As Climate Change Refugees Flee Carteret Islands, No UN Help Nor Somalia / Kenay Law of the Sea Answer

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 10 -- The UN made much of World Oceans Day, even as three shades of sea were projected on the Empire State Building in New York. But what is the UN doing for people fleeing rising water in the Carteret Islands? Nothing, or nothing yet, Inner City Press was told Monday at the UN.

  There was a press conference including the UN's Senior Legal Adviser on the Law of the Sea Annebeth Rosenboom and an anthropologist, Dr Jenny Newell. Inner City Press asked each of them a question; Newell responded briefing on Nauru but then mentioned the Carteret Islands, people leaving without government support on supply ships.

  Australia does not accept them, does not accept climate change refugees. So Inner City Press asked what the UN is going to help, since it talks so much about these issues, climate change and refugees. The answer was a conference in Samoa -- next year. How many desperate supply ships from now is that?

  On the Somali government's statement last week "calling 'null and void' the Memorandum of Understanding between the TFG Minister of International Cooperation and Kenyan Minister of Foreign Affairs signed in Nairobi on April 7, 2009," the UN's Senior Legal Adviser on the Law of the Sea Annebeth Rosenboom would say only that every "note verbale" is put on the UN's website.

  Inner City Press has closely covered the issue, including a previous statement by the UN -- after being involved in the MOU - that is was "not actionable." Inner City Press asked if last week's Somali government statement is deemed as note verbale. No, is the answer. We hope to have more on this.

Footnote: this was the first briefing in the UN's new Press Briefing Room. Despite questions that have arisen about the propriety of the UN automatically giving the first question to members of the UN Correspondents Association who pay money for the privilege, UNCA's 2013 president Pamela Falk of CBS took the first question, "on behalf of UNCA."

  So Inner City Press thanked the panelists on behalf of the new Free UN Coalition for Access, and tried to push Ms Rosenboom to offer some answer on her and the UN's role on the Law of the Sea, with respect to the deal with Kenya about Somalia the UN brokered. 

  To say that a background briefing last week was the place to ask this question -- background meaning not quoting anyone by name -- is not sufficient. FUNCA will be pushing on this.

At UN, Palestine Sends Resolution for Observer State Status, Vote "Near Future"

By Matthew Russell Lee, 1 pm exclusive

 

UNITED NATIONS, November 8 -- Two days after the US presidential (re) election, Palestine's Observer Mission to the UN on Thursday sent to UN member states its draft resolution to upgrade its status in the General Assembly.

  Inner City Press has obtained a copy of Palestine's draft resolution, and puts it online here.

  After recalling and stressing many things, the resolution would grant Observer State status, and hope that the Security Council grant full status.

  In the interim, Palestine has had win and losses in getting seated in UN bodies, as Inner City Press has reported, from the Arms Trade Treaty through the Law of the Sea to Geographical Names.

 

Now, Palestine has written to member states with "note verbal MI.274/12 regarding a draft resolution on the enhancement of the status of Palestine in the United Nations General Assembly to be considered by the Assembly at a date to be announced in the near future."

  How will the US (and EU and others) respond? Watch this site.

At UN, Palestine Still Left Out of 194 Participants on Geographic Names, Lost Among Holy See & Sea of Japan

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, August 9 -- More than a week afterPalestine took its seat as a full participant in the UN Group of Experts on Geographical Names, as first reported by Inner City Press, some snafus still remained late Thursday.
 
   In the morning, Palestine's Riyad Mansour -- not referred to here as the Permanent Observer -- pointed out to Inner City Press an error and correction by the UN Journal.

  The Journal had referred to Palestine as Observer -- but since it joined UNESCO, in meetings held under the so-called Vienna format, Palestine is a full participant. And so the Journal was fixed.

   But late Thursday, along with issues of the Sea of Japan versus the (Korean) East Sea, and on the Romanization of names, Palestine had been excluded from the list of 194 participants in Paragraph 121.

   Another participant -- not Palestine -- told Inner City Press, "the editor in chief is the USA, what do you expect?"

  Who is the 194th, you ask?  The Holy See, of course.

  In early July Palestine asserted the same right regarding the Arms Trade Treaty talks, as first reported by Inner City Press. But after much back and forth, under the resultingcompromise Palestine sat in the front row beside the Holy See.

Following Palestine's joining UNESCO as a full member, it followed suit as Inner City Press reported at the Law of the Sea, to which the US is not a party.

  At Thursday's Geographic Names session the Palestinian representative -- against, not an Observer -- told Inner City Press this would be worked out, "they are just not used to us yet, but they will be."  

