On “Deep Decarbonization,” Governments Not Involved, At UN Ban Ki-moon Speaks But Takes No Questions, FUNCA Asks Why

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 8 -- When UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon came to “launch,” as the UN puts it, the“Pathways to Deep Decarbonization” report at 11 am on July 8 it was a decidedly one-way launch: Ban spoke but did not take any questions. 

  Why not? 

 Ban's public schedule did not list another appointment until 12:50 pm, with new envoy on Western Sahara Kim Bolduc. So why not?

  Nevertheless the French minister and ambassador on climate negotiations Laurence Tubiana who remained behind thanked Ban. Inner City Press asked Tubiana what relation, if any, there is between the 15 country-specific sections of the report and the governments of those countries.

  Tubiana began that “each country was independent” -- then Jeffrey Sachs, also on the panel, corrected her, Country not government. She agreed, saying that later these reports would spark a dialogue in countries, including with the governments.

  Inner City Press asked about countries -- governments -- effectively censoring 70% of the “Summary for Policymakers” of the most recent IPCC report. Will that process be allowed to continue in connection with the climate negotiations upcoming in France? We'll see.

  On nuclear power, it was Sachs who spoke and not the two representatives of France, global promoter - and miner - for nuclear power.

  The UN as usual set-aside the first question for its UN Censorship Alliance, whose head Pamela Falk asked about a proposal by Henry “Hank” Paulson, whom she identified as a former US Treasury Secretary. Uh, and Goldman Sachs, no? The new Free UN Coalition for Access then thanked the panelist -- Ban Ki-moon as noted had already left -- and asked about governments' censorship.

  At the end Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric delayed the noon briefing for fifteen minutes to allow French ambassador Tubiana to interactive with... France 24, among others. The Free UN Coalition for Access has asked that the policy of when and for whom / which countries UN briefings are delayed or postponed should be transparent and even-handed. Watch this site.

   

As Russia Denies Paulson's "Dump Fannie Mae" Story, Chinese Tricks Explored

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unrus1paulson020210.html

UNITED NATIONS, February 2 -- Buried in the just released memoir of former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is the allegation that in August 2008 Russia asked China to join with it in dumping on the market the securities of Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac.

While Paulson does not draw the connection, it was in August 2008 that Russia's conflict with Georgia about the territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia flared up into a war. The U.S. Administration jumped to Georgia's defense, at least verbally, and according to Paulson, Russia try to lure China into a "dump the GSEs" campaign. As it turned out, Russia did sell its over $60 billion stake in the two mortgage giants.

Inner City Press asked a senior Russian representative to the UN about Paulson's story on February 2, as the Security Council met about its program of work for February. "I don't think so," the diplomat said.

Why then would Paulson tell the story? "We are getting closer with the U.S.," the diplomat said. "People get jealous." He went on, "We don't have a good relationship with China right now. The U.S. does not have a good relationship with China." He shrugged. "People don't want Russia and the U.S. to get along."

Paulson sources his story in "On the Brink: Inside the Race to Stop the Collapse of the Global Financial System" to the Chinese, bragging perhaps that they hadn't gone along with Russia's urging. So, in this view, was China trying to drive a further wedge between Russia and the U.S.?

At the time of the South Ossetia and Abkhazia conflict, through which Russia recognized both territories as countries independent from Georgia, China expressed unease. What if Tibet or Taiwan, or even Uighur Xinjiang Autonomous Region, were similar recognized by another state?

If Chinese officials did in fact pass dirt about Russia along to the U.S. Treasury Secretary, perhaps the disagreement about recognizing breakaway separatist states explains it. It's something that should be expected to be covered more in the media, as Paulson hawks his book. It is may arise further at the UN -- watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unrus1paulson020210.html