsous' UN Peacekeeping which has a mission in DRC, have said nothing.

   Likewise on the continued detention of Vice News translator Mohammed Ismael Rasool, when Inner City Press asked the UN about it on September 14, the response was that the UN was looking into Turkey's reasoning for the detention.

 Inner City Press for FUNCA asked Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu about Rasool during General Debate week and was told that “support of terrorism” is illegal. Meanwhile Ban Ki-moon's “partner” the UN Correspondents Association has said nothing about Rasool. Its vice president is from TRT (and was present at the now infamous Macau conference paid for by indicted Macau businessman David Ng Lap Seng). So what does it all come down to?

 Money and the sale of access.

 As the scandal unveiled in the corruption charges against former UN General Assembly President John Ashe, Ng Lap Seng, Francis Lorenzo of South South News and others continues to expand, the compromised position of this UN Correspondents Association has come to the fore.

 In 2011 until now, Inner City Press has exposed UNCA for taking funds from Ng Lap Seng vehicles, to which it gave awards, and arranging Ng Lap Seng photo op(s) with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. UNCA has not provided any explanation; the UN through Ban's spokesman has said for example that many people get photographs with Ban. But people like Ng previously found in US Senate reports to have made irregular campaign contributions, and co-owning hotels links to prostitution?

  UNCA's first vice president went to Ng's Macau conference in late August 2015, for which numerous other attendees have told Inner City Press Ng paid for all travel and hotel, iPads, etc. Again, no answer from UNCA.

  Outrageously, after UNCA has been exposed as delivering photo ops to indictees Ng Lap Seng and Frank Lorenzo with Ban Ki-moon and others in previous UNCA "Balls," here is UNCA's new pitch to "Ambassadors" -- one question is, given the history, should Ban be going to such $12,000 a table events? What is being sold? Here is UNCA's recent pitch:

"Dear Ambassador,

The United Nations Correspondents Association is honored to invite you to participate and contribute to the 20th annual UNCA Awards event with guest of honor U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, recipient of the 2015 Global Advocate of the Year Award for climate change.  Exclusive raffle prizes include business class airline tickets around the world with hotel accommodations and a grand prize FIAT 500X car. As your esteemed presence will ensure the success of this event, we are pleased to send you the below opportunities to attend the gala dinner:

Mission Table Special Price / $6000 (half-table) 5 seats at VIP table at the gala event
                                       
Special Ambassador Contribution / $2,000 -1 VIP ticket for Ambassador with premium seating to dinner + 1 complimentary VIP ticket for spouse or guest -Special acknowledgement of the Ambassador and the Mission in the UNCA Awards Journal of the evening -Additional tickets for UN Diplomats of the Mission can be purchased at the special price of $750 each

Giampaolo Pioli, UNCA President
Please make all checks payable to 'UNCA Awards Committee'
Contributions to the UNCA Awards Committee are tax deductible.
The UNCA Awards Committee is a 501-c(3)"

  What - to sell photo ops with Ban Ki-moon to businessness / brothel owners indicted for corruption and out on $50 million bail, the same money used to make contributions and then get UNCA "journalism" awards?

  These UNCA prices, though elevated, are less than what UNCA took from Ng Lap Seng's vehicles.

  Ng Lap Seng was found to have brought the same bags of cash later deployed at the UN into the US earlier, in the late 90s, when his Fortuna hotel was linked to organized crime and even human trafficking.  From the WSJ:

“Who is Ng Lap Seng, and what did he want? According to several well-informed sources in Hong Kong and Macau, Mr. Ng is a mysterious figure with extensive business in China, where he also held a minor post as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in his hometown of Nan Hai in Guangdong province. In Macau, his most visible interest is his ownership of the Fortuna Hotel, a garish high-rise in the gambling district, featuring a 20,000-square-foot nightclub with 'table dancing' by strippers, as well as a massage parlor and, according to its brochure, 'over 30 independent karaoke rooms, all luxuriously decorated with the most advanced sound system for any one interested in performing his favorite songs.' The brochure also boasts 'attractive and attentive hostesses from China, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Burma together with erotic girls from Europe and Russia, certainly offer you an exciting and unforgettable evening with friends or business associates.'”

 Just as UNCA "leaders" from Voice of America and Reuters(censorship bid here) tried to use the UN to get the investigative Press out, now the UN responds to questions about UNCA selling Secretary General Ban Ki-moon photo ops to Ng Lap Seng by suggesting that the questioner, because present, "condoned" the sale.

