UNITED NATIONS
GATE, January 21
– Inner City Press on July 5
was banned from entering the
UN, the day after it filed a
criminal complaint against
UN Security for physically
removing it from covering
the meeting about the UN
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres' $6.7 billion
peacekeeping budget, as
witnessed and essentially
cheered on by senior UN
official Christian Saunders,
tearing its reporter's
shirt, painfully and
intentionally twisting his
arm and slamming shut and
damaging his laptop. On
August 17, Guterres' Global
Communicator Alison Smale
issued a letter banning
Inner City Press from the UN
- for life. With no due
process. She and Guterres
have put the UN in the US
Press Freedom Tracker, here.
Smale said,
again, that the UN would
answer Press questions to
the Spokesman Stephane
Dujarric and his Office; Dujarric said the same on
camera.
On January 21,
before Dujarric
held a briefing of less
than ten minutes, days after
Guterres in a closed door
staff
meeting through his own
envoy Haysom
under the bus for his
human rights questions
to Somalia (video
here) Inner
City Press submitted 431 questions
"There are more than 300+
questions UNanswered. No
answer on Dec 17 or 18 or 19
or 20 or 21 - another FIVE
days in a row, even as SG's
direct conflicts of interest
and failure to disclose
emerge, and a newest low. While
appreciating the lone
read-out answer sent on
Jan 7, nothing on Dec 24
or Dec 26 or Dec 27 or
Dec 28, or January 2, 3
or 4 or 8 or 9 or 10 or
11 or 14 or 15 or 16 or
17 or 18
- NINE week-days in
a row, apparently
under orders. No
answers at all
during those four
days of the US v Ho
trial showing
corruption in the UN
says it all. This
ban is just
censorship - and
Inner City Press
must be allowed back
into the noon
briefing to ask its
questions in person
and follow up on
them.
January
21-1: Please
immediately provide
the SG's response on
the request made
this morning in the
UN NGO Committee to
disaccredit China
Energy Fund
Committee whose
Patrick Ho was
indicted and
convicted of UN
bribery, explain why
SG Guterres never
even started a OIOS
audit of CEFC and
why he omitted his
paid directorship in
Gulbenkian
Foundation from his
UN Public Financial
Disclosure form
covering 2016, and
on Gulbenkian trying
to sell its Partex
Oil to CEFC China
Energy in
2018.
January
21-2: On South
Sudan, given UNMISS'
statement that UN
Peacekeeper(s) have
shot and killed two
civilians, please
immediately explain
what penalty there
can be following the
cited UN
"investigation," and
what the support
alluded to by UNMISS
consists of.
January
21-3: Please state
where DSG Amina J
Mohammed is going
from January 21-Feb
4, who much it costs
the UN and public
including in UN
Security costs, and
if any part of it is
to Nigeria, what
restrictions are in
effect with regard
to political
activities.
January
21-4: On DRC, what
is the SG's comment
and action on the
authorities
"confirming"
Tshekedi as the
winner of the
election despite a
request to hold off
by the AU and
others.
January
21-5: Given the SG's
statement on January
18 that he has
spoken with Paul
Biya six times,
please immediately
state in what time
frames, the dates,
topics and read-outs
of the meeting. When
was the last such
conversation?
January
18-1: Please explain
what SG Guterres meant
in yesterday's Town
Hall meeting by using
the words "impolite"
and "arrogant" to
refer to ex-SRSG
Haysom's human rights
questions to
Somalia.Who are the
"losers" SG Guterres
was referring
to?
January 18-2:
On Cameroon, what is
the SG's comment and
action on the
documented burning of
schools and homes in
by Paul Biya's Army
in, among others,
Bafut and Lebilem in
Fontem County?
January 18-3:
On Western Sahara,
what is the SG's
comment and action on
that Morocco barred
Spanish Spanish jurist
Luis Mangrané from
entering, and expelled
Polish human rights
lawyer Justyna Paulina
Wróbel, and on
that the European
Parliament yesterday
adopted, with a large
majority, the
agreement on
agriculture with
Morocco; an important
victory for the
Moroccan diplomacy as
the agreement
unequivocally extends
the tariff preferences
of the EU-Morocco
association Agreement
to the agriculture and
fisheries products of
the kingdom’s southern
provinces. Also, what
is the SG's comment
and action on
Morocco's attempts to
dissolve the cultural
group Racines, over
comments critical of
the King made by
guests on an online
talk show it
hosted?
January 18-4:
On Haiti as Inner City
Press has asked
repeatedly without
answer from your
Office, what was the
outcome of SG
Guterres' December
meeting with his Haiti
cholera envoy? How
much has been paid for
the deaths caused by
the UN? Also, please
specifically response
to "The UN promised to
help with the legal
cases, cooperate with
the local justice and
Haitian government and
not evoke immunity in
such cases. But the UN
has so far failed to
do much of what it had
promised," Concannon
added, beyond
"Paternity or child
support entitlements
depend on the legal
processes in the state
of nationality of the
mother and child
and/or that of the
father," said Vannina
Maestracci, a UN
spokeswoman, in an
email.
January 18-5:
Beyond the 40
questions from Inner
City Press you refused
to answer last week,
still set forth below
for promised answer,
this is a request,
given that Gulbenkian
Foundation was trying
to tell its Partex Oil
and Gas affiliate to
CEFC China Energy in
2018, that you
immediately disclose
all connections to
Gulbenkian by the SG,
this lead spokesman
and their family
members. Given that
Peter Thomson is the
SG's rep on Oceans
that you describe in
detail Thomson's 2017
meeting with now
disappeared Ye
Jianming of CEFC, name
which UN DSS officials
were with him and what
reports they filed,
what their duties
were; what was seen by
those accompanying
Thomson, specifically
Zhu Juwang and
Abdelghani Merabet,
both apparently still
with the UN (the
latter still in PGA's
office) and Zhang Yi,
now back with the
Chinese
government?
There are many more
questions that should
have been addressed in
the audit of CEFC that
the SG should have
begun, at latest, in
November 2017. For now
this is a reiterated
request past deadline
that you (1) state
when SG Guterres left
his position on the
Gulbenkian Foundation,
(2) state why
Gulbenkian was not
listed on SG Guterres'
public financial
disclosure which
covered 2016; (3)
explain how it is not
a conflict of interest
for SG Guterres to
have refused to start
an audit of CEFC in
the UN, as requested
by Inner City Press in
January 2018, given
CEFC's bid for the oil
business of
Gulbenkian. Also,
again, state why under
SG Guterres there have
been no updates to the
UN public financial
disclosures since
those filed for 2016.
Also, again, explain
your refusal to answer
any of Inner City
Press' questions this
week despite USG
Smale's statements to
GAP, me and UNSR David
Kaye, and you
(Spokesman Dujarric)
saying on
camera that
Inner City Press'
questions are being
answered
January 17-2:
On Mozambique, what is
SG Guterres action
(beyond banning Inner
City Press for 197th
day) on that it's been
10 days since Amade
Abubacar was arrested
in Mozambique. He's
being held
incommunicado. Rights
groups say there is a
real risk of him being
"disappeared"?
January 17-3:
On Haiti as Inner City
Press has asked
repeatedly without
answer from your
Office, what was the
outcome of SG
Guterres' December
meeting with his Haiti
cholera envoy? How
much has been paid for
the deaths caused by
the UN?
January 17-4:
On press freedom, what
is SG Guterres action
(beyond banning Inner
City Press for 197th
day) on that Turkey
deported Dutch
journalist Ans
Boersma?
January 17-5:
On press freedom, what
is SG Guterres action
on that Ghanaian
journalist Ahmed
Hussein-Suale Divela
was killed tonight in
Accra?
January 16-1:
On Zimbabwe, what is
the SG's comment and
action on that police
and military have
launched a massive
crackdown in Zimbabwe
after what appears to
be have been a
widespread breakdown
of public order linked
to food and fuel
shortages in the
impoverished
country. Access
to the internet and
social media was shut
off for most of
Wednesday, and armed
soldiers were
patrolling the streets
of major cities as
unidentified men were
reported to be
sweeping through poor
neighbourhoods of
Harare, the capital,
and beating people at
random?
January 16-2:
On China, what is the
SG's comment and
action on the pattern
of official Chinese
efforts to use foreign
nationals as
bargaining chips in
disputes with other
parties, including
private individuals,
overseas companies, or
even other
countries. The
Lius’ case received a
splash of attention
when it first broke—it
was, after all, the
first detailed
accounting of China’s
use of exit bans
against American
citizens. Since then,
their plight has
vanished from the
headlines. And yet,
the case is very much
worthy of note: First
and foremost, the
Chinese government is
blocking two innocent
American citizens from
returning to their
home country, in
violation of
international law. At
the same time, the
treatment of Victor
and Cynthia Liu is
part of a larger
pattern of Beijing’s
growing disregard for
the rights of foreign
nationals present in
China
January 16-3:
On artificial
intelligence, does the
logo of Paolo
Zampolli's WAIO comply
with UN rules
regarding use of logos
similar to the UN's?
