At
UN,
Indigenous
Displaced from
GA Hall for
Economists
& Bankers,
from Qatar
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
May 16 -- With
the Permanent
Forum on
Indigenous
Issues in
town, the UN
General
Assembly Hall
had long been
booked for
their
event on
Thursday, May
17. Then the
indigenous
were
unceremoniously
displaced
again, this
time so that a
"High Level
Event" on
the economy
can take its
place in the
GA Hall.
A
number of
Permanent
Representatives,
mostly but not
only from
Latin America,
complained to
Inner City
Press, blaming
the President
of the General
Assembly, who
they called
"the Qatari."
It was noted
that
among the
participants
in this High
Level on the
Economy event
is
Qatar Central
Bank, and Doha
Bank Group.
Soon came this
announcement:
"Please
note
that there has
been a last
minute change
of venue for
the
opening
segment of the
HLTD on the
State of the
World Economy
from
the ECOSOC
Chamber to the
GA Hall."
So
Inner City
Press replied
to the PGA's
spokesperson:
"I'm
hearing
complaints by
indigenous
groups that
they got
bounced from
the GA Hall
tomorrow for
this -- can
you comment?
They
(indigenous,
some Latin
diplomats) say
they had the
GA for a long
time, just
"thrown out"
now - true? "
After
that, yet
more Latin
Permanent
Representatives
complained to
Inner City
Press,
describing a
meeting with
the PGA's
chief of
staff, at
which it was
argued that
the High Level
on the Economy
participants
would need
spaces for
bilaterals.
This argument
was described
as
"laughable."
Then
came this
response:
Subject:
Re:
Question: were
indigenous
"bounced" from
GA Hall
tomorrow? If
so, why?
From:
Spokesperson
of the PGA
Date:
Wed, May 16,
2012 at 7:50
PM
To: Matthew
Lee [at]
InnerCityPress.com
It
is
incorrect
Matthew for
you to use the
phrase “thrown
out”. The
change of
venue was done
simply for
security and
logistical
reasons.
There is a
long list of
Speakers in
the opening
segment. They
are
accompanied by
their
delegations
and the GA
hall is the
only venue
big enough to
accommodate
all the
participants
and their
delegations.
Additionally,
we received
requests from
several
missions for
access
to the press
corps
accompanying
their
officials to
the venue of
the
opening
segment, and
this access is
not possible
at ECOSOC.
In
fact,
a
representative
group of
indigenous
leaders has
met in our
office with
the Chef de
Cabinet and
his Deputy,
who explained
to them
the reasoning
behind the
switch of
venues.
Additionally,
the PGA is
scheduled to
give opening
remarks at the
Commemoration
of the 5th
Anniversary of
the UN
Declaration on
the Rights of
Indigenous
Peoples.
Out
of respect,
we'll headline
it "displaced"
rather than
"thrown out."
While it is
not
clear how this
will go down
with the
complaining
Latin and
other
Permanent
Representatives,
at least the
PGA will speak
to the
indigenous
group -- many
have
complained
that Ban
Ki-moon has
yet to.
Watch this
site.
, 
