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UN Women's Agency Controversy Banned from Kidman Press Conference, SayNoToViolence.com

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, April 22 -- The UN women's agency UNIFEM held a press conference on Tuesday, but a question was disallowed about the major recent controversy surrounding UNIFEM, concerning the selection as new director of Ines Alberdi of Spain, a major donor, over India's Gita Sen  and others, including acting director Joanna Sandler who was present. Nicole Kidman headlined the press conference, pitching a website www.SayNoToViolence.com, an issue on which she has been UNIFEM's Goodwill Ambassador for two years. The question was directed to her his that capacity, about the award of UNIFEM's top post to Spain, which gave $4 million to UNIFEM and $700 million to the UN Development Program. Does she think the process was correct, and could anything be done better? Video here, from Minute 32:50.

            No answer, however, was forthcoming. The moderator cut in saying that the UNIFEM question was somehow not relevant for a UNIFEM press conference. The controversy has, as noted, been reported on wire services including Reuters. "Let's stick to the subject of the press conference," he nevertheless said, then re-directing the question to the UN Foundation's Tim Wirth, who while saying "I am not an apologist" acknowledged that it was a fair question, but purported to respond for the whole panel by talking about Deputy Secretary General Asha Rose Migiro's leadership in raising the profile of women's issues in the UN, which Wirth says he'd like to see more of.

            Does this mean that move are afoot to create another women's mega-agency in the UN system? Or to upgrade what is now Ms. Alberdi's and Spain's post to the Assistant Secretary General level?

Nicole Kidman with previous UNIFEM director, new Ines Alberdi and selection process not shown

            Ms. Kidman, who to some appeared ready to answer, was not allowed to, as the moderator moved on to a question about a specific case in Cuba, another one about Hinduism, and one about climate change. None of these topics were called irrelevant or unrelated to UNIFEM. Only the UN's actual process is taboo at the UN.

            The goal of fighting violence is laudable, and as requested the link is included - twice! - in this article. Senator Wirth to his credit acknowledged reading ex-UN envoy Stephen Lewis' recent speech criticizing the UN for not doing enough on the topic, particularly as relates to facilitating the "Acts of Engagement" agreement in the Congo which provides for amnesty, and does not even mention rape or sexual violence. Wirth asked, "Have you been to Eastern Congo?" The implication was that the UN is doing the best that it can. He mentioned that the second in comment in UN Peacekeeping is Jane Holl Lute. But she is leaving soon, having an "Acting" post like Ms. Sandler.

            At the press conference's conclusion, as paparazzi surrounded Nicole Kidman muttering that there is no way she is seven months pregnant, a correspondent - not this one - mused that Ms. Sandler should have been allowed to answer the question, or the Deputy Secretary General, who presumably played a role in the selection of the UNIFEM director. Ms. Alberdi briefed only the Spanish press. Will the question be deemed irrelevant when she hold a press conference? Only at the UN...

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These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.  Video Analysis here

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