  The seriousness of the Sea of Japan issue to that country's mission was represented by who they sent to the meeting: Jun Yamazaki, former UN Assistant Secretary General and Controller. 

  Ban Ki-moon may have named former Japanese Permanent Representative Yukio Takasu to the Department of Management post he first offered to South Africa if they would sell out Navi Pillay -- click here for that exclusive story from Inner City Press -- but this Sea issue is one on which Japan and South Korea are in direct conflict.  

 And Ban is headed to South Korea tomorrow. Watch this site.

At UN, Palestine Takes Its Seat for Geographical Names, Over US Protest

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, July 31 -- The question of Palestine, including its status and where to seat it, arose Tuesday in the the meeting of the UN Group of Experts no Geographical Names.

  Following Palestine's joining UNESCO as a full member, it followed suit as Inner City Press reported at the Law of the Sea, to which the US is not a party.

  In early July Palestine asserted the same right regarding the Arms Trade Treaty talks, as first reported by Inner City Press. But after much back and forth, under the resulting compromise Palestine sat in the front row beside the Holy See.

  For the Geographical Names meeting, in which Palestine wants to raise a number of "re-namings" by Israel, there were three "loud" speakers against its seat: the US, Canada and Israel. Egypt spoke against the three and in support of Palestine.

The Palestinian delegation exclusively told Inner City Press about a report they submitted on contested names -- they didn't just show up for the seat -- as did Syria regarding the Golan. Talk turned to the Saudi drafted General Assembly resolution on Syria, on which there are informal consultations later on Tuesday, with a Thursday voted slated. Watch this site.

UN Arms Trade Treaty Opening Stalled on Question of Palestine, Ammo Is Easy?

By Matthew Russell Lee, Partial exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, July 2 -- Ban Ki-moon was slated to speak at 10:30 am Monday at the opening of the UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty. But it did not happen. The opening was delayed, at least until Monday afternoon. Why?

On June 29 in a nearly empty UN North Lawn building, two representatives of the Palestinian Mission to the UN sat talking with the Argentine chair of the ATT. Nothing was resolved. On July 2, sources in the North Lawn told Inner City Press a dispute arose about where and how to seat Palestine.

As Inner City Press exclusively reported on June 8, Palestine after being voted into UNESCO next participated in the Law of the Sea event, which it had been seeking since 1974. And now the ATT.

At 1:30 pm on Monday, after asking questions at Security Council stakeouts by Navi Pillay and French Ambassador Gerard Araud, Inner City Press asked the Argentine chair of the ATT about the Palestine issue. It is not resolved yet, he exclusively told Inner City Press. They are talking about it right now.

Two representatives of the Holy Sea moved past the stakeout and into the garage. They are a precedent; there are others. Watch this site.

Footnote: In an NGO press conference last week previewing the ATT, the word "Palestine" did not arise. (Nor does it in this derivative wire story.) This, however, was asked and answered:

Q: the US/Mexico dispute. The NRA has been mentioned. It has its internal political issues on this. Some have said ammunition shouldn't be covered. How do you expect this issue will play out in July?

Abramson: Are you talking about ammunition in particular? There were a couple disputes in February. ... It's my expectation that ammunition will be included in the treaty. It's really a very small number of countries, including the United States, who are arguing against it. And it's a little bit nonsensical for the United States, actually because the United States already licenses the import and export of weapons, so functionally they're arguing for a standard lower than what they already do. I think they understand that. You've already started hearing the United States talk about, if you provide us with a workable solution we'll work at that. So I'm relatively confident that that issue can be worked through, in part because it's just insane to think of this treaty without ammunition. When you're talking about the harms caused by guns, it's not the gun, it's the bullet. If you're talking about the issue where you're asking, will this make a difference? The guns, they have a long life span. If you really want to control their harm, you have to control the expendable item, which is the ammunition. And multiple countries are making this case. So I do expect that be resolved.

Watch this site.

At UN, Ban Ki-moon Dons Helmet But Does Not Bike, Dark Talk on Law of the Sea

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 9 -- From bikes up Beekman to the Law of the Sea, the summer party season was kicked off Friday at the UN. It started at 4:30 pm when Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appeared in a bicycle helmet to introduce Janette Sadik-Khan. 

 

Ban called her the "High Commissioner" of Transportation -- an appropriate malapropism given Brooklynites' perception of her as imperious. He then "launched," without participating in, a six block bicycle ride up First Avenue to 50th Street and Beekman Place. Ban has a broken hand so his not riding is understandable (though several other more physically challenged Ambassador did ride). 

 

But why did Ban Ki-moon don a bicycle helmet if he wasn't going to ride? This is the UN.

