US Budget Proposal Mixes UN Missions in Afghanistan & Libya, On Ebola, Inner City Press Asked State Department Why

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 2 --When the US proposed budget for its State Department was released on February 2, it included a $10 million increase in proposed funding for the UN regular budget. Under this, three UN missions -- for Afghanistan, Libya and Ebola response -- were combined together for a request of $42 million. Documenthere, at Page 43.

    On a background call, Inner City Press asked about this, including if the estimate for the UN Support Mission in Libya is impacted by that Mission hardly being present on the ground in the country anymore.

   A Senior State Department Official replied, focusing on Afghanistan, telling Inner City Press that, “we believe that the funding level is probably doing to stay constant over the FY 2016 period. The funding levels that we've got for the political missions are for six months assessment for Afghanistan. We believe that that funding level then will catch up the the second six money will catch up. So that you'll be seeing a lag on the overall payment there.”

   UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has made a range of claims about his budgets, the consistency with the US request we are still evaluating. For now, here is the State Department transcript:

OPERATOR: Thank you. That’s Matthew Russell Lee from Inner City Press. Please go ahead.

INNER CITY PRESS: Sure, thanks a lot. I was looking at the UN section of it – I think it’s around page 43 – and I just – I noticed that for the mission – special political missions in Afghanistan and Libya and also the mission on Ebola, they’re all kind of lumped together at $42 million. I mean, it may have something to do with the way the UN has funded them, but can you – is there any breakout of that, and particularly this – given that the UN mission in Libya is actually no longer present on the ground in the country, is that – do you expect that number to go up or go down?

SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL ONE: So we believe that that funding level is probably going to stay constant over the FY 2016 period. The funding levels that we’ve got for the political missions are for a six-month assessment for Afghanistan. And we believe that that funding level then will catch up the second six months, so you’ll be seeing a lag on the overall payment there.

  Other questioners on the embargoed call asked about the Green Climate Fund, Moldova and Georgia, migration and the so-called Cromnibus or Continuing Resolution / Omnibus, which has provisions impacting funding to the UN based on protecting whistleblowers (dubious) andcombating sexual exploitation and abuse (same), as well as on funding to the Palestinian Authority. We are digging into each of these. Watch this site.

    

Gaza Ceasefire Over, EU 3 Bypass Jordan Draft, US Says It Depends

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 21, more here -- After the most recent Gaza ceasefire ended, on August 20 the UN Security Council's members agreed to "elements to the press," which UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant read-out at 6 pm, here.

   Inner City Press asked Lyall Grant, what about the pending draft resolution? He said there was a need to respond quickly to the breakdown of the ceasefire, but "there is a second stage." He mentioned the Jordanian draft and some "other ideas" which he said were discussed at the Council's lunch with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon earlier in the day.

   Now on August 21 the UK, France and Germany  has circulated their "Elements," including returning Gaza to the Palestinian Authority and ending the blockade "taking into account the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access." At the US State Department briefing on August 21, deputy spokesperson Marie Harf was asked if the US would support a resolution. It depends what it looks like, she said. With the "Elements" now circulated, what next?

  On August 21, Inner City Press asked the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine Riyad Mansour why the Jordanian draft was not put to a vote. He said that some members wanted to wait and see what happens in Cairo. Afterward the Permanent Representative of a major Muslim country came and told Inner City Press of growing frustration at the Security Council's process - and at the Secretary General.

 France's AFP, purporting an info-graphic of journalists killed last year, listed four as killed "in Gaza." Since all other listed jurisdiction are full UN member states, some surmised AFP's nomenclature let off the hook the killer of those journalists. Despite calling it social media, hours later AFP has not responded.

Watch this site.

   

On Gaza, IMF Tells Inner City Press That Palestinian Authority Finances Need Help, Israel GDP Down 0.2%, Impact Felt in South

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 24 -- With no ceasefire yet in Gaza, Inner City Press on July 24 asked the International Monetary Fund for its estimate of the economic impact of the conflict in both Gaza and Israel, including specifically with the FAA and now Delta and other airlines' decisions on access to Ben Gurion Airport.

  IMF Deputy Spokesperson William Murray read out Inner City Press' Gaza question (and others from Inner City Press on Ukraine and Liberia) at the IMF's embargoed briefing on July 24. On Gaza, the IMF's Murray answered Inner City Press:

“With the conflict ongoing, it is too soon to make an accurate assessment of the impact, which will depend on the conflict's duration. Post-conflict reconstruction poses risk to Palestinian Authority finances absent additional donor financing. The Palestinian Authority does not have fiscal room to take on this additional burden.”

  On Israel, after noting that he saw news of renewed access to Ben Gurion Airport, Murray answered Inner City Press:

“As for Israel, Israel financial market have remained stable, with shekel steadily appreciating, the Tel Aviv 100 has been little changed in past two weeks. The cost of the conflict of past two weeks, point two percent of GDP... The impact on economic activity, tourism and SMEs in southern Israel has already been felt. A further deceleration of GDP growth could be likely in third quarter. Once conflict ends we expect growth in Israel to rebound relative quickly.”

A tale of two economies, you might call it. Murray added that the IMF Executive Board will be off from August 4 to 15, and that the IMF's next briefing will be on August 28. Watch this site.