On Cameroon, ICP Asked Italy If Any Preventative Diplomacy, They Say Not on UNSC Agenda

By Matthew Russell Lee, New Platform

UNITED NATIONS, May 18 – While the UN Security Council visited Cameroon during the 94 day Internet cut off and said nothing publicly about it, Inner City Press has obtained and has exclusively published on Patreon and now Scribd, here Cameroon's "Urgent and Confidential" letter to the UN Security Council, about weapons. Italy is a member of the Security Council this year, and on the morning of May 18 including in light of Italian President Mattarella's meetings this year with Cameroon's 34 year president Paul Biya, Inner City Press asked Italy's Mission to the UN: "your Mission was part of the Security Council's trip including to Cameroon earlier this year, during the country's 94-day Internet shut off to millions of people in the Northwest and Southwest (or Anglophone) regions. The IMF, for what it's worth, told Inner City Press the government's Internet cut off is among other things a financial risk in 2017. Could you comment on your Mission's aware of the issue, during the Security Council visit to Cameroon and since, and on whether you believe the Secretary General and DPA, as a matter of prevention of conflict, may have a greater role to play in this long-standing, UN-related conflict or dispute?" Inner City Press also asked, " I notice that the Italian mission stopped sending Inner City Press any information at all in February 2017. Please explain." Six hours later, the Italian Mission's spokesperson Giovanni Davoli replied on the former, "Concerning Cameroon, I will get back to you" and then, two more hours later, "The situation you are mentioning was not in the agenda of the UNSC visit." There is still no explanation, at least not yet, on the latter. We'll have more on this. On May 17, Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujuarric what if anything Guterres is doing about Cameroon. From the UN transcript: Inner City Press: there are people saying that António Guterres' strategy of being Secretary-General is to sort of downplay the peacemaking powers of it and engage in quiet diplomacy.  And I guess the reason I'm asking you is just objectively speaking, compared to the previous administration, there are many fewer readouts, there's less… there's less being said.  Maybe it's to the good.  But, does he believe that… that this approach is bearing fruit, and if so, what fruit can you point to?

Spokesman:  I think the Secretary-General is a believer in the need for discreet contacts to be had in order to resolve crisis.  And I think it's something I… well, I think we've all observed since he's come into office.  And I think it's an important tool and not the only tool, but it's an important tool in the tools available to the world's top diplomat.

Inner City Press:  I want to ask this very specifically because I've asked you this a couple of times.  I keep hearing from people at various high floors that, in fact, the UN is concerned about Cameroon and not just the Internet, but what seems to be a case of preventive diplomacy.  So, I wanted to ask you, is there anything actually being done?  Am I missing some secret work that the UN…?

Spokesman:  I think if… well, if it's secret, it's secret.  Mr. [Francois Lonceny] Fall has been following and is the point person for the UN on this issue. 

  Fall is failing. Or, Fall is the fall guy for Guterres. Now there is the use of what residents call another weapon: the devaluation and even destruction of the GCE education system, by purporting to administer the test after a period where no instruction or learning took place. UNESCO has said nothing, just as the UN stayed quiet during the Internet cut off. On May 15, Inner City Press asked the UN's holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: In hearing UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization], I've been meaning to ask you this.  There's a controversy in Cameroon where a school… a test is being administered today in the areas that didn't have internet for 94 days and the schools were closed.  And a lot of people are saying the test… it's basically to destroy the Anglophone education system, and people are taking a test at gunpoint.  And many people there said UNESCO said nothing.  I don't know whose role it is.  Is it [Francois] Loncény Fall?  Is there anyone in the UN system that's looking at what's taking place there…?

Spokesman:  I'll take a look that report.  Okay. Thank you.

  We'll see. Some in UN headquarters approach Inner City Press where they can, since the UN Department of Public Information still restricts the Press, and say there's concern "upstairs" about events in Cameroon. But despite the claimed focus on preventative diplomacy, where is there UN action on this? Despite the restrictions, Inner City Press will be pushing forward with the story. Watch this site and this one, where it is reported that France blocked any European Union action on Cameroon and Paul Biya's 94-day cut off of the Internet in the Anglophone regions, in part to keep its hand in to compete economically with China in "its" FrancAfrique. When the EU's Federica Mogherini came to the UN Security Council stakeout on May 9 for questions, no Press questions on Cameroon were allowed, similar to Antonio Guterres' spokesman disallowingthe question three times at the recent joint African Union stakeout. Nor was the Cameroon question Inner City Press submittedto Guterres' paid-entrance, not livestreamed London Q&A posed. We'll have more on this. 

Exclusive: From Cameroon to UNSC, "Urgent & Confidential" Memo About Weapons, Copter, Here by Matthew Russell Lee on Scribd

This comes amid reports that armaments Cameroon got ostensibly to fight Boko Haram have been spotted in the Anglophone regions. On May 2 when Inner City Press told the UN's spokesman Stephane Dujarric that it had a question on Cameroon, he walked off the podium, as he has done before. He and the UN Department of Public Information, whose Cameroon mis-information is profiled below, worked together to evict and still restrict Inner City Press. 

 Dujarric repeatedly refused to tell Inner City Press the name of the acting Resident Coordinator in Cameroon after failed Najat Rochdi was promoted and said to ask UNICEF, Inner City Press did. Inner City Press submitted these questions to two UNICEF spokespeople on April 20: "Please state who are UNICEF is the acting Resident Coordinator in Cameroon and what if anything they have said and done about the 92 day Internet cut off in two regions, including to schools, and on the current doctors strikes. What is UNICEF's position on the 92 Internet cut off in Cameroon, as impacts children and otherwise?" UNICEF's Najwa Mekki, Officer in Charge of the Media Section, replied "received, we'll get back to you as soon as we can." Five days later, nothing - not even the name of who's the head of UNICEF in Cameroon, despite a second question to Dujarric (who has declared Press criticism of the UN's performance to be harassment, and threw Inner City Press out of the Press Briefing Room and has it still restricted after 14 months). 

  Troublingly, UN official Francois Lonseny Fall has not only overly-praised the Biya government, but also admonished that the Internet not be used to "incite hatred or violence" - precisely the pretext Biya used to cut it off. Today's UN is disgusting - we'll have more on this.

Meanwhile when Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric about Monthe's comments, the UN had no response, wouldn't even after weeks tell Inner City Press who is in charge of the UN in Cameroon, following Guterres' promotion of Najat Rochdi who said nothing about the Internet and blocke on Twitter Inner City Press which is pursuing the issue. This is today's UN - and today's Cameroon. Watch this platform.

