On Haiti Cholera, UN Envoy Sandra Honore Defers to UN Legal Division, Patricia O'Brien Still Around

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 28 -- When the UN's new envoy to Haiti Sandra Honore came to take questions on Wednesday, there was an obvious one to be asked. 

  Inner City Press asked her about the UN's dismissal of claims it brought cholera to Haiti and whether this undermined the UN's credibility in the country (and elsewhere). Video here, from Minute 0:33.

  Sandra Honore was prepared, rattled off statistics about the country's three year need for $443 million, 47% of which has been pledged, but then added that she was not in the position to add more, that the issue is being dealt with in the Legal Division at UN Headquarters and that it is not the practice of the UN to discuss in public such claims.

Yes, this undermines the UN's credibility. The UN preaches about accountability, and transparency. Then when accused of bringing in a disease, negligently, which has killed over 8,000 people, the UN said it cannot discuss the claims in public.

  Since the Office of Legal Affairs has already dismissed the claims, to say they are being dealt with there might imply the UN knows it is going to be sued. What will new OLA chief from Portugal do? What will he say? 

  Sources in OLA tell Inner City Press he is taking on many staff from his predecessor Patricia O'Brien. There's talk of a less than transparent extension for Ms. O'Brien, who most thought had left, and some last minute deals. We'll have more on this.

  Inner City Press also asked Sandra Honore about the delay, after she was nominated, in being accepted as UN Envoy by the Martelly government. In responding Sandra Honore took the high road, saying she began on July 15 and has been working hard.

  In terms of process, there may be hard work in UN Headquarters but the audio quality and volume of questions asked at the UN Security Council, even with a boom microphone, was sub-standard, not only for Inner City Press but for the other journalist who asked questions. 

 The Free UN Coalition for Access, @FUNCA_info, has asked the question "why" to the UN official in charge, Stephane Dujarric, to UN TV and to Team People, the low-bidding UN contractor. So far, no response. Ah, accountability. Watch this site.

   

In UNSC, Disputes on ICTY on Day of Egypt Crackdown, UN Dysfunction

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 14 -- As news of Egypt's deadly break-up of the Muslim Brotherhood's camps spread around the world on Wednesday, the UN Security Council called close door meeting for 4 pm. 

  Some thought the topic must be Egypt. But no: along with a press statement on Central African Republic and a discussion of the dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria about the Bakassi Peninsula, there was a third topic that led to discord, sources told Inner City Press.

  Long after the other Security Council members and what media had come had gone, it was explained to Inner City Press that the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia had been discussed. Inner City Press asked: was it the letter of the Danish judge? Click here to view.

  No. There is a need for the UN General Assembly to elect another judge for the ICTY, and the Security Council is supposed to put forward three candidates. But there was no agreement, and some were calling for a vote.

  Other, citing the Security Council's failure to agree on "other pressing topics," urged that "good offices" be used to search for a compromise and consensus on the matter of the ICTY judge.

  It was pointed out that this month's Security Council president, Argentina, has said that ouster of Morsi was a coup. Why not then at least call a Security Council meeting?

  UN envoys are at cross purpose. Tony "This Gun For Hire" Blair wrote that the ouster of Morsi could be a good thing; Tawakkol Karman flew to Cairo to try to join Morsi's supporters but was turned back.

  When Inner City Press asked to see if Ban Ki-moon had any comment on the banning of Tawakkol Karman, whom Ban named to a UN panel, the answer was that she traveled in her personal capacity, not for the UN. Clearly. And so it goes at this UN.

  At the US State Department in Washington, spokesperson Jen Psaki was asked if the US would ask the Security Council to consider events in Egypt. She said she would check.

  Before learning all this, as other Ambassadors left, one Permanent Representative told Inner City Press that no, Egypt has not been mentioned, "but it was in all our minds." Well there's that. Watch this site.

Footnote: There was only a press statement and not a resolution on the Central African Republic -- the pen holder, France, has its Ambassadors on vacation. Video of the two 1:30 pm question and answer stakeouts on CAR, by the UN's Valerie Amos and envoy Babacar Gaye, were still not online on the UN's website at 8 pm. 

  Despite three rounds of questions by the Free UN Coalition for Access to UNTV, its supervisor Stephane Dujarric and finally contractor Team People, no explanation was given. We'll have more on this.