UK
Proposes
Middle East
Session "Perm
Reps Only,"U S
Opposes
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
March 2,
updated --
Taking over
the Presidency
of the UN
Security
Council for
March, UK
Permanent
Representative
Mark Lyall
Grant on
Friday
proposed that
the Council
meet "Perm
Reps only" and
was opposed by
the US and
others, Inner
City Press
exclusively
learned Friday
morning.
The
US
was said to
argue that it
can send
whomever it
likes to
Council
meetings; it
is a team
whose
instructions
from the the
capital,
Washington --
where its
Permanent
Representative
often has to
be.
Inner
City
Press asked
Lyall Grant to
confirm and
explain his
request, among
other
questions
asked at his
"Program of
Work" press
conference.
Lyall
Grant
acknowledged
making the
request,
saying it was
so that
session could
be "frank and
interactive."
He said even
if others
don't, the UK
on March 27
will be
represented
only by its
Permanent
Representative
- him.
He
likened
it to the UK's
innovation of
the "horizon"
briefing by
the Department
of Political
Affairs. That,
too, was
opposed by the
US, some say
due to a fear
that such an
unscripted
session could
turn into
"Israel
bashing." Some
wonder if the
US, which
takes over the
Council's
presidency in
April, will
even hold a
horizon
briefing.
Watch this
site.
Inner City
Press also
asked Lyall
Grant about
Sudan, Myanmar
and Sierra
Leone. On
Myanmar it
appears any
briefing of
the Council by
Vijay Nambair
will await
April. On
Sierra Leone,
Lyall Grant
gave a long
and reasoned
answer to
which we'll
devote a
separate
piece.
On Sudan, he
said there is
a Presidential
Statement in
the works --
and an hour
later, Inner
City Press
observed the
experts
working on it
emerging from
the Council.
So much for
Perm Reps
only...
, 