Up on Beekman there was a reception, champagne at 5 pm in a back garden overlooking the East River. There was talk of how Ban killed off reform of the Security Council's working methods, and his bad treatment of Africans as he's been doling out top posts.

A legally-minded Permanent Representative told Inner City Press that it is hypocritical for the UN to talk about media freedom but not practice it, and suggested a litigation strategy to hold Ban to account.

Back south in the UN's North Lawn building, a "media availability" by Ban, announced with only fifteen minutes notice, had come and gone, just the way Ban likes it. In the so-called Riverview tent there was drinking and bitter talk that even the UN Singers group is "corrupt" and full of "ringers," discriminating against Africans and those of African descent. Inner City Press had to move on.

In the General Assembly lobby a fancier group was assembled, with live chamber music and lamb chops and Singha beer from Thailand. 

 

It was for the Law of the Sea, which Inner City Press exclusively covered earlier in the day, including Palestine gaining Observer State status. After that, more swag was passed out in Conference Room 1, where Continental Shelf candidates vied for voted with free pens and Danish chocolate; now there were coffee mugs and posters.

In the GA Lobby a crowd gathered around a surprisingly large fish: Serge Brammertz, formerly of the Lebanon or Hariri Tribunal and now the ICTY. The French Mission's legal specialist, genially forthcoming of late about the ICC, conversed with Brammertz and others. One wondered what he thought of the election earlier in the day of Serbia's Vuk Jeremic.

Before the vote, based on informal polling, Inner City Press tweeted a prediction: Jeremic winning with 97 votes. Many laughed. Then he won with 99 votes. Well, no one is perfect. This prediction must have been from the worst journalist at the UN in the last 20 years. Watch this site.

On Somalia, UN Belated Admits Rejections of its MOU With Kenya

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/los7somalia031510.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 15 -- A UN-promoted joint Law of the Sea filing by Kenya and those Somalis the UN works with, about Somalia's offshore rights, has finally been acknowledged by the UN as rejected by the Somalia parliament.

On March 12, 2010, the UN web site quietly added the notation that the "Memorandum of Understanding" about the filing, pushed by Nairobi based UN envoy Ahmedou Ould Abdallah and funded by oil drilling Norway, "has been rejected by the Parliament of the Transitional Federal Government Somalia, and is to be hence treated as non-actionable."

Inner City Press has reported extensively about this controversial MOU, which despite rejection in Somalia has been defended by the UN, Ould Abdallah and Norway. Another analysis by some Inner City Press sources is below.

But the UN's quiet admission that its plan for the Somali coastline was rejected by Somalis comes as the UN's Sanctions Group on Somalia is promoting its findings about widespread diversion of aid to Al Shabab. As Inner City Press reported, the Sanctions report has subject last week to a staged leak, first to the New York Times and then to wire services. Some UN correspondents reported did not appreciate the exposure of how the document was shown. But it is relevant, and should have been reported in the initial stories.

Here now is an alternative telling of the UN - Somali story, an update to Inner City Press' previous reporting on the MOU:

From the [beginning, many] Somalis were furious about the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), saying “Somali territorial waters would have been lost had this MOU succeed”. And any where that the Somali TFG delegations travel they were confronted by angry citizens asking them “why did they sign that MOU” and demanding answers from them.

While many Somali lawmakers (MPs) were criticizing the government about the controversial MOU with Kenya, and hand full of TFG ministers were shying away from defending it, Deputy Prime Minister ( he is also Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources) Abdirahman Adan Ibbi (AKA Prof. Ibbi) became the biggest lobbyist for the MOU - Weird huh!

Prof. Ibbi fought very had so that the MOU would go forward. In doing so he wrote a letter* to Ban Ki Moon on August 19, 2009 supporting the MOU – it was after the Somali parliament rejected the same MOU (and voted down on August 1, 2009).

What is serious about that letter was: it was signed by him, Prof. Ibbi, but is says it was written by TFG Prime Minister Omer Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke who was out of town at the time. When that letter became public Prof. Ibbi started to fade away into the background.

Prof. Ibbi had a backing of the TFG president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who also defended the MOU .

When the Somali PM Sharmarke realized that his deputy used his name, he (Sharmarke) wrote his own letter to Ban Ki Moon on October 10, 2009, supporting the Parliament decision. The funny thing is, Sharmarke’s office did not send that letter to The Secretary-General of UN as they should. Much later, realizing again, Sharmarke handed the letter to Somalia's Foreign Minister, Ali Jama Jangali so that he could hand deliver to Ban Ki Moon or at least send through appropriate channel.

