by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
UN GATE, May 21 – On World Press Freedom Day, the United Nations of Antonio Guterres was more hypocritical than usual, see below.
And later in the month at the G7 in Hiroshima, Guterres got the craven questions he manipulates his press corpse for, from Al Jazeera (his partner) and others, like this: "Thank you very much for your time today and for making time for this news conference. You have very strong words for the current global institutions right now, calling them outdated and unfair... A: So, the G7 is a voluntary association. It is not an institution that is the defined by international law. The G7 as a voluntary association is free to do whatever its members decide." Yeah, whatever.
While UN Global Communications chief Melissa Fleming put out a video of Guterres equating what he (and she) characterize as disinformation as the threat to press freedom, Guterres has banned Inner City Press from entering the UN since 2018, when it exposed the omission of links to bribery firm CEFC China Energy from his financial disclosure.
Law firm Quinn Emanuel, on a pro bono basis, wrote to Fleming and the UN Correspondents Association (with state media of China on its board of directors) seeking a dialogue to reinstate Inner City Press.
There has been no answer, nor to an appeal to Guterres head of security Gilles Michaud.
UNCA invited its scribes to the German Mission; Inner City Press, forwarded the invite by a disgruntedly UNCA member, RSVPed - with no response at all, even as Germany prepares to pull out of the UN's Mali Mission: "UNCA is extending an invitation to a press briefing with German Deputy Foreign Minister, State Minister Ms. Anna LUEHRMANN (CV) – off the record. Time: Wednesday, 3 May 2023, 9 a.m. EDT (to 9.45 a.m.) Place: German House NY, 871 Un Plaza Please register online! https://forms.gle/xXLmjwmfebaKtaxs8 Topics: World Press Freedom Day, esp. new global programme for the protection of journalists “Hannah Arendt Inititaive”, Climate Action Policies, Peacebuilding activites. Ms. LUEHMANN will hold a keynote at the UN / UNESCO #WPFD event on 2 May p.m. in UNGA Hall. She will speak at the #WPFD side event in the German House on 3 May, 10 a.m. – 11.30 a.m., “Displaced media workers on the frontline eof Human Rights’ Defense”, Programme see attached. YOU ARE INVITED TO ATTEND! OPEN TO THE PRESS! Kindly register online here. She will speak in the UNSC Open Debate on 3 May (“Sustaining Peace” Agenda)." That's by Switzerland. Pure fraud.
Still, ill-informed media run the Guterres video without commentary. Disinformation, indeed.
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