UNITED NATIONS
GATE, October 19– 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. On October 19 before
Dujarric held a briefing in
which he doled out to those
in the room an answer to
Inner City Press' previous
pre-ban Sri Lanka war crimes
question, Inner City Press
submitted 121 questions
including "There are more
than 100+ questions
UNanswered. And Monday Sept
17, Tuesday Sept 18, Wed
Sept 19 and Thurs and
Fri Sept 21, that whole
week, no questions answered.
Nor Sept 25, nor 28th - nor
October 2 nor 3. While
appreciating the transcript
and using the Yemen line
sent yesterday, no SEA
answer on Oct 10. Nothing on
Oct 11 nor Oct 12. This ban
is just censorship.
October 19-1: On Cameroon,
beyond the UNanswered
questions below, what is the
SG's comment and action on
the Constitutional Council
rejecting the petition that
what voting there was in the
North-West and South-West
regions was undermined by
insecurity and fraud? What
is the SG's response to
Joshua Osih saying it will
be a form of “apartheid” if
the president were to be
voted in without the
meaningful participation of
the Anglophone parts of the
country.? Does the SG agree
with others in the
international community
that, at a minimum, ELECAM
whose strategic
communications the UN
supports should release the
results polling site by
polling site to attempt to
address doubts in the NW and
SW regions?
October 19-2: On DRC, what
is the SG's comment and
action on that the lone
female candidate in the
presidential race on
Thursday has accused the
government of blocking her
from travelling abroad, two
months before elections to
replace Joseph Kabila.
Marie-Josee Ifoku said that
she was stopped by
authorities when she
attempted to visit
Brazzaville in neighbouring
Republic of Congo earlier
this week, adding that
officials had detained her
colleague. "I regularly
receive threats from the
security services," said
Ifoku, 53, adding that she
had been pressured to
support the candidacy of
Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a
hardline former interior
minister backed by Kabila.
October 19-3: On sexual
exploitation and abuse and
the new charges against
Cameroonian peacekeeper in
CAR put online yesterday,
please now provide all
further if-asked information
about these abuses, as for
example you did when asked
in person by those not
banned from the briefing
about the Nigerian
peacekeeper(s).
October 19-4: On Myanmar,
does the SG agree or
disagree that Chin State is
now “stable and secure”?
October 19-5: Please confirm
or deny that “Sur un fond de
crise inter-Anti-balaka dans
la région de la haute-Koto,
4 policiers de la MINUSCA
ont été pris en otage ce
vendredi 19 octobre vers
midi aux alentours de
l’aérodrome. Selon nos
informations,4 policiers de
la MINUSCA, de retour de
l’aérodrome de Bria, ont été
kidnappés par un groupe des
hommes lourdement armés sur
des motos avant de
s’éclipser dans la nature
avec les otages.”
October 18-1: On Cameroon,
please specify what your
statement earlier this week
about hate speech was
referring to, whether it was
directed at the government
or echoed this BY the
government: Gregoire Owona,
Cameroon’s Minister of Labor
and Social Security, accused
Maurice Kamto of being an
ungrateful tribalist. Owona
wondered why the CRM
Presidential candidate
brought up the issue of
Bamileke and Beti to the
court. To him, by using such
examples, Maurice Kamto is
trying to promote hate among
peaceful Cameroonians."
October 18-2: On Khashoggi,
specify in what capacity Rob
Skinner attended and spoke
at the Saudi-funded event
this week, who if anyone
reviewed it and why it
occurred. Also, will the SG
begin a UN investigation of
Khashoggi's death? Would he
do it if Turkey asked?
Without Saudi consent?
October 18-3: What is the
SG's comment and action on
reports that the UAE has
hired mercenaries to conduct
summary executions in
Southern Yemen?
October 18-4: Against, since
I have been banned from
events in the UN by CPJ and
UNODC, again: what is this
banned-from-the-UN or
“current and active barred
notice” list? How can you
Department of Public
Information, beyond
withdrawing media
accreditation in order to
censor, also bar the
journalist as a person from
entering the UN?What is this
list called? How many people
are on it? Is anyone else
given notice? (I wasn't).
What is the appeals process?
October 18-5: This morning
at the Delegates Entrance
gate, where I am forced to
do my questioning and
reporting due to 107+ day no
due process ban, on
information and belief
Ibrahim Gambari entered this
morning. Please state in
what capacity he enters that
gate -for the Nigerian
mission? and/or if he has
met or will meet with anyone
in the Secretariat in recent
or coming days.
October 18-6:
Regarding yesterday's
statement about the event in
ECOSOC, this morning the US
Mission spokesman told me of
the Mission "we are"
complaining to the
Secretariat. This is a
request you inform Inner
City Press if and when that
occurs.
October 17-1: On Cameroon,
what is the SG's comment and
action on the government
shutting down the press
conference of opposition
candidate Maurice Kamto, and
these rulings by Justice
Clement Atangana of the
Constitutional Council that
"Only the President of the
Republic who appoints
members of the Council has
the jurisdiction to sack or
question the neutrality of
the Council members,"
Atangana said, "so the
petition is inadmissible."
Seems only incumbent
candidate Biya controls this
review. The public be
damned: Rigobert Aminou
Gabanmidanha, a voter,
demanded complete
cancellation of the vote,
citing "irregularities,
disregard of electoral code
and rigging" observed during
the poll. Atangana said the
Council rules only on
petitions filed by
candidates, political
parties which took part in
the election or any person
serving as a representative
of the administration for
the election. "You were not
a candidate. You were not a
representative of the
administration for the
election. Therefore, you
have no quality to petition
the Council," Atangana said,
dismissing the petition as
"null and void".
October 17-2: Regarding
yesterday's disrupted 1:15
event in the ECOSOC Chamber,
please state why UN Security
did not act, whether it or
the wider Secretariat has
received complaint(s) and
how you can justify banning
a journalist now 106 days
for filming and covering the
Budget Committee meeting
after 7 pm while no similar
action after the October 16
actual disruption / hostile
environment.
October 17-3: As a matter of
conflict prevention, what is
the SG's comment and action
on that Sri Lankan President
Maithripala Sirisena on
Tuesday accused India’s
Research and Analysis Wing
(RAW) of plotting his
assassination?
October 17-4: On new reports
from whistleblowers about
irregularities in DPA,
please confirm or deny that
Yvette Blanco plays a role
in filling a position in the
Charter branch, and explain
how this could involve an
upgrade for a friend from G6
to P2, with regard on
information and belief Novas
Alba Lismercy - and as
requested yesterday, answer
this question from two weeks
ago: Regarding DPA and Inner
City Press' reporting and
complaint to OIOS about the
website role(s) of the
spouse of the chief of staff
of DPA, please confirm or
deny that Kyoko Shiotani is
on leave, state how long it
is to last, if she is under
investigation by OIOS and
why no (other) actions have
been taken. The questions
about the leave, and actions
during leave, of OIOS'
Mendoza remain UNanswered,
see below.
October 16-1: On Cameroon,
what is the SG's comment and
action on no fewer than
three opposition press
conferences being outlawed
and/or broken up by Paul
Biya's forces concerning
their criticism of systemic
irregularities in the
October 7 election? And,
asking again, on the
documented summary
executions in Mutengene,
Fako Division of the
South-West Region?
October 16-2: Amid new
reports from whistleblowers
about irregularities in DPA,
answer this question from
two weeks ago: Regarding DPA
and Inner City Press'
reporting and complaint to
OIOS about the website
role(s) of the spouse of the
chief of staff of DPA,
please confirm or deny that
Kyoko Shiotani is on leave,
state how long it is to
last, if she is under
investigation by OIOS and
why no (other) actions have
been taken. The questions
about the leave, and actions
during leave, of OIOS'
Mendoza remain UNanswered,
see below.
October 16-3: On (lack of)
accountability of UN
Peacekeepers for murdering
civilians, what is the SG's
comment and action on this:
“thirteen men, women and
children were shot dead in
cold blood by African Union
peacekeepers serving in the
Central African Republic in
2014. Three Congolese
soldiers were convicted of
war crimes over the massacre
and sentenced to three years
in jail. Families of the
victims are calling for
justice, with the soldiers
now released after serving
their sentences. Is three
years enough for murdering
civilians?
October 16-4: On Egypt, what
is the SG's comment and
action on that Egypt’s main
appeals court has upheld a
three-year prison sentence
for former president
Mohammed Morsi, who is
already jailed in other
cases, over a conviction for
insulting the judiciary?
October 16-5: On another
Inner City Press question
you left unanswered, on
Irish peacekeepers, please
now deny or confirm and
explain this: “The soldiers
were due to come home on
October 3 but were blocked
from travelling after a
diplomat used the wrong UN
Operation name on their
paperwork and authorities in
Beirut would not let them
travel home through their
country. The troops were
paid €1,000 each for the
delay after the Minister
with Responsibility for
Defence Paul Kehoe was
severely criticised over the
error.”
October 15-1: On Cameroon,
what is the SG's comment and
action on calls that ELECAM,
which you have said the UN
is supporting in some
way(s), release results
polling site by polling
site? What of the
government's leaking of
dispute results and arrest
order for some opposition
candidates? The reported
summary executions in
Mutengene, Fako Division of
the South-West Region?
October 15-3: On Angola,
what is the (Lusophone) SG's
comment and action on this:
“At least 180,000 Congolese
citizens have crossed the
border with Angola since 1
October - most heading to
the city of Kamako where
they are living in
precarious informal camps,
local officials have
confirmed. The numbers are
likely to be much higher as
the Democratic Republic of
Congo and Angola share more
than 300km (186 miles) of
border. Many migrants are
saying they were kicked out
despite having documentation
to live in Angola and there
are unconfirmed reports that
a number of them have been
brutalized and even killed
by Angolan forces.”
October 15-4: As to the UN
worker Inner City Press has
previously asked you about
in writing, Mark Barber,
without any response, what
is the SG's response to and
action on this update from
Mr. Barber: “for me things
have now gotten considerably
worse; mid last week I
received notification that
my electricity will be cut
off on the 17th Oct unless I
can manage to pay the
arrears. As previously
mentioned the disability
pension barely covers our
basic monthly expenditure,
with us receiving two
unexpectedly large
electricity bills over the
last few months’ (e450 &
e989) we just can’t afford
to pay. In addition, I have
just been informed that
following a hospital visit
last week to find out the
current status of my
spine/if the last operation
worked and, attempt to find
out if the MMI that the UN
are so hell bent on knowing
has been achieved, that the
hospital will not accept
direct payment from medical
insurance leaving me unable
to pay for the results.
I sent messages to the
support office handling my
appendix D claim, the ABCC,
the ombudsman, and the
pension fund telling them of
my situation, making it very
clear (backed up with
evidence) that come this
Wednesday we will lose
electricity and with that,
all stockpiled food will
spoil, we’ll have no
heating/cooling, lighting
washing facility or water as
it runs from a pump,
essentially come Wednesday
will become nothing better
than a cow in a barn.
I have pleaded with them to
do something to assist, if
they had processed my claim
in a timely manner or, took
the time to try and find an
alternative post suited to
my medical condition I
wouldn’t been in this
position; prior to
termination I offered to do
anything, I also offered to
sign waivers to continue
working without any blame
laying at the UN’s feet, I
would sooner have ended up
in a wheelchair than see my
kids living like this but,
they just ignored me. So far
although they did bother to
read my email last week, not
one person has had the
courtesy to respond, not
even the usual BS that they
‘sympathize’ or are ‘sorry’.
So, it would appear that not
only are the UN happy to
wash its hand and mess about
injured staff, they are also
happy to let these service
incurred injuries lead to
them living like a dog. For
an apparent humanitarian
organisation they really
don’t give a damn about its
staff.”
October 15-5: On Mozambique,
what is the SG's comment and
action on that “Mozambique's
Renamo opposition on
Saturday accused the
government of falsifying
local election results in
several areas, warning that
such a move could prompt it
to abandon peace talks. The
country went to the polls on
October 10 in a key test for
the ongoing peace talks
between the ruling Frelimo
party and Renamo -
negotiations which began in
2016 to end three years of
violence between government
troops and Renamo rebels.
"We do not want war but we
also do not accept any
attempt to change the
popular will," Renamo's
acting leader Ossufo Momade
said”?
October 12-1: On Cameroon,
what is the SG's comment and
action on the video
portraying Paul Biya's
forces “storming [Maurice]
Kamto's party office kicking
and dragging men on the
floor”?
October 12-2: For two days
in a two you have answered
that I am not allowed in the
UN, without explaining the
process or how DPI could do
that. Inner City Press is
now informed, by UN Security
- not USG Drennan who never
answered our complaint about
abuse by Lt Dobbins and 5
unnamed others - that there
is a list of people banned,
and that it included
“political activists.” In
light of this outrage this
is a demand that you
immediately disclose the
list, who is on it, how and
by whom they were put on it,
if they were notified, what
the process for being
removed from this
(outrageous) list is.
October 12-3: On Libya,
confirm or deny that Jeffrey
Feltman is under
consideration to become an
adviser to SRSG Salame, and
separately disclose the
number of communications
received by the SG's office
opposing such a role for
Feltman.
October 11-1: On Cameroon,
what is the SG's comment and
actin on that at a hearing
at the Yaounde Appeals Court
today for the fifth time,
Sissiku Ayuk Tabe and his
fellow defendants --
refouled from Nigeria while
the DSG was there -- were
not present in court,
despite a court order saying
they should be there. “We
have fears that if they
cannot be brought even at
the level of the court of
appeal, then there is
something wrong,” Mr Ndong
said The next hearing comes
up on 1 November and the
lawyer said if the
defendants are not
physically present, then the
government "should present
certificates of life to show
that they are alive”. Also,
what is the SG's comment on
Cameroon being set to be
elected to the UN Human
Rights Council tomorrow on a
“clean” slate?
October 11-2: On Somaliland,
what is the view and action
if any of the SG and his
envoy(s) to DP World
chairman and chief cxecutive
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem's
plan to develop a new port
in Somaliland and saying it
will not be hampered by the
fact that the former British
protectorate in East Africa
is not recognized as an
independent country. "It
does not cause any legal
problem because this is an
economic activity and it's a
port that is going to create
jobs," says Mr bin Sulayem.
Does the UN agree or
disagree?
October 11-3: On Togo, what
is the comment and action of
the SG and separately his
envoy Chambas on this: A
Togolese opposition leader
who had been on hunger
strike was evacuated to a
hospital in Ghana after his
health deteriorated, his
relatives said on Wednesday.
Nicodeme Ayao Habia, who had
refused food since September
19, was evacuated to Ghana's
capital of Accra on Tuesday
after his condition
worsened, his communication
advisor Achille Mensah
said.”
October 11-4: Also on Togo,
and SEA, I repeat
yesterday's questions (all
of them, especially) for all
information in your
possession about the sexual
exploitation by the Togolese
“peacekeepers” in CAR. In
all previous cases your
office has had additional
if-asked information. Now I
am banned - 100th day, no
due process censorship - and
you have failed to answer my
written questions for Inner
City Press as promised by
USG Smale, to GAP and in
last Aug 17 letter.
Responses demanded.
October 10-1: On Cameroon,
beyond and related to the
UNanswered question about
the UN's support of ELECAM,
what is the SG's comment and
action on Biya's state
television inaccurately
claiming that the Oct 7
election was observed by
Transparency International?
October 10-2: Regarding DPA
and Inner City Press'
reporting and complaint to
OIOS about the website
role(s) of the spouse of the
chief of staff of DPA,
please confirm or deny that
Kyoko Shiotani is on leave,
state how long it is to
last, if she is under
investigation by OIOS and
why no (other) actions have
been taken. The questions
about the leave, and actions
during leave, of OIOS'
Mendoza remain UNanswered,
see below.
October 10-3: Yesterday you
said in a response that “at
this point Mr Lee is not
allowed in the building.”
Please immediately state
under what authority, since
I have received nothing in
writing beyond the August 17
no due process letter from
DPI's Smale (who never spoke
to me) and DPI would appear
to have no authority to
block people from entering
the UN for, for example,
decolonization meetings of
the 4th committee. Please
also immediately explain
your September 28 response
that “no one” there has
called it a lifetime ban.
This is a travesty - and
censorship.
October 10-4: Now that the
UN is putting online the
many new sexual exploitation
and abuse charges right at
noon, please explain why you
did not mention the new
charges against Gabonese
peacekeepers in CAR
yesterday, and please now
provide all further if-asked
information about these
abuses: you are being asked.
October 9-1: On Cameroon,
describe the UN's support to
ELECAM and its
communications, which have
included the statement the
voting went of “without a
hitch” amid burning of homes
by the government. Also,
what is the SG's comment on
opposition candidate Maurice
Kamto declaring himself the
winner.
October 9-2: On UN bribery
and Frances Lorenzo who
pleaded guilty, Inner City
Press is informed that even
this year, long after his
guilty plea, Lorenzo said he
was working on elections in
the UN. In this context
please state when Lorenzo's
ID pass to the UN
expired/expires, and when to
the UN's knowledge he (and
Patrick Ho and Cheikh Gadio)
have been in the UN in the
past three years.
October 9-3: What is the
SG's comment and action on
that Mauritania's human
rights group representing
the Haratins - former slaves
of black African origin -
has condemned the use of
"brutal force" by the police
against protesters who
gathered outside parliament
on Monday.The demonstrators
were demanding the release
of the prominent
anti-slavery campaigner
Biram Ould Dah Ould Abeid.
October 9-4: As I asked
yesterday without response,
on the SG's trip to Bali,
(1) how much will it cost,
(2) who's going and (3) is
there a stop over either way
in Lisbon, since there have
been 15 others?
October 8-2: What is the
SG's comment and action on
the detention and now
“resignation” of Interpol
president Meng Hongwei?
October 8-3: In the DR Congo
there are reports of a “
United Nations truck which
overturned this morning has
been found to be carrying
illegal minerals” - please
immediately deny or confirm
and explain, given also this
reported history: “a UN
staff was on 21st August
2011 at the border crossing
with Rwanda with 1,200
kilograms of cassiterite in
his UN-marked vehicle plate
n° 1727. The UN Mission in
the DRC is suspected to be
involved in the slaughter of
elephants in the National
Park of Virunga with the
complicity of militias of
Forces démocratique pour la
liberation du Rwanda, FDLR.”
October 8-4: As a matter of
how Mr. Guterres' UN treats
injured staff members I am
requesting by close of
(your) business 5 pm the
UN's response to the
detailed tale of staff
member [redacted for now]
“severely injured my spine
serving in Mogadishu; this
has resulted in so far two
major surgeries, my
termination from service
and, cancellation of health
insurance seven days
following my last surgery
(ASHI was eventually
provided several months’
later). The issue I, and
other SM’s are having is
with the appendix D
supposedly in place to
protect us when we are
injured. On one hand, the UN
is happy to admit that due
to these service-incurred
injuries I am disabled,
awarding me a disability
pension; to the extent that
it will not be reviewed for
a minimum of five years
(apparently anything over
two years ‘ in the eyes of
the law is classed as a
permanent disablement)
however, when it comes to
the processing of my
appendix d claim they refuse
to make any progression at
all, in fact, they have done
nothing for over two years’
claiming they are unable to
ascertain if my disablement
is permanent or not. What
they don’t seem to care
about is the fact that due
to this injury and their
continued
incompetence/refusal to
process claims or, stick to
their own rules and
regulations contained within
the appendix, they are
ruining SM lives.”
October 8-5: On Libya, what
is the UN's knowledge of the
reported arrest of former
Egyptian army officer Hisham
Ashmawy? Also, given the
SG's stated interest in the
rights of refugees and
migrants, what are the SG's
comments and actions on
1. Has the UN made any
representations to the EU to
halt or amend its support
for interceptions and
returns by the Libyan
coastguard. And if not, why
not?
2. Has the UN made any
representations to Italy
& the EU to allow the
resumption of NGO search and
rescue operations in the
Mediterranean. And if not,
why not?
3. Has the UN made any
representations to the
Libyan authorities to halt
the detention of refugees
and migrants who have been
disembarked by the Libyan
coastguard? And if not, why
not?
4. Exactly what kind of
'humanitarian assistance'
does the UN provide to
people who are disembarked
by the Libyan coastguard,
and for how long does UN
have access to these people
after disembarkation?
5. When disembarkation
occurs, what kind of
screening take place to
ensure that children, as
well as people with medical
problems and protection
needs are not put into
detention? How many people
have been 'screened out' in
this way, and what happens
to them next?
6. Is the UN informed of and
granted access to all of
those people who are
disembarked by the Libyan
coastguard?
7. How exactly are people
who are disembarked by the
Libyan coastguard
transferred to detention
centres - and is the UN
aware of any human rights
abuses (i.e. the use of
physical force) that take
place in the transfer
process?
8. Once detained, in what
ways are people who have
been disembarked by the
Libyan coastguard able to
gain their freedom?
9. How exactly does the UN
identify detainee candidates
for its Assisted Return and
Humanitarian Evacuation
Programs?
10. Can the UN confirm that
detainees in Libya continue
to be sold and rented out to
local employers in order to
perform slave-like unpaid
labour? If so, what
representations is the UN
taking to bring these
practices to an end?"
Dujarric bantered and said
Guterres is taking off for a
week, to Bali and where
else? Watch this site. Also:
October 5-1: On Egypt, what
is the SG's comment and
action on reports of
Egyptian authorities
“forcibly disappearing” a
prominent human rights
lawyer who was due to be
released from prison last
month but whose whereabouts
remain unknown? Ezzat
Ghoneim, head of the
independent Egyptian
Commission for Rights and
Freedoms (ECRF), was last
seen by his wife on Sept. 13
at a police station south of
Cairo.
October 5-2: Please provide
a read out of the SG's
meeting yesterday with
Belarus' foreign minister,
as was done for other
countries' FMs, and state
why the SG did the meeting
in The Residence, if its
location is sometimes said
to be confidential or not to
be publicized.
October 5-3: On South Sudan,
what is the SG's comment and
action on that the South
Sudan Presidential spokesman
said they will not
compromise over the release
of James Dak, the
spokesperson of the
SPLM-IO’s leader. On Monday
Ateny Wek Ateny denied the
existence of political
prisoners in South Sudan. He
told Radio Tamazuj that "all
political detainees had been
released. We have prisoners
of war and not political
detainees". Juba released
twenty political prisoners
but James Gatdet Dak, the
imprisoned-spokesperson
SPLM-IO’s leader was not
among them. Manawa Peter
Gatkuoth SPLM-IO Deputy
Chairperson of the National
Committee for Information
and Public Relations told
Sudan Tribune they learnt
that Dak was told that he is
not included in the
presidential decree for the
release of the political
prisoners and detainees.
"This is a serious
development and we hope that
the government of South
Sudan will reconsider its
position and release him as
soon as possible," Manawa
said. He further said that
Dak is "the ideal example
for the political prisoner"
according to the standards
enshrined in international
law before to stress that
claiming he is not covered
by the presidential pardon
is a clear breach of the
revitalized agreement. "We
appeal to the international
community to intervene to
secure his release because
Dak’s imprisonment cannot be
subjected to political
bargaining," he said.
October 5-4: Now that the
Spokesman who was on the
trip is back... please
explain how a UN
spokesperson can
legitimately block on
Twitter a media which covers
the UN, when he is posting
UN information produced with
public funds.
October 4-2:
In the China Energy Fund
Committee / Patrick Ho case,
new filings by the
prosecution reflect Ho's /
CEFC's involvement in
weapons brokering to Libya,
South Sudan and Qatar, and
work to evade sanctions on
Iran. What is the SG's
comment and action on his
previous failure to even
start an OIOS audit of
CEFC's and Ho's activities
in the UN, which Inner City
Press asked him about in
January 2018 before being
banned from the UN?
October 4-3: On that, during
the UN General Assembly
week, I was banned from
entering to attend three
events I had RSVP-ed for,
two of which I had tickets
to. For the third,
ironically about Press
Freedom, CPJ told me they
put my name in but was it
blocked. They said they
reached out to the “media
liaison office.” But I was
still banned.
On Monday September 24 when
I was blocked, I was told to
talk to DPI. I called USG
Smale's office, and a staff
member named Charlotte
assured me she would look
into it and get back to me.
Nine days later, she still
hasn't. So today I am asking
to be informed by what right
and under what order (and
what due process) the
Department of Public
Information has me banned
from attending events I am
invited to in the UN about
banks and slavery, human
rights, and press freedom.
While I will continue to
insist there must be due
process for USG Smale's / SG
Guterres' decision to ban a
media from the Secretariat,
I assert there is no right
to ban me from covering the
member states / Conference
Building and I should be
given / returned to a pass
that allows such access,
immediately. This is also a
formal request to be able to
cover the October 11 UNSC
consultations on Wester
Sahara / MINURSO. I will
have other questions.
