Chile's UN Security Council Month Had 7 Stakeouts, Haiti Trip Without Cholera Accountability, No Palestine Resolution

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 29 -- When Chile's Ambassador Cristián Barros Melet held a January 5 press conference on the month's Program of Work of the UN Security Council, Inner City Press asked him about a next Palestine resolution, about rapes and expulsions in Sudan and, on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access to hold as many question and answer stakeouts as possible.

  Twenty four days later, when Chile held its End of Presidency reception just north of the UN at the River Club, there was still no Palestine resolution -- no fault of Chile, whose Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz mid-month explained the country's support of, and embassy in, Palestine.

  The mass rapes in Tabit in Darfur had yet to be followed up on by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, whose chief Herve Ladsous refused Press questions, here, unlike Barros.

 On the rapes, the Ambassadors of the UK and Lithuania replied to Inner City Press that they are raising the issue to DPKO, in consultations. Will this bear fruit in February?

  Barros himself held six stakeouts, each time agreeing to take questions even if slightly off camera; Heraldo Munoz held another on January 15, for a Chilean total of seven.

 There were two meetings on Ukraine, and one on Lebanon which a full day later had yet to produce even a press statement. One Ambassador at the end of presidency reception complained to Inner City Press that the killing of peacekeepers should always result in such a Statement, "no matter who is responsible."

 Because we have reviewed other End of Presidency reception, we'll review this one, complete with ceviche on plantains, sliders and one of Ladsous' predecessors, Jean-Marie Guehenno. He was once quoted urging the UN to do more about cholera in Haiti - the failure to raise this issue during the Council's visit to Port au Prince and Cap Haitien is still to be explained.

 There are not enough media questions like this; the head of the old UN Correspondents Association, unquestioning receptor, was seen hailing a taxi for the less than ten block trip to the River Club. What's next, an UNCA faux UN briefing on climate change? But that's another story. For now, hats off to Chile, from which we hope to hear more throughout this year.

   

At UNDP, Carlos Slim Praises Competition After $1B Antitrust Fine, As With Bill Gates, UN Likes Monopolists

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 6 -- Fresh off a $1 billion fine for monopolization in Mexico, Carlos Slim Helu appeared Friday with the UN Development Program talking about economic development in Latin America.

Inner City Press asked Slim about the case, and the place of antitrust law and competition in economic development. Slim cut the question off and launched into an underdog story, of having taken on AT&T, MCI / Worldcom, Verizon.

Yes, he acknowledged, there are places where his company comtrols 100% of the market. He said this could be attributed to who had the better and more extensive network.

Many who attended his press conference at UNDP wondered why Carlos Slim would come to the UN at this time. But this is not his first or only connection. Already, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon named him to a climate change advisory panel.

Mexico and climate change seem to together in the eyes of the UN system. As Inner City Press exclusively reported, the Latin American head of state left unnamed by UN Environment Program in the run up to its “Champions of the Environmental” award ceremony on May 10 is president Felipe Calderon Hinojosa.

After Inner City Press fruitlessly asked Slim about the case and $1 billion antitrust fine, a UNDP staff came over and pointed out that Bill Gates was charged with similar monopolization. It occurs that the UN has a thing for monopolists. Inner City Press raised the same questions about Gates, for example when an Under Secretary General's brother held an event at the UN as “Microsoft's Ambassador to Africa.”

Friday's press conference, held in connection with the Fourth Ministerial Forum on Development in Latin America, was supposed to include Viviana Caro, Minister of Development Planning of Bolivia -- but did not.

Alongside Carlos Slim was Angelino Garzón, Vice President of Colombia, who jumped in to say that monopolies must be opposed by governments. One wanted to ask, by $1 billion fines? But the press conference was over.

Serving as moderator was UNDP's chief for Latin America Heraldo Munoz. Before going to UNDP he as Chile's Permanent Representative to the UN, and chaired a UN inquiry into the murder of Benazir Bhutto. When the report was released, he held a press conference, something that has not been done by the more recent UN panels on Sri Lanka war crimes and then cholera in Haiti. And so it goes at the UN.