  Now, with UNCA still silent on its links with South South News and other Ng Lap Seng vehicles, here is video Inner City Press published in December 2011 of UNCA's murky photo ops for Ban at Cipriani, which UNCA seeks to reproduce this coming December.

  
  Even then in December 2011, Inner City Press' accompanying story reported that it

"filmed what it could of the photo op -- those arranging it kept telling the Press it had to leave -- and afterward several in Ban's circle said they had no idea who the businessmen had been. There was dark talk about one David Ng, a businessman who has bankrolled 'vanity' media projects given awards that night -- people funded by Ng used the word "vanity," so we use it here."

 Inner City Press published that in December 2011 about Ng and South South News; it quit UNCA and with another Executive Committee member who quit in disgust co-founded FUNCA, the Free UN Coalition for Access. UNCA continued taking funds from South South News. We'll have more on this.

While UNCA does not represent all journalists accredited to cover the UN -- Inner City Press for example quit the group in 2012 with another Executive Committee member and co-founded the new Free UN Coalition for Access -- the UN gives it a privileged position, a large clubhouse on the third floor of the UN and, automatically, the first question at press conferences.

  But is that appropriate, given that UNCA received money from South South News, “NGO 1” in the filing against Ashe? Not only did UNCA receive money from South South News: it gave the group an “UNCA award” at a ceremony at the high-ceilinged Cipriani's restaurant on December 15, 2011.

  Inner City Press, which did not quit UNCA in fully ripened disgust in 2012, was present in December 2011 and witnessed, when Secretary General Ban Ki-moon came into Cipriani's, him being shepherded into a side room for photographs with Asian men in business suits who Inner City Press did not then recognize -- but now does.

 UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, when Inner City Press asked on October 13 about what it had seen, said perhaps Inner City Press had "condoned" it. Video here. But Inner City Press quit UNCA afterfinding conflicts of interest in it, and being "ordered" to not report on this. 
Inner City Press:  I guess I just want to be more specific.  If an event… and there's one that actually, as it turns out, I witnessed in Cipriani.  If the Secretary-General enters a large space and is then taken to a smaller space for such photographs, what's the basis for that, as opposed to people with selfies?  I mean, I understand what you're saying…

Spokesman:  I think, you know, if you were there, then maybe you condoned the event as well. 

  While Inner City Press' answer to the spokesman's "if you were there, then maybe you condoned the event as well," is that Inner City Press quit UNCA
 after finding conflicts of interest in it, and being "ordered" to not report on this, we'll have more on this.


On October 13, Inner City Press asked this follow up:

Inner City Press: I just want to directly ask you about the idea that it's sort of people struggling to get photos with the UN officials.  There was a… there was a peacekeeping day concert that was… for which solicitation of… you know, sponsorship was sought by a group called World Harmony Alliance, and it had nothing… the group has nothing to do with peacekeeping, but they paid for day.  They… they… in fact, the funder complained that he didn't get the promised photograph with Ban Ki-moon, but I wonder, what was… what's the UN's understanding when they take outside financial sponsorship for such a day?  I mean, former UN official [Ibrahim] Gambari was seen with the same group taking photographs on the fourth floor in the Millennium Hotel.  What's it all about?  What’s happening?

Spokesman:  What former officials do in hotels is really not of my purview.

Inner City Press:  Sure.  What about UN peacekeeping?

Spokesman:  I would take a look at that actual programme, but I would expect every part of the UN to do due diligence when it partners with an outside organization.  And just…  I'll leave it at that.


Inner City Press:  But, given that Mr. Frank Lorenzo has been charged and he's now out on $2 million bail, he was head of South-South News, which spread $12 million, according to the documents, throughout the UN system.  So, what was, how, what was the criteria used to choose these two NGOs and not either South-South News or International Organization for South-South Cooperation or South South Steering Committee on Sustainable Development?  It seems like it's a very limited inquiry and…

Deputy Spokesman:  It's not really an inquiry.  It's an audit, and this is initial step.  If OIOS feels like there is something… there's a direction which they need to go as a result of these initial results, they're certainly free to do that, but we needed to get the ball rolling and have an initial step forward so that we can look into what exactly is the impact of the monies and the relationship with these groups.


John Ashe at UNCA with former president, after and before Pioli
click photo for source / credit

  Back in December 2011, shepherding Ban for this (compensated) photo op with dubious businessmen was Giampaolo Pioli, then as now the president of UNCA. South South News interviewed Pioli that night, bragging of the UNCA award it got / paid for, screenshot from video here.

