As UN's Valerie Amos Leaves, Last King of Scotland in Club Valerie, Aid in Evolution: Inner City Press Review

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 14 -- When it emerged thatValerie Amos was leaving the UN and her post as Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, the focus turned to who would replace her: David Cameron's first choice Andrew Lansley, or one of Cameron's two second choices, Caroline Spellman or Stephen O'Brien, would get the (UK) post. 

  The shift in interest wasn't entirely fair to Amos, who while sometimes reliably following the line of her country, which has now held the OCHA post three times in a row, also showed independence, most recently by chiding if only implicitly Saudi Arabia for trying to politicize aid to Yemen, which it has bombed.

  But that was made up for on May 14, when a large area outside the General Assembly on the UN's third floor became "Club Valerie," complete with a jazz band, Beyonce by video and Forest Whitaker in the flesh.

  This last was a propos -- one of the speeches said that Amos had toured with Idi Amin, who Whitaker played in "The Last King of Scotland." 

 The first speech was by UNICEF's Tony Lake, relaying Amos' love of the Tottenham Spurs (while offering her a jersey of F.C. Barcelona, with its UNICEF logo.)

 Then came Ban Ki-moon; his security detail hushed the crowd while he spoke. He said he hope the journalists present would also come to his farewell  - then conflated all of them with the increasingly divisive and discredited UNCA, now known as the UN's Censorship Alliance, including on one of Ban's low points, Sri Lanka.

  Kung-hwa Kang recounted a story of Lee Kwan Yew of Singapore, coming back to set things straight, adding that she doubts Amos will do that, instead looking forward.  She declared this the biggest party in New York City in the year 2015 so far.

  Amos herself spoke movingly, recounting a story of trying to get into Homs in Syria, generously shouting out her Syria Humanitarian Coordinator who was present, adding that she wished her parents had been alive to see her get the OCHA post.

  Amos' niece, who had introduced the speakers, added details about Aunt Val, calling her an idol growing up, like a mother. She screened a re-make of Beyonce's "I was here " video, turned into "Valerie Was Here with footage of Amos in Pakistan, Jordan and in North Korea, with Ban's adviser - now on disarmament - Kim Won-soo. The video cut off, and acting moved into what has been known as the Ex-Press Bar but should perhaps be renamed, at least for some time, Club Valerie.

  But was Amos' successor Stephen O'Brien present?

  Inner City Press was first to report Cameron's begrudging submission of the alternate candidacies of Spellman and O'Brien, and the victory of O'Brien, as credited in the Telegraph, UK Channel 4 and IRIN (which was spun off from OCHA under Amos' watch). 

  Inner City Press offers this admitted partial recap:

   After taking over the OCHA post in 2010, following fellow Brit John Holmes (he of passionate ambivalence about the Tamil Bloodbath on the Beach in Sri Lanka), Amos started quietly. In 2011 when Tony Blair visited the UN, it was by her side. But she branched out: for example into Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan in Sudan, on which she always to her credit took questions.

  On Syria, Amos was unwilling ever before ISIS' takeover in Iraq to talk about OCHA operation in Raqaa; she did however get into specifics on aid workers killed and kidnapped.

   In 2014, she told Inner City Press she was disappointed by MSF's criticism of the UN in Central African Republic. But given that in 2015 it is revealed that the UN system -- not OCHA -- helped cover up rapes of children in CAR by the French Sangaris forces, and that Amos' fellow USG Herve Ladsous pushed to get the whistleblower who revealed this fired, according to a UN Dispute Tribunal rule not contested by OHCHR (only Ladsous denies it), we'd bet MSF was right.

  This is the balance, this is the dance: the MSFs and Aids-Free Worlds of the world tell the truth, and the range of UN USGs push back, some as colleagues, others like Ladsous as unaccountable drone. 

  Amos was and is no drone, that we can say. We wish her well in future endeavors. We will have more on this.

   

As DJ David Guetta Projects Video on UN, Will Glitz Pay Off for Philippines?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 22-- Friday night a dozen floors of the UN's headquarters were blacked out so a music video by DJ David Guetta could be projected. 