October 3-1: On Tanzania
what is the SG's and
separately DSG's comment and
action on the new law “which
means anyone questioning the
government's official
statistics faces a fine and
at least three years in
prison”?
October 3-2: Please state if
the SG's spouse Catarina de
Almeida Vaz Pinto is on the
trip to India, if so who is
paying for it including
security costs. Also
regarding the trip, please
confirm or deny this report:
“UN Secretary General
Antonio Guterres in an
exclusive conversation with
DD News said that the honour
is a fitting recognition of
PM's leadership in the fight
against climate change.The
UN Secretary General also
supported India's bid for a
permanent seat in United
Nations Security Council.”
http://www.ddinews.gov.in/national/un-chief-ant%C3%B3nio-guterres-supports-indias-bid-permanent-seat-unsc
October 3-3: On the UK, what
is the SG's comment and
action on that “the
granddaughter of a woman who
was evicted from the Chagos
Islands by the British has
been threatened with
deportation from the UK.
Taniella Moustache's
grandmother was forced to
leave the Chagos Islands in
1971 by the British and she
settled in the Seychelles.
“[The UK government] removed
my family [from the Chagos
Islands] and put a military
base there but now don’t
want my kids to be British
citizens,” Ms Valentin is
quoted. It is now half a
century since the UK took
control of the Chagos
Islands from its then
colony, Mauritius, and
evicted the entire
population, before inviting
the United States to build a
military base on Diego
Garcia, one of the larger
atolls.”
October 3-4: On FYROM, The
SG / Spox said “The fact
that an overwhelming
majority of those voting
supported the Prespa
Agreement is important. The
Secretary-General urges all
political forces in the
country to proceed with
implementation through the
country’s institutions.”
What is the SG's comment on
the turn-out being so low?
Is this a mandate? Does the
SG consider the level of
turn out legitimate, given
his comment?
October 3-5: Please provide
the UN's explanation: It is
reported that “THE RETURN OF
119 Irish peacekeepers from
Syria has been delayed for
two weeks after they did not
receive clearance to travel
home via Lebanon from the
war-torn nation. Earlier
this week, the Defence
Forces said that the return
of the 57th Infantry Group,
which was in Syria on a
United Nations peacekeeping
mission, had been
postponed.” Was this bad
planning? Was the delay
unforseeable? What was the
UN role?
October 2-1 [answered off
camera to a pro-SG
corespondent]: In the Sexual
Exploitation case of the UN
Police from Nigeria in the
DRC, put online after 5 pm
yesterday, since it is
listed as “substantiated”
what actions for
accountability have been
taken?
October 2-2: While he is in
India, what is the SG's
comment and action on that
“Indian police on Tuesday
fired tear gas and water
cannons to halt and scatter
a march by thousands of
protesting farmers heading
for the capital, New Delhi,
to demand better prices for
their produce. Reeling from
a crash in commodity prices,
more than 50,000 farmers
from the northern state of
Uttar Pradesh, a top
producer of wheat and cane,
blocked part of the main
highway to the capital”?
October 2-3: On South
Africa, what is the SG's
comment and action on that
“More than 90 politicians
have been murdered in SA
since the start of 2016, the
New York Times has revealed
in an in-depth article. The
newspaper said the killings
had this in common: "They
were members of the ANC who
had spoken out against
corruption in the party that
defined their lives”?
October 2-4: On South Sudan,
what is the SG's comment and
action on, and separately
UNMISS' knowledge of, that
“The SPLM-In Opposition
(SPLM-IO) accused the
government forces of
carrying out several attacks
on its positions in Yei
river State less than two
weeks before the troops’
disengagement process”?
October 2-5: Following up on
one of the questions left
unanswered, on Morocco, what
is the SG's comment and
action on the calls for
Morocco to investigate the
death of Hayat Belkacem, a
young woman killed by the
navy while she was trying to
reach the Spanish coast. The
incident occurred last
Tuesday when the Moroccan
navy opened fire on a Go
fast, a type of powerful
motor boat that was carrying
about 20 migrants off
Findeq. Belkacem, a law
student, was shot and died
as a result of her injuries,
while three other passengers
aged 20 to 30 sustained
injuries. The captain of the
boat, a Spanish national,
was arrested.”
October 1-2: On September 28
you said that you are
answering Inner City Press'
emailed questions. Why then
have so few questions,
particularly but not only on
Cameroon, been answered? You
also said that no one in the
UN Secretariat has called
the ban on Inner City Press
a lifetime ban. What then is
the process to end it? And
see unanswered Question
September 26-2 below and
note that CPJ says they gave
the UN Inner City Press name
for entry to the September
28 event on arrested
journalists in Myanmar and
elsewhere but that the UN
removed it. Why? Under what
order?
October 1-3: Noting that
“Maghreb Arab Press (MAP)
reported that Guterres and
Bourita also discussed the
Western Sahara conflict,”
please confirm and provide
further details. Who
attended the meeting? What
was discussed? Why is Inner
City Press being banned from
covering the October 11 UNSC
consultations on Western
Sahara, a UNSC issue it has
covered for 12 years? This
is a request to access to
stake-out that UNSC
consultation, and before
that the October 3 Program
of Work press conference by
Bolivia as president of UNSC
for October.
October 1-4: Regarding Heidi
Mendoza, USG of OIOS, and
her recent public comments
on politics in the
Philippines: a) what is Ms
Mendoza's current status
with the UN? b) if she is on
medical leave, is it paid
leave? c) do the UN's rules
about international public
servants not getting
involved in their countries'
politics apply to those on
such leave, or whatever type
of leave Ms Mendoza is on?
d) can the SG waive such
rules? When and in what
circumtances? Has he waived
rules here? e) is there an
Officer in Charge at OIOS?
Who is it? f) does Ms
Mendoza has any involvement
in OIOS decisions while on
leave?
October 1-5: On Burkina
Faso, what is the SG's
comment and action on that
“Thousands of opposition
supporters took to the
streets of the Burkinabe
capital Ouagadougou on
Saturday, the first major
protest against the
leadership of President Roch
Marc Christian Kabore. “No
to insecurity, terrorism, to
corruption, to
unemployment," chanted the
protesters in the first such
march organised by the
opposition since the
election of President Kabore
in November 2015.”
October 1-6: Please provide
the SG's comment and action
on that “Alfredo Forti, a
special advisor to Secretary
General Antonio Guterres
until 2017 and a member of
his special task force on
sexual abuse [said] 'I
totally agree that certain
administrative bodies of the
UN, like the CDU or OIOS, do
sometimes, through their
bureaucratic processing of
cases, constitute an
obstacle to justice.'”
September 28-2: What is the
SG's comment and action on
Morocco's navy firing on a
boat that was carrying
migrants to Spain, in an
assault that killed a
22-year-old student.Hayat
Belkacem died and three
other Moroccans were wounded
-- one critically -- when a
speedboat they were in was
hit by live rounds on
Tuesday in waters off the
Moroccan locality of
M'diq-Fnideq.
September 28-3: On Cameroon,
beyond the UNanswered
questions below, what is the
SG's comment and action on
the analysis that “If huge
portions of the populace are
unable to vote due to the
Anglophone unrest, the
election may lose even more
of its perceived validity.
If this happens and the
re-election of an unpopular
Biya is deemed to have been
unfair, it could spark
frustrations beyond the
Anglophone regions.”
September 28-4: On UN travel
costs, please state when and
if the UNEP audit by OIOS
will be public and please
confirm and provide
justification for these
expenditures for
MICHELE CANDOTTI, Chief of
Staff $ 44,714.04
New York $ 5,536.00 $
5,005.00
California $ 390.00 $ 631.00
Belgium - Italy $ 3,371.00 $
2,447.00
Belgium $ 2,063.00 $
1,995.04
Italy - Turkey $ 3,877.00 $
1,295.00
Italy - Ethiopia - Kenya $
7,422.00 $ -
Kenya - Italy $ 7,561.00 $
3,121.00
September 27-1: On Cameroon,
beyond the unanswered
questions below, what is the
SG's comment and action on
the multiple reports of
seven young men just
assassinated by the
government in Buea?
September 27-2: On DRC, it
is reported that the country
“is boycotting two planned
U.N. events focusing on the
central African nation
because it was not consulted
on the agenda or expected
outcome, the president's top
adviser Barnabe Kikaya Bin
Karubi” said. Is it the case
that DPA or the Secretariat
or UN Peacekeeping never
consulted the DRC? What is
the SG's response to Joseph
Kabila calling for UN
Peacekeepers to leave DRC?
September 27-3: It is
reported that “The U.N.
Headquarters also had
expenses covered by the U.S.
... notably $54,000 for
outdoor tents.” Please
confirm or deny and state
who paid for the outdoor
tents.
September 27-4: On UN travel
costs, please state when and
if the UNEP audit by OIOS
will be public and please
confirm and provide
justification for these
expenditures for
HAOLIANG XU, Regional Bureau
for Asia and the Pacific $
227,769.79
China, Thailand $ 7,843.00 $
1,016.00
Myanmar $ 7,203.60 $
1,122.32
Mongolia $ 1,622.00 $ 806.96
Thailand - Bhutan $ 681.80
Thailand - Boston $ 7,421.00
$ 956.08
Indonesia - Thailand $
7,361.10 $ 1,916.08
China - East Timor $
7,296.00 $ 3,433.83
Washington DC $ 613.00 $
329.78
Pakistan - Republic of Korea
$ 9,523.30 $ 2,376.08
Iran - Thailand $ 5,943.00 $
2,620.20
Sri Lanka - Thailand - China
$ 2,412.00 $ 2,265.76
September 26-1: On Benin,
what is the SG's comment and
action if any on the new law
which requires anyone
wanting to stand in
presidential elections to
pay the equivalent of around
$450,000. “Nicephore Soglo,
who was president in the
1990s, described the
recently-approved law as
brutal and clumsy. He said
President Patrice Talon's
government was excluding
anyone who was young, poor
or disadvantaged.”
September 26-2: On the UN's
“current and active barred”
list, how many people are on
it? How are people put on
it? Are most of them given
written notice and an
opportunity to be heard? If
not how does this comply
with the “rule of law” the
SG talks about?
September 26-3: On reports
that Norway is cutting its
funding to UNESCO because it
was not given a high
position there, what is the
SG's comment and action on
this? Is such a quid pro quo
approach acceptable or the
norm in his UN system?
September 25-1: On Cameroon,
beyond the UNanswered
questions below, please
state the UN's role(s) in
the October 7 elections, and
the SG's comment and action
on doubts about voting and
counting in the North-West
and South-West (Anglophone)
regions.
September 25-2: On UN system
travel spending waste, what
is the SG's comment and
action on that Sweden and
Denmark are freezing their
financial contributions to
UNEP until the final report
about Erik Solheim’s
spending is ready?
September 25-3: On South
Sudan, what is the SG's
comment and action on that
President Salva Kiir Monday
appointed a UN-sanctioned
general as the deputy
minister of defence. In a
presidential decree
announced by the South Sudan
TV on Monday evening, Kiir
appointed the deputy chief
of defence for logistics in
the South Sudan Army Malek
Reuben Riak Rengu as a
deputy defence minister?
September 25-4: On Togo what
is the SG's comment and
action on thaat a former
lawmaker in Togo was on
Monday on hunger strike to
call for the release of
opposition supporters who
were arrested during
anti-government
demonstrations. Nicodeme
Ayao Habia, head of the
Democrats party, began his
protest six days ago in
front of Ghana's embassy in
the Togolese capital, Lome.
"I am on hunger strike to
demand the release of all
people who were arrested
during protests by the
opposition coalition who are
still languishing in
prison," he said. “I won't
move from here as long as
these people are in prison,"
he said, holding a small
sign with photos of three of
those detained. This
morning, police tried to
move me along but I refused
as I am within my rights.
They even tried to rough me
up." Some 44 people who were
arrested during opposition
protests against President
Faure Gnassingbe and his
government remain in prison,
according to the coalition.”
September 24-1: On Cameroon,
many in the country are
expressing concern and some
asking Inner City Press
about UN vehicles recently
photographed arriving in the
port of Doula. Please
immediately state UN's
knowledge and explanation of
these vehicles. Also,
including because Cameroon
was not mentioned in SG's AU
read-out, please inform
Inner City Press if and when
the situation in North-West
or South-West Cameroon comes
up in any of the SG's
meeting this week.
September 24-2:
Yesterday's New York Post reports
that you “told The Post that
Guterres 'frequently travels
through Lisbon on official
business, taking advantage
of the weekend. This is done
at no extra cost' to the
UN.” Please explain where UN
Security stay when they
accompany the SG to Lisbon
and how this involves no
extra cost to the UN.
September 24-4: On UN travel
costs, please state when and
if the UNEP audit by OIOS
will be public and please
confirm and provide
justification for these
expenditures for
MOURAD WAHBA, Regional
Bureau for Arab States $
187,763.32
Japan $ 6,908.00 $
1,207.00." No answers on
waste. Only this was
responded to, by Dujarric's
deputy Farhan Haq: "
UNanswered: September 21-1:
On Cameroon, beyond
yesterday's still unanswered
question about Special
Adviser Dieng, what is the
SG's comment and action on
Paul Biya's government
saying that neighborhoods in
Yaounde with Anglophone
residents are full of
“terrorists and
secessionists” and preparing
to crack down on them? What
is the UN's role, if any, in
the dubious upcoming
election?
September 21-2: On UN travel
costs, please state when and
if the UNEP audit by OIOS
will be public and please
confirm and provide
justification for these
expenditures for UNDP's
Tegegnework Gettu:
TEGEGNEWORK GEITU, Associate
Administrator $ 159,640.41
Nigeria $ 11,197.00 $ 280.00
Norway $ 5,116.00 $ 784.00
Afghanistan $ 16,260.00 $
162.00
Switzerland $ 22,136.21 $
368.00
Japan $ 5,405.00 $ 574.00
China $ 3,459.00 $ 460.00
Afghanistan $ 20,489.00 $
162.00
China, Qatar $ 16,697.00 $
2,178.00
Kenya $ 4,473.00 $ 1,050.00
Malaysia $ 11,084.00 $
216.00
China - Ethiopia $ 16,645.02
$ 1,545.57
Djibouti $ 6,916.00 $ 466.35
Eritrea $ 1,273.26 $ 430.00
China $ 9,398.00 $ 416.00
September 21-3: On Zambia,
what is the SG's comment and
action on “Zambia says
donors withholding nearly
$34 million over
mismanagement” - does his UN
share the concerns about
corruption? Is the UN doing
anything about it?
September 20-1: On Tanzania,
what is the SG's comment and
action on that Tanzania's
main opposition party on
Wednesday said it would
boycott the electoral
process until further notice
after by-elections that it
said had been wrecked by
"militarisation" by the
authorities. Freeman Mbowe,
president of the Chadema
party, told a press
conference, "We can no
longer take part in
elections of this kind.
Democracy is being taken
hostage”?
September 20-2: What is the
status of Heidi Mendoza at
OIOS - is she still on
leave? - and what is the
SG's comment and action on
her recent public statements
on politics in The
Philippines, including
describing an agency there
as “we” and how this
comports, or doesn't, with
her duty as an international
civil servant?
September 20-3: On Cameroon,
please confirm that the SG's
adviser Dieng is seeking to
visit the country and
explain both how it is
within his mandate to speak,
as he did yesterday in the
briefing like today's by the
SG I am banned from, in
opposition to any
encouragement of secession
and how the SG thinks this
position is a legitimate one
for the UN and separately
how it could play a role if
it has already said what the
outcome should be.
September 19-1: On Uganda,
what is the SG's comment and
action on that “Police in
Uganda have warned that any
welcoming rally for
musician-turned-MP Bobi Wine
will be unlawful”?
September 19-2: On UN travel
costs, please state when and
if the UNEP audit by OIOS
will be public and please
confirm and provide
justification for these
expenditures for UNDP's
Achim Steiner:
UNDP MANAGEMENT Air Ticket
Allowance
ACHIM STEINER, Administrator
$ 353,732.24
Switzerland $ 1,024.00 $ -
New York $ 9,345.00 $ -
New York $ 8,612.00 $ 151.68
Italy $ 10,205.00 $ 320.00
Myanmar - Japan - United
Kingdom $ 28,453.45 $
1,239.04
Sweden - Norway $ 7,409.00 $
736.00
Germany $ 10,039.00 $ 324.00
United Kingdom $ 6,576.00 $
439.75
San Francisco $ 3,758.00 $
411.24
Washington DC $ 408.00 $
1,029.68
Washington DC $ 612.00 $
893.06
Sweden $ 9,887.00 $ 214.00
Egypt $ 7,345.00 $ 207.00
Germany - Qatar $ 11,991.00
$ 2,592.06
Switzerland - India - China
- France $ 31,443.70 $
1,969.64
Switzerland - France -
Germany $ 13,829.00 $
2,382.77
France $ 13,350.00 $ 841.35
Vietnam $ 6,830.00 $ 402.67
Argentina - United Kingdom $
17,915.00 $ 764.77
Angola - Namibia $ 8,616.00
$ -
Germany $ 6,098.00 $ 322.00
Panama $ 3,037.00 $ 526.00."
All for a total of $
353,732.24....
Inner City Press has further
questions travel spending,
by Mr Gettu and others but
is await your answers on the
above, and on the SG.
September 19-3: In Liberia,
what is the UN's knowledge
of, and comment on, the
allegedly missing millions
in bank notes printed
outside the country?
September 19-4: In Cameroon,
beyond the below, what is
the SG's comment and action
on the travel restrictions
imposed in North-West
Region, and on the continued
incarceration of journalist
Thomas Awah?
September 18-1: In the new
sexual exploitation and
abuses cases, please explain
whether the “Congo (the)”
cases, of exploitation and
alleged rape of adult, are
about the same suspect;
explain why in one MINUSCA
case payments have been
suspended but not others
(for example, not to the
Cameroon suspect);
September 18-2: On UN travel
costs, given the role of the
Office of South South
Cooperation in the Ng Lap
Seng / PGA John Ashe UN
bribery case and that you
have banned me from briefing
including the recent one by
Jorge Chediek, please
confirm and provide
jusification for these
expenditures, including who
else accompanied Mr. Chediek
to conference(s) in China
and those costs:
JORGE CHEDIEK, UN Office for
South-South Cooperation $
144,298.82
Benin $ 5,390.00 $ 509.04
Switzerland $ 2,450.00 $
1,272.00
Thailand $ 3,140.00 $ 975.53
Turkey - Kazakhstan $
4,500.00 $ 1,091.24
Kenya $ 4,740.00 $ 1,210.72
China $ 5,270.00 $ 673.40
Brazil $ 5,950.00 $ 505.76
Argentina $ 3,520.00 $
1,230.00
China - India $ 9,045.10 $
1,420.90
Argentina $ 4,053.00 $
1,168.32
France $ 2,424.50 $ 1,313.68
Germany $ 2,315.00 $
1,030.00
Brazil $ 2,672.10 $ 815.50
Turkey $ 2,722.00 $ 363.00
Bangladesh - Hong Kong $
7,800.00 $ 1,771.48
Hawaii $ 2,848.00 $ 337.80
Egypt - France $ 3,976.90 $
2,283.00
Brazil $ 2,747.60 $ 822.17
Argentina $ 5,053.70 $
909.52
Portugal - Spain $ 3,832.01
$ 1,698.16
Cuba $ 342.70 $ 848.94
South Africa $ 7,424.50 $
710.39
China $ 5,429.00 $ 1,307.21
France - Norway $ 1,912.71 $
1,603.60
Thailand $ 6,326.00 $
1,262.83
Egypt $ 5,650.00 $ 983.92
India $ 3,882.21 $ 763.68
Inner City Press has further
questions travel spending,
by Steiner, Solheim and
others but is await your
answers on the above, and on
the SG.
September 18-3: On Thailand,
what is the SG's comment and
action on that leaders of a
new Thai political party
that opposes military rule
appeared before police
Monday to hear charges over
a Facebook video broadcast
that authorities allege
violated the law? What are
the SG's views on how
freedom of speech and of the
press applies to videos,
including live videos, on
social media platforms?
September 18-4: On the DRC,
relatedly, given the UN's
large and longtime presence
there, what is the SG's
comment and action on “The
Democratic Republic of
Congo's state-run television
announced Monday it had
fired two reporters who
covered an opposition
leader's press conference in
defiance of editorial
policy. The journalist and
cameramen went to report on
the head of the Congo
National Liberation Front
who laid down what some
local media called an
"ultimatum" to President
Joseph Kabila on August 22.
Their story on Elie Kapend
Kanyimbu, a former rebel
chief and comrade of
Kabila's father, was not
aired by the National Radio
and Television of Congo
(RTNC) network. He was
arrested the following day”?
September 18-5: On
Bangladesh, and lobbying at
the UN, what is the SG's
rsponse to “Mirza Fakhrul
started for London on Friday
and met Tarique there before
flying back home. The BNP
reportedly had hired a US
lobbyist firm for arranging
the meetings, though the
party claims Mirza Fakhrul
travelled there at the
invitation of UN
Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres.” Did the SG know
if Fakhrul or BNP hired a
lobbyist to set up the
meeting? Did the SG know
about the Squires Patton
Boggs contract by Cameroon
before his July 11 meeting?
See below - UNanswered.
September 17-1: Inner City
Press has obtained and
reported on, but not yet
published in full, USG Jan
Beagle's September 14 memo
about the 10% budget cuts.
Please immediately state if
any departments or
activities will take smaller
- or larger - cuts, state
which states have paid and
how much since the SG's
pre-vacation warning, and
what impact the cuts may
have.
September 17-2: It is
multiply reported that Sri
Lanka during the upcoming
high level week will make a
presentation to the SG
about, among other things,
limited the currently stated
vetting of Sri Lanka troops
for participation in alleged
war crimes. Please state the
date of any meeting of the
SG with President Sirisena,
and state the UN's / SG's
view of the current vetting
system, including seeming
lack of compliance by Sri
Lanka. What is the status of
Sri Lankan deployments
and/or rotations?
September 17-3: UN bribery
co-indictee, along with
Patrick Ho of CEFC, Cheikh
Gadio of Senegal has had
charges dropped and said he
will “cooperate” with
prosecutors. With the trial
set for November, what steps
if any has the SG taken to
determine who beyond ex-PGA
Kutesa may have received
payments or in-kind support
from Ho / CEFC, and if no
audit has been started, as
even SG Ban did on Ng Lap
Seng, why not.
September 17-4: On Cyprus,
what is the SG's (or part
time envoy Lute's) comment
and action on Turkey's
President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan saying on Sept. 16.
“We will not decrease the
number of our soldiers there
but on the contrary, we will
increase them”?
September 17-5: It is
reported that UN secretary
general Antonio Guterres
will attend the
International Solar Alliance
(ISA) in New Delhi on
October 2. Please confirm
and disclose whether this
time, like the one to Ghana,
will including a stop over
in Lisbon and at what cost
to the public / UN.
September 17-6: In terms of
world diplomacy and his own
(family) role, what is the
SG's comment and action /
role if any on “Portuguese
Prime Minister Antonio Costa
arrives in Luanda on Monday,
while Angola’s President
Joao Lourenco is due to
visit Lisbon on November 23
and 24. The diplomacy marks
an effort to move beyond the
legacy of colonial rule over
Angola that ended in 1975
when Portugal withdrew
without handing over
power...
September 14-1: On Chad,
what is the UN's knowledge
of and SG comment and action
on that the Chadian army
bombed the northern town of
Kouri Bougoudi on Thursday
morning, after a rebel
attack by a Chadian armed
group based in southern
Libya. "The bombing only
targeted civilians," a
parliamentarian is quoted”?
September 14-3: DRC, what is
the UN's knowledge of and SG
comment and action on the
kidnapping, now just ended
of a journalist in Bukavu in
South Kivu (eastern DRC).
Hassan Murhabazi, a
journalist with Radio Svein?
What is MONUSCO and the UN
going to protect journalists
as it claims to desire?
September 14-4: Please
inquire and disclose if the
UN, OLA or any other
department, instructed the
copy shop on 45th Street
between 2d and 3d Ave, IAE,
to stop using the phrase
“Official Vendor UN and
UNDP” on its signs, as Inner
City Press published on
September 6
https://twitter.com/innercitypress/status/1037801352024469505
and state, other than
waiting for the inquiry of
the Press it bans for its
reporting, the UN has an
program to stop the uses of
its name for money.
September 13-1: On Cameroon,
what is the SG's comment and
action on the Biya'
government now using
INTERPOL against its
opponents, and having
websites and reporters
blocked or banned from
social media platforms?
