Press
Unprotected at
UN, As Salma
Hayek Guard
Bans Photos,
Beyonce's
Deletes
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, March
7 -- When
photographers
at the UN are
ordered to
delete
photographs
they have
taken, and
others are
told they
can't
take pictures
in public
areas, what
has the UN
become?
On
Thursday Inner
City Press
witnessed a
bodyguard for
Salma Hayek
order
a long time
photographer
at the UN,
co-founder of
the Free
UN
Coalition for
Access,
not to take
any
photographs. (Hayek
was at the UN
for a
corporate
event
sponsored by
Avon -- to
which a major
wire service
photojournalist
was told, you
cannot come,
you are not on
the list.)
The
time and place
for
photographs
are the UN is
supposed to be
governed
by rules by
the UN
Department of
Public
Information
(DPI). But as
Inner City
Press has reported
and shown,
the head of UN
Peacekeeping
Herve
Ladsous on
December 18
had his spokesman
grab a UNTV
microphone
to
keep it away
from Inner
City Press, on
questions
about rapes in
Minova by his
partners in
the Congolese
Army.
When
Greece's
foreign
minister took
questions at
the Security
Council
stakeout in
February, his
entourage ordered
UNTV to stop
recording, and
even ordered a
UN accredited
journalist not
to take
photographs
at
the stakeout.
Inner
City Press and
FUNCA raised
this to DPI at
a meeting on
February 22.
So far, the
only written
follow up to
the meeting
from DPI has
been a
letter
from Media
Accreditation
boss Stephane
Dujarric,
claiming that
“it was
clearly
understood by
all sides that
there would be
no
reporting or
recording of
the meeting.”
This
is false --
Inner City
Press said
loudly, “you
are on the
record”
(audio
here);
another
attendee of
the meeting
has informed
Dujarric that
it was
clear the
meeting was
being taped.
But no
response from
Dujarric.
Now
we have
learned that
when Beyonce
came to the
UN, during a
session a
range of
people
including UN
Photo took
photographs.
Then they were
ordered by
Beyonce's
private
security to
erase the
pictures from
their memory
cards. One of
them asked,
“What is this,
North
Korea?”
What
has become of
the UN? FUNCA
is told that
each issue --
at least,
those of
Ladsous'
spokesman and,
at least we
were told, of
the Greek
Mission, are
being dealt
with one on
one, behind
the scenes.
Even if
this is true,
it it is
working, it
does not
inform others
not to do
the same
thing.
Dujarric
prior
to his
February 27
false letter
claimed that
his door is
always
open, come to
raise problems
and propose
reforms
anytime. Then
his
letter used
the false
allegation to
say “we
question your
ability
to work
together on
solving
substantive
questions.”
So much for an
open door.
FUNCA
told the UN
from its
launch on
December 7,
2012, that it
is on the
record,
pressing for
more public
access. It proposes
reforms, in
public. On
this, FUNCA
proposes that
those visiting
the UN,
particularly
including
personal
bodyguards,
entourages and
security,
be clearly
told what the
rules and
rights of
journalists
are.
As
noted, the UN
rules must be
revised, and
the UN
Correspondents
Association,
whose
President
Pamela Falk of
CBS and first
vice
president
Louis
Charbonneau of
Reuters
Dujarric
sought to
protect
with his
February 27
false letter,
must be
removed as a
party to the
rules, since
they have not
fought for
journalists'
rights like
this.
To the
contrary, as
proved by
documents
obtained under
the US Freedom
of Information
Act, UNCA
“leaders”
have asked
Dujarric to
throw out
of the UN the
investigative
Press.
Dujarric
replied
“thanks,”
and still has
not said when
he would have
told
Inner City
Press about
the complaint.
Now he has
filed his own
false
complaint,
with himself,
and has
refused to
retract or
explain it.
Watch this
site.
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