By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - UNanswered
UN GATE, March 10, Follow up to Exclusive – With the UN failing on Ukraine, with two resolution rejected in the UN Security Council now presided over by the UAE which abstained on both, and Secretary General Antonio Guterres who only got his two terms with the approval of Vladimir Putin and now sends as humanitarian envoy to Ukraine a crony Amin Awad who previously sold out the Tamils in Sri Lanka, now Guterres has moved to censoring UN staff.
His official(s) wrote to others, "Language elements: Some specific examples of language to use/not use at the moment: “conflict” or “military offensive” and NOT “war” or “invasion” when referring to the situation in Ukraine." While their in-house poodles deny it, it is out there. And Guterres continues to lie.
Inner City Press, banned from the UN by Guterres, was exclusively leaked and on March 4 published this, also from March 4, photo here:
Fri 3/4/2022 To: ALL UN Secretariat; Agencies, Funds and Programmes
Guidance to staff on personal communications about the situation in Ukraine
The crisis in Ukraine is deeply upsetting and a matter of grave concern to United Nations staff. The Secretary-General has also made the position of the Organization regarding the hostilities very clear. While it is understandable that many of us feel compelled to share views about the events that are unfolding, including in personal fora such as social media, staff are reminded of their rights and duties as international civil servants, which require us to act independently and impartially. Please take a moment to familiarize yourselves anew with the policies on the Status, basic rights and duties of United Nations staff members; outside activities; and the guidelines for the personal use of social media. Attention is also drawn to the “2022 Guidance on Political Activities” recently issued on iSeek by the UN Ethics Office.
"Accordingly, staff are asked to frame any communications on Ukraine as well as other political matters in a manner that is consistent with the position of the Organization and the statements of the Secretary-General."
But Guterres' Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric refused all questions about Ukraine from Inner City Press. Guterres' head of media accreditation Melissa Fleming has refused to even answer a letter from pro bono law firm Quinn Emanuel seeking a dialog on the re-entry of Inner City Press, which remained a resident correspondent even while critiquing Ban Ki-moon for failure in Sri Lanka.
On March 9, Dujarric, Fleming and Guterres refused to answer this written question: "Confirm or deny that the email obfuscated at the March 8 noon briefing Inner City Press is banned from, beyond the email each of you were asked about in writing on March 7, was by UNRIC's Sherri Aldis, and if not, by whom."
And yet, alongside refusing to answer Inner City Press ever, and Quinn Emanuel (see here) for months, Fleming publicly tweeted, "That email only went to about 25 staff."
Even by its own terms, WHICH staff? WHO sent it? Inner City Press has published on this (Sherri Aldis) but it is the UN which should be required to answer, as any other public institutions, even the dog catcher of a Midwestern town, would be required. Today's UN is lower that low.
Inner City Press on March 9 publicly asked Fleming, "Why did you and @UN_Spokesperson @StephDujarric refuse to answer questions emailed to you by Inner City Press about your Department's March 4 email ordering staff to only say what @AntonioGuterres says? Why no answer to Quinn Emanuel on banning Inner City Press?"
After no response from Fleming, Inner City Press on March 10 asked Dujarric and Guterres in writing. Nothing - the UN which should be required to answer, as any other public institutions, even the dog catcher of a Midwestern town, would be required. Today's UN is lower that low. Some UN staff are saying, #FireMelissaFleming. We'll have more on this.
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