In Other Media-eg New Statesman, AJE, FP, Georgia, NYT,  Azerbaijan, CSM Click here to contact us     .

By Matthew Russell Lee, Periscope, Patreon

UN GATE, March 21 – How useless is Antonio Guterres as UN Secretary General? Well, on Libya when he met Mohammed El-Taher Hammuda Siala on February 8, his bogus read out spoke of "progress" since the Berlin conference, which he used as an excuse to stop over at this real home in Lisbon and at which he did not even meet Serraj. This time, banned Inner City Press asked in writing where else he is stopping over, and at what cost. No answer from Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who on camera promised answers. Now he blocks Inner City Press on WhatsApp for his pathetic social club webcasts from his Upper East Side penthouse, from which on March 21 he sent this: "The Secretary-General welcomes the positive responses by the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army on 18 and 21 March respectively, to the calls for a humanitarian pause to stop the fighting. He hopes that this will be translated into an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities.    Given the  already dire humanitarian situation in Libya and the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Secretary-General calls on the parties to join forces to address the threat and to ensure unhindered access of humanitarian aid throughout the country.  The Secretary-General hopes that the humanitarian pause will be translated into a lasting ceasefire. He therefore calls on the parties to accept the draft ceasefire agreement emanating from the 5+5 Joint Military Commission talks facilitated by the United Nations in Geneva last month.  Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General  New York, 21 March 2020." Corrupt censors.

  Meanwhile unanswered for months are questions such as these, submitted in writing, including to Guterres' incoming Communicator Melissa Fleming: "August 13-3: On UN sex exploitation and cover up(s), as Inner City Press asked on August 9 without any response to day, This is a Press request that you immediately provide all if-asked and additional information about the new allegation of SEA announced at 12:01 pm today, apparently of SE by a Tanzanian "peacekeeper" in DR Congo - and also why previously published charges are no longer in the data to which UN Peacekeeping Conduct and Discipline points, including what if being done for these victims and any steps taken to avoid this constant repetition of abuse despite the SG's ostensible commitments. Again, are new allegations being buried elsewhere on the data page? Inner City Press is asking in writing because banned from the noon briefings and any follow up questions, now for more than a year. Today as before none of Inner City Press' written questions, including on Cameroon, have been answered. This is a request that you immediately confirm receipt of these questions." Again, as Dujarric's office closed on August 13, no answers, no response. This is the UN's cover up of UN sexual abuse, and it's now on Melissa Fleming as well. Inner City Press also asked, ".  August 13-6: Given that the SG's public schedules for August 2, August 5, August 6, August 7, August 8, August 9 and now August 13 are entirely blank, not even "all appointments internal" as before but just blank, given that Poland's Foreign Minister was not able to meet with the SG on August 3, nor Pakistan PR Maleeha Lodhi on August 7 (tweeting "As the SG is away"), please immediately state where the UNSG is, now and for the next three weeks, and at what cost to the public. Additionally, since public officials from Trump to de Blasio to Corey Johnson all disclose where they are, and given the UN system travel scandals at UNRWA, UN Women and previously UNEP, explain why Mr. Guterres' lack of transparency is not part of the problem. Given the Secretariat's communication failures, state when exactly Ms. Fleming takes over from Alison Smale, whether Ms. Fleming is still has stated on her profile at UNHCR (Chief Communications  @Refugees as of August 7) and if she is answering some/any of her e-mail there." Nothing. We will stay on this.

  On August 10 France called an emergency UN Security Council meeting. Inner City Press, still banned from entering the UN by Guterres now for 404 days went to check it out. There was no one in the $15 million mansion Guterres sometimes lives in, here (he's been missing for a week); Inner City Press cannot enter the UN (UN gate Periscope here), but there was only one person at 4:30 pm at the UNSC stakeout. Tweeted photo here.

   Now, with Guterres still on vacation he doesn't even have the class to admit, the names of the UN dead have emerged: a Libyan, a Jamaican and a Fijian: Hussein Elhader, Clive Peck and Seniloli Tabuatausole, respectively. Guterres still missing, corrupt, having just given a UN humanitarian job to the UAE so active in Yemen and wannabe in Libya: "The following is the text of a joint statement by the governments of France, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  Begin text:  The governments of France, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States welcome the announcement of a truce in Libya on the occasion of Eid el-Adha in response to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) with the support of the Security Council (UNSC press statement on Libya of 11 August), and invite all parties to effectively cease hostilities across Libya. We stand ready to assist the UN Mission in monitoring the observance of the truce and address any attempt to break it." We call BS.

   So Inner City Press covered the vapid meeting by UNTV - nearly identical speeches, mostly by deputy ambassadors including in the case of France. Afterward at the stakeout only one ambassador, Russia's deputy, spoke. In response to a softball question from a state media he said, It was in the open, draw you own conclusions. And that was it. The UN under Guterres: irrelevant and corrupt.

***

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

Mail: Box 20047, Dag Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017

Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540

Search innercitypress.com  Search WWW (censored?)

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

 Copyright 2006-2019 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com for