    (For context it must be noted too that Pioli rented one of his Manhattan apartments to Palitha Kohona then granted Kohona's request as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to screen his government's war crimes denial film “Lies Agreed To” in the UN's Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium: this precipitated Inner City Press quitting UNCA, in full disclosure.)

   How can UNCA be given first questions to ask about a scandal involving South South News, from which UNCA took more then to which it gave an award? And what are the other implications?

  (In terms of Mr. Ng's desire for photo ops, Inner City Press is informed that he separately wanted a photo with US President Obama, and paid six figures to a middleman - who disappeared with the money. UNCA on the other hand, one wag noted, delivered Ban Ki-moon for photos at Cipriani's.)

  UNCA, it should be noted, has been and is open to business interested beyond Mr. Ng and South South News. Another UNCA awards ceremony was sponsored by a company called “Acoona;” the Italian oil company ENI pays the group money.

But UNCA's South South News connection, given what has been disclosed and charged this week, should at a minimum and as a first step disqualify UNCA from first questions from the UN, and from the continuation of its role.

 Consider: if it gave rise to criminal charges that South South News paid Ashe to get a GA document for Ng to show off in Macau, who about South South News paying UNCA, and UNCA delivering Ban for a photo op with Ng, that Ng could use for related purposes? We'll have more on this.

Wider, and going forward in this series, limiting UN investigation to OIOS - whose director of investigations Stefanovic has resigned, Inner City Press hereby exclusively reported on October 9 - looking at only two NGOs is laughable. The scandal is expanding: there is a pattern here, pattern and practice. Watch this site.

IMF Board to Meet on Ukraine July 31, No Answers on Africa, Madagascar, FfD

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 23 -- When the International Monetary Fund held a belated media briefing on July 23, before taking its summer break, nearly all the questions were about Greece; at least two Africa questions (from Inner City Press) were not answered, including:

On Madagascar, the IMF's Patrick Imam has said “certain preconditions for the... Extended Credit Facility (ECF) are not yet fully met.” What are those conditions, and what are the IMF's next steps on Madagascar?

What is the IMF's view of the Financing for Development agreement reached in Addis Ababa this month, in particular the non-inclusion of a mechanism to deal with inconsistent global corporate taxation?

  While leaving these and a Press request for an update on Nepal unanswered, the IMF went around and around on Greece and then Ukraine. On the latter, there is a July 31 board meeting tentatively set - before the Board's summer recess. 

  On Greece, spokesperson Gerry Rice could not or would not confirm a Troika visit to Athens. He praise Delia Velculescu, being shifted by the IMF to Greece from Cyprus. In the capacity, she answered Inner City Press' questions a year ago, here. 

 Apparently answers depend on what (country) you're asking about. A country like Nepal might merit answers for a few briefings, but then no updates (or follow through). We'll have more on this.

  Since the Nepal earthquake, Inner City Press has been asking the International Monetary Fund if it would move to relieve the country's debt burden. Inner City Press resubmitted the question for the IMF's embargoed June 25 briefing, and during it, IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice read out the question and answered it. Transcript here; video here from 47:50.

  Inner City Press' question: "On Nepal, in the run up to the June 25 International Conference of Nepal’s Reconstruction, and with the World Bank announcing $500 million, is the IMF intending to do anything beyond the $50 million (one year) and $124 million (overall) in its response in the last briefing? Through the IMF's Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust?"

  Rice said the IMF is represented at the conference in Katmandu -- contrary to some reports, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is NOT there -- and could be the request for the $50 M / $124 M to the Board in July. He emphasized this would be zero interest under the RCF but said Nepal is NOT eligible for the CCRT, GDP damage is not enough. 

  Inner City Press would ask, should that threshold be lowered?

  On Jordan, Inner City Press asked: "On Jordan, having seen the IMF's announcement about the end of July, has there been any movement on the criticism by the head of UNHCR and others that the IMF and World Bank in treating Jordan (and Lebanon, etc) as “middle income” can't or don't do enough to provide support given the volume of refugees they have received?"

  Rice said, in essence, that the IMF has been flexible and has given fiscal space to deal with the refugee issues (we'll add the transcript later).  

  Back on June 11 Rice said that Nepal had made a request to the IMF under the Rapid Credit Facility, and that the IMF will send a mission to the country coinciding with the donors' conference on June 25. He said Nepal could be eligible for $50 million annually, for a total of $124 million. We'll see.