Condi Rice and Saudi Spy Chief Refused to Talk with UN Bhutto Panel, No Khalilzad Either

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/bhutto1norice041510.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 15 -- In investigating the murder of Benazir Bhutto, the UN Commission of Inquiry lead by Chile's Heraldo Munoz was urged to interview Condoleezza Rice, Hamid Karzai and the intelligence chiefs of the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

When Munoz unveiled the report on April 15, Inner City Press asked him pointedly if he had, in fact, been rebuffed by Condi Rice and by Saudi Arabia's Mugran bin Abdul Aziz. Munoz said that while some had declined to be interviewed, the Commission had received information that it needed.

Inner City Press insisted -- did he interview Condi Rice or not? No, Munoz conceded. Condoleezza Rice had said she was "not available." Video here, near end.

Why would a former U.S. Secretary of State refuse to meet with the UN Commission of Inquiry into the death of an icon like Benazir Bhutto? Condi Rice's spokeswoman Carolyn Beswick has said that Mr. Rice "does not give interviews."

After the press conference, Inner City Press asked Munoz fellow panelist Marzuki Darsman, the former attorney general of Indonesia, if he had interviewed Mugran bin Abdul Aziz. The answer was no, and also no for former US Ambassador to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad, intimitately involved in negotiating Benazir Bhutto's return to Pakistan.

As Inner City Press told Pakistani television channels after the press conference, the report thus raises more questions. Watch this site.

Footnote: Pakistan's Ambassador Haroon, who had be slated to speak with the Press at 5:15 at the Security Council stakeout, canceled that appearance at the last moment -- but not before the 15 Council members' flags had been moved to cover up the words "Security Council" on the backdrop behind the microphone. Is Pakistan worried about being put, like Afghanistan, on the Security Council's agenda?

And see, www.innercitypress.com/bhutto1norice041510.html

As UN's Ban Delays Bhutto Report 15 Days for Pakistan, Amid Dodges on Who Sees It, Doubts Grow

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/ban1bhutto033010.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 30 -- The release of a UN panel's report on the murder of Benazir Bhutto was stopped on Tuesday, based on a request from the President of Pakistan to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky told the Press that the report will now be released on April 15.

Inner City Press and others asked if the report would in the interim be shown to Pakistan, and if it could be changed before April 15. Video here, from Minute 11:15.

Nesirky said, and his associate Farhan Haq later reiterated, that the report had not and will not be shown to Pakistan before April 15. But already there are quotes from "a U.N. official who has been briefed on the independent commission's report" that it faults the Pakistani "government for scrubbing down the crime scene after the killing."

Inner City Press asked Nesirky if anyone in the Secretariat has seen the final or a draft of the report. "Pass," Nesirky said. "I don't know." Inner City Press asked if he would find out. He said he would "if the information is available to be publicly disclosed." Video here, from Minute 26:51.

In these circumstances, of quotes from UN officials "briefed" about the report, and a refusal to answer which UN staff have seen or been briefed on the report, suspicious grow that the report will be changed, that such changes are the purpose of the 15 day delay.

In the case of Sri Lanka, Ban allowed the protests of Sri Lanka to delay, and then give a seat to Sri Lanka's ambassador, in setting up a panel of experts to advise him about war crimes in Sri Lanka.

In the case of Pakistan, even once a report was finished, Pakistan's president was able to get release delayed for two weeks, and no assurances have been given that the report will not be changed.

This UN loses credibility daily, on these panels and reports, and also on elections, to which we will shortly turn. Watch this site.

From the UN's transcript:

Inner City Press: Has anyone in the Secretariat, not just the Secretary-General, has anyone in the Secretariat seen either the final or draft report? And will you tell us between now and 15 April if anyone in the Secretariat, the Secretary-General or otherwise, sees the report? Is that something that you can, given the doubts that may come to exist about whether it was changed?

Spokesperson Nesirky: If I am at liberty to tell you, then I will.

Inner City Press: If you are not at liberty, will you tell us that you are not at liberty? I mean… [laughter]

Spokesperson: That’s called the moral maze. What I mean is, if I am told I am at liberty to tell you, then I will of course tell you. Do you understand what I mean?

