By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 31 --
During the UN
Security
Council's
wrap-up
session on
Monday
morning,
nearly every Council
member cited
the revelation
of new
allegations of
sexual abuse
by UN Peacekeepers
during the
month, in
Central
African
Republic.
On August 13
there was a
closed door
briefing on
the topic,
after which
Council
president Joy
Ogwu waited
patiently to
provide a
summary to the
media. But the
microphone, as
she told Inner
City Press the
next day, was
occupied. She
did it on the
14th.
Ambassador
Ogwu did six
question and
answer
stakeouts
during August,
down from nine
during her
previous
presidency in
April 2014
but still more
than most
presidencies,
including by
Permanent Five
members.
Perhaps
because of her
presidency, a
number of
other Elected
Ten members
spoke up
during the month
about the need
for a more
inclusive
Council: not only
Venezuela and
Chad but also
New Zealand.
Angola spoke
out on the
respect due to
the African
Union, as did
Ambassador Ogwu.
There was a
quiet dignity
to the month,
and at least
two references
to Shakespeare.
Inner City
Press for the
Free UN Coalition
for Access
thanked Ogwu
for this
erudition at
Nigeria's
August 31 end
of presidency
reception in
the UN's
Delegates
Dining Room;
she countered
with
descriptions
of each of the
dishes,
including
beans and
beef.
During the
wrap up
session, Ogwu's
four
presidencies
total was
referred to by
US Deputy
David
Pressman;
another
praised her
for following
up on what she
did in April
2014. So, that
review is
below:
Back on April
20, 2014 when
Nigeria's
Ambassador to
the UN Joy
Ogwu came to
the Security
Council
stakeout after
tat month as
Council
president, she
paraphrased
Shakespeare.
All the world
is a stage, or
the Council is
at the center
of the play.
She certainly
did her best
during the
month, in
terms of
accessibility:
she did nine
question and
answer
stakeouts.
Including one
by foreign
minister Aminu
Wali on April
28,
Nigeria did
ten, on topics
ranging from
Western
Sahara, to Syria
and the Central
African
Republic,
Darfur,
South
Sudan and
genocide.
On Western
Sahara, to
take that
example, Ogwu
to her credit
came out and
said that she
had pushed the
African Union
position, that
there should
be a human
rights
monitoring
mechanism in
the MINURSO
mission.
But the
MINURSO
resolution is
written by a
"Group of
Friends on
Western
Sahara" that
does not
include any
African Union
members, and
no mechanism
was included.
On April 30
Inner City
Press asked
Ogwu about
something
France's
Ambassador
Gerard Araud,
who once
held a mere
three question
and answer
stakeouts in a
month as
president, had
said: that
"The UN has
never been a
place for
'real'
negotiation.
It legitimizes
or implements
agreements
reached
elsewhere."
Ogwu said she
disagreed,
saying that
the elected
members of the
Security
Council have
sought and
obtained a
global
mandate. It is
good, then,
that it is
Araud set to
leave the
Council, in
July, and not
Nigeria.
In the run-up
to Nigeria's
end of
presidency
reception,
multiple
sources
describe angry
communications
from the old
UN
Correspondents
Association
led by Pamela
Falk of CBS
demanding to
know why they
weren't at
least
initially
invited. When
it was
mentioned that
Inner City
Press was
actually at
the stakeout
during the
month, from
within the
UNCA Executive
Committee came
an e-mail
described as
absurd, from a
person whose
first name
begins with
"M," on which
we may have
more.
The
new Free
UN Coalition
for Access
is not just
about free
food, and 4:30
pm cocktail
receptions as
UNCA held
on April 30 as
Iraq's
Ambassador
spoke at the
stakeout -
along with
Nigeria's Joy
Ogwu. Good
month.
And good
end of
presidency
reception,
complete with
a short and
heartfelt
speech by Joy
Ogwu, again
citing
Shakespeare.
Talk turned to
Burundi - off
the record -
and to the
departure of
the Under
Secretary
General for
Public
Information
(DPI), widely
known but on
which FUNCA
out of respect
has sought
comment.
Meanwhile on
the fourth
floor bulletin
board which
DPI agreed to
after FUNCA
advocacy, the
FUNCA
flier
about Araud
telling a
correspondent
"you are not a
journalist,
you are an
agent" had
been torn
down. This is
the UN.
Back on April
2 when Ogwu assumed
the
UN Security
Council
presidency
Inner City
Press asked
her about
Ukraine being
a footnote in
the month's
Program of
Work, and
about the
predicted fast
approval of a
new mandate
for the
MINURSO
mission in
Western
Sahara. Video
here, from
Minute 21:21
In the
Program of
Work the
"consultations"
on Western
Sahara are set
for April 17
and adoption
of the
resolution on
April 23.
Inner City
Press asked if
this means it
is in the
hands of the
"Group of
Friends,"
which does not
include any
African
member.
Ogwu
replied, "we
expect to be
fully
involved."
Given that the
African Union
position on
Western
Sahara, will
that mean that
a human rights
monitoring
mechanism for
MINURSO, as
exists in
other
peacekeeping
missions, will
be seriously
considered?
Will the US,
which proposed
such a
mechanism last
year, push
forward again?
Secretary of
State John
Kerry is
visiting both
Morocco and
Algeria early
in April.
We'll see.
On
Ukraine, Inner
City Press
asked if the
expect report
of UN human
rights deputy
Ivan Simonovic
will trigger a
meeting or
consultation
of the
Security
Council. Ogwu
replied, with
due regard for
strategic
planning, that
bridge will be
crossed when
reached.
As the
second
question --
why there is a
claim of
tradition of
UNCA, often
the UN's
Censorship
Alliance trying
to get others
thrown
out of the UN
and blocking
access to
documents on
the Internet,
automatically
getting the
first question
is and will be
addressed
elsewhere --
the new Free
UN Coalition
for Access encouraged
Ambassador
Ogwu to hold
question and
answer
stakeouts,
even brief
ones, after
closed door
consultations,
as Luxembourg
did (14) in
March.
Ogwu
noted the
invitation.
With agenda
items on the
Middle East,
Central
African
Republic,
Darfur, South
Sudan and it
seems North
Korea, in
Arria formula
style, such
stakeout
should be
useful. Watch
this site.
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