   Rice also answer questions Inner City Press submitted on Ghana's Eurobond and about Jamaica. (He said these questions, “from the UN in New York,” remind of other things in the IMF briefing room other than Greece and Ukraine).

  On Ghana, Rice said that the Eurobond was “envisioned” in the recently agreed program. But what is the status of any talks about it? Inner City Press asked, “Ghana's Minister of Finance, Seth Terkper, says the government intends to issue a $1 billion 10-year Eurobond in 2015. What are the status of talks with the IMF in this regard?”

  On Jamaica, Inner City Press asked, “On Jamaica, please comment on criticism that the percentage of people in under the poverty line has grown alongside the IMF's program and that 'last year, Jamaica paid the IMF over $136 million more than it received.'”

   Rice acknowledged that in 2014-15 there was a negative flow out of the country to the IMF, of $163 million. But he said with the new program that has reversed, to in-flow into Jamaica of $127 million in 2015-16, projected to rise to $176 million in 2017-18. Rice acknowledge the rise in the poverty rate from 9.9% in 2007 to 20% in 2012, but said this had to do with the global financial crisis and is the reason for the IMF's program. We'll see.

   Inner City Press had also asked for updates if any on Yemen and Burundi -- apparently there are no updates -- and one on a quote from Romania's National Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu saying the IMF's “communication has sometimes been problematic.” Still, three answers are appreciated.

  On Greece, for the record, Rice said there are major difference between us, with little to no progress made in narrowin them. On Ukraine, he said the IMF can lend to a country that has arrears to private creditors provided other conditions are met. Ukraine certainly has Western political support.

  

North Korea Sanctions Report Named Ethiopia & DR Congo But Reuters Censored, Dennis Rodman Text Here

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 26 -- When the new UN North Korean sanctions report was “obtained” by Reuters, then nearly immediately by other Western wire services, some wondered why it was released in this choreographed way.

  Reuters did not put the report online, instead making its own choices of which nations to list: “countries such as Brazil, China, Egypt, Greece, Japan, Malaysia, Peru, Russia, Singapore and Thailand.”

   But tellingly, there's more. 

  For example the report at Paragraphs 92-93 says that North Korean ammunition was shipped to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in early 2009. 

   Why didn't Reuters, which as Inner City Press has noted has (mis) reported that the UN “paused” support to a DRC Army action against the Hutu FDLR militia which had not then even begun, report on this part of the document (which it also didn't put online)?

 Similarly, the new DPRK report says that 

“88. The Panel continued to investigate a possible connection between an Ethiopian entity (Homicho Ammunition Engineering Industry) and a DPRK entity (Korea Mineral Trading General Corporation) that may have been in violation of the arms embargo. Ethiopian authorities informed the Panel that a “Korea Mineral Trading General Corporation” has been removed from the list of suppliers on the Homicho Ammunition Engineering Industry website. The Panel awaits further information from Ethiopia.”

   As Inner City Press noted, when an ex-Reuters reporter who then went on the UN's Group of Experts of the Somalia Eritrea Monitoring Group and wrote a “regime change” letter on SEMG letter head was exclusively exposed by Inner City Press and resigned, Reuters never reported on it.
 
   This is how the UN -- and Reuters -- work.

    In fact, the Reuters scribe got Google to censor his ownanti-Press “for the record” filing to the UN, here.

   Equally comically, the DPRK report says, of “Gifts given by Dennis Rodman and Paddy Power,” that

“Despite the lack of informaiton from Dennis Rodman, the Panel was able to confirm some of the gifts he presented. The Irish company, Paddy Power, which accompanied Mr Rodman on the December 2013 trip, valued the gifts at around $3,000. (Paddy Power's gifts include a bottle of Jameson whiskey, a decanter and glass set, baby clothing and a Mulberry handbag.)

“The US informed the Panel that appropriate measures were taken in response. In addition, it said that it lacked sufficient information at that time to determine whether there was a violation of the luxury goods embargo but that some of the items were “likely to be considered luxury goods...  15 CFR Part 746.

“Ireland informed the Panel that the total value of the good was low and it it constitute a one-off arranged and could not be considered commercial trade. Paddy Power explained that it was unaware that its activities could violate sanctions. Ireland decided not to pursue the case.”

  So the US reported to the UN Panel about Dennis Rodman. Inner City Press had asked previous chair of the UN's 1718 Committee, Sylvie Lucas of Luxembourg, about it, here. 

