By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 28,
updated twice
-- How does
the UN decide
when to take a
donation,
particularly
from a
government?
Inner City
Press first
raised
the question
when Ban
Ki-moon
accepted
flights around
the Gulf from
the United
Arab Emirates
-- would he
similarly
accept flights
from Syria?
Back
then in January,
Ban's
spokesman
Martin Nesirky
said that
accepting
gifts
including
transportation
is "thought
about
extremely
carefully."
But
how is it
thought about?
Inner City
Press has
asked the UN
what rules
applied to the armored
Hyundai luxury
sedan that Ban
Ki-moon
accepted
earlier this
month, with a
red bow in the
hood and a
champagne
toast.
The UN has
told Inner
City Press,
"it was
decided to
accept the
donation made
by the
Government of
Korea given
the donation
is consistent
with the
policies, aims
and activities
of the
Organization."
Does
this mean that
giving an
armored car is
consistent
with UN aims?
Or that South
Korea, as a
donor, is
consistent
with UN aims
as other
countries,
including on
the Peninsula,
might not be?
The UN also
told Inner
City Press
that "the
Government of
the Republic
of Korea will
pay for all
costs and
expenses
related to the
vehicle."
Is the
low mileage of
the car
consistent
with UN
policies and
aims? The UN
answered,
"Fuel costs
will be
similar to the
existing
armoured
vehicles in
the fleet."
But what about
its carbon
footprint?
At
least the UN
responded to
these
automotive
Press
questions, and
one about
UNRWA. For
that in this
holiday season
we are
grateful. But
other
questions have
been ignored
or deferred,
among others
about Darfur
and Liberia,
Cambodia and,
yes, New
Jersey:
Dec
28-1 In Sudan,
what is UNAMID
doing about
the seige of
Ronga Tas IDP
camp in
Central
Darfur, and
the attempt by
authorities to
arrest 27
people who
organized a
demonstration?
What is
UNAMID's
response to
calls that the
UN do more to
protect
civilians?
Does UNAMID
support the
government's
push to
relocate these
33,000 people
to places
other than
their places
of origin?
Dec
28-2 In
Liberia, this
is a request
for a detailed
update on what
the UN ever
did about the
complaints
of the
National Staff
Association of
UNMIL, first
to Jane Holl
Lute then to
the Secretary
General,
about working
conditions and
discrimination.
In particular,
this is a
request
whether the UN
ever
investigated
and came to a
conclusion on
the NASA's
charges about
the UNMIL
Deputy Chief
Engineer...
Dec
28-5 please
confirm or
deny an
incident
described to
Inner City
Press in which
during a
Secretary
General trip
in New Jersey
his vehicle
and security
were stopped
by authorities
and searched.
What are the
legalities of
UN DSS
personnel
carrying
weapons
outside of the
UN premises,
including in
the adjacent
states of New
Jersey and
Pennsylvania?
[See below,
January 2]
Dec
28-6 On
Cambodia,
given the
history, what
is the
Secretary
General's or
Secretariat's
comment on the
20 year prison
term for
journalist Mam
Sonando for
criticizing
Hun Sen, and
the
restrictions
on Chan Soveth
of Adhoc, who
was questioned
on Monday?
The
questions on
Cambodia and
New Jersey
have received
no answer as
of 5 pm on
Friday.* On
Liberia, Sudan
and the
Democratic
Republic of
Congo, these
deferrals were
provided:
"On
UNAMID and
UNMIL - DPKO
advise they
are in touch
with the
missions and
when they have
something we
will let you
know. On
MONUSCO - DPKO
does not have
a further
update at this
stage. As
already
advised, human
rights
investigations
continue."
This
last is about
the 126 rapes
by Congolese
forces the UN
may still be
working with,
which occurred
in November
2012.
How is the
UN's supposed
Human Rights
Due Diligence
Policy
meaningful,
with not only
this delay,
but lack of
transparency
in stating
which FARDC
units the UN
has been
working with?
DPKO chief
Ladsous
refused to
answer this
question, retreating to the hall with favored
correspondents
on November 27
(video here)
then having his spokesman seize the UN TV
microphone on
December 18
(video here),
still
not addressed
by the UN.
Watch this
site.
Update:
the Cambodia
question later
drew this
response:
From:
UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at] un.org
Date: Sat, Dec
29, 2012 at
5:34 AM
Subject:
Question
To: Matthew
Russell Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
On Cambodia:
Both cases
remain before
the courts.
Mr. Mam
Sonando has an
appeal pending
before the
Court of
Appeal on
convictions
related to
secession,
and Mr. Chan
Soveth remains
at liberty as
investigations
continue into
allegations of
aiding the
perpetrator of
a crime. We
are following
developments
in both cases
through the
OHCHR Office
in Phnom Penh.
Update
of January 2,
2013, 4:25 pm
-- this came
in:
From:
UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at] un.org
Date: Wed, Jan
2, 2013
at 4:03 PM
Subject:
Question
To: Inner City
Press
On
the
Secretary-General's
travels in and
around New
York,
including New
Jersey: The UN
Security and
Safety Service
(SSS) advises
that no
incident
involving the
Secretary-General
along the
lines
described by
you to the
Spokesperson's
office took
place. SSS
closely
coordinates
all movements
throughout the
United States
by the
Secretary-General
and other
senior
leadership
with the
relevant Host
Country
security
agencies.
, 
