On MDGs, Rwanda Says Its Not for Donors, Ban Cites "Gilani" of Australia, Africa Absence Surprise

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 12 -- At the “MDGs Momentum” event in the UN's re-opened lobby on Friday afternoon, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon thanked the Ambassadors of the two countries chairing his MDGs advisory group: Australia and Rwanda. (Inner City Press photo here.)

  Both, as it happens, were elected to the Security Council this year. Australia may be said to represent donor countries, and Rwanda the developing world. 

  But Rwanda's Permanent Representative Eugene Richard Gasana made a point of saying, in his speech, that his country is not for MDGs at the behest of donors.

  For Rwanda in the recent past, one wag noted, donors have been fickle: here today, gone tomorrow.

  Afterward Inner City Press asked Gasana about the line. “It's about national ownership,” he said. “It's all about us. Nobody should champion the MDGs because they got money.”

Another speaker, Jeffrey Sachs, said that Rwanda's neighbors are all inspired by its progress on the MDGs. Again one wag had to note, that's not been the message from the neighbor in Kinshasa -- which now, at least according to the UN's Herve Ladsous, is belatedly suspending military officers for the 126 rapes in Minova in late November 2012.

  In offering this thanks, Ban Ki-moon cited Rwanda's President Kagame and Australia's “Prime Minister Gilani.” Inner City Press was there, and heard and taped it. 

 Afterward, the Australian delegation tried to insist it had not happened. And to respond to that, and because the UN often just doctors up its transcripts, Inner City Press is uploading the audio clip, here.

  In fairness, Ban was recounting his call -- on Skype -- to courageous schoolgirl Malala in Pakistan, and about kicking off a soccer game in front of 90,000 fans.

Afterward, more surprise was expressed that in his meeting Thursday with US President Barack Obama -- that's a name Ban wouldn't get wrong -- Ban didn't raise any issues about Africa, “not even about Mali,” as one African diplomat put it.

“Maybe these things seem important to us here, but are not important even to Ban Ki-moon out there,” the diplomat continued, pointing outside to rainswept First Avenue. Perhaps not. Watch this site.

For UNSC, Luxembourg Said to Have 150 Promises, Australia Counts on Trips, Finland Prepares the Berries

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 15 -- It's time for a vote count in the race among Australia, Luxembourg and Finland for two UN Security Council seats, in the run-up to Thursday's vote. 

  Luxembourg is said to have commitments for 150 votes, which would be a win in the first round. But, as others point out, it's a secret ballot and such promises have fallen apart in the past. Some countries say they support all three.

  Australia, non-Australian sources tell Inner City Press, does not have 129 votes, at least not yet. But others say that the money spent -- which they put not at $40 million but $24 million "allocated," as Foreign Minister Julia Gillard answered Inner City Press-- including on trips by many smaller countries, may serve Australia well if there are multiple rounds. 

 Some countries abide by their commitment only for the first round, then release themselves. Some are always released.

  Australia's foreign minister Bob Carr is already in town, wining and dining; Finland is holding a reception next, with minister Erkki Tuomioja working it. Bags of dried blueberries are being prepared for distribution on Thursday, following the blueberry pie chocolate bars earlier handed out, with Martti Ahtisaari's face on them. But remember: Canada tried with maple syrup...

   Cambodia, competing with South Korea and Bhutan for a single Asian seat, is "in mourning" for former King Sihanook, as the country's representative Hor Nam Bora put it to Inner City Press. There was much buzz about his interview with Inner City Press last week. Will a candid presentation of a country's case help it? Watch this site.

At UN's Mis-Run MDGs Q&A, Key Rwanda Question Cannot Be Asked

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 26 -- The topic was the Millennium Development Goals Advocacy group, and the three stakeout speakers on Wednesday at 5 pm were to be Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Julia Gillard of Australia and Rwanda's Paul Kagame, the chairman.

But when it began, late, Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson stood in the middle between the two heads of state and apologize. Moments later, Jeffrey Sachs joined the three, and also gave an opening statement.

