At UN For Nuclear Free Central Asia, P5 Pose & Sign, UK Takes Reservation

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 6 -- As rhetoric on Ukraine and Syria heats up, recently at the US State Department's daily press briefing reporters have increasingly asked if the US and Russia, or the wider "P5" with China, can work together on anything.

  Often the answer given is Syria chemical weapon, drawing scorn from reporters. On May 6 in a windowless UN conference room, representatives of each of the Permanent Five members of the UN Security Council posed for photographs then sat in a row signing a protocol for a nuclear free zone in Central Asia.

Each representative gave a speech in his native language -- it was all men -- and Russia and the UK back to back cited the Treaties of Tlatelolco, Rarotonga and Pelindaba. Ambassador Liu Jieyi said "China supports the efforts of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to establish a nuclear free zone."

Russia's Vitaly Churkin said, "It remains only to ratify the document. We look forward to doing it as swiftly as possible."

Tom Countryman of the US said he was pleased to be able to sign here in New York during the Preparatory Committee meeting of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The UK added that it "has issued a declaration that sets out our legal interpretation of certain elements within the Protocol and Treaty.... in order that there is no doubt about the conditions under which the UK would not consider itself bound by Article I of this Protocol: notably, if any of the Parties to that Treaty allowed nuclear weapons to be stationed in their territory."

Some might find an echo into protests raised in South America to UK vessels with nuclear weapons visiting the Falkland / Malvinas Islands.

The last speaker was Ambassador Muzaffar Madrakhimov of Uzbekistan, who said "the initiatve to create the Central Asian Nuclear Free Weapons Zone was first announced by the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov at the 48th session of the General Assembly in 1993."

Now if only the region's water wars could be solved... Watch this site.

   

At UN, Now Homosexuelle Initiative Wien Wins NGO Committee Vote 19 to 6, Syria Offers Evidence of Abuse

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 28 -- The working day after the Australian Lesbian Medical Association won a vote at the UN for recommendation as special consultative status to ECOSOC, Austria-based Homosexuelle Initative Wien (HOSI Wien) won, by exactly the same vote.

When ALMA's application came up on May 24, Pakistan sought to put it off, asking for a copy of a scientific paper mentioned in its application. Bulgaria took the floor to call this a delay tactic, and called for a vote.

On May 28, it was Belgium calling for the vote on HOSI Wien.

There are 19 members of the NGO Committee. Two were again listed as "absent" -- Burundi and Cuba. Of those listed as present, nine voted yes, six voted no, and two abstained.

The nine "Yes" votes as recorded by Inner City Press in the room were the USA, Venezuela, Belgium, India, Israel, Nicaragua, Peru and Turkey.

The six "No" votes were China, Morocco -- which has also opposed or questioned groups dealing with Western Sahara -- Pakistan, Russia, Senegal and Sudan.

The abstainers were Kyrgyzstan and Mozambique, which Secretary General Ban Ki-moon just visited.

Inner City Press has asked, does Ban's Secretariat monitor this NGO Committee, and try to assert leadership?

On the other hand, the US on May 24 alone blocked or delayed the Islamic African Relief Agency, saying it funded Osama Bin Laden, and asking for more information: which UN agencies funded it?

Sudan complained that while the US question blocked the groups, questions about ALMA did not. But ALMA had the votes. Did the Islamic African Relief Agency? Apparently not.

  In other May 28 morning action, Russia noted that the Assyrian National Congress "has no website," and asked for an update on its work. 

  Syria -- not "Assyria" -- spoke on another item, offering to provide evidence of abuse of refugees in camps in neighboring countries. And so it goes at the UN. Watch this site.

Why Does UN Central Asia Office Exist If Not For Kyrgyz Uzbek Border Fight?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 29 -- What does the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia do?

  For example, what has it done on the border fight between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, complete with blockades of Barak and Sokh, helicopters, threats?

  UNRCCA was set up by the former chief of the UN Department of Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe, mostly because Turkmenistan was willing to invite the UN in. 

  Once every six months Miroslav Jenca, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, comes and briefs the Security Council, and a press statement is issued.

   But the briefing are always closed. And Jenca does not do stakeouts to take press questions. 