What is the SG's
comment and action on
Mr. Zampaoli being
Dominica's ambassador
to the UN though not
from Dominica? What
rules apply to that,
including given the
seven guilty verdicts
in the Patrick Ho /
CEFC case? Again, how
many times did the
convicted Mr Ho access
the Ho? Does ex-El
Salvador PR Carlos
Garcia still access
the UN? Does Francis
Lorenzo who pleaded
guilty to UN
bribery?
January 16-4:
The Deloitte "Safe
Space Survey Report,"
how much did it cost
the public? How was
Deloitte chosen? What
is the SG's comment
and action on the
systemic sexual
harassment at UNAIDS,
UNFPA including Diego
Palacios (will SG lift
immunity? If not, why
not?), ICSC and
UNESCO? Who has been
held
accountable?
January 16-5:
Relatedly, what is the
SG's response to UN
staff complaints that
the report only
covered sexual
harassment and
excluded abuse of
authority and
harassment in general,
which a separate
survey by staff unions
showed to be seven
times more prevalent
in the organisation.
So some staff in the
field will get fired
for visiting
prostitutes but major
harassers at the
senior level remain
protected.
And what about Jan
Beagle who was part of
senior management at
UNAIDS and linked in
the independent report
to facilitating a
culture of harassment
when there? How does
the SG respond, if at
all?
January 15-1:
On Nigeria, please
state the UN's
knowledge and action
on the attack that
reported killed at
least 10 civilians and
set many houses and a
UN compound ablaze in
Rann, Borno
State. January
15-2: On Haiti,
please state what the
SG has done about the
Nov. 13, 2018 massacre
of at least 21 people
in the La Saline
neighborhood of Port
au Prince and, again,
give a read out of the
SG's meeting in
December with Josette
Sheeran.
January 15-3:
On China and Canada,
what is the SG's
comment and action now
that the Dalian
Intermediate People's
Court in China's
north-east province of
Liaoning retried
Robert Lloyd
Schellenberg, who had
appealed against his
original 15-year
sentence, and decided
on execution?
January 15-4:
On Central African
Republic, please
immediately as you did
not yesterday provide
the SG's comment and
action on photos of
videos of blue
helmeted peacekeepers,
apparently from the
UN's Mauritanian
contingent, carrying
wounded / killed
people near Ippy. To
ensure your prompt
answer, here
are two of the photos.
January 15-5:
Please state why the
SG's meeting yesterday
with the PGA was not
on his public schedule
while meetings with
(some) SRSGs, for
example, are.
January 14-1:
On Sudan, what is the
SG's comment and
action on that
Sudanese security
forces Sunday fired
tear gas and real
bullets on Khartoum
North Hospital and
other medical
facilities in other
towns said a statement
issued by the Sudan
Doctors’ Syndicate?
Again, please state
when and why Mr
Guterres met Omar al
Bashir.
January 14-2:
On Central African
Republic, please
immediately provide
the SG's comment and
action on photos of
videos of blue
helmeted peacekeepers,
apparently from the
UN's Mauritanian
contingent, carrying
wounded / killed
people near
Ippy.
January 14-3:
On Cameroon, what is
the SG's comment and
action on the
documented burning of
schools and homes in
by Paul Biya's Army
in, among others,
Bafut and Lebilem in
Fontem County?
January 14-4:
On Cambodia, what is
the SG's comment and
action on that Prime
Minister Hun Sen today
threatened to
retaliate against the
opposition if the
European Union
withdraws duty-free
trading access over
human rights concerns.
“If you want the
opposition dead, just
cut it,” Hun Sen said
in a speech at the
inauguration of a ring
road around the
capital, Phnom Penh,
addressing the
European Union and
referring to
Cambodia’s EBA
status. “If you
want the opposition
alive, don’t do it and
come and hold talks
together,” he
said.
January 14-5:
On Burundi, again,
what is the SG's
comment and action on
te foreign
non-governmental
organisations in
Burundi which recently
closed their offices
after failing to
comply with the
country’s laws by the
December 31, 2018
deadline. The Burundi
government has
demanded, among other
things, that NGOs
observe ethnic quotas
in recruiting
staff.
January 14-6:
On China and Canada,
again, what is the
SG's comment and
action on that China's
Foreign Ministry said
on Monday that former
Canadian diplomat
Michael Kovrig, who
was detained on
suspicion of
endangering China's
national security, is
not entitled to
diplomatic immunity.
Relevant departments
are handling the case
in accordance with the
law, and the claim
that China arbitrarily
and unfairly detained
Canadian citizens is
groundless, Foreign
Ministry spokesperson
Hua Chunying told the
press on Monday.
January 14-7:
Also on Central
African Republic,
please provide
detailed information
on the Portuguese UN
Peacekeepers use of
force last week around
Bambari to prepare for
a Presidential visit
including the UN's
estimate of
casualties, including
if civilian or
not.
January 14-8:
On Bangladesh and
freedom of expression,
what is the SG's
comment and action on
that A Bangladeshi man
who distorted and
posted photos of Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina
has been sentenced to
seven years in jail
under tough internet
laws that critics say
are used to muzzle
dissent. Mohammad
Monir, 35, was found
guilty late on
Wednesday by a Dhaka
cyber tribunal for
doctoring and
publishing on social
media images of Hasina
and ex-president
Zillur Rahman.
"He posted those
distorted images in
his Facebook status
and made derogatory
remarks in the photo
captions," prosecutor
Nazrul Islam Shamim
told AFP news
agency. He was
convicted under
section 57 of the
South Asian country's
Information and
Communication
Technology (ICT) law?
January 11-1:
On Uganda, beyond the
UNanswered questions
about China Energy
Fund Committee's
payments to Sam
Kutesa, what is the
SG's comment and
action on that " On
Thursday, January 10,
2019, news broke out
that one Moses Ishimwe
Rutare – a 33-year-old
Rwandan businessman
based in Uganda, was
picked by operatives
attached to Uganda’s
Chieftaincy of
Military Intelligence
(CMI) as testified by
his
relatives.
Rutare was reportedly
picked up from
Bugolobi – a Kampala
suburb where he had
attended a church
service. “The
continued arrests and
torture of Rwandan
citizens in Uganda is
not only against basic
human rights, but a
threat to East African
Community’s Common
Market Protocol,”
Rwanda’s State
Minister in the
Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Amb. Olivier
Nduhungirehe
said. Rutare’s
development adds to a
series of other cases
reported by Rwanda
Police where several
Rwandans were aligned
before media after
days of torture in the
neighboring
country"?
January 11-2:
Please immediately
state all UN
connections to an
event in the UN
Delegates Dining Room
tomorrow involving Ban
Ki-moon and described
as " UNITED NATIONS
CHINESE ARTS GALA /
SPEECHES BY STEVE
FORBES & BAN KI
MOON." Is UN Security
charging money? How
much is being charged?
Does UN Security
enforce a dress code?
Was the UN contacted
by the organizers? Did
the UN tell them Inner
City Press is "not
welcome" in the UN?
What is the basis of
that, without any
hearing or appeal?
What is the SG's
comment and action on
- and role in, if any
- threat of litigation
against Inner City
Press for reporting on
this and other events
in the UN? On
deadline.
January 11-3:
On Nigeria, since
Inner City Press was
banned from the
stakeout by SRSG
Chambas yesterday,
what is the UN's and
SG's position on the
(lack of) compliance
with human rights by
troops of the 82
Division of the
Nigerian Army in so
called Operation
Python Dance III a/k/a
Egwu Eke III? Again,
state why DSG Amina
Mohammed was at the
SG's meeting with
Chambas but not at
other meetings with
SRSGs, and her and the
SG's position on
President Buhari
having a relative by
marriage on the
Electoral
Commission.
January 11-4:
On UN wide rules
against inappropriate
religious imposition
in the workplace, what
is the SG's comment
and action on staff
complaints to Inner
City Press that the Ng
Lap Seng linked Office
of South South
Cooperation's chief
Jorge Chediek
distributed religious
paraphernalia in the
office. The religious
article in question is
the medal of St.
Benedict, which is
known to be the “devil
chasing medal” and
used in exorcisms. The
pendant is inscribed
with the Latin phrase,
which translates as
“Begone Satan! Tempt
me not with your
vanities! What you
offer me is evil!
Drink the poison
yourself!” Multiple
staff discovered
pendants hidden in
their workstations
leaving them
frightened and
confused because of
the diabolical
connotation.
January 11-5:
On Egypt, what is the
SG's comment and
action on that a
leading figure in
Egypt's 2011
revolution was handed
15 years in prison on
Wednesday after a
retrial. Ahmed Douma
was arrested in 2013
on charges of clashing
with security forces
in Cairo two years
earlier, and received
a 25-year prison
sentence in
2015?