On Cameroon, ICP Asked Italy If AnyPreventative Diplomacy, They Say Not on UNSC Agenda

By Matthew Russell Lee, New Platform

UNITED NATIONS, May 18 – While the UN Security Council visited Cameroon during the 94 day Internet cut off and said nothing publicly about it, Inner City Press has obtained and has exclusively published on Patreon and now Scribd, here Cameroon's "Urgent and Confidential" letter to the UN Security Council, about weapons. Italy is a member of the Security Council this year, and on the morning of May 18 including in light of Italian President Mattarella's meetings this year with Cameroon's 34 year president Paul Biya, Inner City Press asked Italy's Mission to the UN: "your Mission was part of the Security Council's trip including to Cameroon earlier this year, during the country's 94-day Internet shut off to millions of people in the Northwest and Southwest (or Anglophone) regions. The IMF, for what it's worth, told Inner City Press the government's Internet cut off is among other things a financial risk in 2017. Could you comment on your Mission's aware of the issue, during the Security Council visit to Cameroon and since, and on whether you believe the Secretary General and DPA, as a matter of prevention of conflict, may have a greater role to play in this long-standing, UN-related conflict or dispute?" Inner City Press also asked, " I notice that the Italian mission stopped sending Inner City Press any information at all in February 2017. Please explain." Six hours later, the Italian Mission's spokesperson Giovanni Davoli replied on the former, "Concerning Cameroon, I will get back to you" and then, two more hours later, "The situation you are mentioning was not in the agenda of the UNSC visit." There is still no explanation, at least not yet, on the latter. We'll have more on this. On May 17, Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujuarric what if anything Guterres is doing about Cameroon. From the UN transcript: Inner City Press: there are people saying that António Guterres' strategy of being Secretary-General is to sort of downplay the peacemaking powers of it and engage in quiet diplomacy.  And I guess the reason I'm asking you is just objectively speaking, compared to the previous administration, there are many fewer readouts, there's less… there's less being said.  Maybe it's to the good.  But, does he believe that… that this approach is bearing fruit, and if so, what fruit can you point to?

Spokesman:  I think the Secretary-General is a believer in the need for discreet contacts to be had in order to resolve crisis.  And I think it's something I… well, I think we've all observed since he's come into office.  And I think it's an important tool and not the only tool, but it's an important tool in the tools available to the world's top diplomat.

Inner City Press:  I want to ask this very specifically because I've asked you this a couple of times.  I keep hearing from people at various high floors that, in fact, the UN is concerned about Cameroon and not just the Internet, but what seems to be a case of preventive diplomacy.  So, I wanted to ask you, is there anything actually being done?  Am I missing some secret work that the UN…?

Spokesman:  I think if… well, if it's secret, it's secret.  Mr. [Francois Lonceny] Fall has been following and is the point person for the UN on this issue. 

  Fall is failing. Or, Fall is the fall guy for Guterres. Now there is the use of what residents call another weapon: the devaluation and even destruction of the GCE education system, by purporting to administer the test after a period where no instruction or learning took place. UNESCO has said nothing, just as the UN stayed quiet during the Internet cut off. On May 15, Inner City Press asked the UN's holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: In hearing UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization], I've been meaning to ask you this.  There's a controversy in Cameroon where a school… a test is being administered today in the areas that didn't have internet for 94 days and the schools were closed.  And a lot of people are saying the test… it's basically to destroy the Anglophone education system, and people are taking a test at gunpoint.  And many people there said UNESCO said nothing.  I don't know whose role it is.  Is it [Francois] Loncény Fall?  Is there anyone in the UN system that's looking at what's taking place there…?

Spokesman:  I'll take a look that report.  Okay. Thank you.

  We'll see. Some in UN headquarters approach Inner City Press where they can, since the UN Department of Public Information still restricts the Press, and say there's concern "upstairs" about events in Cameroon. But despite the claimed focus on preventative diplomacy, where is there UN action on this? Despite the restrictions, Inner City Press will be pushing forward with the story. Watch this site and this one, where it is reported that France blocked any European Union action on Cameroon and Paul Biya's 94-day cut off of the Internet in the Anglophone regions, in part to keep its hand in to compete economically with China in "its" FrancAfrique. When the EU's Federica Mogherini came to the UN Security Council stakeout on May 9 for questions, no Press questions on Cameroon were allowed, similar to Antonio Guterres' spokesman disallowingthe question three times at the recent joint African Union stakeout. Nor was the Cameroon question Inner City Press submittedto Guterres' paid-entrance, not livestreamed London Q&A posed. We'll have more on this. 

Exclusive: From Cameroon to UNSC, "Urgent & Confidential" Memo About Weapons, Copter, Here by Matthew Russell Lee on Scribd

This comes amid reports that armaments Cameroon got ostensibly to fight Boko Haram have been spotted in the Anglophone regions. On May 2 when Inner City Press told the UN's spokesman Stephane Dujarric that it had a question on Cameroon, he walked off the podium, as he has done before. He and the UN Department of Public Information, whose Cameroon mis-information is profiled below, worked together to evict and still restrict Inner City Press. 

 Dujarric repeatedly refused to tell Inner City Press the name of the acting Resident Coordinator in Cameroon after failed Najat Rochdi was promoted and said to ask UNICEF, Inner City Press did. Inner City Press submitted these questions to two UNICEF spokespeople on April 20: "Please state who are UNICEF is the acting Resident Coordinator in Cameroon and what if anything they have said and done about the 92 day Internet cut off in two regions, including to schools, and on the current doctors strikes. What is UNICEF's position on the 92 Internet cut off in Cameroon, as impacts children and otherwise?" UNICEF's Najwa Mekki, Officer in Charge of the Media Section, replied "received, we'll get back to you as soon as we can." Five days later, nothing - not even the name of who's the head of UNICEF in Cameroon, despite a second question to Dujarric (who has declared Press criticism of the UN's performance to be harassment, and threw Inner City Press out of the Press Briefing Room and has it still restricted after 14 months). 

  Troublingly, UN official Francois Lonseny Fall has not only overly-praised the Biya government, but also admonished that the Internet not be used to "incite hatred or violence" - precisely the pretext Biya used to cut it off. Today's UN is disgusting - we'll have more on this.

Meanwhile when Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric about Monthe's comments, the UN had no response, wouldn't even after weeks tell Inner City Press who is in charge of the UN in Cameroon, following Guterres' promotion of Najat Rochdi who said nothing about the Internet and blocke on Twitter Inner City Press which is pursuing the issue. This is today's UN - and today's Cameroon. Watch this platform.

