Ahead
of Sandy,
Leader Out of
Town, UN
Cancels Human
Rights,
Debate?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 28, updated
-- With New
York Governor
Andrew Cuomo
shutting
down mass
transit as of
Sunday night,
as impact the
UN a slew of
events Monday
and probably
after stand to
be postponed.
Already
Bolivian
President Evo
Morales
canceled his 9
am press
conference
about the
international
year of the
quinoa grain;
Amnesty
International
postponed its
reception
Monday
evening.
Planned
in
the Security
Council has
been a
"debate" --
really, a
series of
dozens of
countries'
speeches -- on
Women, Peace
and
Security.
The French
Mission to the
UN already
bragged that
its Minister
for Women
Najat
Vallaud-Belkacem
is in town.
Other
countries have
representatives
flying in
through the
JFK and Newark
airports,
slated to
remain open.
But it if all
gets canceled?
Oh, le
shopping!
Inexplicable
to
some, after
hyping up his
mere four day
proposed
ceasefire, UN
envoy Lakhdar
Brahimi has
has nothing to
say as it was
broken down
amid car bombs
and
bombardment. Inner
City Press has
asked the UN
if might have
something to
say on that -
and on the
worsening
plight of the
Rohingya in
Myanmar.
Facing
silence
by the storm
are the UN
system Special
Rapporteurs on
housing
and on freedom
of expression,
Frank La Rue.
La Rue has reported
in the
past on
intimidation
in South
Korea, where
as it happened
UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon has
headed until
Wednesday,
to
receive in
person the
Seoul peace
prize -- as
much of a
surprise as
many of the
endorsements
this week in
the US
presidential
election.
How
storm-related
changes will
impact the
November 6
election is in
question, with
campaign
swings to
Virginia
canceled. Even
some
political
talking-heads
television
shows were
preempted on
Sunday
morning, at
least in New
York, to await
another Mike
Bloomberg
press
conference to
which the
Mayor was
late.
When he
arrived, he
ordered
schools closed
on Monday, and
some
evacutations
near the
harbor and
rivers. And
the UN on the
East River?
This time,
Mayor Mike is
in
town, and the
UN's Ban
Ki-moon is
not.
So
who at the UN
will make the
call on
closures?
Watch this
site.
Update
of 1:55 pm --
Manhattan's
Borough
President,
Council
members, even
Norway's
Mission to the
UN, have all
spoken on the
impending
storm: but
nothing from
the UN at this
hour.
Update:
These
answers came
back just
after 2 pm:
From:
UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at] un.org
Date: Sun, Oct
28, 2012
at 2:04 PM
Subject:
Questions
To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
innercitypress
[dot] com
With
respect to the
questions you
asked,
1)
when we have a
decision on
the UN's
operations
during
Hurricane
Sandy, we will
let the media
know;
2)
Mr.Brahimi has
not yet made
any comments
about the
observance of
the
cease-fire. If
or when we
have anything
we will share
it with
journalists.
3)
On Thursday we
issued a
statement on
Myanmar. That
continues to
stand.
Update
of 3:50 pm:
Later, this
was sent out:
Due
to the impact
of Hurricane
Sandy, United
Nations
offices in New
York
will be closed
on Monday, 29
October 2012.
All meetings
at
Headquarters
have been
cancelled. The
closure may be
extended to
Tuesday, 30
October 2012.
We will let
you know
tomorrow
afternoon or
evening.
, 