January 11-6:
On Thailand, again,
what is the SG's
comment and action now
that voters who still
cherished the hope of
casting their ballots
on Feb 24 saw the
likelihood fade as the
Thursday deadline for
publication of the
royal decree on the
general election
slipped away?
January 10-1: On Sri
Lanka, what is the SG's
comment and action on the
naming of notorious
Shavendra Silva, whom even
Ban Ki-moon sought to have
removed from the
peacekeeping position the
Rajapaksa government
nominated him for, has been
named Army Chief of Staff
under Sirisena? Given
Shavendra Silva's
UN-documented record in 2008
and 2009 what steps will the
UN stake with regard to
vetting - or continuing to
use - "peacekeepers" from
his Sri Lanka army?
January
10-2: On Sudan,
again, what is the
SG's comment and
action on now that
three more people
were killed and
several others were
injured in the
largest opposition
protest that took
place in the
Khartoum’s twin city
of Omdurman, on
Wednesday [even the
Sudanese police
said.
January
10-3: On Haiti, what
is the SG's comment
and action including
to pay compensation
on that a US Federal
judge this week in
the EDNY case in
Brooklyn case
challenging the
impending end of
Temporary Protected
Status in the US for
Haitians referred to
Haiti cholera as
"exacerbated by if
not introduced by UN
peacekeepers?" What
is the read out of
the SG's meeting
last month with
Josette Sheeran?
January
10-4: Given Gordon
Brown's UN roles,
has he sought Ethics
Office permission
and has he disclosed
- where? - this:
"Gordon Brown is to
become an adviser
for the Swiss
private equity firm
Partners Group on
its so-called impact
investments.Zug-based
Partners, which has
$78bn (£61bn) of
assets under
management, started
its $1bn “impact”
fund PG Life last
year. The fund is
focused on
investments that
meet the United
Nations’ sustainable
development goals
such as eliminating
poverty and
improving access to
healthcare.The former
prime minister is
joining Partners’
co-founder Urs
Wietlisbach and the
former UN General
Assembly president
Vuk Jeremić on the
fund’s advisory
council." Note the
Jeremic information
in the Patrick Ho
conviction trial.
January
10-5: On refugee
issues on which the
SG speaks, what is
his comment and
action on that a
boat with 17
Vietnamese asylum
seekers ran aground
near the mouth of
the Daintree river
in August and the
passengers fled into
the
crocodile-infested
mangrove to escape.
After being picked
up by authorities in
Queensland, they
were transferred to
the Christmas Island
detention center
before being sent
back to Vietnam in
September.No one has
heard from them
since and attempts
to track them down
have proven
fruitless.
Vietnamese
journalists and
government officials
have refused to
answer even basic
questions about
their fate?
January
9-1: On Somalia, please
immediate state the
impact on the UN's work
in Somalia of the
functional redployment
of UN personnel from
Mogadishu to Nairobi as
reflected in the memo of
Clark Toes OiC UNSOS
leaked to and published
(in voluntarily redacted
form) by Inner City
Press.
January
9-2: On Cyprus, please
immediately state the
status of the complaints
and cases, which Inner
City Press has previous
asked about including
before being roughed up
and banned from the UN
189 days ago, against
Chief Finance Officer of
UNFICYP Husein Moussa
who was reported to the
OIOS for illegally
obtaining the
citizenship of the host
country (Cyprus) in
violation of the Status
of Force Agreement and
was reported for
accepting a free VIP
ticket to a champions
league football match.
On information and
belief a case with
number 661/16 was opened
by OIOS and it was
redirected to the
Under-Secretary-General
for Field Support, Mr.
Atul Khare, to follow up
and investigate the
allegations. What has
happened? Please
respond to criticism
that current UNFICYP’s
SRSG Ms. Spehar knows
but looks the other
way.
OIOS knows and twice
(Case No 661/16 &
Case No 395/17) have
initiated an
investigation process
but then somehow the
cases came to a
standstill. What is the
status? What is the SG's
comment and
action?
January
9-3: On the Philippines,
what is the SG's comment
and action on President
Rodrigo Duterte
reportedly joking about
kidnapping and torturing
Commission on Audit
personnel as he
criticized the agency
anew over its
accountability rules on
the spending of
government funds? Again,
where is OIOS head Heidi
Mendoza? Is still still
involved in OIOS's (in)
actions? What is the
status of Inner City
Press' filings
concerning being roughed
up by UN DSS Lt Ronald E
Dobbins and others
unnamed on June 22 and 3
July 2018?
January
9-4: On Yemen, please
state where the 75
monitors proposed by the
SG would come from -
other missions? and
whether there are any
Program Budget
Implications.
January
9-5: On Thailand, what
is the SG's comment and
action, and any DPPA
involvement, as Prayut
Chan-o-cha refuses to
say if there will be a
further delay of the
election there?
January 8-1: On
Nigeria, what are the
comments and actions of
the SG and separately DSG
on that five truckloads of
heavily armed soldiers
yesterday invaded the head
office of Media Trust
Limited at Jabi, Abuja and
proceeded to occupy the
newspaper company, which
publishes the Daily Trust
titles, for five hours,
driving out all the staff,
carted away desktop and
laptop computers and
restricted entry or
departure from the
premises? Please state why
the DSG is attending
today's 4 pm meeting with
UNOWA's Chambas while not
attending other similar
meetings. What is the
DSG's comment on a
relative of President
Buhari on the electoral
commission? January
8-2: What is the
SG's response to staff who
are offended to be told
not to ask him any
specific questions when he
visits their work areas?
What is the rationale for
such a restriction?
January
8-3: On South Sudan
and Sudan, what is the
comment of the SG and
separately UNMISS SRSG on
that South Sudan
authorities have banned
media houses in the
country from covering the
unrest in Sudan. The
South Sudan Media
Authority acting director
Mr Sapana Abuyi said on
Monday that the
demonstrations in the
northern neighbour, now in
their third week, were
internal affairs.
“The ongoing protests in
Khartoum are internal
issues affecting a
friendly nation, the media
in South Sudan should not
write or broadcast
instigative statements and
comments about it,” Mr
Abuyi said in a statement
on Monday.
January 8-4: Please
immediate confirm or deny
that (US nationals who
are) UN staff were sent
other staff member's IRS
tax information and if not
denying state what is
being done about this
breech of privacy.
January 8-5: Again,
on Cameroon, what have the
SG and his envoy Francois
Lounceny Fall been doing
amid ongoing state
violence in the SW and NW
regions, and now on the
case filed in the African
Commission on Human and
Peoples’ Rights in Banjul,
The Gambia over the
impending trial of 47
asylum seekers which asks
"the Chairperson and the
Bureau to urgently hold an
extra-ordinary session of
the African Commission to
address the illegal and
unfair return of 47
refugees and asylum
seekers, and the
continuing violations of
the rights of the
returnees by the
government of
Cameroon"?
January 8-6: On
Tanzania and refugees,
what is the SG's comment
and action on that
Tanzanian President John
Magufuli on January 4urged
his ministers to “take
advantage” of refugee
crises and make money by
selling food to
international aid
organisations. The
country hosts around 300
000 refugees, mainly from
Burundi and Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC),
largely in three camps in
the north-west of the
country, according to the
Norwegian Refugee
Council. Speaking in
Dar es Salaam, Magufuli
celebrated the signing of
a contract to deliver 36
000 tons of maize to the
UN World Food Program
(WFP) for around $9.1
million. “These
funds are allocated to
help our refugee friends
from other countries in
conflict, it is our duty
to take advantage of
them,” said Magufuli in
Swahili, to laughter in
the room. “We must
take advantage of their
problems. They fight at
home and we get the
money.”
January 8-7: On the
UN Pension Fund, on which
your Office has been
refusing to answer Press
questions, what is the
SG's response to the staff
unions' letter AFTER the
UNGA late December vote,
that "Mr. Levins appeared
to conspire with other
Board members to
manipulate the process. In
the email (enclosed), the
Chair stated his intention
to exclude us “as it is
clear what their view will
be.” Since
then we have not heard
anything from Mr.
Levins. In
light of the
above... recommend
that you do not accept the
Mr. Levin’s proposal as a
recommendation of the
Board but instead request
that the minutes of a
special session of the
Board or meeting of the
Standing Committee be
provided, in order to
satisfy Article 7(a) of
the
Regulations.
We also recommend, given
the departure of the
current Acting CEO on 31
December, that existing
delegations of authority
by the Acting CEO be
maintained so that staff
of the Fund Secretariat in
Geneva and New York may
continue to certify and
approve payments from 1
January and until a new
Acting CEO is appointed.