UN Security's Drennan “Buried” Report of Threats on Bokova, UN Condemns Leak to ICP

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, May 18 – The UN Department of Safety and Security's top officer Peter Drennan ordered that a security report on UNESCO chief Irina Bokova be “buried” last year due to the personal political implications for Drennan if Bokova instead of Antonio Guterres became UN Secretary General, internal UN document obtained and exclusively published by Inner City Press show. Click here; embedded below. Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it, and hours later he emailed all correspondents an attack on "leaks" - "In response to a question asked at the noon briefing about a DSS assessment concerning Irina Bokova, the Spokesman has the following to say: The allegation that security information was 'buried' is strongly denied. The relevant information has been provided to Ms Bokova, the Director General of UNESCO, in the appropriate manner. In addition the substance of the report was prepared in conjunction with the UNESCO security staff and as a result UNESCO security staff, who are responsible for the safety and security of Ms Bokova and UNESCO, were fully aware of the report's contents. The Department is deeply concerned about the leaking to the media of confidential information concerning matters of security. The leaking of confidential security information is irresponsible and may well create additional security risks to the UN." Whistleblowers - different whistleblowers - within the Department of Safety and Security say that the claimed concern about Bokova is a pretext. What has roiled feathers in DSS is the assertion that Under Secretary General Drennan moved to bury the report for his personal political reasons in case Bokova became Secretary General. We'll have more on this.

Fearing retaliation, the UN's Kenneth Rosario two months ago wrote to Drennan to formally notify him of the charge of burying the security report, citing the deadly consequence of such UN burying in the cases of the Canal Hotel in Baghdad and later in Algiers. Rosario noted that even in those cases, no one alleged that the reports were suppressed by a head of Department like Drennan. 

The documents cited specific and credible death threats against Bokova, the UN system's top ranking official in France, and the letter bomb attack on the International Monetary Fund / World Bank office, ascribing it to the Greek anarchist group Conspiracy of Fire Cells or SPF. 

Exclusive: UN Security's Drennan “Buried” Report on Threats Against Bokova, Documents Indicate by Matthew Russell Lee on Scribd

Rosario's fear of retaliation was and is well-founded: for example, the UN fired Swedish official Anders Kompass after he blew the whistle on peacekeepers' sexual abuse of children in the Central African Republic. More recently Francis Gurry of the UN's World Intellectual Property Organization has been accused of retaliation; here is Inner City Press' story on WIPO's North Korea business, including a response from US Ambassador Nikki Haley to Inner City Press' May 16 question on the matter. UN DSS itself was involved in the no due process eviction of Inner City Press and targeting of it since to hinder its investigative reporting in the UN. Audio here. But the reporting will continue: watch this site.

After ICP Asks of WIPO's N Korea Work, Nikki Haley Replies But UN Relies on "Individual Applicant" Spin

By Matthew Russell Lee, follow up

UNITED NATIONS, May 18 – While the UN's World Intellectual Property Organization helps North Korea with a patent application for social cyanide (WIPO site here), Inner City Press on May 16 began to ask US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley about it (video here). On May 17, Nikki Haley replied to the question: "All parts of the UN system need to support the Security Council in its efforts to respond to the grave threat of North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction programs. Sodium cyanide is banned for export to North Korea by the Security Council. A common sense reaction would be for WIPO to inform the Council of such patent applications. Its failure to do so may have dangerous consequences.” Inner City Press on May 18 asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about Ambassador Haley's response - but all Dujarric would do was refer, positively, to a WIPO press release. In its press release, WIPO says "a DPRK individual citizen applicant filed an international patent application under WIPO’s PCT system in respect of a process for production of sodium cyanide." Are there really "individual applicants" in today's North Korea? Isn't the import of sodium cyanide into North Korea a violation of UN sanctions? Dujarric called this WIPO's "very clear explanation." Inner City Press repeatedly asked Dujarric to state if the Secretariat finds WIPO's statement on May 16 -- before Ambassador Haley's response -- sufficient. Apparently yes. We'll have more on this: Inner City Press has asked other UN Security Council members. Watch this site. In an earlier exchange with UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, the UN itself acknowledged that the Security Council's Panel of Experts is belatedly looking into it as a possible sanctions violation. Video here, transcript below. Later to May's President of the UN Security Council, Uruguay's Elbio Rosselli, Inner City Press asked about UN WIPO's (non) compliance with UN sanctions, working on a patent for North Korea's production of sodium cyanide. Periscope video here. Ambassador Rosselli said he had not heard of the issue. At the UN's May 16 noon briefing, Inner City Press had asked the UN about that and its reporting that the UN Federal Credit Union, regulated by the US National Credit Union Administration, openly solicits the business of both North Korean employees of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's mission to the UN and the members of the UN Association of the USA (UNA-USA), amid questions of immunity and a previous UNFCU settlement for sanctions violations.  UN briefing video here, from Min 10:20.

  While a statement from Ambassador Haley about WIPO, and one hopes UNFCU, may be forthcoming, here is Inner City Press' May 16 video:

  UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric dodged on whether Secretary General Antonio Guterres would this time talk to WIPO chief Francis Gurry, as he did not as Gurry deployed criminal defamation law against the press; he also wouldn't answer on UNFCU. UN transcript

As UN Pension Fund Mismanagement Continues, Staff Union Still Excluded, UNreformed

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive Series

UNITED NATIONS, May 17 – With UN Pension Fund problems including late payments still unresolved, the UN Pension Board will meet in July to consider whether to extend the contract of CEO Sergio Arvizu. But the UN Pension Board has yet to recognize and seat UN Staff Union representatives elected last month, leading to charges that some 18,000 UN staff will not be represented at all. We'll have more on this. The Pension Fund's Boykin, after previous Inner City Press coverage, sent a gag order to staff, here.

 On February 2, when Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric about the gag order, he claimed UN staff misinterpreted it. From the UN transcript:

Inner City Press: You'd sent me an answer about the so-called hospitality log at the Pension Fund.  That was fine.  They published it.  Since then, the employees of that unit have all received a, what they call a gag order from Ms. Carolyn Boykin telling, reminding them that only the Secretary-General can speak for the Organization.  And they see it as basically they thought that they…

Spokesman:  I don't… I, you know, people can interpret whatever they want in whatever way they want.  My understanding is that what was circulated are the current, the current media guidelines, which actually say that people should be able to speak in their areas of, their area of competency.

Inner City Press:  So, what level of UN employee is… is authorized to disclose if they think they saw… they see corruption?  They took this as very much a threat to punishment.

Spokesman:  I'm sorry they interpreted it that way.

Inner City Press:  What does it mean?

Spokesman:  Mr. Abbadi.

   We'll stay on this.

  Inner City Press continued its series on January 26 with this from the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund, which whistleblowing staff tell Inner City Press maintains a "Hospitality Log" of its wining and dining of brokers, leaving General Service staff to (mis) fill in the information.

  The whistleblowers tell Inner City Press of a directive from Sandhya Peerthum, citing Ban Ki-moon's corrupt boondoggle UMOJA:

"With the implementation of UMOJA, assistance from EO has been drastically reduced. Assistants can help schedule interviews, print PHP, book rooms, take notes, enter guests in workspeed for access etc. They can better support the SIO’s by taking on more administrative roles to free up the SIO’s time so that they can focus on their respective portfolios. Also, trading has been absorbed by Vicky so there is a lot of excess capacity."