   It urged viewer to tweet what the world needs more of. We say: #Accountability for #Haiti #cholera, #SriLanka,#Minova rapes by #DRC Army. We'll see.

  Before the screening there was an extended photo op in front of the Dag Hammarskjold Library. Guetta was there, solo (here) and with the UN's Valerie Amos (here) and then Ban Ki-moon (UN sure to publicize.)

   Other bold face names, at least to some, came through; sometimes the photographers whispered, who is that?

  Outside looking up at the UN building, some found the video too short, the music not loud enough. You can't please all the people all the time. The statement by Valerie Amos in the UN Press Briefing Room that this would help victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines will be a measure. But where will the UN report?

  Back on November 12, Inner City Press first reported that D.J. David Guetta was in the house, the Glass House of the UN, wearing a hard hat and orange construction vest as the UN Capital Master Plan showed him around. Tweeted photo here.

At the time, Inner City Press asked what Guetta was doing in the UN. He's here to help, was the answer.

   They built a white tent and set up the lights; those leaving the UN on Thursday night -- including UN Peacekeeping deputy Edmond Mulet -- were diverted to leave another way, to make way for the tent and lights.

  Previously, Beyonce premiered a video in the now-closed General Assembly hall. (Her entourage demanded the deletion of photographs, which the Free UN Coalition for Access protested.)

  Ali G, UNauthorized, filmed in the Security Council, with a tour guide who later moonlighted as Albania's information minister.

  When the UN brings in, or allows in, pop figures one is left wondering for example: do they know the UN brought cholera to Haiti and now refuses to even accept court papers about it? Linkin Park, it seems, didn't. Will David Guetta? Would, for example, New York-based DJ Tim Sweeney of Beats in Space? Who should DJ at the UN? 

 On Friday morning, the lights were covered with sheet plastic amid drizzle. Inner City Press tweeted photo here. Is it on, rain or shine? The UN's Media Alert lists a "red carpet" at 7:30 pm....

  The carpet was black, and the screening didn't happen until 8:10 pm. Beyond that, we'll see.

   

DJ Guetta Set to Project on UN Building, Through a Glass (House) Darkly

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 21 -- On November 12, Inner City Press first reported that D.J. David Guetta was in the house, the Glass House of the UN, wearing a hard hat and orange construction vest as the UN Capital Master Plan showed him around. Tweeted photo here.

At the time, Inner City Press asked what Guetta was doing in the UN. He's here to help, was the answer.

Now Inner City Press can report that the help involve projecting lights and images on the front of the UN building tomorrow night. They've built a white tent and set up the lights; those leaving the UN on Thursday night -- including UN Peacekeeping deputy Edmond Mulet -- were diverted to leave another way, to make way for the tent and lights.

It remains to be seen what the benefit to the UN will be. Previously, Beyonce premiered a video in the now-closed General Assembly hall. (Her entourage demanded the deletion of photographs, which the Free UN Coalition for Access protested.)

  Ali G, UNauthorized, filmed in the Security Council, with a tour guide who later moonlighted as Albania's information minister.

But to project lights on the front of the UN? This we gotta see. And we will. 

  When the UN brings in, or allows in, pop figures one is left wondering for example: do they know the UN brought cholera to Haiti and now refuses to even accept court papers about it? Linkin Park, it seems, didn't. Will David Guetta? Would, for example, New York-based DJ Tim Sweeney of Beats in Space? Who should DJ at the UN? Watch this site.

   

As Photos Erased in Myanmar, Nambiar Checking, Happened in UN, Censorship

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 26 -- While extremist Buddhist monks were burning a mosque in Meikhtila in central Myanmar, journalists seeking to document it were attacked, cameras taken, memory cards destroyed.

  On Tuesday when UN envoy Vijay Nambiar called in from Thailand, Inner City Press asked him about the attacks, and what if anything the UN is doing to collect evidence.

  Nambiar replied, “we had heard about this, we are in process of checking” what he called “efforts to forcibly prevent journalists from reporting.” Video here from Minute 11:40.

  Right in the UN in New York, we've noted, photographers were ordered to remove and erase their memory cards, admittedly only of Beyonce and not the burning of a mosque.