If necessary, an
officer-in-charge can be
designated from among the
senior staff of the Fund
Secretariat for the
purpose of maintaining
those delegations beyond
the departure of the
current Acting CEO"?
January 8-8: Please
provide read-outs of the
following SG public
appointments on Jan 4:
10:25 a.m. Professor Anna
Tibaijuka, Member of
Parliament for Muleba
South, United Republic of
Tanzania 10:45 a.m.
Meeting with H.E. Mr.
Jean-Pierre Raffarin,
President, Leaders for
Peace, and Members of
Leaders for Peace 12:15
p.m. H.E. Mr. Aurélien
Agbenonci, Minister for
Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Benin 12:45
p.m. and prospectively
H.E. Mr. Matteo Renzi,
Senator and Former Prime
Minister of Italy - or
state why no read outs are
being provided.
January 8-9: On
Kazakhstan, what is the
SG's comment and action on
the continued detention of
Mukhtar Dzahakishev?
January 8-10: On
Cyprus, again, what is the
SG’s comment and action on
that Turkey issued an
announcement on Thursday
declaring it will conduct
“seismic research” in a
large area of the Eastern
Mediterranean which
includes parts of the
Greek continental shelf
and the Cypriot
E.E.Z. Turkey said
the research will be
ongoing in the blocked-off
area until Saturday,
January 5? Also, what is
the SG’s response to the
protest letter Cyprus
filed last month?
January 8-11: On
Western Sahara, what is
the SG’s comment and
action on Morocco’s
expulsion of two Spanish
citizens, allegedly for
not staying in a hotel?
Does the SG accept that as
a legitimate ground for a
country to expel a
non-national?
January 8-12: On
Saudi Arabia, does the
SG’s Youth Envoy still
have the MOU with MBS’s
MiSK Foundation? Is so,
why, after the killing of
Jamal Khashoggi?
January 8-13: On Saudi
Arabia, what is the SG's
comment and action on that
Netflix has removed from
its streaming service in
Saudi Arabia an episode of
a comedy show critical of
the kingdom. The
second episode of Patriot
Act With Hasan Minhaj was
removed following a legal
demand, which reportedly
said it violated a Saudi
anti-cybercrime law.
It features Minhaj mocking
the actions of Saudi
officials following the
murder of the journalist
Jamal Khashoggi and
condemning the crown
prince's policies.
January 8-14: On
DSS and treatment of
staff, again, please
confirm the death in 2018
of Officer Richard Devera,
separately state if the UN
understands it to have
been suicide and confirm
or deny that after Mr.
Devera's foot surgery his
request for a seating or
sitting position was
rejected, and that he was
terminated prior to his
demise as DSS personnel
complain.
December 31-3: What is the
SG's comment and action on
the upholding of jail
sentences to human rights
activists Nabeel Rajab in
Bahrain and Ahmed Mansoor in
the UAE?
December 31-5:
Beyond the 40 questions from
Inner City Press you refused
to answer last week, still
set forth below for promised
answer, this is a request,
given that Gulbenkian
Foundation was trying to
tell its Partex Oil and Gas
affiliate to CEFC China
Energy in 2018, that you
immediately disclose all
connections to Gulbenkian by
the SG, this lead spokesman
and their family members.
Given that Peter Thomson is
the SG's rep on Oceans that
you describe in detail
Thomson's 2017 meeting with
now disappeared Ye Jianming
of CEFC, name which UN DSS
officials were with him and
what reports they filed,
what their duties were; what
was seen by those
accompanying Thomson,
specifically Zhu Juwang
andAbdelghani Merabet, both
apparently still with the UN
(the latter still in PGA's
office) and Zhang Yi, now
back with the Chinese
government? There are many
more questions that should
have been addressed in the
audit of CEFC that the SG
should have begun, at
latest, in November 2017.
For now this is a reiterated
request past deadline that
you (1) state when SG
Guterres left his position
on the Gulbenkian
Foundation, (2) state why
Gulbenkian was not listed on
SG Guterres' public
financial disclosure which
covered 2016; (3) explain
how it is not a conflict of
interest for SG Guterres to
have refused to start an
audit of CEFC in the UN, as
requested by Inner City
Press in January 2018, given
CEFC's bid for the oil
business of Gulbenkian.
Also, again, state why under
SG Guterres there have been
no updates to the UN public
financial disclosures since
those filed for 2016. Also,
again, explain your refusal
to answer any of Inner City
Press' questions this week
despite USG Smale's
statements to GAP, me and
UNSR David Kaye.
December 31-6: On Egypt,
what is the SG's comment and
action on that an Egyptian
appeals court has imposed a
two-year prison sentence
against the women's rights
activist Amal Fathy, who
criticised the authorities
for failing to tackle sexual
harassment?
December 31-8: On Cameroon,
what is the SG's comment and
action on the widely seen
dragging of at least two
people behind motor bikes in
Bangourain, condemned by
local human rights groups
but on which the UN has said
nothing? What is the SG's
action, if any, on the
continued detention of those
grabbed up in Abuja
contemporaneous with the
DSG's presence there and
illegal refouled to Yaounde?
December 31-9: On the UAE,
what is the SG's comment and
action on the grabbing up of
(and prior 36 minute video
by) Sheikha Latifa the
daughter of Dubai's ruler?
Who in the UN system did
Mary Robinson contact before
declaring Latifa to be OK,
just “troubled”?
December 31-10: On Kenya,
what is the SG and
separately UNRC's comment
and action on the killing of
23 year old student Maina
and the lack of credibility
in government responses?
December 31-11: On South
Sudan, please immediately
state the UN's knowledge of
Peter Gadet's role in
threatening to shoot down UN
helicopter and, separately,
in actually shooting down UN
helicopter, in light of his
election at the chairmanship
of the South Sudan
Opposition Alliance (SSOA) -
what is the SG's comment and
action on this? How will the
UN system engage with Gadet,
given the past and UN talk
of accountability and
protecting peacekeepers and
staff?
December 31-12: On Turkey,
what is the SG's comment and
action on reports that the
Erdogan government has fined
two of the last television
channels critical of the
government over on-air
comments which allegedly
insulted the country’s
president and encouraged
civil disobedience?
December 31-13: On Uganda,
what is the SG's comment and
action on the Boxing Day
crackdown on supporters of
MP Bobi Wine?
December 31-14: Since your
Office has refused to answer
Inner City Press' questions
about the SG's inaction on
UNAIDS Sidibe and ICSC's
Rhodes, what is the SG's
response to this, from The
Lancet? "UN Secretary
General António Guterres
appointed Sidibé. It is his
prerogative to intervene, to
demonstrate that
contravention of the
governance standards set by
the UN needs to be publicly
met with accountability.
Guterres has often affirmed
his personal commitment to
zero tolerance for sexual
harassment. But faced with
the reality of this
commitment, he failed to
provide much-needed
leadership. By being allowed
to control the narrative of
his departure from UNAIDS,
Sidibé was given the power
to protect his legacy—a
legacy that includes many
successes but that was built
partly at the expense of
those who were harassed or
bullied. In Guterres'
deafening silence, a
pervasive unspoken truth is
echoed to the global health
community: in the name of a
greater purpose, the culture
of impunity can prevail."
December 31-15: Please
immediately state whether
Williams Uchemba of Nigeria
has attended youth or other
conference as the UN, and
also state whether the SG's
Envoy on Youth still has in
place the Memorandum of
Understanding with the Saudi
Crown Prince's MiSK
Foundation, even after the
murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
December 31-16: What is the
SG's comment (and action if
any) on this “Palestinian
foreign minister Riyad
al-Malki declared on
Wednesday that Palestine
would apply for full state
membership at the United
Nations in January.Mr
Al-Malki told the official
radio station Voice of
Palestine that he would file
the application to upgrade
Palestine's status from an
observer state to a full
member state to the UN
Security Council.”
December 31-17: On Japan,
what is the SG's comment and
action on that Japan is
resuming commercial whaling
for the first time in more
than 30 years. The country’s
fleet will resume commercial
operations in July next
2019, the government’s chief
spokesman, Yoshihide Suga,
said of the decision to defy
the 1986 global ban on
commercial whaling.
December 31-18: What is the
SG's comment, now SIX days
after the fact, on the UNGA
and Budget Committee votes
and non-votes on Dec 22
including the non action on
Human Resources Management,
the call for more openness
in recruitment / succession
at the Pension Fund (your
Office has refused to answer
Inner City Press on this);
also confirm that DM staff
were told not to take any
leave days on Dec and Jan,
even today, when the SG is
away.
December 31-19: Again,
please state where the SG is
and how much it is costing
the UN and public, including
in Security costs.
December 31-20: The promised
“highlights” are not online
as of 12:07 pm. When are
they supposed to go up? How
is one supposed to ask any
follow up about them -
particularly given your
Office's total lack of
responses? What is the
staffing cost of the OSSG?