September 13-2: Regarding
the UN system's rules for
use of UN funds for personal
travel, and in light of the
OIOS criticism of Erik
Solheim at UNEP (below),
what is the SG's comment and
action, will be ensure that
the OIOS audit be released
to the public in its
entirety and that his own
travel be subject to an
independent audit? See,
“"Some of the trips to Oslo
and Paris were called
'bilateral meetings,' even
though they took place
during weekends or the
Christmas holidays... On one
occasion he made an eight
hour flight from Washington
DC for a weekend in Paris,
before he boarded another
flight for New York." Has
the SG done anything similar
since Jan 1, 2017?
"The UNEP and UN’s Nairobi
office should reclaim from
these employees (1) all
travel expenses and the
related working hours which
have not been accounted for;
and (2) all additional costs
incurred by the UNEP as a
consequence of uneconomic
and inefficient decisions by
the management." Should the
money be returned, does the
SG think?
Finally, confirm that the
two others at UNEP subject
to OIOS criticism are Anne
Lemore and Lisa Svensson, or
state why you will not do
so, given the allegations of
waste of public funds, and
when you would release the
names.
September 13-3: On the
Maldives, what is the SG's
comment and action on
reports the government is
blocking access to
international media in order
to “steal the election”?
September 13-4: Please
confirm that the husband of
DPA's chief of staff, of
whom Inner City Press has
previously asked you and
reported, did not have his
contract renewed - since
your office said his
employment was entirely
legitimate, this update
should be given - and state
who has replaced him, the
nationality and how
selected.
September 12-2: What is the
UN's knowledge of and action
on reports of Ugandan girls
seeking employment as
domestic workers in Oman are
in fact being trafficked and
sold as slaves?
September 12-3: On the
Comoros, what is the SG's
comment and action on that
prosecutors in Comoros have
issued an international
arrest warrant for a former
vice president who opposed a
series of constitutional
reforms enabling President
Azali Assoumani to extend
his term in office. A
warrant is out for the
arrest of Jaffar Ahmed Said
Hassani, who served as one
of the Indian Ocean
archipelago's three vice
presidents.The warrant was
issued as the authorities
pressed a crackdown on
figures who opposed July's
controversial referendum”?
September 10-2: On Burundi
is there any comment and
action by the SG and
separately his part time
envoy Kafando on the
authorities treatment of the
journalist from Radio
Culture and if not, why not?
September 7-1: On Myanmar,
please confirm there is a
Conflict Prevention and
Peace Forum (CPPF) and the
UN Department of Political
Affairs meeting on or about
Sept 11, state who will
attend and what the agenda
is, for transparecy.
September 7-2: Please
immediately confirm or deny
the SG will stop in Lisbon
after Ghana, between Sept 13
and 16 and state the costs
(See below)
September 7-3: On the
Philippines what is the SG's
comment and action on that a
Philippine senator who has
taken refuge in the Senate
to avoid an arrest order by
President Rodrigo Duterte
asked the Supreme Court on
Thursday to declare the
order illegal and called on
the military to defy it?
September 7-5: Again, this
is a request that the UN
name the member states USG
Smale's August 17 letter and
you (Dujarric) since have
said complained about a
“hostile environment” of
questions, state what they
were referring to. This is
not a question about
questionable “procedures”
but for specifics.
September 6-1: On South
Sudan, what is the SG's view
of that A military court in
South Sudan has ordered the
government to give the
family of murdered
journalist John Gatluak,
killed in the Terrain Hotel,
51 cows as compensation? Is
that sufficient?
Proportionate?
September 6-2: Since the
case had and has to do with
selling access to the UN and
UNGA, what is the SG's
comment and response (CEFC
audit?) to today's
sentencing of Ban Ki-moon's
nephew Dennis Bahn after he
pleaded guilty to Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act
charges?
September 6-3: On Yemen,
what is the SG's response to
that the Yemeni government
is considering not extending
the UN teams’ missions in
the country after they have
proven their bias, Yemen’s
human rights minister
Mohamed Askar said on
Thursday.
September 6-4: On Burundi,
what is the SG's and
separately his part time
envoy Michel Kafando's
response to the UN
Commission of Inquiry on
Burundi presenting its
report on human rights
violations in the country
this year and last year in
Geneva on 5 September. It
denounces the persistence of
serious violations and
directly implicates
President Pierre Nkurunziza
for "recurrent calls for
hatred and violence.” Please
state how much / how many
hours or days Kafando has
been Actually Employed thus
far in 2018, and at what
cost.
September 6-5: On Sudan,
what is the SG's comment and
action on that the SLM-TC
Wednesday announced the
death of one of its jailed
fighters in prison, accusing
the Sudanese authorities of
refusing him medical care.
"Yacoub Mohamed Hassan
Deldoum died on Wednesday,
the fifth of September 2018
as a result of the denial of
treatment and health
services by the Sudanese
security services," said the
SLM-TC spokesperson Nour
al-Din Koki.
September 6-6 -- On Uganda,
on which you are not
answering: What is the SG's
comment and action on Mr
Museveni saying "Between
1971 and 1979 (Idi Amin
dictatorship), there was no
parliament... Don't think
that you are in heaven; do
what took you there. You
should know where the power
of that parliament comes
from... in fact, I can do
away with that parliament”?
And AGAIN: On Uganda the SG
called for police restraint
so what is his comment and
action on these statements
since, by Bobi Wine, who
held a press conference
today in Washington DC:
“They beat me, punched me,
and kicked me with their
boots. No part of my body
was spared. They hit my
eyes, mouth and nose. They
hit my elbows and my knees.
They pulled my manhood and
squeezed my testicles while
punching me with objects...
They started hitting my
ankles with pistol butts. I
groaned in pain and they
ordered me to stop making
noise for them. They used
something like pliers to
pull my ears."I was told
that three guns had been
assembled and said to have
been found in my room! I
could not believe that the
state would torture a
Ugandan so bad and then
frame him with possession of
guns!"”
September 6-7: I'm informed
that when approached by a
major democracy the
SECRETARIAT's answer has
been that my “issue is being
treated as one which does
not require consultation
with Member States as it
relates to Security &
DPI taking action in pursuit
of existing procedures”
(which?) and that this is
not the only case where
restrictions have been
placed and in the past other
journalists too have been
banned. Please explain by
what right the Secretariat
ignores member states, given
the conflicts of interest
and needs for recusals
timely raised, and state the
precedents of other
expulsion, on what grounds,
with what due process and
for what periods of time.
Note my September 3
application.
September 6-8: What is the
UN's response to the media
reporting it is in touch
with at least five groups of
refugees, who have used
smartphones to message about
everything from a lack of
food, to looters, bomb
blasts and attacks by armed
men, to how they feel
they’ve been abandoned by
the United Nations and other
international organisations.
Many claim they were never
registered by the UN –
despite regularly asking for
it
September 6-9: Given public
statements and reports,
please state the status of
Canada's public offer to
base a C-130J cargo plane
out of Entebbe, Uganda and
why it has not yet taken
place.
September 6-10: You declined
to answer some of my
question about the SG's trip
to China including,
“Speaking at a joint
interview with Chinese
correspondents one day
before his trip to Beijing
for the upcoming summit of
the Forum on China-Africa
Cooperation (FOCAC).” Please
provide the transcript or
audio or explain why. Please
lists attendees. This is in
light of Ng Lap Seng and
CEFC UN bribery cases.
Relately
September 6-11: Please state
today whether SG Guterres
included the business
dealings of his son Pedro
Guimarães e Melo De Oliveira
Guterres in his non public
financial disclosure and
whether there are in place
any safeguards against
conflicts of interest and
perception or reality of
self-dealing, including
whether any recusals have
been made.
September 6-12: On DRC,
thank you for the Sept 5
response on the ambush but
still: what is the SG and
separately USG LaCroix'
response to “The South
African government is
opposing UN plans to reduce
the Force Intervention
Brigade (FIB) in the eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) because Pretoria fears
that could weaken it and
make South African and other
regional troops more
vulnerable to increasingly
aggressive rebel forces. “It
is my responsibility as
minister of defence to
ensure no bodybags come back
to South Africa,” SA Defence
Minister Nosiviwe
Mapisa-Nqakula bluntly told
the Dirco in-house news
agency last week. “We must
ensure decisions taken as
regards the FIB do not
disrupt or disadvantage the
force and make sure it
doesn’t suffer casualties.
By deploying (troops) you
are not saying people should
go and die'””
September 6-13: With regard
to the petition the head of
the ICSC making staff sign,
as Inner City Press has now
exclusively reported, what
is the SG's position on this
type of coercion? And
How many signatures one
would need to clear a
perpetrator?
How many signatures are
needed to protect victims
not only from sexual
harassment, but from
continuous retaliation and
intimidation?
What are the duties of the
UN staff during an
investigation, are they
allowed to harass further
the victims and whistle
blowers?
Is this how SG Guterres is
protecting from victims from
retaliation as he promised?
Is this what 'gender
equality and empowerment of
women" when women are used
by those in power to attack
the victims further?
September 6-14: Inner City
Press has (many) more
questions, but answer this:
On my August 27 question on
double dipping of benefits,
on August 28 you wrote, "I
WILL HAVE A COMMENT LATER ON
THIS ISSUE." But still
nothing. Adding to my
initial question: please
address the issue /
disparity raised to ICP by
whistleblowers, and by the
union, about those who have
lost their green cards. From
within UNDP, an all-staff
email referencing Inner City
Press' story, leaked to
Inner City Press: "From:
UNDP Bulletin
Sent: Wednesday, August 29,
2018 5:06:13 PM (UTC-05:00)
Eastern Time (US &
Canada)
To: All Staff UNDP Global
Subject: Update on Staff
Benefits
Dear Colleagues,
You may have seen a press
article published this week
which alleges that a number
of UNDP staff are improperly
receiving benefits related
to their expatriate status
as internationally recruited
staff.
Given our duty of care to
staff and to the
organization, I would like
to take this opportunity to
inform you regarding the
situation.
Firstly, it is important to
recognize that UNDP is a
rules-based organization.
For the benefit of its
stakeholders, its staff, and
the people it serves, UNDP
recognizes it is of the
utmost importance that
administrative rules are
applied consistently and
fairly. In recognition of
that principle, and as
standard procedure, UNDP
regularly screens for
compliance with
administrative rules.
Secondly, as part of that
screening, UNDP had already
commissioned an independent
review by the UN
Secretariat’s Office of
Human Resources Management
to ensure the fair and
consistent application of
rules related to eligibility
for UNDP headquarters staff
who are internationally
recruited and receive
related entitlements and
benefits.
Thirdly, I would like to
emphasize that there is no
evidence nor any suggestion
that any member of UNDP
staff has acted
inappropriately or
dishonestly. OHR, on behalf
of UNDP, will continue to
ensure that rules and
procedures are applied
properly and correctly, in
this, as in all other cases.
With my best regards,
Michele Candotti
Chief of Staff &
Director of the Executive
Office."
Please explain why you never
answered my question,
despite USG Smale's
assurance. And response to
the whistleblowers pointing
out, "Of course they have to
say that because so many
high level staff are also
taking home leave benefits
they don't have right to.
Many of us hope you won't
let this story go. You must
press Steiner and the high
level ppl listed in that
chart you posted to respond
to your questions and ask
the top man at HR David
Bearfield to explain how
these ppl take home leave
when Staff Rule 4.5 (d) says
they can't. This is wrong."
Yes, this is wrong.
September 6-15: Since you
have repeated refused to
answer simple questions
about the costs of the SG's
travel, I am request that
you today confirm or deny
each of these Lisbon stop
over, explain why they made
sense and how much including
in Security they cost the UN
and the public:
September 6-16: At the
August 27 noon briefing you
said I am banned because I
was “found in the parking
lot.” Since no one spoke to
me about this, please state
when and where, and explain
how that is a violation if
non resident correspondents'
passes open those doors,
unlike the bathrooms on the
4th floor, and how this
Trumped up into so serious a
violation as to ban me,
including from the uncoming
UNGA week. Also, again, name
the diplomats (and UN staff
and journalists) you
yesterday publicly said I
created a hostile
environmental for. Honestly,
that was not my intent. But
I have a right to know. And
it sounds troublingly
similar to questioning and
critique: free press.
September 6-17: This is
again a request to be
informed -- including if the
question is view as hostile
- of the reason on the SG's
Public Financial Disclosure
page USG Smale is not
listed, while Natalia
Gherman who was named to her
position later than USG
Smale is listed and has made
public disclosure - and for
an explanation why Smale did
not recuse herself as was
clearly called for from
banning me.
September 6-18: I asked more
than 48 hours ago, and was
told it was soon to be
commented on: Please state
the Secretariat's and DSG /
Development System's
knowledge of dual citizen
staff getting US Tax
reimbursement and also Home
Leave and Education grant
entitlements using their
national/original passport -
and what is being done about
it.
September 6-19: Given that
Deputy Spokesman Haq told
IPS “we respect his press
rights, but we also want to
respect other’s press
rights. And some journalists
feel their press rights have
been impeded by his actions”
- state, since this is the
basis of me being banned,
who these are, and how they
feel their press rights have
been impeded by my actions.
Also all video and other
evidence that Haq alluded to
to IPS should be produced,
today, since it is the basis
of my being banned.
September 6-20: What is the
SG's comment and action on
the “reporter for Buzzfeed
News has become the latest
foreign journalist to be
forced from China, which has
a history of retaliating
against news organizations
and individual journalists
for critical coverage. Megha
Rajagopalan, who was
Buzzfeed News’s China bureau
chief, said it was not clear
why China’s Foreign Ministry
declined to issue her a new
journalist visa.reporter for
Buzzfeed News has become the
latest foreign journalist to
be forced from China, which
has a history of retaliating
against news organizations
and individual journalists
for critical coverage. Megha
Rajagopalan, who was
Buzzfeed News’s China bureau
chief, said it was not clear
why China’s Foreign Ministry
declined to issue her a new
journalist visa”?
September 6-21: these must
be answered August 22-3: On
Cameroon, your belated July
11 read out does not answer
the questions Inner City
Press has asked. Before
asking more, there are now
broken out by letter for
ease of reference and for
belated answer today, as
well as this:
was DSG Mohammed present at
the July 11 meeting? And
what is the SG's response to
what was said about him in
the demonstration by
Anglophone Cameroonians in
Washington yesterday? How
does he respond to their
charges of corruption?
a) Cameroon has hired
Mercury Public Affairs for
$100,000 a month, even as
the UN is paying money to
the government. Is UN money
being used for the mass
killing cover up campaign?
Are there any safeguards in
place?
b) please disclose any and
all other meeings the SG has
had this year arranged by
paid lobbyists.
[responded to Aug 22, but
see (d) below: c) what is
the SG's comment on the
recent announcement of seven
arrests for summary
executions, and the newer
video of Cameroon Army
executions that has emerged?
d) Specifically, how are
these videos being
incorporated into the
supposed vetting of
Cameroon's contributions to
UN Peacekeeping missions?
e) please provide a list and
read-out of each of the
Secretary General's meetings
and communications with
Cameroon Ambassador Tommo
Monthe during Monthe's time
as chair of the Fifth
(Budget) Committee.
[semi-answered Aug 22 f) In
light of statements at the
August 8 noon briefing
please state whether envoy
Fall even requested to meet
with President Paul Biya or
whether the UN believes that
Biya is once again out of
the country, in Geneva. Has
the UN ever met with Biya in
Geneva? ]
g) I reiterate August 7-1
and 8-1 and 9-1, on this:
was the SG or anyone else in
the UN aware that this Biya
delegation's lobbying trip
was stage managed by the
DC-based lobbying firm
Patton Boggs? Why was this
meeting not disclosed at the
time? Why is there no photo,
even just UN Photo, of it?
Where did it take place? Who
attended, on each side?
h)Has the Secretariat
communicated since with the
Biya government? Has it ever
communicated with the
opposition?
September 6-22: Again,
Prashanti Tiwani told a
press call that she is
shocked by how the UN has
treated her. Her letter to
the SG is online This is a
request for the SG's
response, including given
his statement about meeting
with victims of the UN....
September 6-23: In late
August I saw near the UN
former Dominican Republic
DPR Francis Lorenzo, who
pleaded guilty to UN
bribery. Please immediately
state whether Mr Lorenzo,
and separately Mr Carlos
Garcia and others implicated
in the Ng Lap Seng case,
still have access to the UN,
including as visitors, and
please contrast their right
to entry with mine (please
define that), and explain.
And please describe the UN's
allowance of entrance to the
WOGC group I have previously
asked about, and
Secretariat's knowledge of
their deal in Kiribati.
September 6-24: Please state
how many of the official SG
trips paid by the UN have
been routed through Lisbon?
How much was spent on him
and his entourage to divert
his travel through Lisbon?
September 6-25: As
repeatedly asked, please
state where the SG was - in
what city - on each of
August 18, 19, 20 (all
appointments internal) and
21, and costs to the public
including security costs.
September 6-26: In last
Thursday's 6:15 / 6:30 press
conference involving USG
Smale, please confirm that a
substantial number - state
how many - of those in the
briefing room were not, in
fact, journalists, explain
how this was allowed to
happen given the stated
rules of Smale's own DPI,
who allowed or encouraged it
and what has been done about
it.
September 6-27: In terms of
USG Smale's letter banning
me for life please state who
she says was disparged,
when, and in what medium /
in person or not. Please
provide the UN's version,
and any UN video, of the
June 19 private use of
briefing room for Al Jazeera
and critique afterward.
Please immediately provide
all UN video of the June 22
ouster and July 3 roughing
up and ouster, and the names
and nationalities of all
involved officers.
September 6-28: On August 29
you said “ The process
through which accreditation
is given and withdrawal is
clear, it’s written publicly
in the media guidelines. You
all agree to the process
when you accept your
accreditation, which
accreditation to any
institution is a privilege.
Everybody has a right to, to
report and to say whatever
they, they wish. But the
accreditation process is
such. It’s very clear...
everybody else in this room
agree to the accreditation
process when you accepted
your accreditation, and that
process was followed.” State
where in the Guidelines
there is anythig about
parking lot, etc. And that
the process has no right to
be heard, no appeal - pure
unilateral censorship.
September 6-29: Given that
the UN accredited me in
April 2018 and that most of
the "charges" in USG Smale
Aug 17 pre-date that, other
than Periscoping without
escort that MALU told me was
not required, what is the
basis of my exclusion and
the written response to my
Sept 3 submission?
Still waiting for answer to
July 21-1, regarding
location of SG for 2+ weeks
"small" vacation, July 21 to
present. What are the costs
to the UN budget and public
of him taking UN Security
wherever he goes? Does he
reimburse the Organization
for that?
USG Smale has claimed that
the SG's spokesmen are
answering Inner City Press'
email questions. This is not
the case. And even if these
e-mailed questions were all
being answered it does not
make up for denying Inner
City Press the right not
only to attend the noon
briefing and other press
conferences, but the
stakeouts at the Security
Council and elsewhere, such
as the Budget Committee
meeting stakeout I was
physically ousted from on
July 3. It's 72 days of
outright censorship, and
counting."
Also submitted, to Miroslav
Lajcak's spokesman Brenden
Varma on the morning of
September 13 but not
answered even into the
afternoon of September 14:
"Since I am banned from the
briefing for 72nd day in a
row I am submitting this
question to you in writing.
You previously answered: "I
discussed your letter with
the PGA. Please know that he
is personally sympathetic to
your situation. He also
continues to strongly
believe that the UN should
be as transparent as
possible and that
journalists should be able
to do their work without
hindrance.”
Question: in the past 72
days, particularly since I
wrote directly to him, what
has the PGA or his team DONE
about it? To whom has he
spoken, and asked for what?
Your cited “deference” need
not have meant / mean
inaction. So what has been
or will be done?
You wrote: “At the same
time, our practice here at
the UN is for the
Secretariat – not the Office
of the PGA – to handle
matters related to media
accreditation and security.
In that regard, we will
continue to defer to the
Secretariat in such areas.
The PGA appreciates your
interest in and coverage of
the General Assembly.” So
what is being done so that
Inner City Press can cover
the General Assembly?
Additionally, I heard you
say the PGA's financial
disclosure form is been
cleared for conflicts of
interest. Where is the form?
Is it online? Will you send
it or any portion of it to
Inner City Press? In the
spirit of the cited
transparency, this is a
formal request." We'll have
more on this. From September
5: "From last Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday, less than a single
answer a day to five
questions. Aug 22 two for 8.
Aug 20? No answers at all.
And Aug 23 and Aug 24 - NO
answers to 14 questions.
While I appreciate and have
already use last week's
responses on Uganda and Holl
Lute (but not Smale),
nothing since has come - a
full week - this ban is just
censorship. September
5-1 -- On Uganda, on
which you are not answering:
What is the SG's comment and
action on Mr Museveni saying
"Between 1971 and 1979 (Idi
Amin dictatorship), there
was no parliament... Don't
think that you are in
heaven; do what took you
there. You should know where
the power of that parliament
comes from... in fact, I can
do away with that
parliament”? And AGAIN: On
Uganda the SG called for
police restraint so what is
his comment and action on
these statements since, by
Bobi Wine:
From September
4: September 4-2: You
declined to answer my
question about the SG's trip
to China, but now I see
“Speaking at a joint
interview with Chinese
correspondents one day
before his trip to Beijing
for the upcoming summit of
the Forum on China-Africa
Cooperation (FOCAC).” Please
provide the transcript or
audio or explain why. Please
lists attendees. This is in
light of Ng Lap Seng and
CEFC UN bribery cases.
Relately
September 4-3: Please state
today whether SG Guterres
included the business
dealings of his son Pedro
Guimarães e Melo De Oliveira
Guterres in his non public
financial disclosure and
whether there are in place
any safeguards against
conflicts of interest and
perception or reality of
self-dealing, including
whether any recusals have
been made.
From August 31: August 31-1:
With regard to the petition
the head of the ICSC making
staff sign, as Inner City
Press has now exclusively
reported, what is the SG's
position on this type of
coercion? And
How many signatures one
would need to clear a
perpetrator?
How many signatures are
needed to protect victims
not only from sexual
harassment, but from
continuous retaliation and
intimidation?
What are the duties of the
UN staff during an
investigation, are they
allowed to harass further
the victims and whistle
blowers?
Is this how SG Guterres is
protecting from victims from
retaliation as he promised?
Is this what 'gender
equality and empowerment of
women" when women are used
by those in power to attack
the victims further?
On August 28 before a
noon briefing in which
Dujarric dutifully answered
China state media about
Guterres' trip there while
rebuffing Inner City Press'
questions about the same
trip and whether CEFC's
bribery would be raised,
Inner City Press submitted
13 questions, including:
"August 28-1a: In Libya,
what role if any did the UN
/ SRSG Salame play in the
reported ceasefire around
Tripoli? What is the SG's
comment on it.
August 28-3: I asked more
than 24 hours ago, and it
seems as soon to be
commented on: Please state
the Secretariat's and DSG /
Development System's
knowledge of dual citizen
staff getting US Tax
reimbursement and also Home
Leave and Education grant
entitlements using their
national/original passport -
and what is being done about
it.
August 28-9: Last week I saw
near the UN former Dominican
Republic DPR Francis
Lorenzo, who pleaded guilty
to UN bribery. Please
immediately state whether Mr
Lorenzo, and separately Mr
Carlos Garcia and others
implicated in the Ng Lap
Seng case, still have access
to the UN, including as
visitors, and please
contrast their right to
entry with mine (please
define that), and explain.
And please describe the UN's
allowance of entrance to the
WOGC group I have previously
asked about, and
Secretariat's knowledge of
their deal in Kiribati.
August 28-10: Please state
how many of the official SG
trips paid by the UN have
been routed through Lisbon?
How much was spent on him
and his entourage to divert
his travel through Lisbon?
August 28-11: As repeatedly
asked, please state where
the SG was - in what city -
on each of August 18, 19, 20
(all appointments internal)
and 21, and costs to the
public including security
costs.
August 27-13: In terms of
USG Smale's letter banning
me for life please state who
she says was disparged,
when, and in what medium /
in person or not. Please
provide the UN's version,
and any UN video, of the
June 19 private use of
briefing room for Al Jazeera
and critique afterward.
Please immediately provide
all UN video of the June 22
ouster and July 3 roughing
up and ouster, and the names
and nationalities of all
involved officers." Nothing.
On August 27
Dujarric was asked why Inner
City Press is still out, "it
doesn't look good" and
replied about profanity
(which he uses) and
something about the parking
lot which Inner City Press
was never even asked about,
Inner City Press submitted
13 questions, too...
including: "Please state the
Secretariat's and DSG /
Development System's
knowledge of dual citizen
staff getting US Tax
reimbursement and also Home
Leave and Education grant
entitlements using their
national/original passport -
and what is being done about
it.