  The staff whistleblowers tell Inner City Press there is a problem with "accurate record keeping including the Hospitality Log – Hospitality log is the responsibility of the P-staff (Investment Officers) who wine and dine with brokers, advisers and other investment professionals. So how would a GS staff know when and where a P-staff would be enjoying lunch, dinner and beer (and what else) on any given date or time to update the hospitality log? This is totally illegal" 

And needs investigation. The UN's holdover Spokesman Stephane Dujarric answered only two and a half of Inner City Press' 22 questions, and on January 25 and January 27 left the briefing room as Inner City Press was still asking questions. 

From W Sahara, Phosphate Ship Impounded in Panama En Route to Canada, 2d Time in Month

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video here, song here

UNITED NATIONS, May 18 – Another ship carrying phosphate from Western Sahara has been impounded, this time in Panama, bound for Canada. As Inner City Press reported less than a month ago, South Africa similarly stopped a ship of Western Sahara phosphate en route to New Zealand. This time the ship is Danish, and named the "Ultra Innovation," photo here. This comes after Morocco's Ambassador to the UN, rather than answer Inner City Press' questions, used the UN Security Council stakeout microphone to denounce Inner City Press for its questioning and claim, for example, it never covers Venezuela. (This was and is false.) This is Morocco's thuggish diplomacy, which has included false complaints to the UN Department of Public Information which still restricts Inner City Press' access inside the UN, and at least as of May 15, refusal to respond to UN inquiries for a replacement UN envoy. Back on April 9 Inner City Press reported UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' proposal of Horst Kohler of Germany to replace Christopher Ross as the UN's Western Sahara envoy. Guterres' holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric, when Inner City Press, repeatedly refused comment. On May 5 Dujarric said Guterres "has communicated to his parties his preferred candidate to replace Christopher Ross, you know, who had announced his intention to leave.  Right now, the Kingdom of Morocco has not yet responded to the information passed on to it." Now on May 15, a full ten days later, Dujarric said "the last update I had is that we had not gotten approval from… the formality on a name to replace Mr. Ross.  We're still awaiting clearance." While pro-Morocco trolls insist this doesn't ascribe the delay to their King, in context it surely does. We'll have more on this: more questions, more stories. Watch this site.  Dujarric also, again, refused to explain the now week-long censorship of the Western Sahara stakeout of April 28. Now, after ten days of censorship, the UN has annexed the stakeout to this video and put it online, While it dispenses with pro-Morocco trolls' arguments,  explanations of the delay, and policy, remain needed. Inner City Press asked Dujarric for both and was told the UN likes to re-invent the wheel; no explanation was offered for the Turkish Cypriot Community getting their own, immediately archived UNTV stakeouts and this ten day delay. Watch this site. A ship moving phosphate taken from Western Sahara to New Zealand has been impounded in South Africa: the Marshall Islands flagged bulk carrier NM Cherry Blossom. The issue is the illegality of Morocco's exploitation of the natural resources of the Western Sahara territory it occupied, a question Inner City Press asked about at the UN Security Council stakeout on April 28, still not put online by the UN. So on May 4, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric about both issues: the ship and exploitation of Western Sahara's natural resources. On the first, Dujarric merely alluded to Antonio Guterres' report. On the UN's ongoing censorship of the April 28 Q&A stakeout including on exploitation of resources, Dujarric said he has nothing new - it's been six days and we will keep asking. At Morocco's "Universal Periodic Review" at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on May 2, the representative of the US urged  the Kingdom of Morocco to release detained journalists, and Sweden called on Morocco to respect freedom of the press. This call is apparently not heard by Morocco's Ambassador to the UN Omar Hilale, who even after Inner City Press published a blurring Morocco-AU document at his request used the UNTV microphone to claim that all of Inner City Press' publication are anti-Morocco. Nor is the call heard by the UN, which five days after the back to back stakeouts by Hilale and the Polisario representative has refused to put the latter video online. Inner City Press for the third day -- "question 228" by Hilale's count -- asked Dujarric about the delay; he again offered no explanation despite this same scenario having arisen in the past. From the May 3 UN transcript: Inner City Press: I’m sorry to ask you this again, but it’s… the stakeout took place Friday.  It’s now Wednesday.  So it’s five days later.  You’d said that it’s something working on.  I’d like you to explain it, because in April 2016, after, I think, a shorter period of time, it was decided to append the Polisario stakeout behind Algeria.  What’s the difference now?

Spokesman:  When I’m ready to have something to announce.  I will announce it and I will explain it.

Inner City Press: Does that solution…?

Spokesman:  That’s all I can say.

  Censorship. After several delays, the UN Security Council renewed for one year the mandate of its Western Sahara mission MINURSO at 6 pm on April 28. Final resolution put on Scribed by Inner City Press here. After the vote when Morocco's Permanent Representative to the UN Omar Hilale came to the UNTV stakeout, and after questions from Moroccan state media, Inner City Press asked Hilale three questions, on Horst Kohler as possible new envoy, on the C-24 Committee visiting the regions, and what Morocco had accomplished by ousting the MINURSO peacekeepers. Hilale rather than answering used the podium to, as he put it, give some statistics. 6-second Vine Camera video here.

He said that Inner City Press has asked 225 questions about the conflict in the past year - quelle horreur -- and had had the temerity to write 150 articles about it. Inner City Press pointed out that it has written more about other countries, such as these days Cameroon. But Hilale went on from there. Video here. Three days after the stakeouts, the UN Department of Public Information had put on its website only two of the three speakers that evening (May 1 photo here). So on May 1 Inner City Press asked the UN's holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: This happened before, so maybe you’ll have an answer to it.  On Friday, after the meeting on Western Sahara, in the Security Council, there were three stakeouts, Morocco, Algeria and then Polisario.  And three days later, only Morocco and Algeria are up and not Polisario.  Now, the last time it took several days, and then it was appended behind Algeria.  How did the same thing happen again, or it hasn’t even been… [inaudible]

Spokesman:  I can look into it.

Inner City Press  But isn’t it… I mean, after last time…

Spokesman:  I said I would look into it.

   Seven hours later, nothing. So here is part of the video. What is wrong with the UN, and its DPI?  It was to the DPI that Hilale's Moroccan mission made a frivolous complaint about Inner City Press taking photos at the stakeout; it was this DPI which evicted Inner City Press and still keeps it restricted, trying to give its long time shared office to an Egyptian state media which rarely comes in and never asks questions. This zero, apparently, is a count that Hilale, Morocco and its state media and trolls are most comfortable with. Up to death threats have been received. Here then is a song, Western Sahara Blues, the Ballad of Omar Hilale.

