By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 5 -- When Chile's Ambassador Cristián Barros Melet held a press conferenceon the January Program of Work of the UN Security Council, when he is President, Inner City Press asked him about a next Palestine resolution, and about rapes and expulsions in Sudan.
Ambassador Barros replied he has not been informed, formally or informally, as President of any new Palestine resolution, but he's read in the media that it might be next week. (That is what Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said.)
On Sudan, Barros called the government's move to expel the two officials, Yvonne Helle of the UN Development Program and UN Resident Coordinator Ali Al-Za'tari, “negative,” and called the situation of addressing it “fluid.”
On Syria, in his national capacity, Barros called Russia's work on a Syrian - Syrian dialog important.
On Ukraine, Barros said that Lithuania and UK pressed the item and he expects a meeting in the month.
Also in the month is a debate on January 19 with Chilean President Bachelet on inclusive development. We'll be there.
The Free UN Coalition for Access, which as the second question thanked Barros for the briefing and offered hopes for many question and answer stakeouts (Chad in December did more than a dozen), has suggested that naming which Council members press particular agenda items is welcome transparency.
Barros announced a Council mission to Haiti January 23-25.
Footnote: Grabbing the first question, returning head of the “UN Correspondents Association” Giampaolo Pioli after having tried to brand even the noon briefing with that UNCA acronym, took the set-aside first question and asked about Haiti -- with no mention of the UN's role in bringing cholera to the Island, much less UN Peacekeeping being filmed shooting at democracy demonstrators. Will his cluster of Italian sites report a word about Haiti?
The goal seems only to have been to try to brand. FUNCA says in 2015, UNacceptable - and is ready for the month. Watch this site.