August 27-4: Given that
Deputy Spokesman Haq told
IPS “we respect his press
rights, but we also want to
respect other’s press
rights. And some journalists
feel their press rights have
been impeded by his actions”
- state, since this is the
basis of me being banned,
who these are, and how they
feel their press rights have
been impeded by my actions.
Also all video and other
evidence that Haq alluded to
to IPS should be produced,
today, since it is the basis
of my being banned.
On
August 23,
before a
noon briefing
in which Dujarric was
asked if Inner
City Press is
actually
banned for life
and said the
ban is for
UNspecified "behavioral"
issues --
reporting on
Guterres
collusion and
coruption
on Cameroon,
more like it
-- Inner
City Press
submitted ten
questions
including:
"August 23-1:
On Zimbabwe,
what is the
SG's comment
and action on
“A rights
group in
Zimbabwe says
a critic of
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa has
been charged
with criminal
nuisance after
posting what
were
considered to
be offensive
statements
about him on
Facebook. The
organisation
Zimbabwe
Lawyers for
Human Rights
says the
police have
also charged
Munyaradzi
Shoko with
public
violence for
taking part in
an opposition
protest last
month. The
military shot
dead six
people during
the protest”?
August
23-4: Again,
Prashanti
Tiwani told a
press call
that she is
shocked by how
the UN has
treated her.
Her letter to
the SG is
online This is
a request for
the SG's
response,
including
given his
statement
about meeting
with victims
of the UN....
August 23-5:
What is the SG
and separately
USG LaCroix'
response to
“The South
African
government is
opposing UN
plans to
reduce the
Force
Intervention
Brigade (FIB)
in the eastern
Democratic
Republic of
Congo (DRC)
because
Pretoria fears
that could
weaken it and
make South
African and
other regional
troops more
vulnerable to
increasingly
aggressive
rebel forces.
“It is my
responsibility
as minister of
defence to
ensure no
bodybags come
back to South
Africa,” SA
Defence
Minister
Nosiviwe
Mapisa-Nqakula
bluntly told
the Dirco
in-house news
agency last
week. “We must
ensure
decisions
taken as
regards the
FIB do not
disrupt or
disadvantage
the force and
make sure it
doesn’t suffer
casualties. By
deploying
(troops) you
are not saying
people should
go and die'””
August 23-6:
Yesterday I
saw near the
UN former
Dominican
Reepublic DPR
Francis
Lorenzo, who
pleaded guilty
to UN bribery.
Please
immediately
state whether
Mr Lorenzo,
and separately
Mr Carlos
Garcia and
others
implicated in
the Ng Lap
Seng case,
still have
access to the
UN, including
as visitors,
and please
contrast their
right to entry
with mine
(please define
that), and
explain.
August 23-8:
This is again
a request to
be informed of
the reason on
the SG's
Public
Financial
Disclosure
page USG Smale
is not listed,
while Natalia
Gherman who
was named to
her position
later than USG
Smale is
listed and has
made public
disclosure -
and for an
explanation
why Smale did
not recuse
herself as was
clearly called
for from
banning me.
August 22-9:
please state
where the SG
was - in what
city - on each
of August 18,
19, 20 (all
appointments
internal) and
21, and costs
to the public
including
security
costs.
August 23-10:
In terms of
USG Smale's
letter banning
me for life
please state
who she says
was disparged,
when, and in
what medium /
in person or
not. Please
provide the
UN's version,
and any UN
video, of the
June 19
private use of
briefing room
for Al Jazeera
and critique
afterward.
Please
immediately
provide all UN
video of the
June 22 ouster
and July 3
roughing up
and ouster,
and the names
and
nationalities
of all
involved
officers."
From August
22: August
22-1: On
Malawi, what
is the SG's
comment and
action on
“Malawian
opposition
activist
Manice Dawood
is due to
appear in
court after
being detained
at the airport
in the
capital,
Lilongwe, on
Tuesday.President
Peter
Mutharika has
warned that he
has heard
enough from
his critics
and has
promised to
act”?
August 22-5:
Now in light
of the
allegations of
torture of
Bobi Wine, and
abuse of
protesters
even
acknowledge by
government
after it was
filmed and on
social media:
August 14-5:
Given the UN's
partnerships
with and
presence in
Uganda,
including
Entebbes, what
is the SG's
comment and
action on that
two Ugandan
journalists,
who were
arrested
following
Monday's
violence, have
been released
on a police
bond and are
alleged to
have been
tortured by
authorities.Herbert
Zziwa and
Ronald Mwanga
were
"violently
arrested by
armed men in
military
fatigues while
reporting live
on air"? Also,
what does the
UN know (and
say) about the
killing in
connection
with a
political
rally of the
driver of one
of the
country’s most
charismatic
political
leaders,
Robert
Kyagulanyi,
who is also a
popular
musician known
as Bobi Wine?
August 22-6:
This is again
a request to
be informed of
the reason on
the SG's
Public
Financial
Disclosure
page USG Smale
is not listed,
while Natalia
Gherman who
was named to
her position
later than USG
Smale is
listed and has
made public
disclosure -
and for an
explanation
why Smale did
not recuse
herself as was
clearly called
for from
banning me.
August 22-7:
please state
where the SG
was - in what
city - on each
of August 18,
19, 20 (all
appointments
internal) and
21, and costs
to the public
including
security
costs.
August 22-8:
What is the
SG, and
separate USG
Smale's,
response to
getting the UN
listed in
Press Freedom
Tracker . us
along with
other attacks
on the press?
https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/independent-journalist-matt-lee-forcibly-removed-un-stripped-press-credentials/
Still waiting
for answer to
July 21-1,
regarding
location of SG
for 2+ weeks
"small"
vacation, July
21 to present.
What are the
costs to the
UN budget and
public of him
taking UN
Security
wherever he
goes? Does he
reimburse the
Organization
for that?
USG Smale has
claimed that
the SG's
spokesmen are
answering
Inner City
Press' email
questions.
This is not
the case. And
even if these
e-mailed
questions were
all being
answered it
does not make
up for denying
Inner City
Press the
right not only
to attend the
noon briefing
and other
press
conferences,
but the
stakeouts at
the Security
Council and
elsewhere,
such as the
Budget
Committee
meeting
stakeout I was
physically
ousted from on
July 3. It's
50 days of
outright
censorship,
and counting.
On
August 20,
before a
noon briefing
in which Dujarric
used his chosen interlocutors
to recount
on camera
his time with
Kofi Annan
(who it is
noted did
not rough
up and ban
critical Press
as Guterres
has), Inner
City Press
submitted six
questions:
"Still banned
from UN - now
it seems,
outrageously,
for life - for
being roughed
up while
covering the
UN Budget
Committee
meetings I am
entitled to
cover under
MALU Access
Guidelines and
as applied to
all other non
resident
correspondents)
I was
belatedly
“interviewed”
by UN Security
in the
basement of
the UNITAR
building on
July 10 from
10:45 to 12:05
and *nothing*
since. I have
questions on
that; as I've
told you, DPI
has not
responded to a
single one of
my seven
emails so I am
asking
you:
August 20-1:
On Chad, what
is this SG's
comment and
action on
“Lawyers have
gone to court
in Chad to
challenge a
ban on social
media and
messaging
applications
on mobile
phones, which
have been in
place since
March. They
want the two
main mobile
operators,
Airtel and
Tigo, to
restore access
to platforms
including
Whats App,
Messenger,
Facebook,
Viber and
Twitter”?
Representatives
of both CNN
and Fox asked
what the
evidence against
Inner City Press is
- use of garage
ramp, on which
non resident correspondents'
passes work
was cited, as
well
tellingly
Inner City
Press'
Periscope
broadcasts,
which are critical of
Guterres.
This is censorship.
We'll have
more on this.
On
August
17 four hours
before Alison
Smale's life
time ban letter, for the
briefing by
Dujarric who
has refused to
answer direct
questions about
his role in
the roughing
up of
Inner City
Press (see
August 17-5,
below),
Inner City Press
submitted five
questions:
"August 17-1:
On Vietnam,
what is the
SG's comment
and action on
that a
Vietnamese
court has
convicted Lê
Ðình Luong to
20 years in
prison and
five years
probation
under vague
charges of
“attempting to
overthrow the
people’s
administration.”
August 17-2:
On Mauritania,
what is the
SG's comment
and action on
that
Mauritania
arrests
anti-slavery
activist,
Biram Dah
Abeid, just
before the
elections.
Four men who
have been
detained for
more than a
week have all
been critical
of the
government of
the country.
August 17-5:
Beyond all my
unanswered
questions
about this 45
day ban and no
due process
review, I am
today
re-asking what
I asked the
Spokesman
yesterday:
state what you
said on June
20 regarding
what would be
happening to
me, and any
communications
to UN Security
you
participated
in or are
aware of that
led to
Lieutenant
Dobbins and
four Emergency
Response Unit
officers who
refused to
give their
names on June
22 forcing me
to leave the
UN during an
event listed
in the Media
Alert at which
the Secretary
General gave a
speech. I have
separate, to
me much more
troubling,
questions
about the more
violent ouster
of July 3 as I
staked out the
Fifth
Committee
meeting as I
have for ten
years, the
last two as a
non-resident
correspondent
(thanks to
your “lending”
out of the
briefing room
to a subset of
correspondents),
and about your
account of
June 19 to the
Columbia
Journalism
Review.
But these are
the questions:
“state what
you said on
June 20
regarding what
would be
happening to
me, and any
communications
to UN Security
you
participated
in or are
aware of that
led to
Lieutenant
Dobbins and
four Emergency
Response Unit
officers who
refused to
give their
names on June
22 forcing me
to leave the
UN during an
event listed
in the Media
Alert at which
the Secretary
General gave a
speech.”
Relatedly,
please comment
on and
acknowledge
receipt of
this, filed
today, here."
Dujarric
again
answered a
question why
the
"investigation" of
Inner City Press
has been slow
walked more
than a month by
saying ICP
will be
told the
result - without
any
opportunity
to be heard. The UN
of Guterres
and Smale is
corrupt.
From
August 16: On
the UN Pension
Fund, the
staff
representatives
allege that
the Fund’s
management
used a
$400,000
contract with
a big four
consulting
firm to then
procure an
additional
$1.8 million
of unrelated
services,
which we
understand to
be outside UN
procurement
rules.
Unsurprisingly,
as the $1.8
million had
not been
subject to
competitive
bidding, the
consulting
firm billed
extensively on
hours for
senior
partners. That
money was
meant for your
pension
benefit.
Neither of the
audits were
shared with
Board members.
Further, the
Board’s audit
committee,
which was
aware of the
audits, chose
not to
disclose its
views on these
audits. The
Audit
Committee also
withheld from
the Board that
the Fund’s
management had
not accepted
recommendations
from OIOS that
would prevent
such events
from happening
again. “We
understand
that audit
committee
members were
required to
sign a
confidentiality
agreement,
which had the
effect of
withholding
information
from fellow
board
members.”
Please confirm
or deny that
audit
committee
members were
restrained in
any way from
disclosing
information to
other board
members, and
if so,
explain. Also
confirm or
deny that the
“Big Four
Consulting
Firm” is PCW
and state how
much the UN
system has
paid PCW in
each of the
past three (3)
years.
August 16-5:
While still
waiting, after
44 days, to be
informed what
the UN's
charges are
against me, on
what evidence,
I must ask you
to confirm
receipt of the
formal filing
sent to
SGcentral@un.org,
the chef de
cabinet,
Deputy SG and
others - I
have asked
three times
for
confirmation
of receipt and
none has been
provided. Here
was the
filing, asking
that you
confirm
receipt:
REPORT OF
PROHIBITED
CONDUCT
(HARASSMENT,
ABUSE OF
AUTHORITY) AND
‘FORMAL
COMPLAINT’
SUBMITTED TO
THE SECRETARY
GENERAL, MR
ANTONIO
GUTERRES,
PURSUANT TO
ST/SGB/2008/5."
See here.
On
August 15
before a short
and even emptier
briefing by
the (briefly)
returned lead
spokesman /
censor
Stephane
Dujarric, Inner City
Press
submitted six
questions,
including:
"From Monday
not a single
one of Inner
City Press'
five questions
were answered,
even after
re-submitted,
nor any of
yesterday's
six. This ban
is just
censorship.
August 15-1:
On Cameroon -
again, and
this really
must be
answered -
Inner City
Press has
obtained a
government
memo
concerning SG
Guterres'
meeting with
them, managed
by their
lobbyist
Squire Patton
Boggs, on July
11. This is
a(nother)
formal request
for the UN's
read-out of
that meeting,
including but
not limited to
any references
to the media,
“Anglo-Saxon”
or otherwise,
and any
assistance the
SG may have
offered
Cameroon
including
specifically
in countering
perceptions.
Now Cameroon
has hired
Mercury Public
Affairs for
$100,000 a
month, even as
the UN is
paying money
to the
government. Is
UN money being
used for the
mass killing
cover up
campaign? Are
there any
safeguards in
place?
Separately,
please
disclose any
and all other
meeings the SG
has had this
year arranged
by paid
lobbyists.
Also, beyond
the many other
UNanswered
questions,
what is the
SG's comment
on the recent
announcement
of seven
arrests for
summary
executions,
and the newer
video of
Cameroon Army
executions
that has
emerged?
Specifically,
how are these
videos being
incorporated
into the
supposed
vetting of
Cameroon's
contributions
to UN
Peacekeeping
missions?
Again, please
provide a list
and read-out
of each of the
Secretary
General's
meetings and
communications
with Cameroon
Ambassador
Tommo Monthe
during
Monthe's time
as chair of
the Fifth
(Budget)
Committee. In
light of
statements at
the August 8
noon briefing
please state
whether envoy
Fall even
requested to
meet with
President Paul
Biya or
whether the UN
believes that
Biya is once
again out of
the country,
in Geneva. Has
the UN ever
met with Biya
in Geneva?
Also, I
reiterate
August 7-1 and
8-1 and 9-1,
on this: was
the SG or
anyone else in
the UN aware
that this Biya
delegation's
lobbying trip
was stage
managed by the
DC-based
lobbying firm
Patton Boggs?
Why was this
meeting not
disclosed at
the time? Why
is there no
photo, even
just UN Photo,
of it? Where
did it take
place? Who
attended, on
each side? Has
the
Secretariat
communicated
since with the
Biya
government?
Has it ever
communicated
with the
opposition?
August 15-2:
On Nigeria,
what is the SG
-- and
specificaly
Deputy SG
Amina J
Mohammed's -
comment and
action on the
journalist
Samuel
Ogundipe
arrested for
refusing to
reveal the
source of a
story?
Ogundipe works
for the
Premium Times,
which said the
offending
story related
to the siege
of the
country’s
parliament
last week by
hooded members
of the
country’s spy
agency. The
reporters were
reportedly
picked up by
members of the
controversial
anti-robbery
squad Sars,
which Mr
Osinbajo says
is going to be
reformed
because of
allegations of
human rights
abuses
committed by
its officers.
What is the
comment and
action of SG
and DSG, given
her other
statements?
August 15-3:
Does the SG
favor or
oppose the
lifting of
immunity of
Diego Palacios
for alleged
sexual
harassment and
abuse in
India? If he
does not
favor, why
not?
Separately,
will he lift
the immunity
of DSS Lt
Ronald E.
Dobbins and
name and
remove the
immunity of
the five DSS
officers who
did not give
their names on
July 3 and
June 22, 2018?
August 15-4:
Follow up on
yesterday's
Uganda
question which
you did not
answer, now
“Uganda's
Deputy Prime
Minister Moses
Ali has told
parliament
that the
opposition MP
and musician
Robert
Kyagulanyi,
popularly
known as Bobi
Wine, has been
flown to a
military
hospital in
Gulu. He was
detained along
with three
other MPs and
dozens of his
supporters
ahead of
Wednesday's
controversial
by-election in
Arua. He is
due to appear
in court in
Gulu on
Thursday, Mr
Ali said. The
arrests in
Arua followed
an attack on
President
Yoweri
Museveni's
convoy on
Monday. Wine's
driver was
later shot
dead. The
by-election is
taking place
because the
previous MP
was shot
dead.” Again,
what is the
SG's comment
and action?
August 15-5:
On Mauritania,
what is the
SG's comment
and action on
that “Two
journalists
have been in
detention in
Mauritania’s
capital
Nouakchott and
authorities
have not given
the reasons
leading to
their arrests.
Local media
reports
indicate that
a complaint
was lodged
against them
by a relative
of President
Ould Abdel
Aziz that
could have led
to their
arrest on
August 8.”
August 15-6:
Today at the
UN Delegates
Entrance the
Permanent
Representative
of Kazakhstan
told me his
mission
inquired with
DPI why I have
been banned
from the UN
(43 days and
counting) and
was told, as
Reporters
Committee for
Freedom of the
Press was by
your office,
that there is
a review of my
“case” with a
result to be
announced in
coming days.
How can this
review not
allow me any
opportunity to
be heard, to
know the
charges and
witnesses? I
reiterate my
previous
requests and
specifically
ask to be
informed how
USG Smale can
be a part of
the review
given Inner
City Press'
reporting on
her Town Hall
meeting
statements
that her focus
is making the
SG look good,
and what
whistleblower
says is the
diversion of
funds meant
for Swahili
for this SG /
social media
campaign.
Still waiting
for answer to
July 21-1,
regarding
location of SG
for 2+ weeks
"small"
vacation, July
21 to present.
What are the
costs to the
UN budget and
public of him
taking UN
Security
wherever he
goes? Does he
reimburse the
Organization
for that?
USG Smale, back
from three
week vacation,
has claimed
that the SG's
spokesmen are
answering
Inner City
Press' email
questions.Even
if these
e-mailed
questions were
all being
answered it
does not make
up for denying
Inner City
Press the
right not only
to attend the
noon briefing
and other
press
conferences,
but the
stakeouts at
the Security
Council and
elsewhere,
such as the
Budget
Committee
meeting
stakeout I was
physically
ousted from on
July 3. It's
43 days of
outright
censorship,
and counting."
From
August 14,
none answered
24 hours later
(except trying
to palm off
the Kankara
question only
to UN Women) -
"August
14-1: On Mali,
given the SG's
statement
yesterday,
what is his
response to
the following
from
opposition
candidate
Soumaïla
Cissé, “We
will no longer
accept results
that have been
fiddled with,
we will no
longer accept
lies, we will
no longer
accept
tampering, we
will no longer
accept buying
of conscience,
we say no to
the
dictatorship
of fraud, Mali
will not be
built on
fraud, we will
not accept
that a Malian
president be
elected by
fraud”? Has
the SG spoken
to Cisse? Has
anyone in the
UN system?
When? With
what read out?
August 14-2:
On Burundi,
what is the
comment and
action of the
SG and,
separately,
his envoy
Michel Kafando
that “The
Burundian
human rights
activist
Nestor
Nibitanga,
former
representative
of the
Burundian
association
for prisoners’
human right
rights, was
sentenced on
13 August to
five years in
prison for
"undermining
the internal
security of
the State"?
Given that Mr
Kafando is
paid “when
actually
employed,”
please
disclose how
much he has
been paid, and
how many hours
put in, year
to date 2018,
and in 2017.
August 14-3:
On Cameroon -
again, and
this really
should be
answered -
Inner City
Press has
obtained a
government
memo
concerning SG
Guterres'
meeting with
them, managed
by their
lobbyist
Squire Patton
Boggs, on July
11. This is
a(nother)
formal request
for the UN's
read-out of
that meeting,
including but
not limited to
any references
to the media,
“Anglo-Saxon”
or otherwise,
and any
assistance the
SG may have
offered
Cameroon
including
specifically
in countering
perceptions.
Separately,
plese disclose
any and all
other meeings
the SG has had
this year
arranged by
paid
lobbyists.
Also, beyond
the many other
UNanswered
questions,
what is the
SG's comment
on the recent
announcement
of seven
arrests for
summary
executions,
and the newer
video of
Cameroon Army
executions
that has
emerged?
Specifically,
how are these
videos being
incorporated
into the
supposed
vetting of
Cameroon's
contributions
to UN
Peacekeeping
missions?
Again, please
provide a list
and read-out
of each of the
Secretary
General's
meetings and
communications
with Cameroon
Ambassador
Tommo Monthe
during
Monthe's time
as chair of
the Fifth
(Budget)
Committee. In
light of
statements at
the August 8
noon briefing
please state
whether envoy
Fall even
requested to
meet with
President Paul
Biya or
whether the UN
believes that
Biya is once
again out of
the country,
in Geneva. Has
the UN ever
met with Biya
in Geneva?
Also, I
reiterate
August 7-1 and
8-1 and 9-1,
on this: was
the SG or
anyone else in
the UN aware
that this Biya
delegation's
lobbying trip
was stage
managed by the
DC-based
lobbying firm
Patton Boggs?
Why was this
meeting not
disclosed at
the time? Why
is there no
photo, even
just UN Photo,
of it? Where
did it take
place? Who
attended, on
each side? Has
the
Secretariat
communicated
since with the
Biya
government?
Has it ever
communicated
with the
opposition?
August 14-4:
On Ravi
Karkara and
the
outstanding
questions,
what is the
SG's response
to allegations
by a UK MP
that he
complained of
Karkara much
earlier that
Steve Lee,
involving UN
HABITAT, and
nothing was
done?
August 14-5:
Given the UN's
partnerships
with and
presence in
Uganda,
including
Entebbe, what
is the SG's
comment and
action on that
two Ugandan
journalists,
who were
arrested
following
Monday's
violence, have
been released
on a police
bond and are
alleged to
have been
tortured by
authorities.Herbert
Zziwa and
Ronald Mwanga
were
"violently
arrested by
armed men in
military
fatigues while
reporting live
on air"? Also,
what does the
UN know (and
say) about the
killing in
connection
with a
political
rally of the
driver of one
of the
country’s most
charismatic
political
leaders,
Robert
Kyagulanyi,
who is also a
popular
musician known
as Bobi Wine?
August 14-6:
Beyond the
numerous
unanswered
questions
about due
process as I
remain banned
for the 42nd
day in a row
after being
roughed up and
ousted from
covering the
UN Budget
Committee on
July 3, this
is a
re-request the
the UN - USG
Smale or
another if she
is, as she
should be,
recused -
answer the
questions and
issues raised
the July 23
letter about
my ouster and
ban by the
Government
Accountability
Project:
1
July 23, 2018
Alison Smale,
Under
Secretary
General for
Global
Communications
United Nations
New York, New
York
10017
Dear Ms.
Smale:
Thank you for
your letter of
July 19th
concerning the
actions of the
United Nations
with respect
to Matthew
Russell Lee, a
US journalist
who has been
covering the
UN since 2006.
Unfortunately,
it is not
possible to
determine from
your response
what guideline
or regulation
Mr. Lee
violated that
resulted in
his expulsion
from the
premises.
First, your
letter tells
us that you
consider the
withdrawal of
Mr. Lee’s
accreditation
as a resident
correspondent
closed because
the US
government was
informed of
the
circumstances
concerning
this action.
Mr. Lee tells
GAP that he
has not been
informed and
was not
consulted
about this
decision. Was
there some
form of due
process
surrounding
the decision
to withdraw
Mr. Lee’s
resident
correspondent
credentials in
2016, and if
so, who
participated
and of what
did it
consist?
Second, you
explain Mr.
Lee’s two
expulsions by
dispositive
statements
asserting that
he violated
the scope of
his
permissions.
Ms. Smale, the
operative
question is
which of the
media
guidelines did
Mr. Lee
violate, and
what action
was in
violation of
the
guidelines? If
you cannot
identify the
specific
regulation
broken, we
cannot address
your response.
Mr. Lee tells
GAP that UN
Security
officials
accused him of
exceeding the
time limits
allowing a
non-resident
correspondent
to access the
UN premises,
but he
presents
evidence
clearly
demonstrating
that the
meeting he was
covering was
still in
session when
he was
evicted.
According to
the
guidelines,
non-resident
correspondents
may access the
premises for
two hours
after the
adjournment of
the event they
are covering.
Third,
according to
your letter,
Mr. Lee
behaved in a
confrontational
manner when
approached by
United Nations
Security
officials, who
were therefore
entitled to
expel him.
However, it
was Mr. Lee’s
shirt that was
torn and it
was his laptop
that was
damaged by the
UN officials.
Mr. Lee
asserts that
it was the
officials who
behaved
uncivilly, and
the videos he
recorded
illustrate
this fact.
Fourth, your
letter informs
us that the
matter is
under review,
but prior to
the release of
conclusions of
the review,
you inform us
of what this
exercise will
find: “As a
result of Mr.
Lee’s recent
actions in
violation of
the Media
Guidelines and
his
unacceptable
comportment
when dealing
with United
Nations Safety
and Security
officials, Mr.
Lee’s
privileges of
access to the
premises of
the United
Nations as a
non-resident
correspondent
have been
suspended.