  In front of the UN Security Council's Western Sahara closed door consultations on April 25, Inner City Press asked French Ambassador Francois Delattre why there is no human rights monitoring in the mandate of the MINURSO mission, as urged by for example Amnesty International. Delattre said human rights "is in our DNA," but said there are many ways to work for human rights. Video here.  Now the vote on the resolution, one draft of which is below, has been pushed back from 5 to 5:30 to 6 pm on April 28. Verification of Guerguerat, inclusion or deletion or modification of language in the resolution, below. Up on the UN's 38th floor after a photo op of UK Boris Johnson and Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Inner City Press spotted Uruguay's ambassador. He has been pushing for human rights monitoring, DNA or no DNA. But down at the stakeout of the Security Council, the questions to him concerned mostly a reported missile firing by North Korea. Watch this site. Inner City Press asked about Horst Kohler as Antonio Guterres' nominee as Personal Envoy on Western Sahara. Delattre smiled and answered in German. Then and the next day, as Inner City Press got versions of the draft, Morocco diplomats and state journalists walked freely up and down the UN's 2d floor, while Inner City Press was confined to Department of Public Information minders. After the meeting, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative Petr Ilyichev said the real work on the MINURSO resolution, which he still expects to be put to a vote on April 27, was at the level of experts, not in the April 25 meeting. Periscope video here.

UN Security's Drennan “Buried” Report on Threats Against Bokova, Documents Indicate

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, May 18 – The UN Department of Safety and Security's top officer Peter Drennan ordered that a security report on UNESCO chief Irina Bokova be “buried” last year due to the personal political implications for Drennan if Bokova instead of Antonio Guterres became UN Secretary General, internal UN document obtained and exclusively published by Inner City Press show. Click here; embedded below.

Fearing retaliation, the UN's Kenneth Rosario two months ago wrote to Drennan to formally notify him of the charge of burying the security report, citing the deadly consequence of such UN burying in the cases of the Canal Hotel in Baghdad and later in Algiers. Rosario noted that even in those cases, no one alleged that the reports were suppressed by a head of Department like Drennan. 

The documents cited specific and credible death threats against Bokova, the UN system's top ranking official in France, and the letter bomb attack on the International Monetary Fund / World Bank office, ascribing it to the Greek anarchist group Conspiracy of Fire Cells or SPF. 

Exclusive: UN Security's Drennan “Buried” Report on Threats Against Bokova, Documents Indicate by Matthew Russell Lee on Scribd

Rosario's fear of retaliation was and is well-founded: for example, the UN fired Swedish official Anders Kompass after he blew the whistle on peacekeepers' sexual abuse of children in the Central African Republic. More recently Francis Gurry of the UN's World Intellectual Property Organization has been accused of retaliation; here is Inner City Press' story on WIPO's North Korea business, including a response from US Ambassador Nikki Haley to Inner City Press' May 16 question on the matter. UN DSS itself was involved in the no due process eviction of Inner City Press and targeting of it since to hinder its investigative reporting in the UN. Audio here. But the reporting will continue: watch this site.

ICP Asks Google X's Astro Teller of Cameroon Net Cut, of DMCA & YouTube Hindering Press

By Matthew Russell Lee, New Platform

UNITED NATIONS, May 18 – When Google X's Astro Teller came to the UN on May 17, he bragged about Google's work bringing Internet, with balloons, to areas where it's needed. Inner City Press asked Teller what Google has done during Cameroon's 94-day intentional Internet cut-off in Cameroon, and why it allows the use of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act for censorship, by governments against opponents and, with regard to the UN, a censor from Reuters and now HRW, here. Video here. Teller quickly said he's not from that Google, only Google X. He said Google's Internet balloons are like "threads" to connect rural areas with the ISP of the same country. But in Cameroon, the cut off was to "Silicon Mountain." Shouldn't Google have said and done something? With these large social media platforms like Google and Facebook vowing to use algorithms to prevent terrorist recruitment and for other purposes, the crudeness of results, intended or not, has come to the fore. Now Google's YouTube is engaged in systematic financial censoring of independent videos about censorship. Like many independent media, Inner City Press publishes its coverage and associated commentary not only on its website but on a number of third party platforms like YouTube, Twitter,Facebook, Scribd and SoundCloud. YouTube is owned by Google, and like its parent allows publishers to monetize their material with advertisements.

But do YouTube and Google behind it engage in censorship? As Inner City Press ramps up its fight against the eviction of its shared office in the United Nations while asking questions about UN corruption, it has received a series of e-mails from YouTube that its videos on these topics "cannot be monetized" with ads. On May 5, it received this email denying monetization to a video filmed in UN Conference Room 2 during the UN's World Press Freedom Day event, a Press question to the UN about its lack of compliance with its claims. The email said, "
We didn't approve your video(s) for monetization because the content in your video(s) or video details may not be advertiser-friendly. 'ICP asks UN about evicting Press, WIPO & FAO suing media. DPI: we're committed to #PressFreedom.'"

On May 4, Google issued a final, non-appealable denial on monetization to a video of a UN Q&A about Kurdistan and Sri Lanka: "After reviewing your video, we’ve confirmed that the content in your video or video details aren’t advertiser-friendly. As a result, your video can’t be monetized. "At UN on Countering Violent Extremism, ICP Asks CTED & Iraq NGO of Kurdish Women Fighters, Sri Lanka" YouTube reserves the right to make the final decision about video monetization." Google also said this video couldn't be monetized: "Inner City Press Asks CPJ To Push UN for Press Freedom Rules, HRW's UN Rep Dodges on DMCA Censorship" - after Google gave in to a frivolous request from athen-Reuters, now-HRW rep who claimed his anti-Press email to the UN was copyrighted. (This Louis Charbonneau dodged the question on May 3 at the EU Mission to the UN, here). This is doubly disgusting: Google is denying monetization to a Q&A about its own censorship. So, question: does Google have an algorithm to deny monetization to independent content which criticizes it? 

On April 23 YouTube similarly went back todeny monetization to Inner City Press videos about Yemen, Sri Lanka, Armenia, Darfur, the Golan Heights, DRC, Gaza, Ukraine, Qatar, UN censorship. On April 24, Google / YouTube denied Inner City Press' appeal and irrevocably denied monetization to these (compare to longer list below and marvel and the "logic" of this censorship). 

After reviewing your videos, we’ve confirmed that the content in your videos or video details aren’t advertiser-friendly. As a result, your videos can’t be monetized.