There should have been time for questions -- Inner City Press wanted to ask not only about the impact of the global financial downturn on the non-attainment of many MDGs, but also what President Kagame thought of countries cutting their aid to Rwanda after report of the UN Group of Experts coordinated by Steve Hege.

But none of these questions could be asked. Only two questions were taken before it ended, one from the Australian business press, as Gillard is lobbying to win a three way race for two Security Council seats with Luxembourg and Finland, and the first about "one cow per family." Basic homework could have improved this and the following stakeout.

On his way out Eliasson apologized to the Press, saying he hadn't been the one selecting or limiting the questions. President Kagame was in a rush, and it is not clear if there will be any press availability to ask about aid and M23 and Hege. So it goes at this UN.

At UNGA's Surreal Stakeout, Swiss Small 5 Lost in Translation, Morocco Runs

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 25 -- Even penned in cavernous Conference Room 1 during a badly administered first day of the UN General Debate, opportunities that seem potentially newsworthy crop up unexpected.

  Between scheduled "media availability" stakeouts by Julia Gillard of Australia and Guatemala's president, Switzerland's president Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf appeared on UN Television speaking at the stakeout microphone.

  After first her answers were in German. But then an Australian journalist asked if Europeans would vote, in thecurrent Security Council seat race, for Luxembourg and Finland rather than Australia. 

  She declined this question, but half-answered the next one, about Obama or Romney. She said they would be the same on banks, that she has a preference but will not say it.

  As she responded to a question about sanctions on Iran, Inner City Press ran from the Media Center along a corridor of blue painted barricades to the stakeout and asked a Swiss question: does the "Small Five" effort to reform the Security Council's working methods survive its withdrawal earlier this year?

To be diplomatic, it seems the question was misheard. She answered "2022," apparently that Switzerland is running for a Security Council seat in a decade's time. She called it a "one year term," when the terms are for two years.

Afterward a spokesman told Inner City Press, "you can't use that." If agreed in advance, Inner City Press always respects that. 

  But in this case, the comments were already broadcast on UN Television. And this comes shortly after hoopla about Switzerland's ten years in the UN -- click here for decade's review by Inner City Press. For the record, Inner City Press has had praise for the Swiss Mission to the UN and related community. But answers to questions on UN TV are for use.

  Minutes later the foreign minister of Morocco Saad-Eddine El Othmani appeared. Inner City Press has previously filmed Q&A with him, and this time ran to the stakeout as for Switzerland's president. 

 But this time a signal was given and the media availability abruptly called to a close. There are questions. Hey, it might have been a softball about Morocco's position on a UN envoy for the Sahel. Maybe -- watch this site.

In Race for UNSC Seat, Australia Self-Reports Its Spending, Finns & Luxembourg Not Yet

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 24 -- As Australia, Finland and Luxembourg have competed for months for two seats on the UN Security Council, Inner City Press has covered the twists and turns, down to Finnish chocolate bars with Martti Ahtisaari's face on them, Australian receptions about peacekeeping and Luxembourg showing up any- and everywhere to speak about peacebuilding.

  Now that the annual UN General Debate has begun, the three competitors enter the home stretch. Australian prime minister Julia Gillard is under some fire back home, at least from Tony Abbott, for spending too much. The figure is alternately presented as $24 million (SBS) or $40 million (The Australian - behind a pay wall upon a second visit).

  But late in the Rule of Law speeches in the General Assembly hall on Monday night, Australia's representative said his country has spend fully $300 million promoting the rule of law, and cited its work in the peacebuilding configurations on Burundi, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

  How does this $300 million compare to the much lower estimates of spending seeking a Security Council seat?

  Australia is not the only place there seems to be a decrease in transparency and openness. Finland, which seems poised to win a seat due to being perceived as non-aligned, this week offered a slew of reporters the chance to interview its president, Sauli Niinisto. 

  But faced with a yes from the Press, clarification was sought: "can you please specify your topic?" To Inner City Press this seems bad form, seeming to condition access on what will be asked.