Those
privileges of
access will
remain
suspended
pending a
review of this
matter to
determine what
further
actions, if
any, should be
taken with
respect to
such
privileges.”
In other
words, the
review is not
a process to
determine what
actually
happened on
2
the dates in
question. It
is instead an
exercise to
determine what
further
actions can be
taken against
Mr. Lee. Our
question is,
why is this
matter under
review? Are
you not
enfranchised
to decide what
actions shall
be taken
against a
journalist who
has violated
the terms of
his
privileges? A
more basic
question is,
why is there
no due process
to consider a
violation and
evidence
regarding what
actually
happened in
Mr. Lee’s case
(and more
generally)?
Ms. Smale, if
we are allowed
to argue this
dispute before
an objective
decision-maker,
in reference
to specific
guidelines,
allegations of
violations and
production of
evidence, we
can
demonstrate
that Mr. Lee’s
expulsion from
UN premises
was
unprovoked,
and most
likely
retaliatory
for articles
he has written
critical of UN
operations.
If, however,
we are subject
to an exchange
of letters, in
which you
respond to us
and to Mr. Lee
with
dispositive
statements,
without
reference to
specific
guidelines
violated or
evidence of
the violation
cited, we
cannot
prevail.
In short, the
United
Nations, and
in particular
your office,
is deciding
who will be
accredited to
inform the
public about
the operations
of the United
Nations. This
practice, in
itself, is a
violation of
Article 19 of
the Universal
Declaration of
Human Rights,
which the UN
was
established to
uphold.
Once again,
GAP is
requesting
information
about the
specific
guidelines
that Mr. Lee
violated on
June 22rd and
on July 3rd of
this year that
caused his
eviction from
the premises
of the UN. And
most urgently,
we
respectfully
request
immediate
access to the
premises, so
that Mr. Lee
can do his
job. Today, we
are informed
that the UN
Security
Council is
meeting about
Afghanistan,
Lebanon,
Eritrea,
Ethiopia and
Myanmar, and
Mr. Lee cannot
access any of
those meetings
or the
stakeouts.
Please respond
by e-mail this
afternoon, if
possible.
Finally, GAP
is aware you
are on
vacation for
three weeks,
but response
(and full
reinstatement)
should not and
cannot defer
to that
schedule...
Very truly
yours,
Beatrice
Edwards
Senior
International
Policy Analyst
Cc: Officer in
Charge,
Department of
Global
Communications
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Inner City
Press
US Senator
Patrick Leahy
US
Representative
Chris Smith
US
Representative
James McGovern
On
August 13
before a noon
briefing
where Guterres' Deputy
Spokesman Farhan
Haq faced
only four
questions, not
only of
Africa the Continent,
Inner City
Press submitted
five
questions:
"August 13-1:
On Cameroon,
Inner City
Press has
obtained a
goverment memo
concerning SG
Guterres'
meeting with
them, managed
by their
lobbyist
Squire Patton
Boggs, on July
11. This is
a(nother)
formal request
for the UN's
read-out of
that meeting,
including but
not limited to
any references
to the media,
“Anglo-Saxon”
or otherwise,
and any
assistance the
SG may have
offered
Cameroon
including
specifically
in countering
perceptions.
Separately,
plese disclose
any and all
other meeings
the SG has had
this year
arranged by
paid
lobbyists.
Also, beyond
the many other
UNanswered
questions,
what is the
SG's comment
on the recent
announcement
of seven
arrests for
summary
executions,
and the newer
video of
Cameroon Army
executions
that has
emerged?
Specifically,
how are these
videos being
incorporated
into the
supposed
vetting of
Cameroon's
contributions
to UN
Peacekeeping
missions?
Again, please
provide a list
and read-out
of each of the
Secretary
General's
meetings and
communications
with Cameroon
Ambassador
Tommo Monthe
during
Monthe's time
as chair of
the Fifth
(Budget)
Committee. In
light of
statements at
the August 8
noon briefing
please state
whether envoy
Fall even
requested to
meet with
President Paul
Biya or
whether the UN
believes that
Biya is once
again out of
the country,
in Geneva. Has
the UN ever
met with Biya
in Geneva?
Also, I
reiterate
August 7-1 and
8-1 and 9-1,
on this: was
the SG or
anyone else in
the UN aware
that this Biya
delegation's
lobbying trip
was stage
managed by the
DC-based
lobbying firm
Patton Boggs?
Why was this
meeting not
disclosed at
the time? Why
is there no
photo, even
just UN Photo,
of it? Where
did it take
place? Who
attended, on
each side? Has
the
Secretariat
communicated
since with the
Biya
government?
Has it ever
communicated
with the
opposition?
August 13-2:
On Yemen, what
is the comment
of the SG and,
separately,
his envoy
Griffiths on
reports that
Saudi and
Emirati Led
Coalition-backed
militias
actively
recruit
al-Qaida
militants, or
those who were
recently
members,
because
they’re
considered
exceptional
fighters. One
Yemeni
commander who
was put on the
U.S. terrorism
list for
al-Qaida ties
last year
continues to
receive money
from the UAE
to run his
militia,.
Another
commander,
recently
granted $12
million for
his fighting
force by
Yemen’s
president, has
a known
al-Qaida
figure as his
closest aide.
In one case, a
tribal
mediator who
brokered a
deal between
the Emiratis
and al-Qaida
even gave the
extremists a
farewell
dinner. What
does the UN
know / say /
do about this?
August 13-3:
On impunity
and protection
of
peacekeepers,
what the SG's
comment and
action on the
reported
application
for asylum in
Belgium by
former Rwandan
major Bernard
Ntuyahaga
found guilty
of
manslaughter
in 2007 over
the killing of
10 soldiers
with the UN in
Rwanda in
1994?
August 13-4:
On Bangladesh
(and the
protection of
journalists),
having already
seen the
statement by
independent
Special
Rapporteurs
Kaye and
others, this
is a request
for the SG's /
Secretariat's
comment and
action on the
imprisonment
of
photographer
Shahidul Alam.
August 13-5:
In Fox News'
August 11
story
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/11/fate-gadfly-journalist-banned-from-un-to-be-decided-by-former-ny-times-bureau-chief.html
the SG's
Deputy
Spokesperson
is quoted:
“there have
been a number
of allegations
from fellow
journalists
that Lee has
harassed them
over the
years. 'A lot
of journalists
have not just
been harassed
but threatened
by him and
that’s a
problem,' Haq
said.”
Without
identifying a
single one of
these "lot of
journalists,"
it seems that
the Deputy
Spokesperson
declares their
anonymous
allegations to
be true: "HAVE
not just been
harassed but
threatened me
him." This
stands in
contrast to
the UN not
accepting - in
the case of
Alison Smale
and
Spokesperson,
as least as to
SGcentral [at]
un.org, the
Deputy SG and
chief of staff
(and her chief
of staff),
trying to not
even
acknowledge
receiving -
Inner City
Press'
written, on
the record
allegations
complete with
exhibits.
The Deputy
Spokesperson
recently
answered one
of Inner City
Press' written
questions,
about why
Guterres had
taken no
action on its
documented
exclusive May
24 report for
which it
received
threats (and
subsequent
letter to
Guterres and
Smale) that
through
presumptive
nepotism,
management of
the UN
Security
Council's
website had
been given to
John van
Rosendaal, the
photographer
husband of
Kyoko
Shiotani, the
chief of staff
of Guterres'
Under
Secretary
General for
Political
Affairs
Rosemary
DiCarlo,
previously US
Deputy
Ambassador to
the UN under
Susan Rice and
Samantha
Power. Haq
responded, "If
there are
allegations of
misconduct
they should be
taken to the
internal
oversight
offices and
mechanisms.
Unfounded
allegations do
not constitute
a formal
complaint."
So how does
this same
Deputy
Spokesman now
deem anonymous
allegations
against Inner
City Press not
only as formal
complaints,
but also as
true?
This is a
formal request
to be
immediately
provided with
copies /
transcripts /
recording of
the referenced
complaints and
an opportunity
to be heard
thereon,
including any
Periscope
broadcast.
Please also
explain how
USG Smale is
not recused
from this
Kafkaesque
“review” which
except for a
lone interview
by DSS on July
10 has
provided me no
opportunity to
be heard or to
even know the
charges.
Still waiting
for answer to
July 21-1,
regarding
location of SG
for 2+ weeks
"small"
vacation, July
21 to present.
What are the
costs to the
UN budget and
public of him
taking UN
Security
wherever he
goes? Does he
reimburse the
Organization
for that?
USG Smale,
also now on
three week
vacation, has
claimed that
the SG's
spokesmen are
answering
Inner City
Press' email
questions.
First, for
example, none
of the four
questions
submitted
yesterday
morning, 24
hours ago, has
been answered.
Second, even
if these
e-mailed
questions were
all being
answered it
does not make
up for denying
Inner City
Press the
right not only
to attend the
noon briefing
and other
press
conferences,
but the
stakeouts at
the Security
Council and
elsewhere,
such as the
Budget
Committee
meeting
stakeout I was
physically
ousted from on
July 3. It's
41 days of
outright
censorship,
and
counting."
A full 24
hours later,
after
declining to
respond on and
to Press
questions at
the UN
Delegates
Entrance, Haq
said he - and
apparently none of
the other UN
addressees -
has receive the
questions,
despite them
being sent from
two separate
e-mail
address.
Guterres' and
Smale's and
Dujarric's
Press ban is
bogus.
On
August 10
before
a briefing in
which Deputy
Farhan Haq said
the UN wants
investigation which
do not involve
the parties
(unlike Guterres
scam review of
Inner City
Press by the
DPI of Alison
Smale of whom
Inner City
Press has
complaine),
Inner
City Press
emailed in
five
questions, including:
"August
10-1: On
Cameroon,
please provide
a list and
read-out of
each of the
Secretary
General's
meetings and
communications
with Cameroon
Ambassador
Tommo Monthe
during
Monthe's time
as chair of
the Fifth
(Budget)
Committee. In
light of
statements at
the August 8
noon briefing
please state
whether envoy
Fall even
requested to
meet with
President Paul
Biya or
whether the UN
believes that
Biya is once
again out of
the country,
in Geneva. Has
the UN ever
met with Biya
in Geneva?
Also, I
reiterate
August 7-1 and
8-1 and 9-1,
on this: was
the SG or
anyone else in
the UN aware
that this Biya
delegation's
lobbying trip
was stage
managed by the
DC-based
lobbying firm
Patton Boggs?
Why was this
meeting not
disclosed at
the time? Why
is there no
photo, even
just UN Photo,
of it? Where
did it take
place? Who
attended, on
each side? Has
the
Secretariat
communicated
since with the
Biya
government?
Has it ever
communicated
with the
opposition?
August 10-2:
Given the
multiple
sexual
harassment
allegations
against Ravi
Karkara,
working
directly with
one of the
SG's ASGs, and
given the SG's
public
statement
regarding
sexual
harassment,
please
immediately
state when was
Mr. Karakara
placed on
administrative
leave? After
the December
2017 incident
involving
Steve Lee? Why
wasn’t Mr.
Karakara
placed on
administrative
leave when the
investigation
began in June
2017? When did
the SG become
aware of these
allegations of
sexual
harassment and
what has he
done about
them?
August 10-3:
What is the
SG's comment
on this: “A
video showing
Tanzanian
police
assaulting a
journalist is
being widely
shared on
social media.
The 80-second
clip shows at
least four
police
officers
hitting Silas
Mbise, a
broadcast
journalist
with a local
radio station,
with a wooden
club and
kicking him
until he falls
down. The
incident
happened on
Wednesday [Aug
8] in a
stadium in the
main city of
Dar es Salaam
after a
football match
between
Tanzania's
Simba Sports
Club and
Ghana’s Asante
Kokoto. Mr
Mbise says the
problem
started when
police
officers tried
to stop
journalists
from entering
a post-match
press
conference,
even though
they had
identity
cards. “They
were
forbidding us
from attending
when we asked
why, they
started
pushing us.
Then I told
them to be
more
professional
and allow us
do our job,
and that’s
when they
singled me out
and started
beating me,”
Mr Mbise
said.”
August 10-4:
What is the
SG's comment
and action on
this anti free
press
(Lusophone)
development,
that
“Mozambique's
government is
set to
introduce
hefty license
fees for local
and foreign
journalists in
an apparent
attempt to
discourage
reporting from
the country.
Foreign
correspondents
will pay
$2,500
(£1,900) per
trip for media
accreditation
while foreign
correspondents
living in
Mozambique
will be
charged $8,300
per year.
Mozambican
journalists
reporting for
foreign news
outlets will
be required to
pay $3,500 for
an annual
accreditation.
This is 50
times more
than the
country’s
statutory
minimum wage,
estimated at
around $70 per
month. In
addition,
Mozambican
freelancers
working for
foreign
publications
will be
expected to
pay $500
annually.
Until now,
registration
for foreign
correspondents
in Mozambique
has been been
almost free.”
August 10-5:
Under Article
5.9 of
ST/SGB/2008/5,
under which
concerning my
physical
ouster and 38
day and
counting ban I
have filed two
formal
complaints,
the second of
which
concerning USG
DPI Smale and
Spokesperson
Dujarric the
38-37 floor
including
SGCentral [at]
UN.org has
neglected to
confirm
receipt
despite the
Deputy
Spokesperson's
oral
confirmation
in the August
8 noon
briefing, the
UN Secretariat
is required
“to provide
continuing
support to the
aggrieved
party at every
stage of the
process”,
regardless of
the outcome of
the
fact-finding
investigation.
Please explain
his / your
failure to do
so. Beyond the
questions -
which it seems
despite USG
DPI Smale's
claim to GAP
you are hardly
answering - I
am reiterating
my request for
“ support to
the aggrieved
party at every
stage of the
process.”
Please explain
why to date
the UN is not
implementing
its mechanisms
to address
harassment.
I am also
hereby
formally
requesting to
be informed,
immediately,
what I am
being
“reviewed”
for, on what
authority, on
what charges,
with what
evidence, and
for the SG's
comment on how
any review can
be legitimate
if it does not
provide the
subject an
opportunity to
be heard
(beyond DSS's
one interview
of me on July
10, only about
a portion of
the July 3
ouster, not
the motive or
pre-notification
to SG and USG
Smale on June
25 and to the
latter, in
person). Also,
state whether
this review
includes the
action (and
identifies) of
the UN
Security
assault on me,
and the
identities of
the involved
officers who
refused to
give their
names."
From
August 9: "August
9-1: On
Cameroon in
light of
statements at
yesterday's
noon briefing
please state
whether envoy
Fall even
requested to
meet with
President Paul
Biya or
whether the UN
believes that
Biya is once
again out of
the country,
in Geneva. Has
the UN ever
met with Biya
in Geneva? I
reiterate
August 7-1 and
8-1: was the
SG or anyone
else in the UN
aware that
this Biya
delegation's
lobbying trip
was stage
managed by the
DC-based
lobbying firm
Patton Boggs?
Why was this
meeting not
disclosed at
the time? Why
is there no
photo, even
just UN Photo,
of it? Where
did it take
place? Who
attended, on
each side? Has
the
Secretariat
communicated
since with the
Biya
government?
Has it ever
communicated
with the
opposition?
August 9-2: On
impunity, what
is the SG's
comment on
this: South
Sudan's
President
Salva Kiir has
given a
blanket
amnesty to
rebels,
including his
rival Riek
Machar. A
presidential
decree, read
out on state
TV, said
President Kiir
had granted a
general
amnesty to
"the leader of
SPLM-IO [Sudan
People's
Liberation
Movement - in
Opposition],
Dr Riek Machar
Teny, and
other
estranged
groups that
waged war
against the
government of
the Republic
of South Sudan
from 2013 to
date".
August 9-3: On
Yemen, what is
the SG's
comment and
action on
“airstrikes in
northern Yemen
have targeted
a busy market
and a bus,
killing at
least 20
people,
including
children, and
wounding as
many as 35.
ICRC said a
hospital
supported by
the
organisation
had received
dozens of
casualties
after the
attack at a
market in
Dahyan in
Sa’ada
governorate.”
August 9-4: In
Tanzania,
Esther Matiko,
Tarime Urban
Legislator,
has been
arrested by
police. What
is the SG's
comment and
action on
this?
August 9-5:
What is the
SG's comment
and response
to a person
being arrested
after
testifying to
the UNHRC? On
the case he
case of
Thirumurugan
Gandhi, a May
17 Movement
activist who
after
testifying
about the the
security
forces'
Sterlite
slaughter, has
been arrested
in Bangalore.
The May 17
Movement has
messaged Inner
City Press,
which has been
banned from
the UN by
Guterres for
37 days and
counting, that
"Thirumurugan
Gandhi has
been arrested
at the
Bangalore
airport early
morning today.
Thirumurugan
Gandhi was
traveling back
from a recent
visit to
Europe, where
he addressed
the UNHRC [UN
Human Rights
Council]
meeting in
Geneva where
he spoke about
the recent
protest
against the
sterlite plant
in Tuticorin
in which 13
people lost
their lives in
police
firing.” This
is something
on which the
UN should have
to answer,
particularly
given his
testimony to
the UNHRC. So
what is the SG
doing?
August 9-6:
The safety of
journalists
and the issue
of impunity’
(A/C.3/72/L.35/Rev.1)
in Paragraph
20 “Requests
the
Secretary-General
to further
assist in the
implementation
of the present
resolution and
to report to
the General
Assembly at
its
seventy-fourth
session and to
the Human
Rights Council
at its
forty-third
session on the
safety of
journalists,
with a special
focus on the
activities of
the network of
focal points
in addressing
the issues of
safety of
journalists
and impunity
and taking
into account
the United
Nations Plan
of Action on
the Safety of
Journalists
and the Issue
of Impunity
and its
follow-up."
What is the
SG's response
to this: The
UN Secretariat
is not abiding
by the UNGA
resolution on
the Safety of
Journalists,
which the
Secretary
General has
been requested
to assist in
implementing
(see paragraph
20 of the
resolution,
excerpt
above). This
double-standard
damages the
UN's
credibility
and ability to
deliver on its
mandate. What
is the SG's
response, now
after 37 days?
Still waiting
for answer to
July 21-1,
regarding
location of SG
for 2+ weeks,
July 21 to
present. What
are the costs
to the UN
budget and
public of him
taking UN
Security
wherever he
goes? Does he
reimburse the
Organization
for that?
USG Smale,
also now on
three week
vacation, has
claimed that
the SG's
spokesmen are
answering
Inner City
Press' email
questions.
First, for
example, none
of the four
questions
submitted
yesterday
morning, 24
hours ago, has
been answered.
Second, even
if these
e-mailed
questions were
all being
answered it
does not make
up for denying
Inner City
Press the
right not only
to attend the
noon briefing
and other
press
conferences,
but the
stakeouts at
the Security
Council and
elsewhere,
such as the
Budget
Committee
meeting
stakeout I was
physically
ousted from on
July 3. It's
37 days of
outright
censorship,
and counting."
Inner
City Press
asked the
spokesman for
PGA Lajcak,
"Hello. Since
I am still
banned from
the UN noon
briefing, I am
e-mailing you
these
questions
before your
August 9
briefing for
read-out and
answer there:
It is reported
that Kenya,
Uganda and
others are
putting
forward a
proposal for
ICC immunity
for heads of
state. What is
the PGA's
knowledge of
(and position
on) this, and
is it being
made a GA
agenda item?
Please provide
read-outs of,
and who
requested, the
PGA's meeting
today H.E.
Kaha Imnadze,
Permanent
Representative
of Georgia to
the United
Nations
12:20PM H.E.
Mr. Wu Haitao,
Charge
d’Affairs and
Deputy-Permanent
Representative
of the
People’s
Republic of
China to the
United Nations
16:30PM H.E.
Ms. Mariangela
Zappla, new
Permanent
Representative
of Italy to
the United
Nations." He
replied:
"On Georgia,
they are
meeting for
personal
reasons.
On China,
they'll be
discussing the
high-level
meeting on TB
On Italy, the
PR is new,
hence this
courtesy
call." Inner
City Press
followed up:
"Well that's
fast on that -
thanks. I'll
ask what I
would if was
able (not
banned) to be
there in
person:
can you say
more what it
means " On
Georgia, they
are meeting
for personal
reasons."
Thanks." Watch this
site.
From
August 8: "August
8-1: On
Cameroon and
your belated
disclosure
this morning
of the
Secretary
General's July
11 meeting, I
reiterate
yesterday's
question: was
the SG or
anyone else in
the UN aware
that this Biya
delegation's
lobbying trip
was stage
managed by the
DC-based
lobbying firm
Patton Boggs?
Why was this
meeting not
disclosed at
the time? Why
is there no
photo, even
just UN Photo,
of it? Where
did it take
place? Who
attended, on
each side? Has
the
Secretariat
communicated
since with the
Biya
government?
Has it ever
communicated
with the
opposition?
What is the
status of
Francois
Lounceny
Fall's
possible trip
mentioned at
yesterday's
noon briefing?
August 8-4: On
Zimbabwe, what
is the SG's
comment and
action on that
a senior
member of
Zimbabwe's
opposition MDC
Alliance,
Tendai Biti,
has been
arrested at
the border
with Zambia?
August 8-5:
Because I have
yet to even
receipt the
requested
confirmations
of receipt
from sgcentral
[at] un.org,
DSG Amina
Mohammed or
the chief of
staff or her
officer in
charges, this
is a formal
request that
you confirm
that the SG
and has
received the
filing below:
Secretary
General and
others
addressed:
I asked
that, you
immediately
acknowledge
receipt by
return e-mail
of, and act
on, the
attached
(which is also
pasted below
for ease of
reference),
concerning my
now 35 day ban
from entering
the UN and
doing my work
as a
journalist.
REPORT OF
PROHIBITED
CONDUCT
(HARASSMENT,
ABUSE OF
AUTHORITY) AND
‘FORMAL
COMPLAINT’
SUBMITTED TO
THE SECRETARY
GENERAL, MR
ANTONIO
GUTERRES,
PURSUANT TO
ST/SGB/2008/5
From August
7: "August
7-1: On
Cameroon
beyond the
questions you
have left
unanswered
from August 3
and August
6-1, please
state if
anyone in the
UN Secretariat
met with a
Cameroonian
government
delegation in
the US from
July 11 (whcn
they met UK
Ambassador
Pierce) to
July 20 and if
the UN was
aware that
this Biya
delegation's
lobbying trip
was stage
managed by the
DC-based
lobbying firm
Patton Boggs.
August 7-2:
What is the
SG's comment
on UN
peacekeepers
who were
convicted of
killing 11
civilians
while
“serving” the
UN being
sentence to
only three
years
imprisonment
in DRC, and to
criticism that
this shows
relative
impunity for
UN Peacekeeper
crimes
including not
only rape but
also murder?
See,
“three-year
prison
sentences
given to
Congolese
peacekeepers
for the murder
of eleven
civilians in
the Central
African
Republic. The
civilians,
including
women and
children, were
killed in 2014
following the
death of a
Congolese
peacekeeper
during clashes
with a local
militia. They
were taken
from the
militia
leader's
house, and
their bodies
were found
later in a
mass grave.”
August 7-3:
How was the
selection
process for
the Acting
Director of
UNICRI in
Turin done,
for which the
SG chose
Bettina Tucci
Bartsiotas
“for family
reasons”? If
as USG
Beagle's
email, leaked
to
still-banned
Inner City
Press says,
the Controller
position will
be advertised
despite having
Chandramouli
Ramanathan as
Acting
Controller,
will the
UNICRI
position also
be advertised?
If not, why
not?
August 7-4:
What is the
comment and
position of
the SG on
Simone Gbagbo
having been
granted an
amnesty by
Ivorian
President
Alassane
Ouattara,
given that she
was jailed for
offenses
connected to
the violence
that killed
thousands of
people after
the elections
that brought
Ouattara to
power in 2010
had also been
facing a new
trial for
crimes against
humanity?
August 7-5:
What is the
SG's comment -
and any work
done - on
Saudi Arabia
expelling
Canada's
Ambassador for
raising humn
rights?
August 7-6: I
am still
asking about
the review
your Office
has referred
to, in
briefing and
to Reporters
Committee for
Freedom of the
Press. If, as
has been said,
it is a review
by DPI, please
explain how
this is
possible given
not only that
DPI has not
spoken to me
since July 3,
but also that
the applicable
SG's bulletin
confirms in
writing DPI's
conflict of
interest in
adjudicating
disputes with
journalists:
Section 6.2
(a) Promoting
public
understanding
and support
for the United
Nations by
disseminating
information to
and by
organizing
activities and
events in
cooperation
with local
media,
non-governmental
organizations,
educational
institutions
and other
local
partners;
There are
other
references to
DPI's goal of
"promoting"
the UN. A
journalist's
role is not to
promote
support, but
to report. So
is USG Smale a
self-appointed
DPI judge who
sees fit to
discipline
journalists,
in spite of a
clear conflict
of mandate and
interest?
