UN As
Colonialism,
on Malvinas,
Cuba, French
Polynesia,
French-Led DRC
Trip
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 7 --
Some say the
UN's golden
age, if one
existed,
was when a
slew of
countries
became
independent.
But
Monday
afternoon
in the UN
basement, when
the Special
Political and
Decolonization
Committee met,
the UN as a
vehicle for
neo-colonialism
was in view.
Country
after
country
decried the
UK's claim to
sovereignty
over the
Malvinas,
which it calls
Falkland
Islands. In
reply, the UK
simply
reasserted
sovereignty.
It has a
permanent veto
on the UN
Security
Council, one
of five.
Many
countries
denounced the
US for
ignoring
General
Assembly
resolutions
calling for an
end of its
blockage on
Cuba. But the
US has another
of
the five
veto-wielding
seats on the
Security
Council.
Reuters at the
UN highlighted
a piece about
the blockade
-- not even
written from
or
about the UN,
but mocking
this as the
22nd request.
It
was UNclear
what Reuters
said about
Malvinas - in
the past, Reuters'
UN bureau
chief has tried
to act in the
UK's favor,
mocking how
long
Argentina's
foreign
minister's
family has
been in that
country.
Something
new
this year, on
the
Committee's
list of non
self governing
territories,
is French
Polynesia,
which along
with Western
Sahara
(where France
long opposed
any UN human
rights
monitoring)
and Guam
will be
debated
Tuesday.
While
Monday's
opening
session took
place, the
Permanent
Representatives
of
the UK, US, Morocco
and others
were traveling
in Africa --
"led,"
according to
the UN, by
France's
Deputy
Permanent
Representative.
In
a nitty-gritty
but telling
example of the
UN as
colonialism,
France
was allowed to
alone decide
which media
could
accompany the
Security
Council
delegation and
fly, for free,
on the UN
plane. (See UN admission to Inner City Press,
on
video, here.)
This despite
being only a
co-leader of
one of the
trip's four
legs. (Rwanda,
for
example,
co-led one leg
but has said
it was allowed
no role in
deciding about
press
coverage.)
France
chose and
was rewarded
by Reuters,
and US
state media
Voice of
America.
What's
the point of
running for
the Security
Council if one
is still so
excluded? If
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon
deems fit to
openly meet
first with
only the
Permanent Five
members, for
example on
Syria?
But
the debate
will continue,
for example
tomorrow
Tuesday down
in the UN
basement, and
this coverage
will continue,
undaunted,
doubling down.
The UN was
supposed to be
against
colonialism,
not embody it.
Watch
this site.
, 
