By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 5 -- For ten years as Inner City Press covered the UN in ever greater detail, showing Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Herve Ladsous' inept overseeing and cover up of sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers, disparate treatment in Mali, dalliance with genocide in Sri Lanka and prospectively Burundi,impunity for cholera deaths in Haiti and until now for UN lead poisoning in Kosovo and cravenly pro-Saudi position on Yemen amid the airstrikes (BBC here from Min 6:18), it was never thrown out of the UN.
Now in 2016, Ban Ki-moon's last year at the UN, it has been. New York Times of May 14 here.
This contraction has been inquired into between the UN's "Aide Memoire" to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee saying there is no written records of the underlying January 29 meeting being closed, and Under Secretary General Cristina Gallach telling Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta that her ouster decisions was based on considering an "internal report."
Before noon on July 5, with Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric present in the building but declining to hold a noon briefing in the room from which he ordered Inner City Press to leave, used as a pretext to evict it, Inner City Press asked him:
"In an email to Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos Horta, USG Gallach said her February 19 decision on Inner City Press was based an “internal report.” Please confirm the existence of this internal report and provide a copy - to Inner City Press - or explain why UN refuses to provide a copy. Also, please square or explain the contradiction between UN “Note Verbale” to US Senate Foreign Relations Committee / USUN state that there are no records regarding “closed” meeting in the UN Press Briefing Room on January 29 with USG Gallach's statement to Ramos Horta that she had and based her decision on an “internal report” - and provide the report, see above.
Also, With regard to an event in UN 1B today, list as “Malko Investment Group” with DPI/GPU, please state who or what the Malko Investment Group is and what due diligence was done."
Also, With regard to an event in UN 1B today, list as “Malko Investment Group” with DPI/GPU, please state who or what the Malko Investment Group is and what due diligence was done."
Four hours later, with Dujarric in a baseball cap outside the UN "focus booth" it must now use to return phone calls - some about Ban Ki-moon and corruption - there was STILL no answer or explanation, as Dujarric's office called "lid" and left for the day. This is today's UN.
So, was inaccurate information provided to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee? Or to Nobel Peace Prize winner / UN official Jose Ramos Horta?
Gallach told Ramos-Horta Inner City Press had "open" violated a rule and she considered an "internal report" -- when the Aide Memoire, here, shows the UN says it has no written record the meeting was closed and the Handbook allegedly violated is not public:
"Dear mr Ramos-Horta,
Many thanks for your message which allows me to inform you about the
decision I have taken on the type of accreditation that Mr Lee has and will have in the future.
Recently mr Lee openly broke the rules that guide all the resident correspondents. After careful consideration of the internal report elevated to me, I decided to continue providing him with a press pass that allows him to work without any impediment at the UN, as the vast majority of
journalists. What the UN cannot do is to let him use an space exclusively for him, after the mentioned events.
As you can see, mr Lee will have a valid press card as soon as he presents himself to the accreditation premises.
Rest assured that I am the first person to be interested in ensuring totally free and safe reporting from the UN HQ and about the UN. This is what mr. Lee will be able to do.
I remain at your disposal for any further clarification that you might need and want. My warmest regard, Cristina"
Many thanks for your message which allows me to inform you about the
decision I have taken on the type of accreditation that Mr Lee has and will have in the future.
Recently mr Lee openly broke the rules that guide all the resident correspondents. After careful consideration of the internal report elevated to me, I decided to continue providing him with a press pass that allows him to work without any impediment at the UN, as the vast majority of
journalists. What the UN cannot do is to let him use an space exclusively for him, after the mentioned events.
As you can see, mr Lee will have a valid press card as soon as he presents himself to the accreditation premises.
Rest assured that I am the first person to be interested in ensuring totally free and safe reporting from the UN HQ and about the UN. This is what mr. Lee will be able to do.
I remain at your disposal for any further clarification that you might need and want. My warmest regard, Cristina"
But the UN says it has no written record the meeting was closed; the Handbook allegedly violated is not public. And "without impediment" has turned out to mean "with minders," and even not permitted to cover a Western Sahara briefing Inner City Press was invited to, only on June 10.
The UN is trying to give Inner City Press' long time shared office to an Egyptian state media, Akhbar Elyom, whose correspondent hasn't come close to meeting the three day a week requirement and never asks any questions. It rewards others like this, while retaliating against and trying to censor the critical Press.
This will be raised this week at the UN Human Rights Council; the UN in continued attempt to censorship has not responded to Inner City Press' formal requests submitted more than two week ago. Watch this site.
On June 8 Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric outright refused to provide a copy of, or any answer questions about, the "Handbook" the alleged violation of which the UN told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was the basis for evicting Inner City Press. Aide Memoire to SFRC here.
Before Inner City Press was even able to ask the question, Dujarric cut it off, and later disallowed an unrelated Press question about other UN corruption. Video here, transcripthere and below, with quotes from Ban Ki-moon later on June 8.