Awaiting your
response(s).
Still waiting
for answer to
July 21-1,
regarding
location of SG
for 2+ weeks,
July 21 to
present. What
are the costs
to the UN
budget and
public of him
taking UN
Security
wherever he
goes? Does he
reimburse the
Organization
for that?
USG Smale,
also now on
three week
vacation, has
claimed that
the SG's
spokesmen are
answering
Inner City
Press' email
questions.
First, for
example, none
of the four
questions
submitted
yesterday
morning, 24
hours ago, has
been answered.
Second, even
if these
e-mailed
questions were
all being
answered it
does not make
up for denying
Inner City
Press the
right not only
to attend the
noon briefing
and other
press
conferences,
but the
stakeouts at
the Security
Council and
elsewhere,
such as the
Budget
Committee
meeting
stakeout I was
physically
ousted from on
July 3. It's
35 days of
outright
censorship,
and counting."
Inner City
Press
also submitted
two questions
to the
spokesperson
of the President
of the General Assembly - and, before
five o'clock,
unlike Guterres
vast
team of
stonewallers
and censors,
he answered
one and then
the other of them:
Inner City
Press: ”What
was the 10 am
meeting with
H.E. Mr. Kaha
Imnadze,
Permanent
Representative
of Georgia to
the United
Nations about?
Answer: "The
PGA met with
the Georgian
PR at the PR’s
request. The
PR informed
the PGA about
the Georgian
Government’s
new peace
initiative,
called 'A
Step to a
Better Future.'"
And, after
Inner City Press asked
a second time
for " a
comment on
Saudi Arabia
expelling
Canada's
Ambassador for
raising human
rights," this:
"For bilateral
matters such
as those, the
PGA would
encourage
dialogue. That
is his
consistent
position."
Why can't
Guterres' people
answer a
single
question? Watch
this site.
From August 6:
"August
6-1: On
Cameroon,
important and
not answered -
please
immediately
confirm and
explain: “A
295-strong
Cameroonian
contingent
including four
doctors, will
be deployed in
the
intervening
weeks to the
Central
African
Republic
(CAR).They
will be part
of the United
Nations
Multidimensional
Integrated
Mission for
the
Stabilization
of CAR
(MINUSCA),
ministry of
Defense
sources in
Cameroon
disclosed on
Thursday.”
Given not only
this
military's
torching of
villages in
the Anglophone
areas but
summary
executions,
why is the UN
accepting this
deployment at
this time? How
much of the
money goes to
/ stays with
the Biya
government?
What vetting
has been done?
Does the UN
know the
identity of
the Cameroon
soldiers
recently shown
killing women
and children?
What assurance
does the UN
have these
soldiers will
not “serve”
the UN in CAR?
August 6-3:
Relatedly,
please provide
an update as
of today of
the UN's
investigation
of the
circumstances
and UN role
behind the
corpses laid
out in front
of its base in
CAR.
August 6-4:
The Reporters
Committee for
Freedom of the
Press was told
on August 3
that the
review of mey
“case” / being
roughed up and
banned is
nearly done,
and that the
UN promises
that I will
get notice of
the results in
the "coming
days." When is
that? Also,
how is it
possible or
legitimate to
conduct a
“review” of me
with me only
having been
spoken /
listened to
once, by DSS
on July 10,
only about
July 3?
RCFP was
promised a
summary of the
findings.
Please confirm
I will receive
a summary, and
in fact
details of
this no-due
process
review.
August 6-5:
Because I have
yet to even
receipt the
requested
confirmations
of receipt
from sgcentral
[at] un.org,
drennan [at]
un.org, or the
chief of staff
or her officer
in charges,
this is a
formal request
that you
confirm that
the SG and USG
DSS have
received the
filings to Guterres
/ Amina J.
Mohammed / Viotti
/ Eihab
Omaish, and
separately to
USG DSS Drennan."
Also to PGA Miroslav
Lajcak's
spokesman
Brenden Varma
before the
briefing:
Hello. Since I
am still
banned from
the UN noon
briefing, I am
e-mailing you
these
questions
prior to the
August 6
briefing for
read-out and
answer there:
For the PGA's
annual leave
July 23 to Aug
3, how much if
anything did
it cost the UN
budget (for
example, in UN
Security
costs,
estimated) and
please state
where the PGA
went and
separately if
he had any
meeting or
conversations
including
phone or
online
conversations
during the
time frame
relevant to
his role as UN
PGA.
What is your
Office / Mr
Lajcak's
response to this?"
Update
II:
The PGA's
spokesperson,
Brenden Varma,
to his credit
on this and in
contrast to
the repeated
dodging of
Guterres'
spokespeople,
replied:
"Regarding the
President’s
annual leave,
he visited
national parks
in the United
States. There
were no costs
to the UN. (No
UN security,
no UN driver.)
All costs were
covered by him
personally.
The President
was in regular
contact with
his Office by
phone and
email. He held
no official
meetings
during this
period."
Lajcak back in
May 2017 told
Inner City
Press which
asked about UN
bribery, from
Ashe now to
Kutesa, There
will be no
secrets. Watch
this site. From
August 3:
August 3-2:
On DRC, what
is the SG's
comment and
action on
this:
“Congolese
security
forces have
fired shots to
disperse the
several
thousand
followers of
opposition
leader Moïse
Katumbi who
are waiting to
welcome him as
he attempts to
cross the
border from
Zambia. Latest
reports
indicate that
Mr Katumbi is
currently at
immigration on
the Zambian
side of border
town
Kasumbalesa,
meanwhile his
supporters
have gathered
on the
Congolese
side”?
August 3-3:
[redacted,
for now]
August 3-4:
This is a
request to
belatedly be
informed of
the name of
the UN
Security
officer who,
accompanying
Lieutenant
Ronald E.
Dobbins on 3
July 2018,
tore my shirt
and twisted my
arm. Before I
was banned, I
was absurdly
told to “Ask
Security”
about being
improperly
ousted by
Security. But
USG Drennan
has not
answered or
even
acknowledged a
letter sent to
him (just as
USG Smale has
not responded
to GAP's near
immediate
reply to her
vague, even
the promise of
emailed
answers in
which is now
being
violated). So
what is the
name of
Dobbin's
“colleague” on
July 3, and
unnamed ERU
colleagues on
June 22?
(and
extremely
concerned that
of 11
questions
submitted
yesterday and
the day
before, only
half of ONE
was responded
to)
Still
waiting for
answer to July
21-1,
regarding
location of
SG. What are t
costs to the
UN budget and
public of him
taking UN
Security
wherever he
goes? Does he
reimburse the
Organization
for that?
USG Smale,
also now on
three week
vacation, has
claimed that
the SG's
spokesmen are
answering
Inner City
Press' email
questions.
First, for
example, none
of the four
questions
submitted
yesterday
morning, 24
hours ago, has
been answered.
Second, even
if these
e-mailed
questions were
all being
answered it
does not make
up for denying
Inner City
Press the
right not only
to attend the
noon briefing
and other
press
conferences,
but the
stakeouts at
the Security
Council and
elsewhere,
such as the
Budget
Committee
meeting
stakeout I was
physically
ousted from on
July 3. It's 31
days of
outright
censorship,
and counting."
From
August 2, no response to
any for 24
hours: "August
2-1: On
Cameroon and
refugees from
Cameroon in
Nigeria, what
is the
comment,
response and
action if any
of the
Secretargy
General to the
deaths of
eight
Cameroonian
refugees in
Ikom, Cross
River who died
of fumes from
a generator in
their room?
What has the
SG done about
the conflict
and crisis in
the Anglophone
areas of
Cameroon since
his visit to
Younde in
October 2017?
What has he
done in the
last 12 days?
August 2-2: On
the ICC, it is
reported that
“In a letter
circulated
Wednesday,
[Kenya PR]
Amayo asked
Secretary-General
Antonio
Guterres to
request that
the General
Assembly put
the African
request for an
advisory
opinion on
immunity on
the agenda of
its upcoming
session
starting in
September.”
Confirm or
deny the SG's
office has
received the
letter, and
state what the
SG will do,
which UN body
he may ask to
act on it, and
when and how.
August 2-3:
What is the
SG's comment
and action on
this [WSJ]
report from
Saudi Arabia
that “Those
rounded up in
recent days
include Samar
Badawi, who is
known for
having
challenged the
kingdom’s male
guardianship
rules and is
the sister of
one of Saudi
Arabia’s most
prominent
detainees,
liberal
blogger Raif
Badawi. Ms.
Badawi, who
was detained
Monday in her
hometown of
Jeddah, had
also
campaigned for
her brother’s
release”?
August 2-4: On
South Sudan,
what is the
SG's (and,
separately,
UNMISS')
comment and
action on the
detention of
South Sudanese
peace activist
Peter Biar
Ajak by South
Sudan’s
National
Security
Service after
his criticism
of the
direction of
the South
Sudanese peace
process?
August 2-5:
While the
“investigation”
for which I
gave an
interview to
DSS 23 days
ago is neither
speedy nor
transparent
(as the SG
purported to
call for in
Cameroon),
yesterday I
was informed
by staff that
my photo has
been placed in
an array that
they likened
to a
“terrorists
list.” Given
that I was the
one assault,
while covering
the Budget
Committee,
this is a
request to be
informed what
the procedure
is for putting
a person in
that array,
who made the
decision in my
case, and how
it is
consistent
with due
process and
the idea of an
impartial
investigation.
30 days of
censorship is
(way) too
long.
Still waiting
for answer to
July 21-1,
regarding
location of
SG. What are t
costs to the
UN budget and
public of him
taking UN
Security
wherever he
goes? Does he
reimburse the
Organization
for that?
USG Smale,
also now on
three week
vacation, has
claimed that
the SG's
spokesmen are
answering
Inner City
Press' email
questions.
First, for
example, none
of the four
questions
submitted
yesterday
morning, 24
hours ago, has
been answered.
Second, even
if these
e-mailed
questions were
all being
answered it
does not make
up for denying
Inner City
Press the
right not only
to attend the
noon briefing
and other
press
conferences,
but the
stakeouts at
the Security
Council and
elsewhere,
such as the
Budget
Committee
meeting
stakeout I was
physically
ousted from on
July 3. It's
30 days of
outright
censorship,
and
counting... (and
extremely
concerned that
of 5 questions
submitted
yesterday,
only half of
ONE was
responded to)"
On
August 1 before
a mere 15
minute briefing
by Deputy
Farhan Haq -
with only six
questions
asked - Inner
City Press
e-asked: "August
1-1: As “UN
Sex Abuse
Scandal” airs
today in the
UK, please
provide the
UN's comment
on /
explanation of
this:
“Francine, who
was 15 when
she started
working for a
UN contractor
as a
housekeeper.
She soon
learned that
sex was part
of the job and
she fell
pregnant.
Francine never
reported the
abuse, and her
son Alberto is
now five years
old. He has
never met his
father, who
Francine never
heard from
since.”
August 1-2: On
CAR, please
provide the
UN's account
of a reported
confrontation
between
MINUSCA's
Milan
Trojanovic and
local
authorities,
including
concerning the
motorcade of
the President.
August 1-3:
Also on CAR,
MINUSCA's
Vladimir
Monteiro has
been quoted,
"Of course we
will assist
national
authorities,
our police
will assist
national
police with
the
investigation.
The country
has its
police, but
they called
they don’t
have all the
capacity, so
we will for
sure assist
them... We
never said if
they were
journalists or
not, we just
collected the
bodies and
took them to
the hospital.”
Will the UN
now confirm
that the three
were
journalists?
Why this
equivocation?
What is the UN
doing to help
with the
investigation?
Update:
Haq merely
sent what he
told TASS in the
briefing: "On
the CAR
question, we
have the
following from
MINUSCA: Yesterday,
following
several
reports,
MINUSCA Force
found the
bodies of
three male
foreigners
with multiple
gunshot wounds
along with an
abandoned
vehicle 33km
north of
Sibut, in Kemo
Prefecture.
After
initially
being
transported to
the MINUSCA
Level 1
hospital in
Sibut, the
bodies have
now been
transferred by
national
authorities to
one of
Bangui’s local
hospitals. The
circumstances
of the
incident have
not yet been
established.
National
authorities,
with MINUSCA’s
support, are
investigating
the case.
Today, a team
of UN Police
travelled to
Sibut to
support the
national
police with
the
investigations."
August 1-4: On
retaliation
and
whistleblowers,
provide UN's
response to
the JUI para
10), the
report shows
that staff are
intimidated by
the prospect
of
retaliation,
and that this
fear
significantly
affects the
willingness of
staff members
to report
either
misconduct or
retaliation.
Isn’t it
likely, then,
that all
problems and
shortcomings
reported here
are
significantly
understated,
as many staff
members report
that they fear
retaliation
for exposing
institutional
shortcomings
to anyone
inside the
organization?
“
August 1-5: On
India, what is
the SG's
comment and
action, if
any, on this:
“Home Minister
Rajnath Singh
on Tuesday
informed the
Lok Sabha that
Rohingya
migrants will
be deported to
Myanmar and
asked the
State
Governments to
collect their
details and
confine them
to a single
place. “BSF
and Assam
Rifles
guarding
international
borders have
been
sensitised to
ensure that
Rohingyas do
not infiltrate
the country.”
August 1-6: To
be more
specific than
the entirely
unresponded to
July 31-4,
Given
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric's quotes
to Columbia
Journalism
Review that I
am uncivil,
please state
whether it is
his position
that the Al
Jazeera
representatives
heard anything
I said after I
entered and
closed the
door of the
focus booth,
or if they
(and he) only
heard what he
alleges
afterward, on
Periscope
archive. Also,
given his
quotes, please
explain
Dujarric own
use of the “F
word” in the
briefing room,
for example
here: https://vine.co/v/iPphHdXQxD2
(“Matthew
it's f*cking
Friday night,
I'm so f*cking
tired, I want
to go home,
just leave”).
How can a
journalist
legitimately
be targeted
and banned 29
days about
counting for
using the same
word the
Spokesperson
did, in a more
public
setting? Where
is this
investigation?
Still waiting
for answer to
July 21-1,
regarding
location of
SG. What are t
costs to the
UN budget and
public of him
taking UN
Security
wherever he
goes? Does he
reimburse the
Organization
for that?
USG Smale,
also now on
three week
vacation, has
claimed that
the SG's
spokesmen are
answering
Inner City
Press' email
questions.
First, for
example, none
of the four
questions
submitted
yesterday
morning, 24
hours ago, has
been answered.
Second, even
if these
e-mailed
questions were
all being
answered it
does not make
up for denying
Inner City
Press the
right not only
to attend the
noon briefing
and other
press
conferences,
but the
stakeouts at
the Security
Council and
elsewhere,
such as the
Budget
Committee
meeting
stakeout I was
physically
ousted from on
July 3. It's
29 days of
outright
censorship,
and counting."
On July
31
before a
delayed UN
noon briefing
by Guterres'
Associate Spokesperson
Eri Kaneko, Inner
City Press
submitted four
questions,
including:
"July 31-1: On
sexual abuse,
what is the
UN's response
to the
findings in
today's UK
report?
What is the
status of each
of the 70
accusees
listed
yesterday, in
particularly
those
involving the
18 underage
victims?
July 31-3: On
Burkina Faso,
what is the
SG's / DPA's
response to
the opposition
denouncing the
policy of
exclusion from
the new
electoral code
adopted for
the
presidential
elections of
2020. Only the
Burkinabe
national
identity card
or passport
will be the
documents
authorized for
Burkinabè
living abroad
to register on
the electoral
register?
July 31-4:
Given
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric's
quotes to Columbia
Journalism
Review, and
the moribund
nature of the
supposed
“investigation,”
please
describe all
instructions
given to UN
Security, Lt
Dobbins and
others, after
June 19
regarding
Inner City
Press, and
also state
whether any
personnel of
Al Jazeera or
[ ]
has been
interviewed
for the
investigation.
July 31-5:
Relatedly, I
am reiterating
my request for
SG (or now,
Dujarric)
comment on
Macron aide
Benalla having
reportedly
roughed up
protesters on
May Day in
France."
Guterres'
deputy
spokesman
Farhan Haq, about
the UK report
which only
came out at 7
pm New York
time on July
30, merely
repeated what
he'd said
hours before that:
non-responsive. He
did, however,
for the first
time admit that
Guterres'
trips, now to
Japan as well,
involve UN
Security costs
paid for by
the public. So
how much is
the public
paying for
Guterres' many
junkets and
vacations and
pretextual
trips to
Lisbon? From
July 30: "July
30-1: On
Cameroon, what
the the SG's
or his
representative
Francois
Fall's
response to
the Mayor of
Buea saying
that a planned
meeting of
Anglophone
leaders to
attempt
dialogue will
not be allowed
there? What is
DSG Amina J
Mohammed's
response,
since she is
reported in
charge of
environmental
issues for the
38th floor, to
the Biya
government's
destructive
rubber
concessions in
Southern
Cameroon?
July 30-2:
With “UN Sex
Abuse Scandal”
to which the
SG declined to
comment set to
air in the UK,
this is
request for
comment [embargoed
- now see
above]
July 30-3: On
the elections
in Mali, given
the SG's
statement in
advance, what
and from where
is his comment
on the rocket
fire and
irregularities?
In Cambodia,
on Hun Sen
claiming to
win all 125
seats? And in
advance on
Zimbabwe?
July 30-4:
Given that the
UN - seemingly
only DPI
despite my
“interview” by
DSS 20 days
ago - says I
am banned
pending an
investigation
of why I
covered SG
speech on June
22 (ousted)
and Budget
Committee
meetings July
3 (violently
ousted and
banned since),
please explain
why dozens of
non resident
correspondents
were allowed
to remain in
the UN past 7
pm on June 26,
2018 for an
irony SG “free
press” event
that was NOT
in the UN
Media Alert,
and for which
no list of
attendees
could have
been provided
to UN
Security,
given that my
RSVP was
ignored and I
was then told
by the
organizer that
no RSVP was
necessary?
What records
has the UN
kept about the
presence in
the UN after 7
pm of (all)
non resident
correspondents
and why am I
being denied
the ability to
ask questions
in person like
others, for 27
days and
counting?
Still waiting
for answer to
July 21-1,
regarding
location of
SG. On claim
of no public
costs does
that mean no
UN Security
accompanied
the SG? Or
that he is
personally
paying their
salaries and
accommodations?"
On July
27
Guterres lead
spokesman and
censor
Stephane
Dujarric which
Inner City Press covered
from the bus
stop by
the
Delegates Entrance
gate Inner
City Press
submitted four questions, which
after the
briefing Dujarric
returned with
responses IN
CAPS, on which
he then
refused follow
up questions
of the type he
would have had
to respond to
if Inner
City Press
weren't banned
from the
briefing:
"My answers
are in CAPS
after each
question.
July 27-1:
Given
yesterday's UN
Budget Note to
Correspondents,
please
immediately
confirm or
deny that the
amount short,
including
2017, is over
$1.2 billion
and separately
that the US
account for
over 70% as
reflected by
Status of
Contributions
print outs
provided to
Inner City
Press by
member states
who found
yesterday's
Note to
Correspondents
misleading at
best. THE NOTE
TO
CORRESPONDENTS
IN ADDITION TO
WHAT WAS SAID
AT THE
BRIEFING AND
AVAILABLE TO
THE PUBLIC
SHOULD BE
CLEAR.
July 27-2:
From Burundi,
it is reported
that earlier
this week,
Tanzanian
authorities
including the
Kigoma
Governor met
with Burundian
refugees in
the Nduta camp
and told them
that they have
to go back to
Burundi
whether they
want to or
not. OUR
PRINCIPAL
POSITION
REMAINS THAT
REFUGEES
SHOULD DECIDE
FOR THEMSELVES
WHEN TO GO
HOME. RETURNS
SHOULD ALWAYS
BE VOLUNTARY.
July 27-3: In
Mali, on 20
July, the
Union for the
Republic and
Democracy
(URD)
announced the
existence of a
parallel
electoral
register that
would include
nearly 1.2
million
fictitious
voters, out of
8 million
registered
voters. What
is the UN's
comment,
including
given its
MINUSMA
mission there?
PLEASE CONTACT
MINUSMA
DIRECTLY.
July 27-4:
Yesterday when
asked about my
“case” or the
“investigation”
previously
described,
during which I
have been
banned from
the UN and
briefing for
24 days and
counting, you
said “an issue
of press
accreditation,
and it is
being handled
by the
Department of
Public
Information.”
So who is
investigating
the actions of
UN Security
and Lt Dobbins
and his
colleagues -
refusing to
give names
while ousting
me during an
event in the
Media Alert on
June 22, then
after I wrote
to the SG, USG
DPI and others
on June 25 and
asked both of
you, tearing
my shift,
damaging my
laptop and
twisting my
arms on July 3
as I covered
the Fifth
Committee
meetings that
had been
advised to me?
Can DPI
investigate
DSS? Why was
my only
contact to
date - in 24
days - a
single
“interview” by
DSS? Where are
these
discussions
with various
parts of the
UN that you
mentioned?
When does this
outrage end,
and who will
be held
accountable?
THE PROCESS IS
ONGOING.
Still waiting
for answer to
July 21-1,
regarding
location of
SG. On claim
of no public
costs does
that mean no
UN Security
accompanied
the SG? Or
that he is
personally
paying their
salaries and
accommodations?
WHEN THE SG IS
ON PERSONAL
TRAVEL HE PAYS
HIS OWN WAY.
[So no
Security? And how
not say
were, as Mayor De
Blasio does,
and Trump does?]
USG Smale,
also now on
three week
vacation, has
claimed that
the SG's
spokesmen are
answering
Inner City
Press' email
questions.
First, for
example, none
of the four
questions
submitted
yesterday
morning, 24
hours ago, has
been answered.
Second, even
if these
e-mailed
questions were
all being
answered it
does not make
up for denying
Inner City
Press the
right not only
to attend the
noon briefing
and other
press
conferences,
but the
stakeouts at
the Security
Council and
elsewhere,
such as the
Budget
Committee
meeting
stakeout I was
physically
ousted from on
July 3. It's
19 days of
outright
censorship,
and counting.
THIS VERY
EMAIL PROVES
THAT WE ARE
ACTUALLY
ANSWERING YOUR
QUESTIONS.
WHETHER OR NOT
YOU FEEL THE
ANSWERS ARE
SUFFICIENT IS
UP TO YOU BUT
YOU CAN NOT
CLAIM IN ANY
WAY THAT WE
ARE NOT
ANSWERING YOUR
QUESTIONS OR
ENGAGING WITH
YOU IN REGARDS
TO NEWS
QUERIES." Well,
no. These
email answers
don't make
up for barring
Inner City
Press from
being able to
ask questions
at the Security
Council
stakeout -
censorship -
and being
able to ask
follow up
questions (one
of which, on what
member states
told Inner
City Press
were misrepresentations
in Dujarric's
July 26 Note
to
Correspondents,
he refused to
answer).
So Inner City
Press -
before it learned
Dujarric
was heading
on vacation
like Guterres
for two weeks
and Alison
Smale for
three, send
him, them, and
Smale
fill-ins Hua Jiang
and Ramu
Damodaranthis:
"On Fri, Jul
27, 2018 at
12:46 PM,
Stephane
Dujarric De La
Riviere
<dujarric[at]un.org>
wrote: "YOU
CAN NOT CLAIM
IN ANY WAY
THAT WE ARE
NOT ANSWERING
YOUR QUESTIONS
OR ENGAGING
WITH YOU IN
REGARDS TO
NEWS
QUERIES."
I have tried
to avoid
e-mailing
follow up
questions, in
part because
they can be
evaded or
ignored just
like the
initial
questions. But
today's first
and last
responses,
particularly
together,
compel this
follow up:
USG Smale,
before going
on three week
vacation with
Inner City
Press already
banned from
the UN since
it on July 3
covered the
Budget
Committee in
the same way
it has for ten
years,
including the
last two as a
non-resident
correspondent,
wrote to the
Government
Accountability
Project that “
the Office of
the
Spokesperson
for the
Secretary
General has
continued to
answer Mr.
Lee's
questions and
requests for
information.
The United
Nations will
continue to
respect Mr.
Lee's ability
to freely
exercise his
journalistic
endeavors.”
But not only
banning me
from asking
questions at
the the
Security
Council
stakeout but
also from the
noon briefing
where I could
ask questions
and follow ups
in person is
no respect for
journalistic
endeavors.
The example
today is the
budget
shortfall
question.
After
yesterday's
Note to
Correspondents,
Inner City
Press was
contacted by
member states
(as well as
some UN Staff)
who said the
Note was
misleading. I
asked today in
writing if “
the amount
short,
including
2017, is over
$1.2 billion”
and the
question was
evaded by
simply
referring
again to the
2018 figure,
when it is a
biennial
budget. If not
banned from
the briefing,
I would have
followed up.