• "On Yemen, ICP Asks UN Spox of Blocking of Medical Supplies, Who Is Raising to Saudi-Led Coalition?"
• "On Syria, UN Calls Missile "Speculative," Prepares An "Evidence Based Narrative: Video with Captions"
• "After UNAMID Covered Up Darfur Rapes, Ladsous Won't Answer Press Q Why Didn't Say Army There"
• "ICP Asks Yemen PR Of Sa'ada Destroyed by Airstrikes (“Rebuild”), When Reach Sa'ana? (“Few weeks”),"
• "On Syria, Reuters' Charbonneau Insists, "I Have the Mic, Isn't Government to Blame?," Then Latakia"
• "On Syria, Ban Ki-moon Summons Press, Then Has Little To Say, Takes No Questions"
• "UN Won't Say What Ban Discussed with Kerry or if Missiles Illegal Sans UNSC, Won't Name DRC Units"
• "On Luhansk Bombing, June 2 Ukraine PR Denies, Then June 4 Tells ICP of OSCE Web Site Blocked"
• "After Darfur Rapes Denied by UN, ICP Asks Of Any New Investigation, Is Told of Call to Ladsous"
• "ICP Asks Gordon Brown of Sexual Abuse of CAR Children by Sangaris Force, & Of S. Sudan"
• "UN's Darfur Cover Up Report Still Withheld, ICP Asks of Under-Reporting of Deaths in CAR"
• "On Darfur Rapes, ICP Asks UN If Ban To Raise Tabit to Ghandour; Ladsous Met “Nice” with Sudan Dip"
• "In Darfur, Despite Tabit Rapes Etc, Why is UNAMID Cutting 770 Posts? ICP Asks, Here's Response"
• "On Gaza, Feltman Won't Tell ICP If Serry Met Hamas, Qatar-Funded Private Jet UNdisclosed"
• "On DRC, ICP Asks Kobler of Flying FDLR Leader, Impunity for Minova Rapes and General Amisi"
• "On Syria Chemical Weapons Facilities, ICP asks UN Why Sole Source Contract, UN Says Ask OPCW"

YouTube reserves the right to make the final decision about video monetization.

This April 23 email initiallydenied monetization to: 
"As on Syria UNCA President Pushes for No Fly Zone, UN Tries to Ban FUNCA, Other Views"

"In Syria, OPCW Cites Lack of Safety, UN Spox Says "We" Won't Comment, Sri Lanka Report Denied?"

"On Armenia Genocide Event, ICP Asks Who Goes for UN: Silent Geneva Rep, Dieng's "UNrelated” Event"

"On Darfur Rapes, UNAMID Police Chief Sites “Spoilers” to ICP, On Abuse in Haiti, No Transparency"