Nobody knows whether Jangali handed that letter to The Secretary-General – at least it was not posted at the UN website as they did the previous letters regarding the same MOU.

While all these were going on, a group of Somali lawmakers, who were fed up with government, sent their own letter to Ban-Ki Moon asking him not to accept the controversial maritime deal between Kenyan and Somalia and remind him that Somali Parliament rejected it. Again that letter also was not posted at UN website and as far as we aware of, The Secretary-General of the United Nations did not respond the Somali MPs’ letter – at least he did send reply back.

We do not know what did it or which letter reached at the Ban Ki Moon’s desk. But we do know that there was an update at UN website on 12 March 2010 stating that: “The MOU has been rejected by the Parliament of the Transitional Federal Government Somalia, and is to be hence treated as non-actionable.

This has been a huge relief for Somalis in general as they realize that the MOU between Somalia and Kenya is non-actionable – which in legal term means NULL & VOID.

Somalis think this is very good statement from UN headquarters, why? The MOU between Somalia and Kenya had a backing of UN Somalia Office (based mainly in Nairobi Kenya). This has been a concern for Somali people. And that is why many believe that UN Headquarters did not acknowledge quickly when Somali Parliament rejected the same MOU.

This is also a news dawn for Somali political system, some say, as members of parliament realize that they can overrule any law (for Somalia) even if the president doesn’t approve it. There had been even a talk to impeach the Somali parliament speaker, Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur (AKA Aaden Madoobe) as he did not act swiftly when the TFG government started the maritime MOU between Somalia/Kenya.

* Below is the link of Prof. Ibbi’s letter (at UN website)

http://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/ken35_09/som_re_ken_clcs35.pdf

You can compare with the Somali PM’s signature at following link (UN website).

http://www.un.org/Depts/los/clcs_new/submissions_files/preliminary/som_2009_letter.pdf

We'll have more on this.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/los7somalia031510.html

At UN, Norway Brags of Work in Somalia, Whose Minneapolis Rep Mocks AK-47 Teens

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/un1sompirates012810.html

UNITED NATIONS, January 28 -- At the UN on Thursday, Europeans bragged what they're going for Somalia, while a representative from Minneapolis of the Transitional Federal Government, in control of all of ten square blocks in Mogadishu praised Norway for its help. Video here.

Afterwards, off camera, he agreed with Inner City Press' critique of Norway's role in a Kenyan - Somali Law of the Sea filing about Somalis' mineral and other rights.

First Inner City Press asked the Chief of Staff of EU NAVFOR Somalia (Operation Atalanta) Paul Chivers which UN system ships EU NAVFOR provides protection for. Chivers spoke mostly about the World Food Program, which he said spends its money on food and not on good ships.

Later in the day, Inner City Press asked Carl P. Salicath, Senior Advisor at Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Chairman of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), if this meant that the UN ships don't comply with the "best practices" he was describing.

Mr. Salicath said he can't speak about particular ships, just as he said he can't speak for the Chinese, why and how they will participate in the EU NAVFOR.

So, Inner City Press asked Mr. Salicath about Norway's controversial funding of a joint Kenyan - TFG filing with the UN under the law of the sea, which the Somali Parliament later voted to reject. Mr. Salicath said he knew about the deal, but didn't understand the criticism. I better leave it there, he said.

Afterwards in the hall, Omar Jamal of the Somali mission agreed that the Parliament had voted it down. But he issued an email to the Press praising Norway, which we public exactly as received:

"Omar Jamal, First Secretary of the Somali mission spoke today at the Fifth Plenary meeting of Contact group chaired by Norway. "Somali feel sometimes being diagnosed with their input." said Omar Jamal. The piracy issue is prodcut of the lawlesness of the country, and to tackle it, international communtiy must empower the Somali security force so they can patrol thier own waters. There is NO short cut here, and the only way out is long term plan by empowering the Somali goveremnt to restore law and order and patrol Somali coastline." Omar Jamal continued. The Mission expresses thanks to the leadership of Norway in this particular problem. The Somali people are at complete loss that the fact the international community rendered helpless by bunch of Somali teenagers riding speedboats, armed with AK47 and PRGs. Somali goverment will collaborate with the international community to come up with ever lasting resolution to the piracy issue."

He still uses a cell phone with a Minneapolis area code. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1sompirates012810.html

Somali Continental Shelf Filing Rejected by Parliament Has Norway "Embarrassed," UN Admits

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/los4somalia083109.html

UNITED NATIONS, August 31 -- The Somali parliament recently voted over 90% against a deal cut by UN envoy Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, using Norwegian assistance, to make a joint Kenya - Somali filing about the Somali people's rights to the continental shelf and its natural resources. Even before the vote, Inner City Press had repeatedly asked the UN by what right Ould Abdallah had coordinated the filing, without getting a straight answer.

