After Heat in UN Human Rights Third Committee, USUN Canapes Have Palestine and Eritrea, Not Syria

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, October 18 -- This is the season of the UN committee, and in the Third (Human Rights) Committee on Thursday evening things came to a head.

 The representative of Syria said children in her country are being hurt by sanctions, depriving them of vaccinations. She said that a previous US speech should have admitted the abuses committed by the anti-Assad armed groups.

  The US did not reply, but Israel did, calling Syria's response absurd and also denouncing the Palestinian observer mission's speech, replying that Hamas blocks UNRWA schools from teaching the Holocaust.

  Palestine exercised its right of reply, emphasizing Israel's 2200 calorie count for the Gaza blockade.

 

Ironically, scheduled to start at 6 pm was the US Mission to the UN's annual reception for the Third Committee. The food there was fine -- chicken on skewers, vegetable dip and cheese cubes -- but what Inner City Press wanted to see was if Syria was present.

 

This did not appear to be the case, and it was explained to Inner City Press that the US does not invite countries with which it does not have relations and that the US pulled out of Damascus and so "that's it." Eritrea, another US target, was at the reception; Palestine's Observer Riyad Mansour greeted Inner City Press on his way out.

 

In the reception room facing the UN and East River, talk turned to when Palestine will apply to the General Assembly for observer state status. "November after the election, either way the voting goes," it was said. A pro-Israel source noted that Tel Aviv released money to the Palestinian Authority this week, without fanfare. This was not heard in the Third Committee, but that's not what the committee is for.

 

Sudan spoke there, stating that the SPML-North recruits child soldiers. Chile's Permanent Representative sung his country's praises. Soon there will be a resolution introduced on Syria. Meanwhile Syria on Thursday prepared a submission to the Security Council.

 

One block north at the farewell for Turkey's Permanent Representative Apakan, he was appropriately called a humble ambassador. As Inner City Press left, with North Korea's Perm Rep, UN official Kim Won-soo, sometimes called "Ban's Brain," spotted him and spun 360 degrees in the Turkish mission's revolving door to speak with him out on the sidewalk. It's a Peninsula thing. Watch this site.

In UN Middle East Debate, Feltman on Palestine Status, Syria on Mali, of Post-Nobel EU

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 15, updated -- Day long UN Security Council debates on the Middle East happen every three months now. Still half way through Monday's debate a Permanent Representative complained to Inner City Press, "there's nothing new this time!"

  But around the edges there were some differences, inevitably. The European Union's Nobel Peace Prize, for example, was raised by Bangladesh's Permanent Representative Monem, who said that after the prize the EU bears more responsibility for peace in the Middle East.

  This apparently had an impact, at least in the Security Council. After Sri Lanka Permanent Representative Palitha Kohona finished, the Council Presidency said thank you to "the Permanent Representative of Bangladesh," and then corrected.

  Pakistan's new Permanent Representative Masood Khan said that Palestine should retain its primacy in these UN debates and not be sidelined. The next speaker, Gerard Araud of France, began "First, Syria."

  Syria's Permanent Representative Bashar Ja'afari ended the morning session with a flourish, accusing the Council of double standards in acting against terrorists in Mali, but for them in Syria. But the Council is not really acting on the take-over of north Mali, anyway, at least not yet.

  Under Secretary General Jeffrey Feltman began the morning saying, among other things, that with Palestine asking for Observer State status and Israel opposed, the issue should be dealt with "constructively."

  Inner City Press went to the noon briefing and asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky to unpack this: is it entirely up to member states, as Team Ban has said on other things, or does the Secretariat disfavor Palestine's proposed upgrade in status? 

 Nesirky acknowledged that it is up to member states. One continues to wonder about the word "constructive," then.

  Egypt's Permanent Representative Mootaz Ahmadein Khalil went though six points -- the sixth was about Syria -- and said "we expect the General Assembly to adopt a resolution during its current session to upgrade the status of Palestine to become a 'non-member observer state,' as a first step towards reaching full membership."

   Palestine's Riyad Mansour said the request for status upgrade will be made "as soon as possible;" on Friday, a diplomat in the UN's North Lawn building said that will be in later November, "after the US elections."

   Israel's Ron Prosor called for "constructive solutions, not destructive resolutions." Neither spoke before UN Television at the stakeout.

   Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative called on the "Finnish facilitator" to hurry and send out invitations for the prospective Nuclear Free Middle East conference, so it can happen this year. 

  (After his speech, he told Inner City Press that there are issues about both Israel and Iran, but the the Finnish facilitator should just send out the invitations, it is already late.)

One wondered if the nationality of the facilitator, and now doubts about the conference, might have any impact on Thursday's Security Council elections, in which Finland vies with Luxembourg and Australia for two two-year seats.

Australia's Permanent Representative arrived to speak at 5 pm, when the above was published. He was the only one of these three contestants on the speakers list. Turkey's outgoing Permanent Representative Apakan also arrived. 

Update: Turkey's Apakan cited, among other things, the Russell Tribunal on Palestine. After their session in New York earlier this month, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky for comment or response, but there was none.

  Before Turkey's Apakan spoke, Pakistan's new Permanent Representative Masood Khan returned to the Security Council chamber. The explanation given to Inner City Press was "Pakistani - Turkish cooperation." Another delegation explained it goes back at least to the 1950s... Watch this site.

After Bomb and Call to Ban Ki-moon, Turkey Visits Security Council, "Shell Related"

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, October 3, updated -- Turkey wasted no time. Right after a shell landed on the Turkish side of the country's border with Syria, foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu called UN Secretary General and his envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi.

Then at 1 pm on Wednesday Inner City Press exclusively witnessed Turkey's Permanent Representative to the UN Apakan and four other members of the Turkish mission walk into the Security Council. In the chamber there was an open debate on Haiti, but they did not turn that way.

When they emerged, Inner City Press asked Ambassador Apakan if his visit had been "Haiti related or shell related?"

"Shell related," he exclusively told Inner City Press. One assumes for now that a letter was delivered, or meeting held with this month's Council president, Guatemala. Watch this site.

Update of 1:45 pm - Inner City Press asked Security Council president Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala about Turkish Ambassador Apakan's visit and comment to the Press. Yes, Rosenthal said, Ambassador Apakan met with him, about the Akcakale "incident" there might a communication (that is, at least initially, a letter from Turkey) later in the day. Watch this site.