So I ask you
now to comment
on the
attached print
out from the
Status of
Contributions
website: why
report on only
one of a two
year budget?
And on the
Burundian
refugees,
beyond the
vague
“principal
position,”
what if
anything is
the UN doing
about it?
As to the
“investigation,”
it's been
three and a
half weeks,
and I have be
contacted
once, by DSS.
What could
possibly take
this long to
investigate?
Was I entitled
to cover the
Budget
Committee
meeting of
which I was
advised? Yes.
Was I
nevertheless
roughed up by
Lt Dobbins and
his colleague,
still UNnamed?
Yes. Did I say
“I am a
journalist”?
Yes. Had I
informed USG
Smale, and the
SG and Deputy,
that I was
targeted by
Dobbins on
June 22 and to
do something?
Yes. So why am
I still
banned, in
disrespect, as
USG Smale put
it, to my
journalistic
endeavors? As
GAP's July 23
letter to USG
Smale and the
cc-ed
Officer(s) in
charge put it,
"Finally, GAP
is aware you
are on
vacation for
three weeks,
but response
(and full
reinstatement)
should not and
cannot defer
to that
schedule."
Please state
any
information
needed from me
to complete
this
Kafkaesque 'investigation.'"
Hours later,
no reponse
at all. Watch
this site.
From
July 26: "July
26-1: Given
allegations of
nepotism and
corruption
made by UN
staff to Inner
City Press,
please confirm
and comment on
how John van
Rosendaal, the
husband of
Department of
Political
Affairs chief
of staff Kyoko
Shiotani,
became a UN
P5, how he was
given a role
in a DPA
website, who
else works on
it, whether it
is Dutch
funded, and
what the SG
has done about
this since I
wrote to
sgcentral[at]un.org
about it on
June 25, after
first
reporting it
in May.
July 26-2: In
Kenya, what is
the comment
and action of
the UN/SG and
his Resident
Coordinator on
this: “Kenya's
government is
violating the
rights of
nearly people
who have been
evicted from
their homes in
the last two
weeks to
protect a
forest and
construct a
road.... at
least 10 000
people were
left homeless
when they were
evicted from
Nairobi's
Kibera slum
where the
government
plans to build
a road. They
accused the
authorities of
going against
a court order
prohibiting
government
from evicting
residents from
the area
without a
resettlement
plan.In
western Kenya,
at least 7 888
people have
been evicted
to preserve a
critical water
catchment
area, the Mau
Forest
Complex, from
destruction.
Rights groups
say the
evictions
violate the
rights of the
people
affected.”
July 26-3:
What is the UN
/ SG's comment
/ action on
Sierra Leone's
warning to
media: “Sierra
Leone police
has warned
journalists
and media
organisations
against
broadcast of
‘misleading,
disrespectful
and inciting’
statements,
which it says
have the
potential to
cause
insecurity,
instability
and fear in
the minds of
the people. In
a statement
issued over
the weekend,
the police
force
specifically
called out FM
98.1 and AYV
television for
broadcasts
that it says
were made
against
President
Julius Maada
Bio’s
executive
orders, the
governance
transition
team report
and the
controversial
of the fuel
subsidy that
caused the
first
demonstration
in Bio’s
presidency.
‘‘In as much
as people have
the right to
discuss
issues, yet
this should be
done within
the confines
of the law and
should be done
responsibly
and
factually,’‘
read part of
the
statement.”
July 26-4: On
UN Sex Abuse,
confirm or
deny and state
what the UN is
doing about
“11 alleged
victims of
sexual abuse,
four of whom
came forward
for the first
time and seven
who MINUSCA
confirmed it
was aware of
and
supporting.Of
the seven,
none said they
had received
regular,
individual
counselling
and just one
of the women –
who are now
aged between
15 and 23 –
said she had
received
support for
school fees...
the original
investigation
into the Dekoa
allegations,
which began in
mid-2016 and
was conducted
by Gabonese
and Burundian
investigators
together with
the UN’s
Office of
Internal
Oversight
(OIOS). The
probe, which
remains
unfinished,
was supposed
to identify
victims and
perpetrators
of sexual
abuse. But a
former UN
investigator
with
first-hand
knowledge of
the Dekoa
investigation
said DNA
evidence was
mishandled and
interviews
were conducted
in ways that
may have
jeopardised
the wellbeing
of victims and
adversely
impacted their
cases.” What
is the SG's
comment, and
action, on
this?
From
July 25:
"July 25-2: On
Cameroon, now
that Prince
Zeid has
belatedly
spoken, what
is the SG
DOING about
Biya's forces'
killings? Has
he requested
that the UNSC,
soon to be
under the
presidency of
a country
which bragged
about its
company's
natural gas
deal with the
Biya
government, be
briefed under
Article 99 and
if not, why
not?
July 25-3: In
terms of
belatedly
nominating a
successor for
Zeid, please
confirm or
deny that the
SG interviewed
Korean FM
Kyung Wha Kang
for the
position,
state who else
has been
interviewed
and if not,
why not.
July 25-4: In
PBS
Frontline's
“UN Sex Abuse
Scandal” 1
hour
documentary,
please state
why the SG, as
head of the
organization,
declined to be
interviewed
and separately
why he put
forward part
time Jane Holl
Lute and not
Jane Connors.
Also, why was
the victim of
the
Mauritanian
contingents
not contacted
as promised by
the UN?
Still waiting
for answer to
July 21-1,
regarding
location of
SG. On claim
of no public
costs does
that mean no
UN Security
accompanied
the SG? Or
that he is
personally
paying their
salaries and
accommodations?"
Only one, so not
listed here,
has been responded
to. If
they have an
if-asked, they
email it. This
is Smale's
definition of
supporting
journalistic
endeavors.
From
July 24: "In
Cameroon what
are the UN's /
SG's comment
on and
response to
continued and
increasing
abuses such as
this woman's
account of
being raped by
Biya's
security
forces in
Bamenda?
https://twitter.com/GilEkane/status/1021509010674147328
July 24-3:
What have been
the SG's
inquiries and
actions on the
sexual
harassment /
cover up
scandal at
UNAIDS, today
in light of
yesterday's
walk out by
hundreds of
delegates from
the opening of
the
International
AIDS
Conference o
in protest
when UNAIDS
Executive
Director
Michel Sidibe
took the
stage. Before
the walkout, a
group of
African women
read out a
statement in
protest
against
Sidibe’s
mishandling of
a sexual
assault case
against his
former deputy,
Luiz Loures.
The women read
out a
statement
calling for
Sidibe to step
down for what
they say was a
cover-up then
walked out,
followed by a
large number
of delegates.
What is the SG
doing? Where
IS the SG?
July 24-5:
What is the
UN's / SG's
comment on the
scandal in
France
involving
Macron aide
Benalla posing
as a policeman
and roughing
up protesters
on May Day?
On July 23
Dujarric faced
only 5
questions total; Inner
City Press
itself submitted
five
questions only
one half of
one was
answered a day
later: "July
23-1: In
Cambodia on
threat of
fines and
intimidation
for those who
boycott
Sunday’s
general
election, what
is the SG's
comment and
action?
July 23-2: In
Burundi,
journalist
Jean
Bigirimana has
been missing
for two years
now. He was
kidnapped by
agents of the
National
Intelligence
Service, and
the
investigation
has led
nowhere. What
is the comment
/ action of
the UN/ SG /
SRSG Kafando
on this?
July 23-3: In
Comoros
there's been
an
assassination
attempt on VP
Moustoidrane
Abdou days
before a
referendum on
constitutional
reform. What
is the UN's /
SG's comment,
and what is
the UN's
involvement,
if any, in
elections in
Comoros?
July 23-4:
Confirm or
deny what USG
Khare told
journalists
after a
closed-door
meeting with
the Prime
Minister, Dr
Ruhakana
Rugunda, that
“there is no
decision yet”
following the
July 5
resolution by
the UN’s 5th
Committee
which rejected
the proposal.
“No decision
has been taken
yet, and all
contracts of
local and
international
staff were
extended for
one year until
June 2019.”
[Quote
confirmed by
Haq after
Dujarric's
briefing.
Still
unanswered:]
Has this
extension been
done elsewhere
in the UN
system? Where?
Under what
authority?
July 23-5: You
have said in
the noon
briefing last
week that the
UN would
respond to the
Government
Accountability
Project's
letter to USG
Smale. She
did, but GAP
has today
called the
response
grossly
inadequate.
Now with Ms
Smale off on a
three week
vacation, this
is request for
the UN's /
SG's response
to / comment
on GAP's
reply, pasted
below but also
sent the the
OIC of DPI,
the DSG, etc
Still
waiting for
answer to July
21-1,
regarding
location of SG
and public
costs.
USG Smale,
also now on
three week
vacation, has
claimed that
the SG's
spokesmen are
answering
Inner City
Press' email
questions.
First, for
example, none
of the four
questions
submitted
yesterday
morning, 24
hours ago, has
been answered.
Second, even
if these
e-mailed
questions were
all being
answered it
does not make
up for denying
Inner City
Press the
right not only
to attend the
noon briefing
and other
press
conferences,
but the
stakeouts at
the Security
Council and
elsewhere,
such as the
Budget
Committee
meeting
stakeout I was
physically
ousted from on
July 3. It's
19 days of
outright
censorship,
and counting.
July
23, 2017
Alison Smale,
Under
Secretary
General for
Global
Communications
United Nations
New York, New
York
10017
Dear Ms.
Smale:
Thank you for
your letter of
July 19th
concerning the
actions of the
United Nations
with respect
to
Matthew
Russell Lee, a
US journalist
who has been
covering the
UN since 2006.
Unfortunately,
it is not
possible to
determine from
your response
what guideline
or regulation
Mr. Lee
violated that
resulted in
his expulsion
from the
premises.
First, your
letter tells
us that you
consider the
withdrawal of
Mr. Lee’s
accreditation
as a resident
correspondent
closed because
the US
government was
informed of
the
circumstances
concerning
this
action. Mr.
Lee tells GAP
that he has
not been
informed and
was not
consulted
about this
decision.
Was there some
form of due
process
surrounding
the decision
to withdraw
Mr. Lee’s
resident
correspondent
credentials in
2016, and if
so, who
participated
and of what
did it
consist?
Second, you
explain Mr.
Lee’s two
expulsions by
dispositive
statements
asserting that
he violated
the
scope of his
permissions.
Ms. Smale, the
operative
question is
which of the
media
guidelines did
Mr.
Lee violate,
and what
action was in
violation of
the
guidelines? If
you cannot
identify the
specific
regulation
broken, we
cannot address
your response.
Mr. Lee tells
GAP that UN
Security
officials
accused him of
exceeding the
time limits
allowing a
non-resident
correspondent
to access the
UN
premises, but
he presents
evidence
clearly
demonstrating
that the
meeting he was
covering was
still in
session when
he was
evicted.
According to
the
guidelines,
non-resident
correspondents
may access the
premises for
two hours
after the
adjournment of
the event they
are covering.
Third,
according to
your letter,
Mr. Lee
behaved in a
confrontational
manner when
approached by
United Nations
Security
officials, who
were therefore
entitled to
expel him.
However, it
was Mr. Lee’s
shirt that was
torn and it
was his laptop
that was
damaged by the
UN officials.
Mr. Lee
asserts that
it
was the
officials who
behaved
uncivilly, and
the videos he
recorded
illustrate
this fact.
Fourth, your
letter informs
us that the
matter is
under review,
but prior to
the release of
conclusions of
the review,
you inform us
of what this
exercise will
find: “As a
result of Mr.
Lee’s recent
actions in
violation of
the Media
Guidelines and
his
unacceptable
comportment
when dealing
with United
Nations
Safety and
Security
officials, Mr.
Lee’s
privileges of
access to the
premises of
the United
Nations as a
non-resident
correspondent
have been
suspended.
Those
privileges of
access will
remain
suspended
pending a
review of this
matter to
determine what
further
actions, if
any, should be
taken with
respect
to such
privileges.”
In other
words, the
review is not
a process to
determine what
actually
happened on the
dates in
question. It
is instead an
exercise to
determine what
further
actions can be
taken against Mr.
Lee. Our
question is,
why is this
matter under
review? Are
you not
enfranchised
to decide what actions
shall be taken
against a
journalist who
has violated
the terms of
his
privileges? A
more basic question
is, why is
there no due
process to
consider a
violation and
evidence
regarding what
actually
happened in
Mr. Lee’s case
(and more
generally)?
Ms. Smale, if
we are allowed
to argue this
dispute before
an objective
decision-maker,
in reference
to
specific
guidelines,
allegations of
violations and
production of
evidence, we
can
demonstrate
that Mr.
Lee’s
expulsion from
UN premises
was
unprovoked,
and most
likely
retaliatory
for articles
he has written
critical of UN
operations.
If, however,
we are subject
to an exchange
of letters, in
which you
respond to
us and to Mr.
Lee with
dispositive
statements,
without
reference to
specific
guidelines
violated or
evidence of
the violation
cited, we
cannot
prevail.
In short, the
United
Nations, and
in particular
your office,
is deciding
who will be
accredited to
inform
the public
about the
operations of
the United
Nations. This
practice, in
itself, is a
violation of
Article 19
of the
Universal
Declaration of
Human Rights,
which the UN
was
established to
uphold.
Once again,
GAP is
requesting
information
about the
specific
guidelines
that Mr. Lee
violated on
June
22nd
and on July
3rd of this
year that
caused his
eviction from
the premises
of the UN. And
most urgently,
we
respectfully
request
immediate
access to the
premises, so
that Mr. Lee
can do his
job. Today, we
are
informed that
the UN
Security
Council is
meeting about
Afghanistan,
Lebanon,
Eritrea,
Ethiopia and
Myanmar, and
Mr. Lee cannot
access any of
those meetings
or the
stakeouts.
Please respond
by e-mail
this
afternoon, if
possible.
Finally, GAP
is aware you
are on
vacation for
three weeks,
but response
(and full
reinstatement)
should
not and cannot
defer to that
schedule...
Cc: Officer in
Charge,
Department of
Global
Communications
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Inner City
Press
US Senator
Patrick Leahy
US
Representative
Chris Smith
US
Representative
James McGovern
David Banisar,
Article
19"
Dujarric
called on his
stooges;
we'll have
more on that. And still
these
from July 20,
when Guterres
refused to
answer on his
censorship: "July
20-1: On
Western
Sahara, what
is the comment
of the SG and
separately his
envoy /
adviser Kohler
on “Morocco
and the
European Union
concluded on
Thursday
negotiations
held to renew
the 2014
fisheries
agreement, a
diplomatic
source told
Yabiladi. The
treaty
includes the
Western Sahara
waters.”
July 20-2:
Yesterday in
SDNY court,
Patrick Ho who
is charged
with using UN
NGO CEFC for
bribing then
PGA Sam Kutesa
failed in
getting any of
the
indictement
counts against
him dismissed,
and failed in
suppressing or
excluding from
the case his
texts and
emails. What
is the SG's
comment, why
hasn't the SG
called for or
commissioned
an OIOS audit
as even his
predecessor
did, and who
in the UN
system is the
UN aware of as
being in Ho's
seized
messages?
July 20-3:
Please confirm
or deny that
“Atul Khare,
while meeting
with the Prime
Minister Dr.
Ruhakana
Rugunda in
Kampala, said
evaluations
carried out by
the UN did not
show cause for
an urgent move
of the base to
Kenya as
earlier
reported.”
July 20-4:
What is the
SG's comment
on the already
completed
Frontline
documentary
S36 E11: "UN
Sex Abuse
Scandal" - “An
investigation
of sex abuse
by United
Nations
peacekeepers
in the world's
conflict
zones. The
film traces
allegations
from Boston to
Congo to the
Central
African
Republic, with
firsthand
accounts from
survivors,
witnesses, and
officials.”"
Nothing. On July
19 when the
UN Webcast of
which had no
audio, nearing the
very
definition of
censorship,
Inner City
Press asked
Haq questions
including: "July
19-2: I saw
that at the
July 18 noon
briefing when
asked if there
is a deadline
or timeline to
complete this
supposed
investigation
of July 3
(when I was
physically
roughed up and
ousted from
covering the
5th Committee
meetings as I
have the last
ten years
including the
last two as a
non resident
correspondent,
under the MALU
Access
Guidelines).
How is that
lack of
timelines - 16
days and
counting -
consistent
with your call
for “swift and
transparent”
investigations,
for example in
Cameroon? What
is the
timeline?
Given that I
have not been
contacted in 9
days, what is
the delay? Why
was I not
allowed to
speak, 9 days
ago, about the
June 22 ouster
and my June 25
email to the
SG, USG Smale
and others?
July 19-3:
Also on
Cameroon,
you've told me
this morning
“Regarding
your Cameroon
questions and
the briefing
by Mohammed
ibn Chambas,
please note
that Cameroon
does not fall
under the
purview of
UNOWA. In his
briefing, SRSG
Chambas
referred to
the border
demarcation
activities of
the
Cameroon-Nigeria
Mixed
Commission, of
which he is
Chairman."
But SRSG
Chambas told
the UNSC,
“"The
demarcation of
the
Cameroon-Nigeria
border and the
pillar
construction
continue to
face
challenges due
to insecurity
in areas
affected by
the presence
of Boko Haram
and unrest in
the
English-speaking
regions of
Cameroon.
Nevertheless,
pillar
construction
is expected to
resume at the
end of the
rainy season."
So he
referenced
“unrest” in
Anglophone
Cameroon, and
expressed an
expectation
about how it
would develop
/ allow pillar
construction.
And so again:
What is the
basis of the
SRSG's
“expectation”?
Statements by
the government
of Paul Biya?
Is the problem
in the
“English
speaking
regions” one
of unrest, or
of targeting
killings and
the burning
and looting of
villages by
Paul Biya's
forces?
What inquiry
had Chambas or
his colleagues
in the UN
system made
into the fate
of the 47
people
illegally
refouled from
Nigeria to
Cameroon?
July 19-4:
Also on
transparency,
it is reported
that “Airbus
has signed a
memorandum of
understanding
with the
United
Nations.”
Please provide
a copy of that
MOU, and of
the Myanmar -
Rohingya MOU,
or state why
and on what
basis for a
public
institution
these are not
released."
Nothing - except
these notes,
which we
publish in
full: "**SYRIA
As of today,
the entire
population of
the besieged
Syrian towns
of Foah and
Kafraya has
reportedly
been evacuated
following a
local
agreement
between
parties to the
conflict. The
two towns had
been besieged
by non-state
armed groups
since October
2015. The
United Nations
last provided
humanitarian
assistance to
the besieged
areas in
September
2017.
An estimated
6,900 people
were
reportedly
escorted by
the Syrian
Arab Red
Crescent to
the Al-Eiss
crossing in
southern rural
Aleppo
Governorate.
In addition,
17 medical
cases,
accompanied by
21 family
members, were
brought to
hospitals in
Aleppo city.
The United
Nations was
not party to
the negotiated
agreement or
its
implementation,
but stands
ready to
provide all
people in need
with
humanitarian
assistance
wherever they
are. The
United Nations
underlines
that any
evacuation of
civilians
should be
safe,
voluntary,
well-informed
and to a place
of their own
choosing. All
people
displaced
through such
agreements
must retain
the right of
return as soon
as the
situation
allows.
Also today, a
United
Nations/Syrian
Arab Red
Crescent
inter-agency
convoy
delivered
food,
nutrition,
health,
education,
water and
other
humanitarian
supplies for
19,500 people
in need to
Beit Jan and
surrounding
areas, in
southwest of
the Rural
Damascus
governorate.
This is the
first
humanitarian
convoy to
reach the
formerly
besieged area
since 2013. In
addition, the
team conducted
a needs
assessment
during the
delivery.
**IRAQ
The World
Health
Organization
announced
recently that
38 per cent of
health
facilities in
Iraq supported
by nine Health
Cluster
partners are
at risk of
closure by the
end of July
2018, due to
funding
shortages,
affecting more
than 900,000
people.
Health
partners
urgently
require $54
million under
the 2018
Humanitarian
Response Plan
to ensure
continuation
of health
services in
conflict-affected
and newly
accessible
areas.
Meanwhile, the
Iraq
Humanitarian
Fund has
completed the
allocation of
some $34
million to
support NGOs,
UN agencies
and Red
Cross/Red
Crescent
partners
providing
crucial
humanitarian
assistance in
Iraq.
**DSG TRAVEL
The
Deputy
Secretary-General
will travel to
the United
Kingdom from
22 to 25 July
to participate
at the first
Global
Disability
Summit and to
engage in
high-level
meetings on
reforms of the
United Nations
development
system.
She will
return to New
York on
Wednesday, 25
July.
**EL SALVADOR
In a statement
we issued last
night, the
Secretary-General
welcomed the
decision by
political
parties in El
Salvador to
establish a
negotiating
framework to
reach medium
and long-term
agreements for
the benefit of
the country.
He
congratulated
the members of
civil society,
constituted in
a
UN-facilitated
Group in
Support of
Political
Dialogue, who
have helped
bring into
being the
commitment of
political
parties.
The
Secretary-General
hopes that the
political
parties will
now join their
efforts in
translating
their
commitment
into concrete
agreements
that will
benefit all
Salvadorans.
**MIGRATION
The UN Refugee
Agency (UNHCR)
today welcomed
recent actions
taken by
several
European
countries to
collectively
end a standoff
on the
Mediterranean
where some 450
refugees and
migrants had
been stranded
at sea amid a
battle over
disembarkation.
Since
Saturday, the
governments of
France,
Germany,
Italy, Malta,
Spain and
Portugal have
agreed to land
the ships and
share the
processing,
including any
potential
asylum claims,
of these
people.
The High
Commissioner
for Refugees,
Filippo
Grandi, said
that this sets
a positive
example of
how, by
working
together,
countries can
uphold sea
rescue and
manage borders
while
simultaneously
meeting
international
asylum
obligations.
However, he
cautioned,
solutions that
go beyond
piecemeal or
“ship-by-ship”
arrangements
are needed.
You can read
more on
UNHCR’s
website.
**ECOSOC
The Economic
and Social
Council is
holding a
high-level
policy
dialogue with
International
Financial and
Trade
Institutions
today,
focusing on
trends in the
global economy
and
international
trade in the
context of
sustainable
development.
Representatives
of the
International
Monetary Fund
(IMF), the
World Bank
Group, the
World Trade
Organization
(WTO), the
United Nations
Conference on
Trade and
Development
(UNCTAD) and
the Department
of Economic
and Social
Affairs
(UNDESA)
offered their
projections
for economic
growth,
international
trade and
other trends
and
challenges.
And in the
afternoon, a
thematic
discussion on
“Leveraging
new
technologies
for the
Sustainable
Development
Goals” will
take place.
**HONOUR ROLL
For the Honour
Roll, I am
delighted to
welcome
Lithuania to
the Honour
Roll! Our
friends in
Vilnius have
paid their
regular budget
dues in full,
making
Lithuania the
111th Member
State to do
so.
**PRESS
ENCOUNTERS
TODAY
This evening,
at around 6:30
p.m., there
will be
stakeout by
the President
of the
Security
Council,
Ambassador
Olof Skoog of
Sweden, along
with the
Chairperson of
the African
Union (AU)
Peace and
Security
Council,
Ambassador
Sebade Toba of
Togo, at the
Security
Council
Stakeout.
They will
brief in their
capacity as
Co-Chairs of
the 12th
Annual Joint
Consultative
Meeting
between the
members of the
Security
Council and
the AU Peace
and Security
Council,
following the
conclusion of
the meeting."
Inner City
Press will, of
course, be
banned from
that as well.
Thanks,
Guterres,
Smale and
Sweden.... From the
July 18
questions
Inner City
Press
submitted,
UNanswered like
those below: "Is the
Secretary
General
meeting today
with the Club
of Madrid or
any of its
members? If
so, why is
this not in
his public
schedule? And
please list
the purposes
and issues of
his most
recent two
meetings
involving the
Club of
Madrid... Regarding
the next
Administrative
Instruction
ST/AI/2018/8
signed on July
9 by USG
Beagle
https://undocs.org/ST/AI/2018/8
about the use
of force by UN
Security,
please explain
the meaning of
“Security
officers are
expected to
exercise their
functions with
courtesy and
in co nformity
with
established
rules and
regulations,
including
applicable
local law.”
Since NYPD
officers are
required to
give their
names, does
this mean that
the UN ERU
officers who
refused to
give their
names on June
22, and Lt
Dobbins who
told them not
to give there
names, do not
comply with
this?" What is
the UN
deciding on -
suspending Lt
Dobbins and
the other rogue
officer who
tore Inner
City Press'
shirt and
twisted its
reporter's arm
for covering
Guterres' $6.7
billion budget
committee
meeting?