Now, with meetings about the Continental Shelf and the Law of the Sea taking place in the basement of the UN's headquarters in New York, Inner City Press finally got at least some answers.

In a meeting on "The Regular Process of Marine Assessments" held by the UN's Office of Legal Affairs, Inner City Press asked a group of UN experts how they deal with a now-contested filing like the one about Somalia. At first, an expert tried to evade the question, saying it could only be asked and answered at another meeting down the hall about the Limits of the Continental Shelf. But those meetings are all closed.

The master of ceremonies Peter Gilruth, director of the UN Environment Program's Division of Early Warning and Assessment, said he would try to answer, although he felt it might put his "head in a difficult spot." He said that Norway paid for the filings of some 10 African countries but that in Somalia, some "other elements.... may have tried to take the information in a different direction, causing the difficulty you refer to." Gilruth that moved the proceedings forward, asking if there were "any questions easier than that one."

Afterwards, Inner City Press approached Mr. Gilruth, who said that the whole Somali filing snafu "involved embarrassment to the government of Norway."

Next to him Patricio Bernal, UNESCO Assistant Director-General and Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, said that he had been working on this for ten years, he had coordinated with the Somali "government in exile" in Nairobi, and he could not understand the stink made in Somalia itself. He emphasized that the decisions in Continental Shelf meetings -- behind closed doors, mind you -- are "unappealable."

Perhaps the ongoing snafu reflects that to deal with the Somali government in exile, or the TFG, or Ould Abdallah, is not to deal with the Somali people, and is no guarantee of support or legitimacy. Ould Abdallah, meanwhile, is reported trying to invite into the TFG process a notorious war lord. Inner City Press asked about this last week at the UN's noon briefing, and the Spokesperson said an answer would be sought from Ould Abdallah. But still none has been received. Watch this site.

As first reported by Inner City Press, the filing states that Ould Abdallah

"initiated the preparation of preliminary information indicative of the outer limits of the continental shelf of Somalia beyond 200 nautical miles... In the preparation of this material the SRSG accepted an offer of assistance from the Government of Norway... Both the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate have been involved in the preparation...

Inner City Press wrote about this and asked the UN and Ould's spokesperson Suzie Price, but never received an answer.

On May, the question was put to Ould Abdallah and he said he is "no specialist," that he was unfamiliar with the filing that states that he prepared it. "Ask Norway," he said. Video here, from Minute 12:30.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/los4somalia083109.html

UN's and Norway's Roles in Somalia's Law of Sea Filing, India's in Myanmar's, Questioned

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/los2somalia051309.html

UNITED NATIONS, May 13 -- Norway's role in Somalia's Law of the Sea filing, arranged by the UN's envoy Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, continued to be questioned Wednesday at the UN. The Secretariat's Hariharan Pakshi Rajan was asked what safeguards are in place that an oil-interested state like Norway does not benefit from its assistance to the filing of a poorer state like Somalia. He did not answer about any safeguards, but rather referred to a UN trust fund that poor countries can apply to. Video here, from Minute 15:31.

But this simply raises more question: why would a UN envoy like Ould Abdallah, rather than looking to the UN's own trust fund, seek out or accept the potentially self-interested assistance of a state like Norway?

Inner City Press asked this question at a UN noon briefing, and was then questioned in turn by a member of the UN spokesperson's office, who rather than answer suggested that Inner City Press should "ask Norway." Inner City Press did, and on May 13 received from the the Press Counselor to Norway's mission to the UN a statement that

"How much Norway has used on assisting Somalia to lay forward preliminary information indicative of the outer limits of its continental shelf to the UN; We don’t have a separate budgetary item for this, because the work is a part of Norwegian assistance to several African countries in this matter."

How much was the assistance? Which other African countries? The questions Inner City Press submitted to Ould Abdallah's spokeswoman have yet to be answered.

Ould Abdallah's boss, in a way, the head of the UN Department of Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe, said on Wednesday when asked that he had read Inner City Press' story on this, but didn't "see the connection here." Video here, from Minute 8:26.

What safeguards are in place when the UN arranges for a rich, oil-interested state to assist a poor country with its legal filings? Beyond the UN, when India assists Myanmar with its filing, does anyone thing that India doesn't have an interest in Myanmar's energy resources, on and off-shore? While that may be between India and Myanmar -- where Aung San Suu Kyi now faces more punishment, for an uninvited visit to her in house arrest -- when the UN sets up the deal, it should answer the questions. Watch this space.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/los2somalia051309.html