   On February 26, 2015, the new chair from Spain declined a press gaggle's request for a briefing, how ever bland. He might want to check with Lucas, or her predecessor Ambassador Cabral of Portugal -- such briefings have become expected, and to cancel them would be a step backward, the new Free UN Coalition for Accesssays. We'll have more on this, too.

   

Q&A: Ukraine's Sergeyev Tells Inner City Press IMF Late February, Greece's Syriza to Visit Kiev, Justifies Pension Restrictions

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 30 -- On January 23 the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights spoke, belatedly, on pension and travel restrictions imposed by the authorities in Kiev.

  On January 30, Inner City Press asked Ukrainian Permanent Representative to the UN Yuriy Sergeyev about the OHCHR and UN High Commissioner for Refugees' criticisms, about Kiev's requests to the International Monetary Fund and its relationship with the Syriza party in Greece.

  Sergeyev started with this last, saying he understands Syriza has changed its position and will be visiting Kiev. Sergeyev referred to maintaining EU "solidarity." On the IMF, he said Ukraine's new Finance Minister has predicted the country will receive a new tranche from the IMF by the end of February.

  On pensions, Sergeyev said they were cut off because money cannot be delivered into zones not under government control; he said pensioners can receive their money if they leave the zone. But aren't there restrictions?

 On January 23 the OHCHR on pension and benefit payments, on which Inner City Press has reported on since November, said 

"the impact on civilians of the recent decision by the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine to restrict movement in and out of the areas controlled by armed groups. As of 21 January, people traveling to and from these areas need to obtain special passes and provide documents to justify the need to travel. These limitations are worrying, especially in light of the escalating hostilities. It adds to concerns created by the Government decision in November 2014 to discontinue providing State services in the territories controlled by armed groups. The introduction of such restrictions will likely have a severe effect on the most vulnerable groups, such as older people, mothers with children and people with disabilities who may depend heavily on social benefits. We urge Ukrainian authorities to take immediate steps to redress this situation."

  But will they? UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, added on January 23 that

  “New security clearance procedures are put in place and specific documentation is now required to pass through checkpoints in the east of Ukraine. These new procedures apply to Ukrainian nationals, the United Nations, NGOs, national and some other international humanitarian organizations.

   “These restrictions on movements within Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east of the country further complicates an already difficult situation for those forcibly displaced and made worse by the intensified fighting we have seen in recent days,” the UNHCR briefing notes said. “These practices restrict access to non-government controlled areas and limit the delivery of needed humanitarian assistance into the conflict zones. The Ukrainian government has reportedly adopted this resolution which entered into force yesterday (Thursday 22 January) limiting all movements in and out of the conflict zones."

   Christine Lagarde has announced that "the Ukrainian authorities have requested a multi-year arrangement with the Fund, supported by the Extended Fund Facility, to replace the existing Stand-By Arrangement."

   Back on November 12, UN Assistant Secretary General Jens Toyberg-Frandzen said, among other things, that "on November 5, Prime Minister Yatsenyuk announced that pensions would be halted to areas under rebel control."

  Inner City Press, covering the meeting from just outside the Council chamber, spoke to a range of passing diplomats and was left with this question: isn't the halting of pensions to rebel held areas a form of collective punishment?

 Once posed, with the words "accrued pensions," two defenses of the practice came in. First, that pensions in Ukraine are not accrued but are based on taxes collected and none are being collected in Donbas. Second, that trucks with pension payments were being robbed.  The word "Western Union" was bandied around.

 And so it goes at the UN.

  Last October, Ukraine was scheduled to speak at the UN about its “Committee on Information” on October 21, but as UN speeches usually go longer than allowed, its turn was postponed until October 22.

That didn't stop the “UN Radio” Russian service from reporting on the speech on October 21 as if it had in fact been given that day. As translated, UN Radio on October 21 reported

“The representative of Ukraine accused Russia of using the information strategy of the Cold War

“One of the main prerequisites of violence in Ukraine became a propaganda information. This was stated by the representative of the Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations, speaking at a meeting of the Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly.”

  The UN's Fourth Committee did meet on October 21 - but Ukraine didn't speak. Instead it was the first speaker on the afternoon of October 22. Its speech, delivered in perfect French including the word “rigolo,” linked Russia to Joseph Goebbels.

  In reply, the Russian mission's spokesman brought up the recent Human Rights Watch report of the Ukrainian government using cluster bombs in and against Donetsk, and the lack of clarity on who called the snipers shots in Maidan Square.

