By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, May 3 -- Just before the UN General Assembly meeting on the European Union's resolution to get special rights in the GA, diplomats told Inner City Press that the Caribbean grouping CARICOM had reached agreements and would support the EU.
Click here for Inner City Press' exclusive review last week of the issue.
Some others thought the changes relatively minor: for example, reducing the EU's right of reply to a single turn instead of two. As one Western diplomat put it to Inner City Press, the EU's 27 member states can reply for it, giving in 54 replies.
So there was suddenly hope that the EU resolution would go through on consensus, without a vote. Just outside the GA chamber, Cuba's ambassador talked loudly on his cell phone, mentioning Zimbabwe.
While there were very few journalists covering the meeting, at least two were from Iranian media. They told Inner City Press that “their” Permanent Representative would be speaking. A Western diplomat wondered if Iran might block consensus.
When the meeting began, gaveled to order by Afghanistan's Permanent Representative Tanin, Caricom spoke in favor, as did Nigeria's Permanent Representative on behalf of the African Group.
Zimbabwe spoke to ask to introduce an amendment, but was pushed back in the speaking order, after the Secretariat, which said the change would cost $10,000 for new chairs and audio equipment, but that the money could be found.
Sudan's Permanent Representative spoke for the Arab Group, saying that the EU has agreed to support other groups, specifically the Arab League, to get these rights.
Then Nauru, or a person on behalf of Nauru's Ambassador, launched an impassioned plea against giving rights and powers to non-states. A Western diplomat joked to Inner City Press that Nauru has so few people, something could be arranged for them. But they had a point.
Zimbabwe next made its point: that the Rules of Procedure prohibit observers like the EU from having the right to reply. Exceptions were made for the Holy See and Palestine, but these were distinguished. Zimbabwe called for a vote on its proposed amendment.
As the votes went up on the GA's electronic voting boards, it became clear that the boards were broken. Votes appeared without country names next to them. As best as could be made out, Zimbabwe was joined by Venezuela and Nicaragua and three others, with twenty abstaining including Uganda, Ecuador, Chad, Burundi and Kenya.
Next was the vote on the EU's resolution, up or down. Only Zimbabwe and a country left unidentified by the board voted against. The GA is so broken down that there is no Wi-Fi internet service, only “only 1 megabyte for everyone,” as one diplomat told Inner City Press.
Inner City Press ran to the UN noon briefing and asked who in the Secretariat is in charge of the GA, with its broken voting boards and lack of Internet. “You well know,” said the spokesman for Ban Ki-moon. Yes, we do.
Footnote: it has also become more difficult to cover the General Assembly. Last week, Inner City Press and other journalists were stopped from standing in front of the GA to ask questions. While it has been said that this can be fixed by a new paragraph in the rules, it has yet to happen.
On Tuesday, when Inner City Press took the elevator up from the Security Council's meeting on its May Program of Work, a UN Security officer said there would be no access to the GA press booths “unless accompanied.” This was arranged, but there was no Internet inside, and the voting boards were broken. So it goes at the UN.