• "In Iraq, UN Tells ICP Baghdad Is Safe, No Comment on Myanmar Inter-religious Marriage Ban"
• "On Gaza, Feltman Won't Tell ICP If Serry Met Hamas, Qatar-Funded Private Jet UNdisclosed"
• "Ukraine's Sergeyev Says Journalists Didn't Follow Rules, Denies Again Luhansk Building Bombing"
• "ICP Asks of Darfur Rapes & Ladsous Says Reporting Has To Be What It Is- No Military Minders?"
• "After UN's Ban says IDF Soldier Captive of Hamas, IDF Says Killed 1st, No Correction, UN Tells ICP"
• "On S. Sudan, ICP Asks UN of Closing of Juba Airport, If Arms Brought In, ENHAS; Col. Bakosoro"
• "UN Won't Say What Ban Discussed with Kerry or if Missiles Illegal Sans UNSC, Won't Name DRC Units"
• "On Darfur Rapes & UN Document Showing Army Filmed Interviews, UN Says It Won't “Comment on Leaks”"
• "On Sudan, ICP Asks UN Why Parts of Mission in Darfur Closing Despite 130,000 UNverified IDPs"
• "On Rwanda Genocide, ICP Asks UN Why Ladsous Waived Rights After Minova Rapes & For LRA But Not FDLR"
• "On Syria, UN Calls Missile "Speculative," Prepares An "Evidence Based Narrative: Video with Captions"
• "On Syria, UN Won't Answer ICP if Annan in Iran Was Coordinated, Why Photos Banned: FUNCA"
• "Richard Falk Says Dexia's Owners Liable for Settlements in Palestine, ICP Asks Where & of Regulators"
• "UN To Start Shooting in DRC in 48 Hours, Won't Names Units It Supports: #LADSOUS2013"
• "On DRC, ICP Asks Kobler of Flying FDLR Leader, Impunity for Minova Rapes and General Amisi"
• "On Palestine, Ban Ki-moon Dodges on ICC when ICP Asks, FUNCA Censored From UN Transcript,"
• "ICP Asks Gordon Brown of Sexual Abuse of CAR Children by Sangaris Force, & Of S. Sudan"
• "ICP Asked Palestine's Mansour of US Opposition to Draft, Mansour Said Abbas & Kerry Discussed"
• "ICP Asks Yemen PR Who Invited Sudan Troups Into Aden (Hadi) and About ICC Indictment (UNanswered)"
• "On Tabit Rapes in Darfur, Amb Delattre Tells ICP of SC Statement in Nov 2014, But UNAMID Nov 9"
• "On Gaza, ICP Asks Serry If He's Leaving Post in October, & If Board of Inquiry. He: Up to Ban."
• "On Syria's Request UN Probe Khan al Assal, UN Says It Explained, then Re- Explains, Kane Games"
• "At UN, Herve Ladsous Omits Abyei & Golan, Questions UNanswered on DR Congo for Months"
• "ICP Asks Syrian Coalition's Ghadbian of US "Foreign Mission," Arms. He: Pilot like TOW Missiles"
• "On R2P, ICP Asks UN's Dieng & Welsh of S Sudan & Burundi, UN Failure in Sri Lanka and Critique"
• "Israel PR Prosor Speaks on #BringBackOurBoys, Afterward Tells ICP No Draft Press Statement, Nothing"
• "On Syria, Ban Ki-moon Summons Press, Then Has Little To Say, Takes No Questions"
• "On Yemen, ICP Asks UN If Its Envoy was UNaware of Houthis Meeting US UK EU in Muscat, Leaked Email"
• "On Syria Chemical Weapons Facilities, ICP asks UN Why Sole Source Contract, UN Says Ask OPCW"
• "On Bombing of Luhansk Building, UN's Simonovic Tells ICP His Team Not Expert, Maybe More"
• "In DRC, UN OKs Jamming M23 Rebel Radio, Silent on Sudan Hostages and Who's Excluding Press from UNGA"
• "DRC Tshibanda Tells ICP UN Gave Waiver to Work With 2 Generals Against LRA - But Not FDLR, “Ask UN""
• "ICP Asks Yemen PR Of Sa'ada Destroyed by Airstrikes (“Rebuild”), When Reach Sa'ana? (“Few weeks”),"
• "After Ladsous' Cover Ups in Sudan Like DRC & Haiti Have NGOs Telling Ban to Fire Him, UNresponsive"
• "On DRC & Its Exclusive on GoE Report, ICP Asks UN if MONUSCO Counts Blind Among Disarmed FDLR"
• "On Yemen, ICP Asks UN Spox of Blocking of Medical Supplies, Who Is Raising to Saudi-Led Coalition?"
• "On Ukraine, ICP Asks PR Sergeyev of IMF and Minsk, Conditions for Recouping Border Control"
• "On Syria, Lavrov Speaks (Too) Softly, Draft Resolution to All UNSC Members This Night, Sep 26, 2013"
• "Syria Meeting at Russian Mission Sept 11 Was On Chemical Weapons Initiative, Resolution Not Shown"
• "Ban Ki-moon Speaks of Shelling of UNRWA Schools, But Spox Won't Tell ICP If or When Board of Inquiry"
• "After Darfur Rapes Denied by UN, ICP Asks Of Any New Investigation, Is Told of Call to Ladsous"
• "On Darfur Rapes, ICP Asks UN If Ban To Raise Tabit to Ghandour; Ladsous Met “Nice” with Sudan Dip"
• "UN's Darfur Cover Up Report Still Withheld, ICP Asks of Under-Reporting of Deaths in CAR"
• "On UN's “Human Rights Due Diligence Policy,” ICP Asks Simonovic of DRC, FDLR, South Sudan"
• "ICP Asks Matthew Rycroft of Leer in South Sudan, Sudan Troops in Yemen, When UNSC Meets on Burundi"
• "On Afghanistan, Kubis Claims UN Impartial, LOTFA Cleaned, Too Early on SG, Maxwell Case Closed?"
• "When UN Claim It Was Banned from Darfur Rape Zone Is Disputed, Spox Insists UNAMID Is Credible"
• "In Yemen, ICP Asks UN Spox if Envoy Spoke With Groups Who Don't Support Hadi, For Pause, Seems Not"
• "For Update on Accountability for Minova Rapes, UN tells ICP to "Ask DRC," Dodges on FDLR-DRC Links"
• "Ban Ki-Moon Gets & Speaks on 2d Syria Chemical Weapons Report, Declines Q on It & N Korea Execution"
• "ICP asks Israel's Prosor of UN's Feltman, & If New Rapporteur Can Enter; “Meet & Work Together""
• "On Luhansk Bombing, June 2 Ukraine PR Denies, Then June 4 Tells ICP of OSCE Web Site Blocked"
• "On Syria, Sigrid Kaag Tells ICP $10M in OPCW, $2M in UN Trust Fund - But When & Where Report?"
• "On Syria, UN Tells ICP It Welcomes Evidence and E10, Narrative Will Include Witness Statements; DRC"
• "On Gaza, ICP Asks UN DSG Why No SG Outreach to Hamas, Citing Qatar-Funded Jet, Not Needed, -DSG"
• "On Ukraine, UK Lyall Grant calls Simonovic report "forensic" disproving of Russia claims: April 16"
• "At UN on Palestine, Of Settlements & Withheld Taxes, by InnerCityPress.com"
• "Araud Says Sale of Warships Continues & On Syria Draft If US Pilot Downed, He Would Go to ICC"
• "As OSCE Asks Kyiv to Free Journalists, ICP Asks UN, Which Has Contacted No One"
• "Of UN's Report on Its Darfur Cover-Up, UNSC Only Gets Summary, Press & Public, Mere Statement"
• "ICP Asks Palestine's Mansour If Join ICC If No UNSC Reso; He Says Not Conditional, Wants to Join"
• "As UN Flies Gov't Officials to Darfur, In DRC Murky on M23, Nothing on Katanga or Sri Lanka"
• "On Iran, ICP Asks Shaheed of De-SWIFTing, Impact of Sanctions and of P5+1 Nuclear Talks"
• "Amnesty Int'l Says Syria Rebels Shouldn't Be Armed, Yet, of Golden Rule and Censorship at UN"
• "Of Odessa May 2 Fire, ICP asks UN's Simonovic About Probe(s), Journalists Detained by Ukraine"
• "As Syria Bound Truck Resists Search in Turkey's Hatay, ICP Asks UN's Amos, Who Talks Surgical"
• "As UN Says It Protects DRC Civilians, Accused of Shooting Two Civilians Itself, Double Standards"
• "On Syria, UN Tells ICP Sellstrom's Report on Chemical Weapons Pushed from Oct to Early Dec, Why?"
• "After UNAMID Covered Up Darfur Rapes, Ladsous Won't Answer Press Q Why Didn't Say Army There"
• "On Syria, Kaag Re-Pledges Transparency on OPCW Chemical Weapons Funds, Cites Maritime Costs,"
• "On Syria, Reuters' Charbonneau Insists, "I Have the Mic, Isn't Government to Blame?," Then Latakia"
• "Four Days: UN Spox Said Not Aware UN Flew FDLR in DRC, Never Updated, Won't Say When Knew Had Misled"
• "In Darfur, Despite Tabit Rapes Etc, Why is UNAMID Cutting 770 Posts? ICP Asks, Here's Response"
• "At UN Noon Briefing, There Are No Answers, On Myanmar & DRC Army Rapes, Off Stride"
• "On Gaza, ICP Asks Palestine's Mansour of US Ammo Transfers to Israel"
• "ICP Asks Ukraine PR Sergeyev of Grad Rockets by Donetsk, IMF and Ceasefire Positions"
• "On Ukraine, UN Spox Says Restoration of State Control Should Be Peaceful: But, "Surrender or Die?""
• "ICP Asks Palestine & Jordan of US Opposition to Draft, Mansour Says Abbas Spoke with Kerry,"
• "On Yemen & US Drone Strikes, ICP Asks UN If Houthis Have Consented, Spox Says “Details,” Ban UNmoved"
• "On Darfur Rapes, ICP Asks UK Rycroft Of Cover Up as in CAR; He: UN Reviews May Ensure Follow-Up"

  The week before on April 17 this list grew to include a simple Q&A with the UN about censorship in Mali, Paul Biya's cut off of the Internet in Cameroon, and refugees in Lebanon, from Syria. Inner City Press uploaded a video and nearly immediately received this: "Thanks for submitting your video(s) for monetization. We didn't approve your video(s) for monetization because the content in your video(s) or video details may not be advertiser-friendly. 'ICP Asks UN of Mali closing 47 radio stations, Cameroon Net Cut, Syria refugees at risk in Lebanon.'" How can Google and YouTube justify this? It is driving content away from them and to, for example, Patreon (here).