Today? When is the last time
the Office communicated with
the SG? Has the SG been
asked about his Gulbenkian
Foundation omission? If not,
why not? If so, what is his
explanation? Is he filing a
new Financial Disclosure?
What about the obvious
conflict of interest - and
censorship?
December 31-21: On China,
what is the SG's comment and
action on the “secret” trial
of human rights lawyer Wang
Quanzhang without even a
verdict announced? Tianjin
No. 2 Intermediate Court
cited "state secrets" for
the closed-door trial and
said "verdict will be
announced on a selected
date."
No answers -
the questions were emailed
by banned Inner City Press,
pursuant to USG Alison
Smale's
promise to UNSR David
Kaye they would be answered,
also to, among others, Amina
Mohammed, Marcia
Soares Pinto,
Keishamaza
Rukikaire, Hua
Jiang (who
refers to Hak-Fan
Lau, Mita Hosali, Joachim
Harris and Lydia Lobenthal)
and Maria Luiza Ribeiro
Viotti, who refers to Arnab
Roy and Eihab Omaish - as
well as the Guterres' own
email. No answers, including
on the UN Public Financial
Disclosure omissions, nor on
these:
December 21-1:
On Burundi, repeating and
amplifying a question you
refused to answer from
December 6 on, please
immediately confirm or deny
that Burundi has asked the
UN system to decrease its
human rights presence, on
which countries' missions in
Bujumbura have now commented
(The Burundi government has
ordered the United Nations
Human Rights Council to shut
its office in the country
within two months), and
state the SG's view and
response. Again, what is the
SG's comment and action if
any on the Nkurunziza
goverment's international
arrest warrant against
Pierre Buyoya and 16 others?
Also, what is the UN's
comment on the reporting
about the Nkurunziza
government's “torture
house”?
December 21-2: Again on
China and Canada, Inner City
Press' question on yesterday
you refused to answer, what
now is the SG's comment and
action not only on that a
Canadian military
surveillance aircraft
monitoring United Nations
sanctions was harassed in
international airspace off
North Korea by the Chinese
military, but also on the
detention of Canadians (and
others) in China, including
Michael Kovrig who
previously worked in the UN
as a diplomat? It is now
reported that Kovrig is
being denied legal
representation and is not
allowed to turn the lights
off at night. And on the
case(s) against the Huawei
executive in Canada?
December 21-3: On costs to
the UN and to the public,
please state where the SG is
going Dec 21 - Jan 1 and how
much it costs the UN and the
public, including in
security costs.
December 21-4: Please
explain (and change) that
there is no online public
archive of the SG's and
DSG's daily public
schedules, when for example
the PGA has had an archive
as to many public officials
at all levels.
December 21-5: Also on
transparency, please confirm
or deny that the SG spoke
with Imran Khan of Pakistan
and if you don't deny,
please provide a read out of
that and other calls with
heads of state, heads of
government or foreign
minister in the past week
(and prospectively Dec
21-Jan 1). [Dujarric
confirmed the Khan call to a
Pakistani journalist, no
answer to Inner City Press
on the rest.]
December 21-6: On Zambia,
what is the SG's comment and
action on that Zambia's
Supreme Court on Thursday
slapped an 18-month jail
sentence on a journalist for
contempt of court after he
accused the judiciary of
corruption. Derrick Sinjela,
editor of the Rainbow
Newspaper, had questioned
one of the court's rulings
earlier this year when it
overturned a lower court's
decision involving two large
corporations - Stanbic
commercial bank and Savenda
Management Services. In an
article he published between
April and May this year
entitled "Zambian supreme
court verdict in the Savenda
and Stabic case
questionable", Sinjela
accused the judges of
corruption.
December 21-7: On Cameroon,
on which you have been
refusing Inner City Press'
questions, what is the SG's
comment and action on calls
for the Paul Biya's
government to release
imprisoned journalist Thomas
Awah Junior, the Northwest
correspondent for privately
owned Afrik 2 Radio in
Yaoundé and publisher of the
monthly Aghem Messenger
magazine, on humanitarian
grounds. A military court on
May 25, 2018, sentenced Awah
to 11 years in prison, after
he was convicted on several
charges including terrorism
and the spreading of false
news use of the charge of
“fake news.” Again Francois
Fall describes “Gender
Desks” in police stations
but an Inner City Press
reader today called the
Kumba police station and
they'd never heard of it.
What was the basis of Mr.
Fall's statement?
December 21-8: On the DRC,
what is the SG's comment and
action on the reported
further delay of the
election scheduled for Dec
23 to Dec 30 and the reasons
given? Again, what FARDC
units does MONUSCO currently
work with? [Dujarric called
on a Reuters favorite on DRC
vaguely, nothing on due
diligence, no answer.]
December 21-9: Again on
Togo, on which you have
refused to answer, what is
the SG's comment and action
today as some in the country
vote in legislative
elections that are being
boycotted by the main
opposition after a year of
political upheaval which saw
demonstrators demanding
President Faure Gnassingbe
step down. A coalition of 14
opposition parties has said
it will not take part,
citing "irregularities" in
preparations for the vote
and calling for an overhaul
of the electoral
commission... Ahead today's
parliamentary elections, the
opposition called for 10
days of protests to halt the
ballot while urging
supporters to follow them in
a boycott. evangelical,
Presbyterian and Methodist
churches in Togo called for
the election to be delayed
for several months because
of concern about its
organization; on Friday
night, senior Muslim leaders
also called for a delay? Two
persons, including a child,
were shot and killed on
Saturday during clashes
between demonstrators and
police in some parts of
Lomé? On that Togo's
government has banned a
series of planned opposition
protests, saying the marches
posed a security risk. A
coalition of 14 opposition
parties announced earlier
this week that they would
boycott a parliamentary
election planned for 20
December and instead try to
stop the electoral process.
Coalition coordinator
Brigitte Adjamagbo Johnson
told local radio that there
are no grounds for the ban
and they intend carry on
with the protest? Again,
what is the SG's comment and
action on that the campaign
for the parliamentary
elections starts today in
Togo. The election is
scheduled for December 20,
but the opposition has
already announced that it
will not participate. The
opposition also boycotted
the National Assembly last
week, during debates about
the proposed constitutional
reform?
December 21-10: On Guinea
Conakry, including in light
of a protest held yesterday
just outside the UN against
killings by Alpha Conde,
what is the SG doing about
the killings and political
situation there?
December 21-11: On UN sexual
harassment, please
immediately state what the
SG ever did about the
detailed complaint against
UNFPA India's Diego Palacios
by Prashanti Tiwari, who
held an event on it today in
which Inner City Press
participated. This request
is on deadline.
December 21-12: On Western
Sahara, confirm SG receipt
of and state his response to
letter of Polisario urging
him to clear “mines that
threaten the lives of
Saharwis” and that on
Friday, December the 14th,
two mines caused the “death
of a Sahrawi man and serious
injuries to others”?
December 21-13: Yesterday
USG Smale told me that the
decision to “Bar” me from
any entry to the UN, even
when invited by member
states, is by UN Security.
But I have received no
notice much less due
process. Please confirm that
UN Security has a barred
list, state who is on it and
how people are put on it,
the role of the SG.
Additionally, state
yesterday evenings schedule
using UN resources on the SG
and state those accompanying
him.
December 21-14: On the
Rohingya, please immediately
answer why the message from
the overall UN of the SG
does not match the message
from the FFM on Myanmar who
confirm Rohingya face
genocide / war crimes at the
hands of the Myanmar
military and govt. Also, why
the Rohingya people are not
included in the MOU because
w/o them the needs are not
identified?
December 21-15: On Sri
Lanka, still, what is the
SG's comment and action now
that President Maithripala
Sirisena accused newly
reappointed Prime Minister
Ranil Wickremesinghe of
corrupt leadership in a
scathing speech in which he
voiced doubts about their
ability to work together and
signaled the two-month-long
political crisis is far from
resolved?
December 21-16: On the
(Office of the) High
Commissioner for Human
Rights, what is the SG's
comment and action on
complaints that the
Commissioner mused to staff
about slapping or calling a
fascist a Swiss diplomat in
Geneva?
December 21-17: On
Mozambique and press
freedom, what is the SG's
comment and action on that
three journalists, one local
and two foreign, have been
detained by Mozambique's
army in Palma district in
the restive northern
province of Cabo Delgado.
They were detained on Monday
morning while on their way
to Palma from Chitolo, in
the neighboring district of
Mocimboa da Praia, where
they had been working. They
said they had been detained
despite authorisation from
the local and provincial
military commanders to work
there.
December 21-18: Please
immediately confirm the SG's
receipt of, and state the
SG's action on, the Dec 14
letter from staff unions for
more transparency in
choosing the next CEO of the
UNJSPF Pension Fund. I
reiterate Inner City Press'
unanswered question on
transparency in the
replacement of Deputy High
Commissioner for Human
Rights Kate Gilmore.
