Media
Worktable at
UNSC Seized by
UN, Partners
Silent,
Banning the
Press
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June
3 -- If at the
UN a
journalist
sets up a
small work
table
by the
Security
Council, where
one has
existed for
years,
what
happens?
On
Monday morning
the UN's
Department of
Public
Information
seized the
press work
table.
Then at
the day's UN
noon briefing
when
Inner City
Press asked by
what
authority,
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesperson
Martin Nesirky
replied by
again and
again
referring to
"extensive
discussions"
with his
deputy, and
with DPI's
Stephane
Dujarric.
But
neither stated
when the
proposed rule,
immediately
opposed on May
21
by the new
Free UN
Coalition for
Access, would
go into
effect:
"f.
The Security
Council
stakeout area,
including the
Turkish
Lounge, is
not to be used
as a permanent
workspace for
the media.
When the
Council is not
in session,
correspondents
should
minimize the
amount
of time in the
area, unless
interviewing
or conversing
with a U.N.
delegate or
official."
From
May 21 right
into the
weekend of the
move, Inner
City Press and
FUNCA
worked to get
the rules
suspended or
modified,
asking about
it at six
-- now seven
-- noon
briefings and
speaking
with the
Department of
Public
Information on
May 31,
and even on
Saturday, June
1.
None
of this
stopped DPI
from seizing
the small
table on which
work was
attempted on
June 3. Inner
City Press was
told that "a
lady from
DPI" took it.
While
no one from
DPI has
contacted
Inner City
Press about
returning the
table, or has
responded to a
status request
e-mailed
before 11 am
on Monday, we
note that one
"lady from
DPI" led
a
non-consensual
raid on
Inner City
Press' last
office
on March 18,
2013.
After
that,
photographs of
Inner City
Press' desk
and bookshelf
were leaked
to BuzzFeed
immediately
after that
publication
contacted
Ban's
spokesperson
to ask about
the raid.
Nor
did DPI's long
time partner
UNCA do or say
anything about
the seizing
of the table.
One UNCA board
member
proposed to
send FUNCA a
draft,
but hasn't.
UNCA president
for 2103
Pamela Falk of
CBS, took
photographs of
the March 18
raid, then issued a
legal threat
against
questioning
why she took
the photos,
has said she
hadn't seen
the
draft of the
Media Access
Guidelines.
But
on June 3 the
rules were
apparently in
effect --
under what
else
would DPI have
seized a media
worktable? And
where is the
incoming
president of
the Security
Council on
this? Watch
this site.
, 