 Google has, on appeal, said "After reviewing your video, we’ve confirmed that the content in your video or video details aren’t advertiser-friendly. As a result, your video can’t be monetized. YouTube reserves the right to make the final decision about video monetization." This final Ban of monetization applies for example to:

• "On Syria, Samantha Power Tells ICP No One "Decent" Supports Qaeda-Linked Groups, Urges Aid Access"

• "On CAR Rapes, ICP Asks UN of #CodeBlue on Commission, Subpoenas, Ladsous, Spox Says “At Some Point""

• "On UNSCParis Attacks Resolution, ICP Asks UK Rycroft of Vienna I, French Delattre of UN Charter"
• 
  
• "ICP Asked HRW Why Its Yemen Event Is Behind Closed Doors with UN Censorship Alliance, Periscope Here"

• "ICP Asks UN About 2nd Delay of CAR Rapes Report by Ban Ki-moon's Panel, Kicking Can Down Road"

• "ICP Asks Amnesty of Death Sentences in Nigeria & Egypt, Obama's Release of Jets, Rockets & Tanks"

• "Libya's PR Dabbashi Says He Was Criticizing the UK, For Saying Only Ansar al Sharia Fighting ISIL"
• 
  
• "Boko Haram Is on UN Al Qaeda Sanctions List, Chair Quinlan Say: But Do They Have a Bank Account?"
• 
  
• "Why Were Ban Ki-moon's Remarks on Charlie Hebdo Attack Not In UN Media Alert? FUNCA Asks"

• "ICP Asks UN Why It Says Yarmouk in Syria Is No Longer Besieged, Is Told That's Semantics, UNclear,"

• "On Yemen, ICP Asked Jordan FM Judeh of Casualties, AQAP Benefiting, He Said That's Not the Goal"

• "UNSC Stakeout on Libya, Press Elements on Extremisms, ICP on Dabbashi, Qs on South Sudan"
• 
  
• "After US Drops Arms in Kobane, ICP Asks, UN's Ban “Notes” It, Wants in “Broad Context” of Int'l Law,"
• 
  
• "ICP asks UN Women about ISIS, UN Cover Up of Tabit Rapes in Darfur, Kim-for-Kane Post Loss"

• "In Golan After UN Peacekeepers Hand Over Guns to Nusra, UN Won't Say If Ladsous Ordered It"

• "On Yemen, ICP Asks UK Rycroft About Vince Cable & Arms Sales to Saudi; Syria Q&A Too"

• "On Syria, Churkin Says No Russian Green Light For Turkey, UK Sounds Green, US Power"
• 
  
• "ICP Asks Ladsous Why Left Chad Troops Die in Mali, Sex Abuse in CAR, Terrain in S Sudan, No Answer"

• "ICP Asks Venezuela FM Delcy Rodriguez About Syria and Yemen, Who Dominates UN DPKO & DPA Posts"
• 
  
• "ICP Asked Saudi PR of US Criticism of Executions, al Nimr, Here's UK Matthew Rycroft on UNSC Process"
• 
  
• "On Yemen, ICP Asks UN of US-Made Cluster Bombs Dropped by Saudi on Sana'a, Envoy's One-Sided Visits"
• 
  
• "On Yemen, ICP Asked Uruguay VM Cancela of Civilians Hit by Saudi Strikes in Yemen, He on Hospitals"
• 
  
•  "ICP Asks UN Spox of Burundi Rapes & Deployments to CAR, No Updates, Peacekeeping & Sri Lanka"

"ICP Asks UN Counter-Terrorism Center of Boko Haram Victims, Who Are UNCTC's Non-Saudi Donors?"

"On UN Rapes, ICP Asks Khare of Light Penalties for Statutory Rape, Where is #Ladsous?"

  This is the opposite of what Google and similar mega-platforms claim to be doing. Facebook, as another example, talks about flying Internet-distributing drones over Africa. So why haven't they done so over Southern Cameroons in the past 55 days? These platforms should be urged on these issues. On this censorship of the Press by denying or delaying monetization, it seems clear that someone or something has gotten Google's YouTube to do it. We'll have more on this.

   Last week, monetization was similar denied for an Inner City Press video about being ordered out of the UN Press Briefing Room for a "French only" briefing by outgoing French president Francois Hollande, murkily arranged by the UN's still holding-over spokesman Stephane Dujarric. 

 On March 4, monetization not only of Q&As involving Sri Lanka and Ukraine and Yemen has been blocked - now, even a video from inside the UN Press Briefing Room, an exposé of UN censorship. Google's YouTube  wrote:

"We didn't approve your video(s) for monetization because the content in your video(s) or video details may not be advertiser-friendly.

"French Delegation Tells Press To Leave UN Briefing Room for Hollande, FUNCA Says No"

  This was the "precedent" Dujarric wanted to erase, to claim that Inner City Press standing the principled stand that the UN Press Briefing Room has to be for all, not just some chosen, journalists.
"UNcensored 1-4: Evicted from the UN For Investigative Reporting, by Matthew Russell Lee""    The emails said “Controversial or sensitive subjects and events, including subjects related to war, political conflicts, natural disasters and tragedies, even if graphic imagery is not shown... We depend on our user community to flag inappropriate videos to us for our review.”

  Even after appeal, videos whose titles including the word "Nusra" for example are deemed ineligible for monetization.

This is no longer a mis-application of a terrorism screen. This is a pattern at Google, see here.
   These are video of questions and answers (sometimes) at the UN, of protests in the streets of New York, etc. Inner City Press has written,  to Monetization then to Press [at] YouTube.com:

“The videos you are saying are “not advertiser-friendly” are videos of media questions and answers with United Nations spokespeople and diplomats. They are news. The message sent yesterday and today said “you can request an additional review below” - this is a request for review. Look at the videos: they are Q&As in the UN Press Briefing Room.

This is also a request to be informed if it was any complaint to YouTube / Google which triggered this denial of monetization, and if so if it came from the UN or any[one else.]
I note that Reuters, got one of its anti-Press emails to the UN banned from Google Search with a frivolous DMCA filing: https://www.chillingeffects.org/notices/1457339# now [HRW] https://lumendatabase.org/notices/1457339#

Please confirm receipt and review the above and restore monetization, answering the question. Google and YouTube should not be involved in any form of censorship, including the denial of monetization of news footage."

   Now on February 26, YouTube has sent this: 

"Hi Inner City Press, After reviewing your video, we’ve confirmed that the content in your video or video details aren’t advertiser-friendly. As a result, your video can’t be monetized.

"In Golan After UN Peacekeepers Hand Over Guns to Nusra, UN Won't Say If Ladsous Ordered It"

YouTube reserves the right to make the final decision about video monetization."

  So, like at the UN on unilateral decisions to target, evict and restrict particular media, and like some decisions by Twitter to which we will next turn, there is no appeal. (UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who has bragged about the UN's "use" of YouTube, ran out when Inner City Press asked about this, here.) This is UNacceptable. We'll have more on this.