   On Tuesday after the Security Council's president for January Masood Khan came out and read the most recent Council press statement, Inner City Press asked him about the border fight between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

   Khan said things hadn't come up in that level of detail. Then what is UNRCCA working on? What accountability ever was there for the pogrom against ethnic Uzkeks in Kyrgyzstan? You never find out from Jenca. What is the point of the Office? 

  In an era when Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has ordered another $100 million in cuts, calling those who oppose him "selfish" and triggering a "No Confidence" Staff Union vote Inner City Press has put online here - what is the VALUE of the UNRCCA? Watch this site.

On Syria, Non-Payers Sponsored, List of Paying No-Shows, Kyrgyzstan Locked

By Matthew Russell Lee, Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, February 17 -- "We tried to vote but it doesn't work," the Kyrgyz representative complained after Thursday vote on Syria in the General Assembly. Video here, from Minute 53:48.

Inner City Press has since learned that Kyrgyzstan is in arrears on its dues to the UN and therefore cannot vote; in fact, the UN disables such countries' voting buttons in the General Assembly.

Comoros, on the other hand, while behind on dues had an exemption to vote. Still it complained after the vote, "nous avons les memes problemes techniques" - we have the same technical problems.

Inner City Press has analyzed the list of those who didn't vote Thursday on the Syria resolution. While others may not know, Yemen is behind on dues and precluded from voting, along for example with Tonga, Swaziland, Gambia, Gabon, the Dominican Republic and Dominica.

But some who were listed as sponsors of the Syria resolution were also precluded from voting due to failure to pay, including Cape Verde, Palau and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

There were countries which were all paid up but nevertheless failed to show up or vote, including Cambodia, oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea and Ethiopia, Kiribati, Laos, Madagascar, Mali, Philippines, Sierra Leone with its UN Mission, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan with its UN Office and Uzbekistan, whose Permanent Representative joked with Inner City Press earlier in the week about when the voting might be.

Three states paid up just before the vote in order to participate: Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Sudan, of which Inner City Press was told that its arrears were due to some slip up with Chase Manhattan Bank. Hello, JP Morgan.

After the vote, two states favoring the resolution separately spun Inner City Press that those precluded from voting by arrears would have voted for the resolution and raised the tally higher.

Beyond Kyrgyzstan's complaint, which several UN insiders told Inner City Press was "embarrassing," complaints about not being able to vote were made by Burundi and Comoros, which it is true has an exemption to vote for the rest of this 66th General Assembly session. Was Comoros' voting machine still locked, like Kyrgyzstan's? Watch this site.

Footnote: This supersedes a typically wan write-up by a venue which has just this month mis-labeled "exclusives" on Syria, and tried to steal a Sri Lanka story. The former was raised on February 2 without correction or response; the latter has yet to be addressed. Watch this site.

As Ban Names Kubis Afghan Envoy, Of Kyrgyz Accountability & Maxwell's Murder

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 23 -- With Staffan de Mistura leaving his post as UN envoy to Afghanistan, there's been speculation about who would replace him.

On November 22 Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky to confirm what Hamid Karzai's office said, that Ban had called and notified Karzai of the identify of de Mistura's successor.

Nesirky replied, " I can confirm there was a phone call, but I can’t tell you anything about the nature of the phone call. If I have any more details, for example, on any announcement on staffing, then I’ll let you know."

On November 23, the day before US Thanksgiving, past 5 pm Nesirky's office told the dwindling press corps over the UN's intercom system that de Mistura's successor had just been named. It is Jan Kubis, who among other things became involved in Kyrgystan after the the political and ethnic chaos. (Click here for Inner City Press' November 22 interview with outgoing Kyrgyz president Roza Otunbayeva.)

Kubis has previously served, among other posts, as Slovak foreign minister and as head of the UN Economic Commission for Europe.

When de Mistura after bragging to Richard Holbrooke that he had the Afghan job then temporarily said he wouldn't take it, along with Jean-Marie Guehenno and Ian Martin (now in Libya), Jan Kubis was in mix, reported at the time by Inner City Press, for the Kabul job. And now he has it. It's a small world or at least, for the UN, a small bench.

