As
UN
Calls Cancun Transparent, Unaware of Climate Bribes, Beating &
Exclusions
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 14 -- While the UN on Tuesday claimed the Cancun
talks were an unmitigated success, many environmentalists call the
outcome merely voluntary and not binding, and say that some smaller
countries have been strong armed into the agreement by “bribery”
such as a $50 million grant to Maldives, exposed in a WikiLeaked
cable.
Inner
City Press
asked the UN's “global goods” guru Robert Orr what he made of
this strong arming, of the another cable in Wikileaks, quoting EU
climate negotiator Hedegaard that the commitments so far may be only
loan guarantees and not grants. Video here,
from Minute 24:45.
Orr
said that
some “push and pull” between government was no surprise. But
isn't it one of the UN's job to speak up when underdogs are pushed
around, and can't or won't speak for themselves? What is the UN's
role in the climate change process? Apparently, it is to declare
victory. Orr said that what he had presented as Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon's goals for Cancun had all been accomplished.
While
the
conference was going on, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman
Martin Nesirky about the
reported exclusion from the conference by UN
security of noted indigenous advocate Tom Goldtooth. Nesirky said
he
would into it.
On
December 14,
Inner City Press asked Orr about Tom Goldtooth, and about video
footage, available on YouTube, of UN Security beating a Reuters
photographer outside the conference. Orr said “I am not at all
aware of that case, I haven't even heard about it.” But here
is
the video.
UN's Ban in "Chiapas Eco Bus" in Cancun, Bolivia
& press beating not shown
Orr
said that
“everyone agrees” the the process in Cancun was “the Holy Grail
of transparent, inclusive negotiation.” We'll have more on this.
Footnote:
Inner
City Press had additional questions for Mr. Orr, but unlike the
two other correspondents who asked, was not allowed a second chance
at questioning by Spokesman Martin Nesirky. One hope that Mr. Orr
takes and answers questions after, for example, the scheduled
December 15 press conference at the UN by a major Cancun skeptic.
Watch this site.
* * *
On
Somalia,
UN Looks Away from Mercenaries & Funder, Withholds MOU
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 13 -- As not only Puntland but
the Transitional
Federal Government in Mogadishu move to use mercenaries, the UN is
in
denial even as its Security Council's sanctions regime is being
violated.
On
December 6
Inner City Press asked
UN Spokesman Martin Nesirky:
Inner
City
Press: there is a former US official, Pierre Prosper, who has
said that Puntland, the portion of Somalia, has hired a private
military contractor, Saracen, to do anti-piracy work — that it’s
being all funded by a Muslim nation that he wouldn’t name. So what
I wonder is whether, given Mr. [Augustine] Mahiga or anyone in the
UN, given both the prohibitions against mercenaries and also the 1992
sanctions on Somalia, what does the UN say to Puntland pretty openly,
or at least as acknowledged by a former US official, hiring a
mercenary firm to patrol the coast of Somalia, and what’s the UN
going to do in light of this report?
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
Well, thanks for the question, Matthew, and let’s see
what we can find out. I don’t have anything at the moment.
A
full week
later, the UN Spokesperson's Office has not provided any information.
But on December 10, Inner City Press asked the UN's Humanitarian
Coordinator for Somalia Mark Bowden about mercenaries. Despite
reports that the TFG is moving forward, Bowden said that there's been
a step back. Video here,
from Minute 13:55.
Inner
City Press
asked if the UN knows the identify of the country funding the
mercenaries. Bowden did not answer, but said that the funder should
contact the UN Somalia Monitoring Group, or they might be in
violation of the sanctions. But the country has indicated it will not
identify itself, ostensibly to not suffer attacks. Is there a
loophole in the sanctions regime for this?
UN's Bowden on Dec. 10, mercenaries and MOU not shown
On
the UN World
Food Program's confidential Memorandum of Understanding with the OIC,
Inner City Press asked what it says about paying to deliver service.
Ms. Kiki
Gbeho, Head of the Somalia Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs replied that she “hopes” it has
prohibitions, adding that the UN “in principle does not pay to
deliver... perhaps it has happened, but it is the policy not to pay.”
But
neither she
nor Bowden have seen the WFP agreement. What does it mean, then, to
be a UN Humanitarian “Coordinator” or OCHA Head of Country
office? What is WFP doing? Watch this site.