Inner City Press: I suppose so. But then, so then… So, on the 15th then we’ll ask you, did anyone see it, and then you will answer that?

Spokesperson: Sure. Look, as you know, the commissioners have been working to put together the report, and they have worked extremely hard to put it together. They have worked with a team, and those people have been providing the technical assistance, if you like, to compile the report. Okay.

Inner City Press: And the team are paid by the UN or are UN staff? Who is the team?

Spokesperson: Pass. I don’t know.

Inner City Press: Can you find…?

Spokesperson: This is an independent inquiry… [interrupted]

Inner City Press: Staffed by the UN or DPA or no…?

Spokesperson: As I said, the three commissioners, as you well know, they have travelled to the region; they have had support in doing so.

Inner City Press: Right. But I just want to be like… is it, has there been any UN Secretariat staff involvement in staffing their work or arranging their travel? You see what I mean? It’s called independent, but who is actually doing the background for them?

Spokesperson: The Commission is independent. It was established by the Secretary-General, at his request. And the report is being provided to him. So, clearly, assistance will have been provided to help them to provide the report. The exact details, I don’t know the exact details. I am just telling you that they have been helped with the logistical support to compile the report.

Inner City Press: [inaudible]… maybe, you may not know it right now. But has anyone -- just the same question that I asked -- has anyone in the Secretariat seen the final report ready to be delivered, or a draft of the report?

Spokesperson: I don’t know that.

Inner City Press: Will you commit to find that out or say if you can say it?

Spokesperson: If the information is available to be publicly shared, then I will do so, okay? I think you understand what I can do and what I cannot do. I try to do my best, okay? Yes.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/ban1bhutto033010.html

With UN Peacebuilding on Hold in Guinea, Munoz Steered from Pakistan by DSS

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unpbf1guineapak110309.html

UNITED NATIONS, November 3 -- As the UN on Tuesday promoted its Peacebuilding Fund, and urged that people buy a Yoko Ono song on i-Tune as a way to support it, Inner City Press asked about the PBF's support to conflict ridden Guinea-Conakry. The chairman of the Peacebuilding Commission, Chilean Ambassador Heraldo Munoz, said "we may have had a project in the past." Video here, from Minute 17:41. One of his staffers said that Guinea was approved for eligibility, and the next step is the development of a priority plan.

But the PBF's web site already shows the plan, in April 2009 before the military government killed 150 protests and raped others. The PBF web site says that $6 million for this government was approved, and $100,000 already approved (it doesn't say for what).

Afterwards the staffer said that discussions "on the ground" in Guinea are conducted by the UN Development Program, as agent of the PBF. Inner City Press asked, How much overhead does UNDP charge? Eleven percent, said the staffer.

Inner City Press asked Munoz what UN Peacebuilding could bring to a crisis like Guinea. Munoz answered by switching countries, to Kenya. Inner City Press asked about Honduras, but it seems they have not applied.

Like the Security Council and the ICC, the agency of UN Peacebuilding is top heavy with African countries. Inner City Press asked Munoz why he thought this might be. Video here, from Minute 25:45. Munoz did not answer, except indirectly, that Honduras is being dealt with by a regional organization - the OAS. But Africa has the AU.

Is there some stigma in applying to UN Peacebuilding? An involved diplomat, after the briefing, told Inner City Press that some countries do not want to be among the four now only the Peacebuilding Commission's agenda, thinking it might undermine other funding. The example given was Haiti, which has taken Peacebuilding Fund money, but does not want to be on the agenda.

Footnote: in the final minutes of the briefing and afterwards, the talk turned to Munoz role on the panel investigating Benazir Bhutto's murder. Munoz on camera said he didn't want to answer. Off camera, he said that the UN's Department of Safety and Security has advised him and the panel not to travel there for now.

Inner City Press asked about an article reporting that Munoz panel is finding it difficult to put questions to Pervez Musharraf. Where is that article, Munoz asked. Inner City Press via laptop computer showed it. It's not accurate, Munoz then said. Has he has interviewed Musharraf? Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/unpbf1guineapak110309.html