  But thus is the UN corrupted -- despite the photo deletion issue being twice raised, the only response has been to whisper to the UN's cafeteria contractor Aramark, which had nothing to do with the incident. Click here.

  Of the UN, Nambiar said it is “difficult for us to collect evidence, we need cooperation from civil society and other elements.”

  Further passing the buck, he added that “in coming weeks more outsiders, including members of the diplomatic community will be in a position to visit and collect information.”

  There are a number of misunderstandings about the killings, now numbering at least 40, in central Myanmar. The UN-selected first question for Nambiar, taken by the UN Correspondents Association in that name, conflated this with the violence against the Rohingya. Video here, from Minute 6:10.

When Inner City Press was called on it thanked Nambiar on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access, because UNCA had first thrust itself forward.

  Ironically, given the Myanmar press censorship question raised, UNCA itself has become known at the UN's Censorship Alliance, tearing down FUNCA flyers and most recently having its president Pamela Falk take photographs of the UN's March 18 raid on Inner City Press' office.

  Falk then made a legal threat, from her CBSNews.com e-mail address, to not dare even question why she took the photographs, despite photos from the raid showing up in BuzzFeed on March 22 and the UN denying these were “their” pictures.

  While the UN, given immunity, is more lawless than Myanmar, on the bright side in the US while a person or company like CBS can make all the legal threats it wants, it is dubious to claim “false light” defamation for asking question about a public figure. But hey, they don't call it the UN's Censorship Alliance for nothing.

Footnote: Nambiar, when he was Ban Ki-moon's chief of staff, in Sri Lanka ran into problems of evidence collection, to put it diplomatically. Now with anti-Press moves at the UN, one wonders, and hopes to find out, the views of his successor. Watch this site.

As UN Denied Haiti Cholera, It Ignores Questions of Censorship, Ladsous Abuse

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 16 -- This UN thinks it can simply ignore or dismiss questions that are raised.

  In the big picture, there's the UN saying nothing for 15 months about the legal complaint that it brought cholera to Haiti, killing at least 5,000 people so far. 

  Then after 15 months, the UN tersely said the claims were “not receivable.”

  Since then Inner City Press has asked a half dozen times for the legal reasoning or basis of the ruling. But the UN has refused to answer.

  In the smaller picture, Inner City Press for the Free UN Coalition for Access posed nine questions or issues to the chief of the Department of Public Information. 

  Several had to do with the non-responses and insufficient responses of his subordinate, Media Acceditation and UNTV boss Stephane Dujarric.

  But all nine issues were re-referred to Dujarric. Of the nine issues, Dujarric denied two, dodged two, deferred on two and entirely ignored three others. 

  Welcome to the UN.

  FUNCA asked, as the New York Civil Liberties Union did on July 5, 2012, that the UN state or adopt due process rules for journalists. Dujarric, like the chief of DPI to whom the NYCLU wrote, ignored the request.

  For Dujarric, this may be understandable, since of his ownproved-false February 27 complained, he after 18 days of silence said “the letter stands.” Is that like, “not receivable”? It is unacceptable.

  Inner City Press reported that photographs taken of a visiting UN “partner,” Beyonce, were ordered to be deleted inside the UN's own Studio H. Dujarric response was to quietly raise the issue with Aramark, which is the UN's cafeteria contractor. 

  This does not address the forced deletion of photos in the UN's Studio H, but Dujarric insists, falsely, that the issue raised by FUNCA has been addressed.

  Likewise after UN Peacekeeping boss Herve Ladsous had his spokesman seize the UNTV microphone on December 18 (video) to try to avoid an Inner City Press question about the 126 rapes in Minova by the Congolese Army Ladsous partners with, all Dujarric did was speak quietly to the spokesman.

  Now on March 15 Dujarric writes on “the issue of the handling of the microphone by one of the DPKO spokespeople. As I told you, it was an honest mistake and he has been told not to do it again (and has not).”

  What has happened, among other things, is the Greek foreign minster's entourage telling UNTV to stop recording and telling journalists not to take photos at the stakeout. DPI has refused to answer on this issue, raised by FUNCA on February 22 and since.