December 21-19: On Nigeria,
what is the comment and
action of the SG, and
separately DSG Amina J
Mohammed, on the revelations
and analysis about when
Nigerian soldiers opened
fire on rock-throwing
protesters in late October.
“A close review of video
from the largest and most
deadly of the protests, as
well as interviews with more
than a dozen witnesses,
clearly shows the military
opening fire on unarmed
demonstrators, sometimes
shooting indiscriminately
into the crowd at close
range as people turned and
tried to flee.” What is the
UN, SG and DSG, doing?
December 21-20: On Chile,
what is the comment and
action of the SG and
separate of the officials he
nominated on the case of
Camilo Catrillanca who was
murdered by police of the
Jungle Command?
December 21-21: On Somalia,
please now state the role of
the UN system in the
elections, and the UN
Secretariat's position on
AMISON monitoring the
elections and where it comes
from. Again (unanswered),
what is the SG's comment and
action now that Somali
authorities say Mukhtar
Robow has been disqualified
from contesting in this
week's regional elections?
Also, what is the UN's
knowledge of any role by UN
supported AMISOM and/or
Ethiopian troops in the
arrest of Mukhtar Robow?
December 21-22: On Uganda,
what is the SG's comment and
action on the renewed
attempt by President
Museveni's forces to arrest
/ harass MP Bobi Wine, on
which many others have
expressed concern?
December 21-23: On South
Sudan, please immediately
state the status of the
$100,000 “independent”
review of civilian staffing
in UNMISS commissioned by
SRSG David Shearer, the
Terms of Reference of which
were provided to Inner City
Press by whistleblowers
asking why the report has
been buried. When will it be
made public? Where is
Wolfgang Weisbrod Weber?
Elizabeth Lercara Chester?
Anees Ahmed? How much did it
cost?
December 21-24: Please
confirm that UN staff /
personnel Mutaz Hyssat was
assaulted or beaten last
week by the husband of an
Argentina diplomat,
Martiniano Sosa, and whether
the SG believes and is
requested that immunity be
waived for prosecution of
the assault / harassment.
Also, why has the SG not
waived the immunity of UN
DSS Lt Ronald E. Dobbins and
his unnamed colleagues on 3
July 2018 and 22 June 2018?
What is the status of DSS
USG responding to the
written complaint, which USG
Smale told UNSR Kaye is
being processed?
December 21-25: While the SG
was in Doha an agreement
with Qatar and UN
Counter-Terrorism was
signed, according to Qatar
state media. Where is it
public online? Or provide
it. How did the SG travel to
and from Qatar and who paid,
given the PGAs now disclose
such information. When will
the public financial
disclosures, in past years
already online by this time,
be made available?
December 21-26: On CEFC in
the wake of the US v Ho /
CEFC of Ye Jianming
verdicts, and the SG's
refusal to date to even do
an audit of CEFC and its
affiliates in the UN, this
is a request that you
confirm that Ye Jianming's
China Academy of Culture
a/k/a China Cultural
Institute remains in special
consultative status to
ECOSOC and for a description
of what the Secretariat
knows of this bribery
affiliates activities in the
UN. Again, this is a request
that the SG confirm and act
on the other UN officials
depicted as advisers to CEFC
and its UN program -
including Jeffrey Sachs, who
has over the weekend online
denied any such role,
stating he may have attended
a lunch “catered” by CEFC.
Since this denial shows the
absolute need for an audit
at least like the previous
SG did of Ng Lap Seng's
groups, please state why the
SG has not even begun such
an audit. On December 6 you
were asked about SG Guterres
refusing to answer Inner
City Press' question about
the US v. Ho verdict, you
said only that the UN
“cooperated.” But CEFC is
still in ECOSOC, without
even the audit the previous
SG did of Ng Lap Seng's
groups (on which, South
South News' Francis Lorenzo
is reportedly back at UN
event - I repeat my request
for information about the
ability of those who pleaded
guilty to enter the UN, not
on any BARRED list, while
the Press is on. This is
also a request for any SG
comment on indictment for
charity fraud of Robin
DiMaggio, who appeared in UN
Press Briefing Room with
Lorenzo). The question is,
explain why SG Guterres who
was asked (by Inner City
Press) in January 2018 has
STILL not even started an
audit of a NGO still in the
UN which not only paid cash
bribes but also offered
weapons for oil to a long
time ruler. Please answer
and explain this. Inner City
Press published a text
message in which
UN-accredited NGO China
Energy Fund Committee's
Patrick Ho texted the offer
he'd make to Chad's Deby:
“$200 million up front plus
some arms & renminbi
discount loans.” This is the
UN NGO that SG Guterres has
refused to audit: offering
arms. Again, another exhibit
made part of the record
shows the head of UN
accredited NGO China Energy
Fund Committee planning to
help violate Iran sanctions.
Inner City Press has
published the CEFC email.
What now is the SG's comment
and action on a still UN
accredited NGO not only
offering weapons to Chad's
Deby and others, but moving
to violate Iran sanctions?
Also, a wiretapped audio was
played in which Patrick Ho
of still accredited CEFC
plotted with Sheri Yan who
pleaded guilty about bribing
PGA John Ashe (RIP). Given
that there WAS an audit of
some of the bribing of Ashe,
why has SG Guterres done no
audit of Patrick Ho, and
payments to PGAs Jeremic and
Kutesa? Also, it was
described how PGA Kutesa
went to Hong Kong and made
CEFC's Ye Jianming a special
consultant or adviser to the
office of the UN PGA. Given
what else has come out at
the trial - offers of
weapons by CEFC as well as
bribery evidence - what did
UN DSS observe on that trip
and do afterward? What are
the duties of UN DSS
officers? Also an exhibit
was shown of Patrick Ho's
entries into the UN, showing
that the UN keeps such
information. This is a
request for that information
with regard not only to Ho
but also Kutesa after he was
PGA, Francis Lorenzo, Carlos
Garcia and Cary Yan. On Nov
29 Cheikh Gadio admitted to
filing false joint tax
returns with this spouse,
the UN's Resident
Representative in Equatorial
Guinea. Please immediately
state whether she informed
the UN of false tax returns,
what rules apply to such
legal violations, and her
current status. Again, on
Nov 28 there was more
testimony about how UN
accredited NGO China Energy
Fund Committee offered
Chad's Deby not only $2
million in cash in gift
boxes, but also tanks and
surveillance equipment.
Beyond the other questions
from Inner City Press about
this UN scandal you have
refused to answer, please
explain what actions have
been taken on the pitching
of weapons and bribes inside
the UN building, where
Patrick Ho routinely met UN
Secretariat officials, where
Gadio made this pitch to
Deby - at a “high level”
meeting about CAR, no less
and where UN Security
witness much of this and
apparently did nothing (but
now bans Inner City Press
from entering to report).
Again, what is the duty of
UN Secretary and Secretariat
staff when they witness such
wrongdoing?
December 21-27: Again and
more specifically, given the
UN NGO CEFC offered weapons
to Chad (and Libya and South
Sudan), what is the SG's
comment and action on that
and on that Uganda defied a
European Union arms embargo
and purchased arms and
ammunition from at least
three EU members — Bulgaria,
Romania and Slovakia — that
were then transferred to
South Sudan’s military and
armed allies in Sudan before
the United Nations Security
Council imposed an arms
embargo on Juba in July this
year?
December 21-28: On OHCHR,
please confirm or deny that
Deputy Kate Gilmore is
leaving and if so, state if
the recruitment will involve
a public posting of vacancy,
interviews and a short list.
December 21-29: On Kenya,
what is the SG's and
separately RC Chatterjee's
comment on Miguna Miguna
having been illegally
deported to Canada and
“tortured,” and the court
awarded of $70,000 damages
because of it?
December 21-30: On
harassment and UNAIDS, does
the SG believe that Mr
Sidibe offering to resign in
June 2019 is accountability
enough? Relatedly, is ICSC
head Kingston Rhodes ending
today at 5, after a 2 pm
farewell party,
accountability enough?
Please confirm receipt of
the request to lift his
immunity - and state the
reason for not granting it.
December 21-31: Please state
if Sarah Clarke, insulted by
Malta diplomat at the
Marrakesh meetings, is a UN
consultant, if she has made
a complaint to Andrew
Gilmour, and again why Inner
City Press was barred from
the Human Rights Day event
with no due process.
December 21-32: On Gabon,
during the disappearance of
and now controversy around
Ali Bongo, what has the SG
and separately envoy Chambas
said or done? What is the
SG's comment and action on
that a nationwide strike is
under way in Gabon where
workers are calling for
recent changes to the
constitution to be reversed.
"We don't know exactly who
is in charge of Gabon today.
