At
UN, Mauritius Urges
Vote on UK's “Dismemberment” of
Chagos, Photos in Lobby
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS,
June 19 –
In the UN most decolonization
fights are in the Fourth
Committee or C-24. But
Mauritius continues moving for
a UN General Assembly vote to
seek an advisory opinion of
the International Court of
Justice on the dismemberment
of the Chagos Archipelago by
the United Kingdom in 1965.
Inner City Press has now obtained
a copy of the Republic of
Congo's letter seeking a vote,
on behalf of the African
Group. And on June 19, a photo
exhibit is in the UN
Secretariat Lobby (along with
a sign that this is not an
endorsement by the UN).
Tweeted photo here.
Mauritius'
“Aide Memoire” obtained by
Inner City Press has a more
than two page section entitled
“Actions taken by the UK in
violation of international
law.” It recounts how the
agenda item was put on the
agenda of the 71st session of
the General Assembly “on the
understanding that it would
not be considered before June
2017 and that thereafter it
may be considered upon
notification by a Member
State.” It concludes that
Mauritius will be submitting a
draft resolution, and “would
be grateful for the support of
all Member States in its
endeavor.” Inner City Press tweet
of pages 1-4; 5
to 8 (end).
On June 1
as Inner City Press staked-out
of the General Assembly
meeting, even with the
still-required UN Department
of Public Information minder,
one well-placed state's
Permanent Representative told
it “there probably will be a
vote.” Another, while
sympathetic to Mauritius (or
anti-UK), said it might set a
tricky precedent for other
states. We'll have more on
this.
The
day before on May 31 when the
UN General Assembly's incoming
President Miroslav Lajcak came
to take questions in from the
GA Hall, Inner City Press
asked him as the last question
about the bribery case
involving former PGA John
Ashe, and whether he would
commit to disclose who pays
for his travel and his staff,
and try to codify this in a GA
resolution during his year. Video
here. Lajcak to his
credit stayed and took the
question, ending with “There
will be no secrets.” If so,
that will be rare in today's
UN, where basic questions
about who is paying who, which
staff are seconded, go
unanswered. Other questions to
Lajcak were about US President
Donald Trump. When the UN
Security Council's 15 members
traveled to Washington on
April 24 for lunch with US
President Donald Trump, NBC
News' Andrea Mitchell in one
of many curtain-raisers reported
that only the Permanent
Members ever chair the Council
(false) and that the Elected
Ten cannot vote (also false).
Trump in five minutes of
remarks now online here
chided the Council for
inaction on Syria, called for
action on North Korea and
hoped for cost savings and,
more importantly, better
performance. In one step for
UN reform and transparency, a
resolution was adopted on
April 19 to henceforth webcast
to the public the UN Committee
on Non-Governmental
Organizations, which Inner
City Press has
covered and critiqued
for some time. Inner City
Press notes that a similar,
even more basic reform is
needed: due
process rules for
journalists at the UN, where
currently there are none. As
to the NGO webcasting, US
Ambassador Nikki Haley on
April 19 said, “Today's vote
will bring increased
transparency and
accountability to the United
Nations. Now all of these
meetings and votes will be
open for the world to see.
This major win at that will
greatly assist organizations
that stand up to oppressive
governments around the world.”
We agree: see below. But when
will the needed reforms - any
reforms - for content neutral
accreditation of media at the
UN, and due process of some
sort before UN censors can
throw the Press, happen? After
the UN Department of Public
Information gave Inner City
Press two hours to leave, for
having covered an event in the
UN Press Briefing Room related
to the Ng Lap Seng UN
corruption case, there has
been no appeals process.
Pro-UN media only recently
arrived have been given office
space; Inner City Press' long
time shared office is being
given to an Egyptian state
media Akhbar al Yom whose
correspondent Sanaa Youssef
rarely comes in and never asks
questions. For fifteen months
and for now ongoing, Inner
City Press is required to have
UN minders to cover events on
the Conference Building's
second floor, unlike other
media. It is lawless
censorship and must be
addressed.
***
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