  As to Ladsous, his DPKO on March 7 gave a half-answer to friendly scribes other than Inner City Press to a question Inner City Press repeatedly asked Ladsous, and put to Ban Ki-moon on March 5, about the Minova rapes.
Here's #LADSOUS2013 short films 1, 2 (financial), 3 (Too Late)

  Inner City Press has asked the chief of DPI “to be informed if it is DPI's role, or whose role it is, to ensure that such mis-direction and favoritism in the provision of information and answers by the UN does not continue.”

  The chief of DPI referred the question to Dujarric, who answered: “Regarding your concern about wanting more information about UN activities, as you know, this department has made a sustained effort to increase the number of briefings by senior UN officials from both headquarters and the field.”

  While some of the referenced "brown bag" sessions are appreciated, this does not respond to what Ladsous has done. When Inner City Press verbally expressed its opinion,Tim Witcher of AFP hissed “lies and distortions,” and Inner City Press replied, “Lapdog.” 

  Now Inner City Press is being asked to respond to a complaint filed by Witcher and Michele Nichols of Reuters,no copy or even summary of which has been provided to Inner City Press.

 On this, Dujarric wrote back at 5 am Saturday New York time, from his “Roman Tablet” no less, to say the DPI has “yet to receive the complaints from DSS,” the Department of Safety and Security.

  So what ARE the rules? Inner City Press for FUNCA replied -- from its Russian Pancake, as the saying goes -- but that's for a forthcoming story: the pall cast on freedom of the press by all this will be energetically opposed. Watch this site.

Press Unprotected at UN, Some in DPI Whisper to Wrong Party, Ignore Beyonce's Deletes

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 11 -- When photographers at the UN are ordered to delete photographs they have taken, and others are told they can't take pictures in public areas, what does the UN do?

  It whispers only to its cafeteria contractor Aramark, while ignoring private security and worse, the forced deletion of photographs.

  On March 7 Inner City Press witnessed and exclusively reported that a bodyguard for Salma Hayek ordered a long time photographer at the UN, co-founder of the Free UN Coalition for Access, not to take any photographs. 

  Inner City Press also learned and reported when Beyonce came to the UN, during a session a range of people including UN Photo took photographs. Then they were ordered by Beyonce's private security to erase the pictures from their memory cards. One of them asked, “What is this, North Korea?”

  The time and place for photographs are the UN is supposed to be governed by rules by the UN Department of Public Information (DPI).  Since its founding on December 7, 2012, this is the type of issue that FUNCA advocates on, to improve access at the UN, and the UN itself, if possible.

  But in a February 27 letter he has yet to explain, DPI's Stephane Dujarric said because of Inner City Press' reporting on an on-the-record meeting involving the UN Correspondents Association, "we question your ability to work together on solving substantive questions."

  Dujarric's complaint was false -- Inner City Press said loudly, “you are on the record” (audio here); another attendee of the meeting has informed Dujarric that it was clear the meeting was being taped. But no response from Dujarric.

   So FUNCA did not and will not raise the issue to Dujarric, at least until his false February 27 letter is explained and acted on.

  Dujarric, however, upon reading the Inner City Press story repeatedly telephoned the photographer, indicating that the photographer should come directly to him with problems,not through FUNCA, and not publicize the press access issues.

  Remember, this is called the Department of PUBLIC Information. 

   FUNCA then sent the issue to the head of DPI, adding to the pending 10 reforms it submitted on February 10, stating

"FUNCA's request is that this be addressed formally, and publicly. Private security who come into the UN should be told what the rules are, what journalists' and photographers' rights are.

"Dealing with these issues privately, as with the communication to USG Ladsous' spokesman, or (if it has happened) to the Greek mission is not what FUNCA is requesting. Also, in light of the February 27 letter I complained about to DPI including to you, this is to reiterate that FUNCA is an organization raising these issues, which should be addressed publicly as issues raised by an organization."

  

The response came from, guess who, Dujarric. He stated:

"after you reading your post, I spoke Luiz over the weekend (or Friday) to find out more details about the incident. He gave me the details. I will be writing to Aramark to ensure that they remind any outside organizers of events at the UN that the public area of the grounds are exactly that -- a public area -- and that guests need to respect our rules to allow UN accredited press to do its job."

