By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Video Q&A
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
UN GATE, Sept 10 – Since August 3, Inner City Press has each week end asked UN Spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming about the UN's planned "honor system" UN General Assembly week, without vaccination required.
Now on September 10 in a "press" conference from which he banned Inner City Press, Guterres again promoted his no-vax UNGA week, while saying he'll inject money to the Taliban and dodge a question about the Burma Ambassador targeted for assassination as prosecuted in SDNY court Inner City Press covers while banned from the UN by Guterres.
Inner City Press live tweeted the press-less presser here:
Guterres just talked about his UN using new technology. But they got hacked, staff's information sold on the Dark Web, while his UN handed info on Uighur dissidents to China, won't answer Press about it.
Guterres name-checks discrimination. But he's firing even UN staffer working on the issue, won't answer Inner City Press' questions about petition(s) https://change.org/p/unsg-antonio-guterres-usg-smale-we-demand-the-un-restore-inner-city-press-access-to-the-un-as-a-resident-correspondent and (race)
Now on Afghanistan, UNSG Antonio Guterres says he'll find ways to "inject' money - he's an expert in that, hiding his link to UN briber CEFC China Energy, through Gulbenkian which paid him money they tried to sell its oil company to CEFC
Now Guterres says, Don't delay COP. He's inviting unvaccinated dictators to NYC Sept 21 - now says NYC gov will offer vaccinations on-site. But if they're two shot? No answer to Inner City Press' questions about this potential super-spread event.
Now UN Spokesperson Dujarric , who bans Inner City Press and refuses all of its written questions contrary to his own (worthless?) on camera promise to answer, give softball Q to Chinese state media
So Antonio Guterres has never heard of the (London based) Al Quds Al Arabi, to which UN Spokesperson Dujarric gives so many questions / statements - watch the video of current (Press-less) press conference
On Burma, UNSG Antonio Guterres is asked about the UN Ambassador who was targeted for assassination, as prosecuted here SDNY LIVE . He dodges and says it's up to the Credentials Committee.
And now it's over - no one allowed in asked UNSG Antonio Guterres about Cameroon, or Haiti, or retaliation against Emma Reilly, or why he omitted from his financial disclosure his link to UN briber CEFC China Energy.
This is censorship.
Late on August 27 Guterres issued a second internal memo which banned Inner City Press exclusively publishes here:
"From: United Nations Sent: Friday, August 27, 2021 4:33:10 PM To: Broadcast - UNHQ NY Secretariat Agencies, Funds and Programmes Subject: CORRECTION: Message from the Secretary-General to all personnel at UNHQ regarding arrangements for September 2021 | Communication du Secrétaire général adressée à l’ensemble du personnel du Siège de l’ONU concernant les modalités de travail pour septembre Dear New York-based Colleagues, I hope this message finds you and your loved ones well. Further to my previous communications, I would like to update you on the provisional working arrangements at United Nations Headquarters in New York from September 2021. As communicated in my letter of 3 June 2021, the United Nations Headquarters in New York, as of 6 July 2021, have been reopened fully for in-person business, and all UNHQ New York personnel are expected to be present and work from the duty station as of 1 September 2021. Given the COVID-19 conditions in New York, we will maintain our current posture. This means that, with the exception of the High-Level General Debate period, all UNHQ New York personnel are to continue to perform their functions on premises one or more days a week until further notice. For the High-Level General Debate period — 20 to 27 September 2021 (inclusive) — all UNHQ New York personnel who are not required to be on site to support the proceedings are mandated to work remotely under alternate working arrangements (AWA). For those who have been informed that they are required to be on site, specific information concerning the arrangements during this time will be communicated separately by the respective Heads of Departments and offices. The COVID-19 situation continues to be constantly monitored and measured to ensure a safe work environment for our personnel and delegates, and will be reviewed and adapted as needed. Guidance on the COVID-19 prevention measures announced in my broadcast message of 13 August 2021 (on mask-wearing, indoor dining, vaccination status reporting and mandatory vaccination) will be updated shortly. I also encourage staff who have not already done so to get vaccinated through the local vaccination programmes and report it through EarthMed."
Earth to Antonio: flying in unvaccinated delegations of dictatorships the UN supports, like in Cameroon, is contrary to New York City law - but Guterres asserts impunity, as on his ongoing ban on Inner City Press, not even answering the polite letter from the Quinn Emanuel law firm.
On August 9, journalist Benny Avni asked Dujarric about the letter, video here, transcript:
Question: My second question is the law firm ‑‑ what is it called? ‑‑ Quinn Emanuel wrote a letter to the UN asking about reinstatement of our colleague Matthew Lee into the UN press corps. Do you have any comment on that?
Spokesman: No. All I can tell you is that we've received the letter, and I'm not aware of any change to his status.
Question: You're not aware? I mean, aren't you part of the group that decides the fate of... or even the negotiations... The letter calls for renegotiation [Cross talk]
Spokesman: I decide the fate of no one. [Laughter] Trust me, trust me, my authority is extremely limited, whether at home or at work. What I can tell you and, joking aside, is that the letter has indeed been received, and I'm not aware of any... and there has been no change in Mr. Lee's status.
Question: Has the letter been answered? Do you plan to answer it?
Spokesman: It's been received. Whether or not it's been answered, I don't know yet.
The letter was received by the UN's Melissa Fleming, Maria Luiza Vioti and Tal Mekel and to each UNCA Executive Board member, to them citing UNCA's stated goals that it has a charter to supposedly uphold.
What's next? Since the letter, Inner City Press has published exclusive stories not only from the U.S. court systems but about the United Nations, including its agencies UNOPS, UNFPA, UNITAR and UNESCO. (Also credited in AP, Daily Mail, and Nigeria's Sahara Reporters, amid answers from the IMF.)
But none of its written questions have been answered by the UN Spokespeople, and it remains banned from entry to the UN's briefings. This must end.
Having asked for a colleagial discussion, and while still offering it, things must turn to the law. UNCA is a New York State non-profit which has not only not abided by its stated goals - it has tortiously interfered with a journalist's right to cover the United Nations. The United Nations itself propounds Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and has other legal duties that must be addressed by national courts, particularly in the UN's host country...
Those in receipt of the first, friendly letter: melissa.fleming@un.org, marialuiza.viotti@un.org, mekel@un.org, malu@un.org, and UNCA
Valeria Robecco, ANSA News Agency, Nabil Abi Saab, Al-Araby, Jianguo Ma, Xinhua News Agency, Edith Lederer, Associated, Giampaolo Pioli, Quotidiano, Linda Fasulo, Ibtisam Azem, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed Newspaper, Ali Barada, France 24, Asharq Al-Awsat; Oscar Bolanos, OMB News, Sherwin Bryce-Pease, SABC South Africa - Alexander Hassanein, The Tokyo Shimbun, Maria Khrenova, TASS, Philippe Rater, Agence France-Presse, Kaori Yoshida, Nikkei, Betul Yuruk, Anadolu Agency at president@unca.com, valeria.robecco@gmail.com, nabisaab@gmail.com, mjg222888@gmail.com, elederer@ap.org, giampioli@aol.com, lindafasulo@gmail.com, ibtisam.azem@alaraby.co.uk, abarada@hotmail.com, ombyvozque@gmail.com, s.brycepease@gmail.com, alexander@tokyoshimbun.us, khrenova_m@tass.ru, philippe.rater@afp.com, kaori.yoshida@nex.nikkei.com, byuruk@aa.com.tr
We'll have more on this. Watch this site.
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