  Later in the Fourth Committee meeting, Bolivia slammed “powers” who use information technology to intervene and violate privacy, bringing to mind USAID's “Cuban Twitter” and, of course, the NSA.

  Then Jordan said it was first among Arab nations to enact an Access to Information law, in 2007. The Free UN Coalition for Access has been pressing for a Freedom of Information Act at the UN, click here and here for that.

  FUNCA covers the Fourth Committee, including on Decolonization, and the Committee on Information, where at least theoretically the UN's descent into censorship could be raised and resolved. The old UN Correspondents Association, a part of this trend toward privatization of briefings and even censorship -- ordering Press articles off the Internet, getting leaked copies of their complaints to the UN's MALU banned from Google's search, here -- was nowhere to be seen. We'll have more on this.

   

At World Cup in Brazil, 60% of UN Security Council But Only 16% of UN Member States Will Play: Of Malvinas and Migrants in France

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 1 -- In the upcoming World Cup in Brazil later this month, nine of the 15 members of the UN Security Council will participate. So 60% of the Security Council's members will be there, while only 16% of the UN's 193 member states will be.

  Of the five Permanent members of the Security Council, only China won't be there. Of the Group of 4, only India will be absent. Of countries on the Council's agenda, present in Brazil will be Iran and Cote d'Ivoire, Bosnia and Greece (arguably on due to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia “name” issue).

  In Group B, Security Council members Australia and Chile will face off, June 13 in Cuiaba. In Group H, Russia and South Korea will play there on June 17 (South Korea was president of the Security Council for May; Russia is president in June.)

  There are few ideological battles, at least in the first round. Iran is not in in Group G with the United States -- G is for Germany, and Portugal too -- and the UK and Argentina and the Malvinas / Falkland Islands dispute are in different groups.

  In Group E, France and Ecuador might at least disagree about regime change and the treatment of migrants, when they play June 25 in Rio. Watch this site.

Footnote: In New York, recently Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's golf buddy (along with the UK and South Korea) San Marino's ambassador set up another pick-up game, seemingly including Ukraine's long-time Permanent Representative Yuri Sergeyey, next to Ban's legacy striker Kim Won-soo. To some, there seems to have been even less diversity in this group that at the World Cup...

   

In Geneva, Greece on Ukraine But Not IMF, Sri Lanka Looming at UN Human Rights Council

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 3 -- When the UN Human Rights Council began its speeches on Monday morning, Syria and North Korea remained in nearly every speech but Ukraine and the Central African Republic worked their way in, along with a smattering of references to Sri Lanka, where the killing of tens of thousands of civilians remains unaddressed.

  It was noted that the term of High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay is almost up. But it was Secretary General Ban Ki-moon who said she'd only have one half of a second term. 

  Pillay on January 20 said the France put Muslim communities at risk in CAR. How will that be acted on? She's called for a international accountability mechanism for Sri Lanka; Ban says its entirely up to member states, as he told Inner City Press regarding having controversial military figure Shavendra Silva as an adviser to UN Peacekeepingunder Herve Ladsous.

  Qatar, which sent only a "Minister's Assistant," predictable denounced Syria and also spoke for freedom of the press if not of speech. #FreeAJstaff, we and the Free UN Coalition for Access absolutely agree with. But what about Qatar having locked up the poet Ajami?

  Greece spoke on Ukraine, taking the EU line, which implies that the International Monetary Fund will save Ukraine. Has they happened in Greece? What about the protesters in Greece's squares?

  Ban Ki-moon gave a press conference, pitching for relevance and a role in Ukraine, where instead of Robert Serry he has now sent his deputy Jan Eliasson. But once it was leaked that former US now UN official Jeff Feltman "got" Ban to send Serry to Ukraine, Ban's UN being viewed as impartial is more difficult.

  It was World Wildlife Day, so Ban gave a speech on that as well. But unaddressed since Inner City Press reported and asked about it on February 28 are what UN whistleblowers say are more than 50 rapes in Eastern Congo by poacher Mai Mai Morgan. Ban will meet his Special Representatives including Martin Kobler from the Congo. What will the UN's answer be?

  UK Hugo Swire took on the Sri Lanka issue; here's his response to Pillay's report. He said it's time for international action.

 US Samantha Power won't speak until March 4, in the afternoon in Geneva so work hours in the US. Sri Lanka's G.L. Peiris on the other hand appears March 5 but 3:40 am Eastern Times. Watch this site.