There are several accountability issues that come to mind. It is not clear if Kubis' involvement in Kyrgyzstan had any impact on the lack of accountability to date for violence, mostly against Uzbeks, in mid 2010.

While de Mistura repeatedly told Inner City Press he was pushing for accountability for the murder, by Afghan national forces, of UN staffer Louis Maxwell, now de Mistura is leaving and nothing has been done. Will it, under Kubis? Watch this site.

Otunbayeva Tells Press Justice Had to Wait, UN Accountable Kyrgyz?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 22 -- A week before she steps down from the Kyrgyz presidency, Roza Otunbayeva came on Tuesday to the UN which used to employ her.

Inner City Press asked Ms. Otunbayeva about the violence in 2010, mostly redirected against Uzbeks in Osh and Jalal Abad in the south, and about criticism in the International Inquiry headed up by Kimmo Kiljunen of her handing of accountability for the violence.

Otunbayeva said that she only had power a year and seven months, as a "crisis manager." She said that her successor Atambayev will work on the issues of the 445 Kyrgyz judges, perhaps replacing some.

Her answer rambled into issue of gender balance, that the prosecutor general is a woman, as is the head of the central bank.

Finally she mentioned the Kiljunen report, saying that "it is on the Internet," and that the government cooperated. But Kiljunen was barred from the country -- at the time, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon remained silent on this blockage, his spokesman saying that Kiljunnen's was "not a UN report" -- and many of the recommendations are not being acted on.

During the recent elections, online news agencies were denied press accreditation.

Some countries are favorites, or have amassed good will, and Kyrgyzstan like Liberia is such a country. The UN wanted to claim credit for its dubious good work during the violence, and so was not critical afterward.

In other answers, Otunbayeva bristled when asked why her country didn't give in to Pakistan's request that it drop out of balloting for a seat on the UN Security Council in 2012-13.

She said Kyrgyzstan announced its candidacy in 1997, Pakistan only in 2005. She asked how she could have told her people they were dropping out -- are we a failing country or what?

She praised Turkey's Erdogan, to whom Ban Ki-moon was so quickly to apologize after UN Security personnel were injured by Erdogan's entourage; she said Japan didn't step forward with aid, trade or tax offers like China did. She was real politik, and says she'll stay in Kyrgyzstan after she steps down. But will there be accountability, and justice for Uzbeks? We'll see.

UN Race Pits Pakistan Versus Kyrgyz, Brotherly Muslims With US in Wings

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, September 29 -- As relations between Pakistan and the US grow more tense, at the UN Kyrgyzstan is aggressively campaigning for the October 21 election for the Security Council seat most had assumed would be won by Pakistan.

Source describe to Inner City Press heavy lobbying by the Kyrgyz head of state Rosa Otunbayeva, a former UN staff member, on the margins of the General Debate. But several current members of the Council said that it would and should be Pakistan.

"With India on," one Deputy Permanent Representative told Inner City Press, "it would send the wrong message to keep Pakistan off."

On September 29, Inner City Press asked Pakistani Permanent Representative Abdullah Hussain Haroon about the push by Kyrgyzstan.

"It's a brotherly Muslim nation," Haroon replied. "We love them, we respect them. But we feel this is a moment in history when we feel we have to be here" on the Council.

"The good thing," he continued, "is I'll be here everyday, you can ask me things every day, I'll be responsive."

Turning to vote counts, Haroon said, "We have a very large phalanx of commitments, it's way beyond the needed number."

A member state lobbied "hard" by the Kyrgyz told Inner City Press that in light of their run for a Council seat in the next decade, they are trading notes verbales now, commitment for commitment. But it is a secret ballot: will Pakistan's vote count hold up?

Inner City Press said, referring to Pakistan's dispute with the US about the Haqqani network, that the Kyrgyz "saw an opportunity."

"It's not an opportunity," Haroon cut in. "We will resolve whatever we have to resolve. We are here for diplomacy, not confrontation." They he took the stairs from the subterranean world of Security Council up to street level.

The election is set for October 21. Other contested seats including Hungary versus Slovenia or Azerbaijan to replace Bosnia, and to replace Nigeria, Council president for October, Morocco versus Mauritania, which has the African Union endorsement. Click here for more.