  But that is not enough. It does not address the order to delete photographs. In any event, Aramark is the UN's cafeteria contractor. It does not appear to be the way to reach the private security who come into the UN.

 Simultaneous with this too-limited and buck-passing response, UNCA "leader" Tim Witcher of Agence France Presse and Reuters' correspondent filed a frivolous and pre-textual complaint against Inner City Press with UN Security.

  The complaint - a copy of which has yet to be shown to Inner City Press, but which has been requested - appears to be based on an entirely verbal disagreement on March 8. 

  After more mis-direction by UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, Inner City Press critiqued the pass-through coverage. Witcher hissed about "lies and distortions" and Inner City Press said "lapdog."

  Ironically, things shouted at Inner City Press by UNCA president Pamela Falk in front of Dujarric at the February 22 meeting he then chided Inner City Press for reporting on were significantly more insulting.

  But Inner City Press filed no complaint, and Dujarric and DPI did not admonish Falk in any way. So are there two standards? More to the point, what are the rules? Are there rules about frivolous and pre-textual complaints? Watch this site. 

Press Unprotected at UN, As Salma Hayek Guard Bans Photos, Beyonce's Deletes

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 7 -- When photographers at the UN are ordered to delete photographs they have taken, and others are told they can't take pictures in public areas, what has the UN become?

  On Thursday Inner City Press witnessed a bodyguard for Salma Hayek order a long time photographer at the UN, co-founder of the Free UN Coalition for Access, not to take any photographs. (Hayek was at the UN for a corporate event sponsored by Avon -- to which a major wire service photojournalist was told, you cannot come, you are not on the list.)

   The time and place for photographs are the UN is supposed to be governed by rules by the UN Department of Public Information (DPI). But as Inner City Press hasreported and shown, the head of UN Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous on December 18 had his spokesman grab a UNTV microphone to keep it away from Inner City Press, on questions about rapes in Minova by his partners in the Congolese Army.

   When Greece's foreign minister took questions at the Security Council stakeout in February, his entourage ordered UNTV to stop recording, and even ordered a UN accredited journalist not to take photographs at the stakeout.

  Inner City Press and FUNCA raised this to DPI at a meeting on February 22. So far, the only written follow up to the meeting from DPI has been a letter from Media Accreditation boss Stephane Dujarric, claiming that “it was clearly understood by all sides that there would be no reporting or recording of the meeting.”

  This is false -- Inner City Press said loudly, “you are on the record” (audio here); another attendee of the meeting has informed Dujarric that it was clear the meeting was being taped. But no response from Dujarric.

   Now we have learned that when Beyonce came to the UN, during a session a range of people including UN Photo took photographs. Then they were ordered by Beyonce's private security to erase the pictures from their memory cards. One of them asked, “What is this, North Korea?”

  What has become of the UN? FUNCA is told that each issue -- at least, those of Ladsous' spokesman and, at least we were told, of the Greek Mission, are being dealt with one on one, behind the scenes. Even if this is true, it it is working, it does not inform others not to do the same thing.

  Dujarric prior to his February 27 false letter claimed that his door is always open, come to raise problems and propose reforms anytime. Then his letter used the false allegation to say “we question your ability to work together on solving substantive questions.” 

  So much for an open door.

   FUNCA told the UN from its launch on December 7, 2012, that it is on the record, pressing for more public access. It proposes reforms, in public. On this, FUNCA proposes that those visiting the UN, particularly including personal bodyguards, entourages and security, be clearly told what the rules and rights of journalists are.

   As noted, the UN rules must be revised, and the UN Correspondents Association, whose President Pamela Falk of CBS and first vice president Louis Charbonneau of Reuters Dujarric sought to protect with his February 27 false letter, must be removed as a party to the rules, since they have not fought for journalists' rights like this. 

  To the contrary, as proved by documents obtained under the US Freedom of Information Act, UNCA “leaders” have asked Dujarric to throw out of the UN the investigative Press.

   Dujarric replied “thanks,” and still has not said when he would have told Inner City Press about the complaint. Now he has filed his own false complaint, with himself, and has refused to retract or explain it. Watch this site.