Let the president speak out
and reassure the Gabonese
people," said Louis Patrick
Mombo, of trade union
alliance Gabon Dynamique
Unitaire. President Ali
Bongo, 59, has been out of
the country since October
seeking medical treatment -
first in Saudi Arabia,
followed by Morocco. In his
absence, Gabon's
Constitutional Court has
amended part of the
constitution to allow the
vice-president,
Pierre-Claver Maganga
Moussavou, to hold
ministerial meetings and to
unblock pending cases. But
the trade union alliance
wants the president of the
Senate to act as interim
president, which is what the
constitution specified
before it was amended.
December 20-29: Why has the
SG not acting on the UNAIDS
report? What is his response
to the widespread harassment
and retaliation systemwide
shown in the CCISUA survey?
December 21-33: Please
immediately explain -- as
you did not yesterday or the
day before - and justify the
message from OHCHR about
DSS, including in light of
your Office's statement that
no one there has used the
term lifetime ban, and I
have never been given a
hearing or right to appeal -
and in light of NYPD's
statement to Inner City
Press under FOIL that “Upon
conferral with the NYPD
Intelligence Division, it
was confirmed by UN security
that the list of “banned”
individuals to which you
refer in your request is an
internal UN record.” How can
the UN have a secret BARRED
list on which anyone the SG
or USG wants to put on, is
put on, without any notice,
hearing or appeal? This must
be answered.
From: New York OHCHR
<newyork@ohchr.org>
Date: Fri, Dec 7, 2018 at
6:39 PM
Subject: Human Rights Day
event on Monday, 10
December, 3pm - your access
To: innercitypress
<innercitypress@gmail.com>
Dear Matthew,
We have received
notification from UN
Security that your name was
flagged as "BARRED" on the
list we submitted for passes
for Monday's event (3pm,
ECOSOC Chamber).
We will therefore not have a
pass for you and are unable
to facilitate entry.
Thank you for your interest
and best regards,
OHCHR New York Office
December 21-34: As asked
since November 8 and now
further specified: I am
informed that the SG's
spokesman has selectively
contacted some of those
(from Europe) raising
questions about the UN 3
July 2018 Press ouster and
ban since and urged watching
my Periscope broadcasts
“outside of the SG’s
residence” - as if those
stand-ups, across Sutton
Place from this $15 million
mansion, are not covered by
free press principles and
claimed among other things
that Inner City Press
improperly filmed on the 4th
floor. Since MALU told me I
could film on the 4th floor
without an escort or minder,
this is a request that you
immediately provide the
information requested
yesterday and the specifics
of the incidents the
Spokesman has referred to,
and that you state in what
capacity Antonio Guterres'
spokesman undertook these
communications.
I specifically ask you to
explain the statement that “
I have responsibility to
make sure that my staff is
safe” - which is precisely
what the US Administration
is saying regarding the CNN
reporter who's six day ban
they are now being sued for.
NEW: Please provide the
SG's, and separately that of
his spokesman (formerly
Helen Clark's spokesman) to
Helen Clark's statement
yesterday across 1st Ave
from the UN about
journalists being excluded
“across the road.”
The precise quote - there is
video - is “shrinking space
for journalism” including
“exclusion of journalists
from some forums, including
across the road”
What is the basis of the
SG's ongoing ban of Inner
City Press, without due
process, possibility of
appeal or timeline?
Now that the Trump
Administration has given CNN
time (44 hours) to response
to their re-suspension, and
has lifted the suspension,
please explain why the UN
did not and has not provided
even that amount of time or
due process - and
immediately provide it,
readmitting Inner City Press
in the interim to the noon
briefing and SG and GA
proceedings.
More specifically, please
immediately explain how Mr.
Dujarric's statement that
“press credentials to work
at the UN, just like any
other institution, is a
'privilege'” is different in
any way that the position
taken by the Trump
Administration in response
to the CNN lawsuit. Now that
the Federal judiciary has
ruled that access to the
White House is not, as OSSG
Dujarric has claimed, a
privilege but a right, this
is a FORMAL REQUEST THAT THE
SG LIFT MIS-USED LEGAL
IMMUNITY IN THIS CASE.
This is a request that
immunity lifted- and that
you explain and document, or
withdraw, Mr. Dujarric's
statement that “Over the
last couple of years, he
continuously harassed my
staff.”
Given his vague allusions to
hostile environment, please
explain why he and the UN
have done nothing whether
some correspondents were
shouted down by Dujarric's
favorites, were elbowed at
the UNSC stakeout, etc -
clearly the concern about
environment is selective and
a pretext, to be address by
communication not roughing
and and banning including no
due process inclusion on a
withheld “banned from the
UN” list and even targeting
for attempted ouster as from
the Park East Synagogue on
Oct 31.
Since even the Spokesman's
false claims do not justify
banning me from the noon
briefing now for 128 days
this is a formal request
that beginning Nov 13 I be
allowed - escorted if you
see fit - to enter to attend
and ask questions at the
noon briefing on, for
example, Sri Lanka, Burundi
and the UN Budget, which the
Spokesman purports to
respect my right to do.
There is no allegation that
at any noon briefing I
caused any of the
Spokesman's unnamed sources
to feel “unsafe.”
Ironically, I was covering
the Budget Committee when I
was roughed up by UN
Security on July 3. For
re-entry to noon briefing
and to the General Assembly
and other events in the UN
to which the SG has no right
at all to ban me -- even the
US administration is not
blocking the CNN reporter
from entering Congress -- my
application to MALU in early
September was never acted on
- MALU is being cc-ed here -
and should now be approved
and access restored in light
of the contents of the
Spokesman's communications.
Immediately.
December 21-35: While you
refused to answer on Nov 15
and since, given new
developments at WIPO, again:
three UN Staff Union have
cc-ed Antonio Guterres on
their letter to WIPO's
Francis Gurry opposing his
retaliation against
whistleblower Wei Lei.
Please immediately confirm
the SG's receipt of the
letter and what is his
comment and action - and
what is the SG's comment and
action on Wei Lei's request
that Gurry be suspended.
December 7-1: Given the SG's
claims of zero tolerance,
what is his response to the
belatedly made public UNAIDS
Independent Expert Panel
report which says, for
example, “1. GOVERNANCE: The
UNAIDS Secretariat is
governed in a way that has
produced a vacuum of
accountability. 2.
LEADERSHIP: The Executive
Director of the UNAIDS
Secretariat has created a
patriarchal culture
tolerating harassment and
abuse of authority and in
his interviews with the
Panel he accepted no
responsibility for actions
and effects of decisions and
practices creating the
conditions that led to this
review”? [By 2 pm, no answer
- but in the briefing
Dujarric backed Sidibe,
pointing to Sidibe's press
release about what he "WILL
continue to do, see here.]
December 7-2: On Cameroon,
what is the SG's comment and
action on the continued
incarceration, now through
at least January 10, of
those illegally refouled
from Abuja, Nigeria in the
same time frame the DSG was
there? Is the UN monitoring
the (military) “trial”?
Beyond the many unanswered
questions, please state the
last date on which envoy
Francois Fall visited the
country, and separately
spoke with its officials
about the situation in the
NW and SW, and what was
accomplished. Also, the SG's
comment on and view of
Cameroon being stripped of
the 2018 African Cup of
Nations football tournament
as related not only to
mismanagement but also the
government's violence
against Anglophones.
December 7-3: On DRC, please
confirm the receipt of this
letter critical of the
credibility of the UN's
data, and provide UN's
response: Aid agencies
working in the Democratic
Republic of Congo have
accused the United Nations
of manipulating data ahead
of elections to give an
overly positive impression
of the situation in a
country beset by conflict
and disease. They say new
figures from the U.N.
humanitarian agency that
show a large drop in the
number of displaced people
are misleading, accusing it
of bowing to government
pressure before a
presidential election
scheduled for December 23.
“Overall humanitarian needs
have risen during 2018
rather than decreased,” a
group representing about 45
humanitarian agencies said
in a letter to the U.N
December 6-1: On Burundi, on
which you have been refusing
to respond to Inner City
Press' written questions,
please immediately confirm
or deny that Burundi has
asked the UN system to
decrease its human rights
presence (The Burundi
government has ordered the
United Nations Human Rights
Council to shut its office
in the country within two
months), and state the SG's
view and response.
Also, what is the UN's
comment on the reporting
about the Nkurunziza
government's “torture
house”?
December 6-2: In light of
the SG's stated concern
about and even “zero
tolerance” for sexual
harassment in the UN system,
please immediately confirm
that the SG has refused to
lift the immunity of the
head of the ICSC and explain
how this is consistent with
the SG's claims.
December 6-3: On Togo on
which you have been refusing
to respond to Inner City
Press' written questions,
now what is the SG's comment
and action on that Togo's
government has banned a
series of planned opposition
protests, saying the marches
posed a security risk. A
coalition of 14 opposition
parties announced earlier
this week that they would
boycott a parliamentary
election planned for 20
December and instead try to
stop the electoral process.
