Tale
of Two UNs,
Peace Mural
Versus Haiti
Cholera, Rapes
Covered Up,
Mines
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, April
1 -- It was a
tale of two UNs,
with a peace
mural and
Peter Yarrow
in the Conference
Building
hallway, amid
talk against
colonialism,
compared to Herve
Ladsous and
self-serving
talk of UN
work in
the Central
African
Republic and Haiti
in the General
Assembly lobby
on April 1.
In the GA
Lobby, a
"virtual mine
field" was
presented, first
to Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon who
was told
he was the
first SG to
face this
danger -
on an iPad.
A French
photogrraph
spoke movingly
about CAR,
said what an
honor it was
to work for
the UN. It was
unclear if she's
heard UN
Peacekeeping
brought
cholera to
Haiti, killed
more than 8000
people then
refused to
accept any
responsibility.
But
this is not to
(entirely) be
a nay-sayer.
The ideals of
the UN still
draw people to
it, like
around the
corner at the
Peace Mural.
Those
attending that
event could
ignore today's
UN, not
speaking out
against
airstrikes on
Yemen, helping
cover up rapes
in Darfur and
the DR Congo.
It
was Ladsous
who did those
and refused to
answer
questions, video here, Vine
here.
Ironically it
was Ladsous
who, leaving
the virtual reality
of the GA
Lobby, passed
by the Peace
Mural event
barely looking
at it.
Colonialism
indeed.
Earlier on
April 1 when
the UN Mine
Action Service
held its annual
press
conference,
Inner City
Press wanted
to ask UNMAS
Director Agnes
Marcaillou
about landines
in South Sudan
and UNMAS'
promotion of
multiply-accused
deminer David
Bax from
Somalia to
Gaza.
But also at
the press
conference
were Japan's
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
and the Dutch
Permanent
Representative
Karel van
Oosterom, who
it was said
had to leave
early, to meet
with Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon.
So Inner City
Press first
asked van
Oosterom if
Dutch Queen
Maxine, in
Myanmar, would
be raising the
landmine
issues in that
country.
No, van
Oosterom said,
the Queen is
in Myanmar in
her capacity
as UN Special
Advocate for
Inclusive
Finance for
Development.
But he (and
UNMAS'
Marcaillou)
assured that
she and other
Dutch official
raise the
landmine issue
wherever they
go.
Later, Inner
City Press
asked
Marcaillou
about the
reported use
of landmines
in South Sudan
and about the
disposition of
the
investigation(s)
into David
Bax, who
whistleblowers
in Somalia
alleged shared
DNA
information
about Somalia
bombers with
US
intelligence,
as well as
engaging in
conflicts of
interest. (Video and background
here.)
Marcaillou
spoke
passionately
about South
Sudan, where
UNMAS found
cluster bombs
were used but
could not find
by whom. She
said UNMAS
coordinated a
statement on
the landline
allegation, by
IGAD with the
UN Mission
UNMISS. Later
she said that
UNMAS dogs
were used to
check if
explosives
were being
brought into
UNMISS
protection of
civilians
site.
On Bax, the
answer was
less
convincing.
Marcaillou as
she did last
year
pointed to an
investigation
by the UN
Office of
Project
Services - but
this time
acknowledged
that she had
not seen the
whole UNOPS
report.
This
is the case
even though
Bax is a UNMAS
employee -
it's that
UNMAS
outsources its
human
resources
activities to
UNOPS. But
shouldn't
Marcaillou as
UNMAS director
have access to
investigative
reports about
UNMAS
staffers?
We'll have
more on this.
Footnote:
After the
briefing,
Inner City
Press mused
whether the
Netherlands,
running for
one of two
Western
European and
Other Group
seats on the
UN Security
Council
against Italy
and Sweden,
would be
upping its
contributions
to UNMAS.
Karel van
Oosterom replied
that
“currently,
tender process
under way for
for years
2016-20. Share
UNMAS will
depend on
quality its
proposals.”
This level of
detail is
appreciated.
And wouldn't
one think that
assessment
would include
UNMAS'
transparency,
including
whether it
demands and
gets access to
investigative
reports about
UNMAS staff
like Bax and
the issues
raised? We'll
have more on
this.
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