By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Video Q&A
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - SDNY/FOIA
UN GATE, Sept 25 – Each day, the current United Nations less accountable. And Inner City Press, banned now for the 1281st day by Secretary General Antonio Guterres continues to report on it, on August 16 publishing a UN internal memo about moving international staff to Kazakhstan. On August 16, 17 and 18 it in writing asking Guterres and his UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming about it - no answer. And no one they let in ask, or seeming had the memo, below.
Inner City Press has also repeatedly asked Guterres and his deputy Amina J. Mohammed about Nigeria's treatment of Igboho and Kanu - no answer. Now on September 25, DSG Amina Mohammed has bragged about meeting UK Royals Harry and Meghan: "The Deputy Secretary-General today met with Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The Deputy Secretary-General welcomed the commitment of the Duke and the Duchess as well as their work towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The Deputy Secretary-General affirmed support for shared priorities around climate action, women’s economic empowerment, youth engagement and mental wellbeing." While she censors.
On September 24, this: "The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Secretary-General expressed appreciation for the excellent cooperation between Nigeria and the United Nations and welcomed Nigeria’s constructive role and leadership in the region. The Secretary-General reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to continue supporting Nigeria in its efforts to address prevailing security and humanitarian challenges, consolidate peace and stability in the country and the sub-region, and promote sustainable development. New York, 24 September 2021." Corrupt.
On September 18, in violation of NYC COVID law and of basic free press principles, this: "Dear colleagues, MALU has just informed us that there will be a stakeout on Monday, September 20th at 11:40 am with the Secretary-General and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Boris Johnson, following the Informal Leaders Roundtable on Climate Action. A limited number of only five (5) RESIDENT mediaThank you for your attention and cooperation. Valeria Robecco President, United Nations Correspondents Association."
Note: The UK Mission to the UN refuses Press questions, including about its failure on its failures in its former colony Southern British Cameroons (Ambazonia).
The UN has neither responded to or offered any explanation when a lawyer's letter - to UN official Fleming, and Tal Mekel, and to each UNCA Executive Committee member - urged them to have a dialogue about ending the UN's banning and censorship of Inner City Press.
On August 9, an independent (minded) journalist asked Dujarric about the letter, video here,
Spokesman: 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 all this. Watch this site.
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