Coalition coordinator
Brigitte Adjamagbo Johnson
told local radio that there
are no grounds for the ban
and they intend carry on
with the protest? Again,
what is the SG's comment and
action on that the campaign
for the parliamentary
elections starts today in
Togo. The election is
scheduled for December 20,
but the opposition has
already announced that it
will not participate. The
opposition also boycotted
the National Assembly last
week, during debates about
the proposed constitutional
reform?
December 6-4: On Morocco,
does the SG believe or not
believe that the Casablanca
Court of Appeals should
consider evidence that the
police tortured the
defendants when it reviews
the convictions of
protesters and activists
from the Rif region?
December 4-2:
On the Philippines, as Inner
City Press asked you Nov 12
without answer, what is the
SG's comment and action on
the tax charged and now
arrest warrant against Maria
Ressa of The Rappler?
December 4-4:
Again and more specifically,
given the UN NGO CEFC
offered weapons to Chad (and
Libya and South Sudan), what
is the SG's comment and
action on that and on that
Uganda defied a
European Union arms embargo
and purchased arms and
ammunition from at least
three EU members — Bulgaria,
Romania and Slovakia — that
were then transferred to
South Sudan’s military and
armed allies in Sudan before
the United Nations Security
Council imposed an arms
embargo on Juba in July this
year?
December 3-1:
On Sri Lanka, Inner City
Press has asked you
repeatedly for updates on
what the UN is doing. Now,
please confirm that DPA's
Mari Yamashita visited Sri
Lanka, with whom she met and
what was accomplished.
December 3-2:
On Cameroon, beyond the many
unanswered questions, please
state the last date on which
envoy Francois Fall visited
the country, and separately
spoke with its officials
about the situation in the
NW and SW, and what was
accomplished. Also, the SG's
comment on and view of
Cameroon being stripped of
the 2018 African Cup of
Nations football tournament
as related not only to
mismanagement but also the
government's violence
against Anglophones.
December 3-3:
Please immediately provide
read out of SG's talks with
Saudi MBS, Jamaica PM,
Poland President, and list
and read-out other meetings.
November 30-2:
Given the UN NGO CEFC
offered weapons to Chad (and
Libya and South Sudan), what
is the SG's comment and
action on that and on that
Uganda helped funnel
European arms and ammunition
to South Sudan at the height
of its civil war,
circumventing a European
Union arms embargo on the
East African country?
November 30-3: On Cameroon,
beyond the many unanswered
questions, what is the SG's
comment and action on that
ten leaders who were
[illegally refouled] from
Nigeria earlier this year
will face trial next month
on terrorism charges that
could lead to the death
penalty, one of their
lawyers said after a court
hearing on Tuesday. Among
them is Sisuku Julius Ayuk
Tabe. Mr Tabe and his
co-defendants have been
charges with 10 offences,
including terrorism,
advocating terrorism,
secession, civil war and
revolution.
November 29-2:
On Haiti (and Brazil) please
today state what the UN ever
did to investigate and hold
any of its peacekeepers
accountable for its “Iron
Fist” massacre in Haiti in
which Brazilian general
named Augusto Heleno led
hundreds of United Nations
troops into a Haitian slum
to bring a powerful gangster
to heel. Over the course of
a seven-hour gun battle, the
peacekeepers sprayed more
than 22,000 bullets into the
impoverished Port-au-Prince
neighborhood of Cite Soleil.
The operation, dubbed “Iron
Fist,” was call a
“massacre,” alleging dozens
of bystanders were killed in
the crossfire, many of them
women and children. What did
the UN do?
November 29-3:
On Nigeria, again, what are
the SG's and separately
DSG's comments and action on
that one hundred and thirty
nine policemen who recently
returned from the United
Nations peace-keeping
mission in Mali, have
accused the Nigeria Police
Force of unjustly
withholding their
allowances. The Nigerian
Police personnel were part
of the UN Police Unit which
served in Timbuktu from
October 2017 to September,
2018. They also took part in
police duties during the
Malian presidential
elections in July?
November 29-6: On the UN
system retaliation case
Inner City Press has asked
you in writing about without
answer, what is the SG's
comment and action now that
The World Intellectual
Property Organisation has
temporarily suspended CIO
and whistleblower Wei Lei as
it probes allegations of
misconduct made against him?
November 29-7: On DRC,
beyond the FARDC vetting and
other questions you have
refused to answer, please
immediately disclose and
describe any and all
dealings by the UN with Jean
de Dieu Mambweni or any
military units he has been
affiliated with.
November 29-8: On the UN
Women corruption questions
you are refusing to answer,
this is a formal request for
the SG's comment and action
on this too, from
whistleblowers of the type
the UN has retaliated
against in Somalia as
elsewhere: “Ms. Izeduwa flew
two participants, one of
them from New York to Maputo
in Mozambique to make a
fifteen minutes presentation
to the shock of UN Women
staff who had accompanied
her.”
November 28-1:
In US v Ho yesterday (Nov
27) in the SDNY there was
more testimony about the
money the UN took from CEFC
for its “sustainable
development” award. Please
state what happened with the
money the UN took in 2017
which Inner City Press asked
about in November 2017,
before being roughed up and
banned apparently for life.
Also Vuk Jeremic testified
about his meeting with CEFC
while PGA, including in
Trump World Tower. Please
state what UN DSS does, did
or is expected to do if they
witness illegality by an
official they protect. Also,
Gadio testified that UN
funder CEFC offered
“military equipment” to
Chad. What is the SG's
comment and action on a UN
accredited NGO brokering
wepons? Still UN answered:
it was said that still UN
accredited NGO CEFC was used
to bribe PGA Kutesa and
other UN officials including
John Ashe. Given that even
Ban Ki-moon audited the
bribery of Ashe by Ng Lap
Seng well before his
conviction, explain why
Antonio Guterres has not
audited Ho's / CEFC's
alleged bribery of Ashe and
Kutesa (among others). In
terms of yesterday's canned
response, please confirm you
are claiming the UN has made
available thousands of
documents in US v Ho, or
whether you were referring
to US v Ng Lap Seng. And
again, given that access was
provided to Ng at Cipriani
42nd Street, what safeguards
are in place this is not
repeated with SG Guterres on
5 December 2018.
November 28-4:
On Uganda, what has the SG
said or done about the
army's attack on Rwenzururu
that killed over 100
civilians including 15
children? No arrests
of military actors have been
announced, and the
operation's commander was
promoted. The country's
leadership was described in
detail in US v Ho as
soliciting and accepting
bribes through the UN. What
is the SG doing?
November 28-5:
On CAR, what is the SG's
comment and action on that
“Central African bishop
condemns inaction by UN
peacekeepers While burnings,
killings and thefts were
committed, the U.N.
peacekeepers did nothing,
said Bishop Nestor-Désiré
Nongo-Aziagbia of
Bossangoa”?
November 28-9:
On Liberia, given the UN's
long time role there (and
DSG's recent speech without
questions in The Bronx),
what are the SG's and
separately DSG's comments
and action on that Liberia's
House of Representatives has
ordered the arrest of the
journalist who broke the
news about the alleged
disappearance of more than
$100m-worth (£76m) of newly
printed bank notes intended
for the central bank?
November 28-10:
On Nigeria what are the SG's
and separately DSG's
comments and action on that
some Nigerian UN
peacekeepers who served in
Mali have cried out over
ill-treatment they allegedly
experience from the hands of
the police force - The
policemen claimed that they
were short changed and that
their allowances were
withheld by the force - They
also alleged that their
military counterparts who
served alongside with them
in Mali were paid their
allowances in full The
Nigerian Police Force (NPF)
has been accused of holding
on to the allowances of
about 139 officers who
recently returned from the
United Nations (UN)
peacekeeping mission in
Mali.
November 28-12:
On Togo, what is the comment
and action of the SG and
Chambas (yesterday's DPI
question unanswered) on that
The main opposition
coalition in Togo said on
Monday it will boycott
December 20 general
elections and call for
further protests over what
it alleged was a
"fraudulent" poll. "We're
not going to give our
blessing to this masquerade
being prepared," a
co-ordinator in the
coalition, Brigitte
Adjamagbo-Johnson, told
local radio?
November 27-1: In US v Ho
yesterday in the SDNY it was
said that still UN
accredited NGO CEFC was used
to bribe PGA Kutesa and
other UN officials including
John Ashe. Given that even
Ban Ki-moon audited the
bribery of Ashe by Ng Lap
Seng well before his
conviction, explain why
Antonio Guterres has not
audited Ho's / CEFC's
alleged bribery of Ashe and
Kutesa (among others). In
terms of yesterday's canned
response, please confirm you
are claiming the UN has made
available thousands of
documents in US v Ho, or
whether you were referring
to US v Ng Lap Seng.
***
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