   The reply was simple: "Finland's run for a Security Council seat, against Australia and Luxembourg. Also possibly disarmament." But even with this additional "gimme" topic, it has not happened yet. Finland will probably get a seat. But will they disclose how much they spent? Will Luxembourg? Watch this site.

UNGA footnote: in order to at least try to get answered Australia's $24 million to $40 million range, the September 25, 3:30 pm stakeout by Australia listed by the UN Media Accreditation & Liaison Unit in its night-before Media Alert lists "Press Encounter: H.E. Mr. Michael Spindelegger, Prime Minister of Australia." Would that be Austria? Or Gillard by another name? We'll see.

At UN, Rudd Speaks of Cutting Costs While Paying Overtime For Stakeout

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, September 22 -- When Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd finally came to the UN Television stakeout position on Thursday after 9 pm, he was asked about Prime Minister Gillard urging him to spend less as he travels overseas.

Rudd replied that while in New York he will stay in the country's residence rather than a hotel, and that he does that in many other places including Washington and London.

He said he makes "no apologies" for frequent travel, given for example that he has interlocutors in Jerusalem and Ramallah, Paris and Beijing.

What Inner City Press learned while waiting for Rudd to appear, however, is that Australia agreed to pay a "substantial" extra amount to keep the UN TV stakeout open, after the UN General Debate was over for the day.

Rudd's stakeout was supposed to be at 6 pm, but no one but the UN TV crew was there. Inner City Press tweeted it, and went to work on a story about Palestine. Then the UN said Rudd would speak at the stakeout at 8:30 pm. This too did not happen. After Rudd spoke in the General Assembly and then that closed, after one more speaker, still Rudd did not appear.

A Rudd staffer cited health concerns, his recent heart attack, for the reason. Long time UN hands wondered aloud where Rudd could be, since everything was closed or closing in the UN. There was discussion of Australia having agreed to pay extra for this delay.

Perhaps for this too there is no need to make apologies. But perhaps not.

Inner City Press asked Rudd about Australia's vote in the General Assembly on a resolution to give Palestine Observer State status (he answered long but without a yes, no or abstain) and about Sri Lanka, which we'll report on separately. Watch this site.

As Gillard Is Asked Of ICC & Australian Sri Lanka Citizen Kohona, UN Still In Denial

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 9 -- Joint Australian - Sri Lankan citizen Palitha Kohona is the subject of a filing with the International Criminal Court for his role in presumptive war crimes in the final stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka. When contacted by the press, Kohona has refused to “dignify” the case.

On March 9, Inner City Press asked Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard about this filing against Kohona, who has also represented Australia before he represented Sri Lanka, and about the UN's and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's handling of his Panel on Sri Lanka, which has not visited the island. Video here.

“I'm not personally aware of all details of that case,” she answered. “We are a supporter of the ICC and a supporter of proper legal procedure and practice, one rule... is that political leaders should not comment on legal matters that are underway.”

While some of the journalists traveling with Prime Minister Gillard later called this a dodge, it's more than the UN has had to say. Without explanation, Ban Ki-moon's Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq has denied to other media the existence of the ICC filing against Kohona -- which also mentions and questions the role of Ban Ki-moon's chief of staff Vijay Nambiar in the so called white flag killings

Ban's main spokesman Martin Nesirky, also not explaining Haq's statement, has refused to answer questions about Ban's Panel on Sri Lanka, saying that only the Panel can answer them. But the Panel has no spokesperson, and let its mailbox overflow and reject submissions from victims. Only at the UN.

Footnotes: Australian Labour Party MP John Murphy has been quoted, about Kohona, “I call on the government to independently investigate Dr Palitha Kohona, an Australian-Sri Lankan dual citizen and former DFAT official who participated in the surrender of the Tamil Tigers in the last days of the war. On 18 May 2009, several innocent Tamils were slaughtered while holding a white flag.”

One of the journalists traveling with Minister Gillard asked her if she'd told “Secretary Moon” that Australia is seeking a Security Council seat, as well as discussing a possible no-fly zone over Libya. She confirmed that Australia is seeking a seat, and insisted that there are no differences between her and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd. We'll see.