From
the day
before: "July
17-1: Confirm
or deny that
the Indian
army unit
based in Uri
that was
struck and
struck Kashmir
is no longer
being deployed
to MONUSCO,
and the UN's
reasoning.
July 17-2:
Relatedly,
please provide
an update on
the (second
tier of)
vetting of Sri
Lanka troops
whose
deployment was
reportedly
deployed.
July 17-3:
“Egypt's
parliament has
approved a
tough new law
to regulate
social media,
raising fears
that it could
curb dissent
against
President
Abdul Fattah
al-Sisi's
regime. The
law states
that social
media users
who have more
than 5,000
followers
could be
placed under
the
supervision of
Egypt's
Supreme
Council for
Media
Regulations.
The council
would be
authorised to
suspend or
block any
personal
account which
"publishes or
broadcasts
fake news” -
what is the
comment of the
SG / UN?
July 17-4:
What is the
SG's or UN's
comment on the
physical
removal of
journalist Sam
Husseini from
yesterday's
US-Russia
press
conference in
Helsinki?
July 17-5:
Since you and
USG Smale have
refused to
answer Inner
City Press'
questions on
why it remains
banned, and
unable to
attend and ask
questions at
the noon
briefing and
elsewhere in
the UN (and
even to WIPO
in the Pierre
Hotel), please
provide the
UN's responses
on deadline to
the letter to
USG Smale and
others
(including
chief of staff
Viotti and ASG
Christian
Saunders) from
the Government
Accountability
Project." No
answers,
repeat
questioners,
only one to
PGA Lajcak's
spokesman. On
July 16,
Inner City Press
submitted seven
questions,
only one of
which, on Haiti, was even partially
answered, on
this web site.
The July 16
questions:
"Still
banned from
UN, for being
roughed up
while covering
the UN Budget
Committee
meetings I am
entitled to
cover under
MALU Access
Guidelines and
as applied to
all other non
resident
correspondents)
I was
belatedly
“interviewed”
by UN Security
in the
basement of
the UNITAR
building on
July 10 from
10:45 to 12:05
and *nothing*
since. I have
questions on
that; as I've
told you, DPI
has not
responded to a
single one of
my seven
emails so I am
asking you:
July 16-1: On
Cameroon,
Inner City
Press is still
awaiting your
response to
question I
posed two days
ago: there are
newleaked
videos of
abuse by
Cameroon
security
forces. Since
there's not
yet even a
promise of
self-investigation,
what is the
UN's comment?
July 16-2:
Given your
belated call
last week for
a “swift and
transparent”
investigation
of the earlier
verified
footage,
please live up
to “swift and
transparent” -
how long can
an
investigation
(of me being
roughed up and
wrongfully
ousted from
covering
Budget
Committee
meeting on
July 3) take?
It's been 13
(or at least
11) days.
On
transparency,
again, WHO
decided,
between July 3
and July 5 945
am, to ban me?
And on what
basis?
July 16-3:
Thousands took
part yesterday
in Rabat in a
march called
by Human
rights
associations
and unions to
call for the
liberation of
the “Hirak El
Rif” detainees
and answer the
socioeconomic
requests of
the
inhabitants of
Al Hoceima.
For the
upteenth time,
what is the
UN's comment
on this
ongoing unrest
and injustice,
given the SG's
“conflict
prevention”
and human
rights claims?
July 16-4: In
DRC President
Joseph Kabila
replaced the
country´s army
chief in a
military
shake-up at
the weekend
that included
the promotion
of two leaders
accused of
human rights
violations.
what is the
UN's comment
on this
ongoing unrest
and injustice,
given the SG's
“conflict
prevention”
and human
rights claims?
July 16-5: In
a letter to
the UN,
Turkish-Cypriot
leader Mustafa
Akinci has
called for a
reassessment
of the UN
peacekeeping
force’s
(UNFICYP)
mandate on the
island. What
is the SG's
thinking /
response?
July 16-6:
Haitian Prime
Minister Jack
Guy Lafontant
resigned,
after
civilians were
killed
protesting
fuel price
subsidy cuts.
Again, that is
the comment of
UNSG and the
UN Mission,
given what the
UN has done
there
including by
introducing
cholera and
not paying
reparations of
any kind?" No
answers. On
June 13 another
empty
briefing, after
which Haq
answered only
one of the
questions,
which included:
"Still banned
from UN, I was
belatedly
“interviewed”
by UN Security
in the
basement of
the UNITAR
building on
July 10 from
10:45 to
12:05. I have
two more
questions on
that; as I've
told you, DPI
has not
responded to a
single one of
my seven
emails so I am
asking you:
1) who is
responsible
for deciding,
between 10 pm
July 3 when I
was assaulted
by UN DSS Lt
Dobbins and
another
UNnamed, and
10 am on July
5, that I was
and am banned
from entering
the UN? Who
participated
in this
decision?
2) Your office
yesterday told
The
Independent
(UK) that “a
review ha[s]
been launched
into the
manner in
which Mr Lee
had been
removed and
his future
accreditation.”
How my
accreditation
should suffer
for having
been assaulted
by Lt Dobbins
and unnamed
colleagues,
for the second
time in 11
days, is a
mystery or
worse. But
please state
how it is
possible for
DSS to
investigate
itself in this
matter. What
provisions
does the UN
have when
abuse BY UN
Security
officers is
alleged, and
how does it
impact for
example their
New York and
other gun
permits?
July 13-1: Two
full days ago
I asked your
Office about
the video of
Cameroon
soldiers
executing
women and
infants. You
have still not
answered. Now
that Amnesty
International
has verified
the video,
what has the
UN done about
it? What will
the UN do?
Relatedly,
what is the
UN's comment
on “Cameroon's
President Paul
Biya has
announced that
he will be a
candidate in
the 7 October
presidential
election that
would, if he
wins, extend
his
35-year-rule.
Biya tweeted
'I am willing
to respond
positively to
your
overwhelming
calls. I will
stand as your
candidate in
the upcoming
presidential
election'”
UPDATE:
After
the briefing,
Haq sent Inner
City Press
this: "On
Cameroon, we
can say the
following now: We
are aware of
the video
circulating on
social media
and welcome
the
announcement
by the
Government of
Cameroon to
open an
investigation
into the
matter. We
urge the
Government to
swiftly and
transparently
conduct the
announced
investigation." While
different in
kind, this echoes
UN Security
"investigating" its
own
personnel's
assault on the
Press. It is a bad
joke.
July 13-2:
Saudi King
Salman has
‘pre-exonerated’
all troops
fighting in
Yemen from any
accountability
issues they
may face over
their conduct
in the war, in
which
thousands of
civilians have
been killed
and wounded. A
statement
announcing the
early pardon,
released by
Saudi Arabia's
state news
agency SPA,
said the
pardon extends
to “all
military men
across the
armed forces”
taking part in
Operation
Restoring
Hope.” Given
that the SG
accepted
Saudi's $930
Million check,
what is his
comment?
July 13-3: In
Spain El Pais
reports that
Equatorial
Guinea
protects
President
Teodoro Obiang
from coups by
hiring combat
pilots and
commanders of
warships from
Russia,
Ukraine and
Lithuania in a
"flagrant
regime of
illegality"
and violating
international
regulations,
according to a
report of the
Spanish
police. What
is the UN's
comment and
action?
July 13-4:
Before being
ousted and now
banned, I had
asked at the
noon briefing
about the
status /
absence of USG
Heidi Mendoza
from OIOS.
While that was
not answered,
having now
learned more,
this is a
written
request that
you confirm
that USG
Mendoza has
been on leave
for
approximate
six months,
that you state
(as I
requested) who
is the Officer
in Charge,
that you state
the current
role in OIOS
of Michael
Dudley, and
that you
provide the
SGs comments
on and
response to
the decision
in [ ]
July 13-5:
With the Fifth
Committee's
rejection of
SG Guterres'
GSDM proposal
in the process
from which I
was ousted and
banned from
covering, what
is SG
Guterres'
plan?
Relately, on
the
“reconfiguring
of the
development
system,” how
much money has
been raised
and when will
SG Guterres
file the
required
Program Budget
Implication?"
No answers.
But a tape
recorder
holder for a
Japanese media
that reports
more, in a
racist
fashion, on US
rappers
finally asked
a (lame)
question.
We'll have
more on this.
On July 9,
while Haq
claimed that this one-way
assault was an "altercation"
justifying the ban of the
journalist improperly ousted
and assaulted, Haq did not
by 1 pm answer a single one
of these questions then
making him one for six and
trying to keep Inner City
Press out from Guterres'
long delayed July 12 press
conference (a subsequent
answer, published in full
below, claims that Guterres
is committed to press
freedom in Myanmar and
Sudan). Later on July 9, Haq
belatedly answered Inner
City Press' July 6 question
about Canada in Mali, below,
with this: "Regarding your
earlier question on Mali, we
have the following to say:
We can confirm that an
advance party of 25 Canadian
military troops have so far
been deployed to MINUSMA as
part of the 136-strong
aviation unit to be deployed
to UN peacekeeping by the
Government of Canada,
according to our memorandum
of understanding (MOU) with
this troop-contributing
country. Canada has not
submitted any nominations
for Police contingent
members to MINUSMA to date."
No police, 25 out of 136.
The July 9 questions: "Since
I am still, for a third
business day, banned from
the UN without due process
(see below), here are three
question for answer before
or at the noon briefing:
July 9-1: In South Sudan,
the opposition has
reportedly rejected a peace
plan under which Riek Machar
would be reinstated as vice
president. What is the SG's
(and separately UNMISS')
comment and role if any in
the process?
July 9-2: What is the
Secretary General's response
to the demand by
Transparency International
and others that its MOU on
the return of Rohingya
refugees from Bangladesh to
Myanmar be made public? And
please explain what part of
Bangladesh's plan for a
distant island for Rohingya
the SG finds or found
interesting. And what is the
SG's comment (and action) on
the charged now announced by
Myanmar against journalists
Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo?
July 9-3: “Sudan’s National
Intelligence and Security
Services (NISS) on Sunday
seized copies of Al-Jareeda
and Akhir Lahza newspapers
without stating reasons” --
what is the SG's comment,
and separately his country
team's action?
On the “ban” -- Fox News
reported this ban is pending
a review. I have not been
contacted concerning any
review. Despite DSS and DPI
not have spokespeople, on
July 6 I was told to contact
them. I wrote to DPI's USG
Smale, again - without any
response. So I ask again:
who is conducting the review
your Office told Fox News
about? When does it end? How
does it not involve Inner
City Press, which is now
banned for a third business
day?
What is the Secretariat's
comment on/ response to
this?
July 6, 2018, “Harassment of
US Journalist Intensifies at
the UN,”
https://www.whistleblower.org/blog/103306-harassment-us-journalist-intensifies-un
To whom in the UN do I
submit my evidence for this
“review”?" After 1 pm, Haq
replied with this:
"Regarding South Sudan, the
UN Mission in South Sudan
welcomes the apparent
progress being made in the
peace process as talks
between the South Sudanese
parties continue in
Khartoum. It is encouraging
that there appears to be
fresh momentum and that all
the various stakeholders are
actively engaged in the
discussions. The Mission
also acknowledges and
appreciates the strong lead
role of sub-regional actors
in facilitating the
discussions.
On Myanmar, we remain
concerned at the arrest and
continued detention of Wa
Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.
The Secretary-General has
repeatedly urged for
the release of the
journalists and for the
authorities to respect the
right to freedom of
expression and
information. We will
continue to raise the issue
as a high priority at every
possible opportunity.
On Sudan, we continue to
call for freedom of
expression, including the
rights of the media." Oh
really. On July 6, when
Inner City Press went to the
gate to ask politely if it
could as before enter to
attend the noon briefing and
ask questions, it was told
"No." Inner City Press
reiterated its concern about
censorship to Darrin
Farrant, a staff member of
Alison Smale of DPI who has
not answered Inner City
Press' six emails and
petition; he said he would
pass the concern along. We
are waiting, in the rain,
for an answer. At the day's
noon briefing, the UN's
deputy spokesman Farhan Haq
took questions from France
24, Moroccan state media,
Reuters and quickly turned
over the podium to the PGA's
spokesman. Inner City Press
had asked Haq: "Since Inner
City Press' six inquiries
with the head of DPI Alison
Smale have gone unanswered,
and I am as you know banned
from entering the building,
who are you telling me to
contact in Security and DPI?
Aren't you the spokesperson
for the Secretariat? Need
answer immediately. For now,
for noon, three questions:
In Tanzania, Julius Mtatiro
asenior leader of a
Tanzanian opposition party
has been arrested for
insulting President John
Magufuli by asking“Who is
the President, really?”
Police detained him “as they
found this phrase offensive
to the president. They went
on to search Mr Mtatiro’s
home for the device used to
post on social media.” What
is the Secretary General's
comment - and his / Country
Team's action?
It is reported that Canada
will deploy up to 20
civilian police officers to
support both the United
Nations peacekeeping mission
and the EU training mission
in Mali. So, will they be
part of MINUSMA? How many
Canadian personnel are
currently part of MINUSMA,
and what is the plan and
timetable for additional
Canadian joining of MINUSMA?
Will Canadian troops have
different (and
significantly, better)
security equipment that
other countries' troops in
MINUSMA?
On the deadly class between
DRC's and Uganda's
militaries on Lake Edward,
what is the SG's comment and
what is MONUSCO's action?"
So far, even after the
briefing, only this:
"Regarding your question on
Lake Edward, there is no
comment or response from
MONUSCO." We'll have more on
this.
Haq told Fox
News "Matthew Lee [i]s a
repeat offender, having been
similarly removed from the
building on 22 June 2018,
Matthew Lee has been
temporarily barred from the
premises pending a full
review of this incident."
There is no offense by Inner
City Press: the rules permit
Inner City Press to cover
meetings after 7 pm, on June
22 a speech by Secretary
General Antonio Guterres and
on July 3 a meeting about
Guterres' $6.7 billion
budget. So since no one from
the UN contacted Inner City
Press on July 5 about any
review, Inner City Press
wrote to Haq and his boss
Stephane Dujarric (out of
the office again). Haq
replied, "Receipt is
confirmed. For questions
about security issues, you
will need to be in touch
with security and with DPI."
But neither Department has a
spokesperson - Haq is the
spokesperson for the
Secretariat -- and Inner
City Press has written six
times to the head of DPI
without a single response.
The head of DPI ordered an
investigation of him own
staff after Inner City Press
published a leaked email
about him "burying" a threat
to another UN system
official, Irina Bokova (who
may, some say, become High
Commissioner for Human
Rights). So Haq's "answer"
is Orwellian. We will have
more on this. Guterres was
informed on June 25 by Inner
City Press of the escalating
targeting by his UN Security
Lieutenant Ronald E.
Dobbins. In fact, Guterres
deputy spokesman Farhan Haq
on July 3 essentially gave
the green light for that
evening's Security violence.
On July 5, Guterres' lead
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
refused to answer press
questions about the ouster
before "his" noon briefing.
Afterward, when Saunders
sauntered out of the UN in
black sunglasses and was
informed that Inner City
Press was now banned, his
response was to complain
about some of the written
coverage of him. Video here.
So is that why he cheered on
the twisting of the Press'
arm? Will this obviously
biased official be witness
in the "full review of the
incident" pending which
Inner City Press is
indefinitely banned? Brenden
Varma the Spokesperson for
the President of the General
Assembly Miroslav Lajcak
(whose chief of staff and
under-staffer were also
informed of the Press ban)
said, as his office
summarized, "This afternoon
at 3:00, the General
Assembly’s Fifth Committee,
which handles administrative
and budgetary matters, will
formally take action on all
outstanding issues,
including United Nations
peacekeeping budgets and the
Secretary-General’s
management reform and peace
and security architecture
reform proposals.
It will then close the
second part of its resumed
session.
Following that, the General
Assembly plenary will meet
to consider the report of
the Fifth Committee." Inner
City Press was banned from
this meeting and vote. While
the UN has told Inner City
Press nothing, Guterres
spokesman Farhan Haq told FOX
News' Adam Shaw that
"security followed up, they
found Matthew Lee to be in
the building past 9 p.m.,
well after the hours for a
non-resident correspondent,
and they informed him that
he was not allowed to roam
around the UN compound at
that hour. They informed him
that he would be required to
leave the premises. At that
point, Mr. Lee became loud
and belligerent, and
resisted the instructions of
UN security officers. He was
then escorted outside the
building, along with his
laptop and backpack. Based
on his unacceptable
behavior, and the fact that
he was a repeat offender,
having been similarly
removed from the building on
22 June 2018, Matthew Lee
has been temporarily barred
from the premises pending a
full review of this
incident." But Inner City
Press has not been contacted
for any review, which would
have to include UN Security
twisting its reporter's arm
before any volume, and the
MALU rule permitted coverage
of meetings after 7 pm, and
for an hour after then end.
This was pure targeting, and
Guterres and his team are
responsible. Eleven
days after UN Security
officers led by UN
Lieutenant Ronald E. Dobbin
and four others who refused
to give their names pushed
Inner City Press' reporter out of the UN during a speech by
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres, on July 3 just
after Inner City Press
interviewed the chairman of
the UN Budget Committee,
Dobbins and another UN
Security officer even more
physically removed Inner
City Press from the UN. Video
here,
tweeted here.
Hours later as diplomats and
Guterres officials who
witnessed it left the UN,
Inner City Press asked
Guterres' Under Secretary
General for Field Support
Atul Khare about the
process. He admitted,
contrary to Guterres'
spokesman, that the Support
Account was still not
agreed. Shown the shirt that
UN Security officers Dobbins
and his thus far UNnamed
partner tore, he said, "I'll
talk to DPI." While
appreciated, Inner City
Press already six times
wrote to DPI's Alison Smale,
and last week spoke directly
to her and her piano playing
husband Sergei Dreznin at
the End of UNSC Presidency
reception. Inner City Press
told Smale, and an hour
later emailed her, that her
continued disparate
treatment of active Inner
City Press as a non -
resident correspondent would
allow further targeting like
that of Lieutenant Dobbins
and four unnamed Emergency
Response Unit officers on
June 22. Smale didn't even
confirm receipt of the email
as requested. And on July 3
a new officer got involved
as Inner City Press covered
the UN budget, breaking
Inner City Press' laptop,
tearing its shirt and
twisting its arm. Smale and
Guterres are responsible.
This all happened as Inner
City Press was actively
writing about the UN's murky
$6.7 billion peacekeeping
budget and questionable
reforms by Guterres. It
happened directly in front
of, and ultimately at the
order of, a Guterres
Assistant Secretary General,
Christian Saunders. A number
of diplomats stood and took
pictures and videos. Here as
the interview, pre-ouster,
with the Budget Committee
chairman Tommo Monthe of
Cameroon, video here.
Guterres' spokesman Farhan
on both July 2 and July 3
insisted to Inner City Press
that the budget was agreed
to in a closed session on
Sunay, when clearly it has
not been approved. While we
will have more on the other
UN Security Officer, Inner
City Press has previously
reported on issues with
Saunders, from education to
the cover up of sexual
harassment and abuse in the
UN. The fact that Antonio
Guterres allows this to go
on in his UN should
disqualify him. The UN had
at least 11 days to deal
with this - Inner City Press
repeatedly at the noon
briefing asked about the
rules, and the budget - and
this was their response.
Significantly, on July 3 the
Government Accountability
Project has criticized
the ouster and called for
Inner City Press to be
reinstated as a UN Resident
Correspondent. Inner City
Press asked Guterres' Deputy
Spokesman Farhan Haq, video
here,
UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: I'd asked
you, a week ago, about the
UN policy of UN security
ousting the non-resident
correspondent during a
meeting to be covered and
refusing to give their
names, and now the
Government Accountability
Project has asked
the same question. So
I'm wondering, you didn't
ask me when I answered it
[sic], what is the policy of
the UN on something as
fundamental as security
officers giving their names,
and also can they oust
journalists during a meeting
such as a budget meeting
that will be upcoming, I
would believe, in upcoming
days?
Deputy Spokesman: As
far as I'm aware, the
security officers were
enforcing the appropriate
rules. Any problems
that you have with them are
questions that you need to
address with our colleagues
in UN security and with
Media Accreditation." But as
GAP notes, the boss of Media
Accreditation Alison Smale
has refused to answer
anything in eight months.
GAP writes:
"as security expelled Mr.
Lee from the building, he
encountered Catherine
Pollard, the UN’s
Under-Secretary General
(USG) for General Assembly
and Conference Management,
who pointedly ignored his
plight and simply stayed her
course, despite his plea for
her intervention. Along the
way, Mr. Lee also asked the
guards for their names,
which they refused to
provide. This most recent
incident is the latest in a
long history of harassment
directed at a journalist who
has been critical of UN
management and operations
over the years. Mr. Lee’s
investigative reporting has
broken stories concerning
sexual abuses committed by
peacekeepers in Africa, the
role of UN peacekeepers in
bringing cholera to Haiti,
and war crimes in Sri Lanka,
Burundi and Sudan [and
Cameroon]. Mr. Lee’s
reporting has also helped to
expose corruption at the
Headquarters of the United
Nations, including the
current bribery scandals
surrounding former General
Assembly President [Sam
Kutesa and] John Ashe."
In the
eleven days since the
ouster, live-streamed on
Periscope and then put on YouTube, the UN of Antonio
Guterres has not responded
in any way. Inner City Press
was first told to "Ask
Security" then to "Ask DPI"
or as it now absurdly wants
to be known, the UN
Department of Global
Communications. But as GAP
continues, "Like USG
Pollard, the Under-Secretary
for Global Communications,
Alison Smale, seems deaf to
Mr. Lee’s distress; she has
refused for eight months to
answer e-mails or respond to
a petition to restore his
credentials as a resident
correspondent." Inner City
Press since the ouster has
raised it to Smale not only
in writing (again) but also
in person - with no
response. Global
Communications, indeed. GAP
concludes: The Government
Accountability Project
therefore urges the Member
States of the United Nations
to combat the silencing of a
journalist by taking action
at the offices of the
self-appointed guardian of
free speech, itself: the
United Nations. Matthew Lee
should be: Reinstated as a
resident correspondent with
appropriate access to
facilities and events, and
Issued a public apology for
the improper expulsion that
occurred on June 22nd." To
Inner City Press, it is the
first of these, restoration
to its long time work space
S-303 which sits empty every
day, assigned to an Egypt
state media Akhbar al Yom
whose Sanaa Youssef, while a
former president of the UN
Correspondents Association
(1984) has not asked the
UN a question in a
decade. As to apologies from
today's UN, the disingenuous
apology in Haiti for example
shows how much those are
worth. We'll have more on
this. Guterres' lead
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
evaded Inner City Press'
questions then ran off the
podium. Video here.
Despite the fact that
Guterres' armed guards
ousted Inner City Press and
that the UN Department of
Public Information under
Alison Smale did nothing,
Dujarric babbled that Inner
City Press should "ask DPI"
then ran off the podium.
Video here.
From the UN (controlled) transcript:
Inner City Press: Farhan
[Haq], on Monday, when I
informed him that on Friday
I had been, during an event
in which the
Secretary-General was giving
a speech, made to leave by
UN Security while other
non-resident correspondents,
a distinction you just
cited, were still in
attendance, he said to talk
to security. And that
seems strange to me, because
it seems to me that the
Secretariat, like civilian…
Spokesman: I think if
there are any issues that
you have…
Inner
City Press: My
issue…
Spokesman: If you have
any issues with your access,
you should take them up with
DPI [Department of Public
Information] and the people
who actually issue the
accreditation.
Inner City Press: They
came… they came and they
said there was nothing they
could do…
Spokesman: "Thank you
very much. Brenden."
The UN transcript
omitted the audible
question, "So can Security
just at will bar
journalists?" Video here.
The UN of Guterres, Dujarric
and Smale is a place of
corruption and censorship,
and self-serving erasure
even of the questions asked,
with the public's money. The
day before, after cutting
off Inner City Press'
question about protests of
Guterres' inaction on sexual
harassment cover-ups at
UNAIDS, Dujarric called on a
correspondent for a
London-based Arabic daily.
Then he called on that same
correspondent again before
returning to Inner City
Press. Sensing this second
round might be cut off,
Inner City Press began
asking about Guterres
inaction on Cameroon then on
his Security's ouster of the
Press which asks. But
Dujarric after evading the
Cameroon question turned to
Al Jazeera which asked what
even it called a light
question about the French
label pin on Dujarric's
sear-sucker jacket. Then
Dujarric simply left the
room, so that Inner City
Press' question about
Guterres' use of his
Security to target the Press
could not be asked. On June
22 Inner City Press was
live-streaming Periscope and
preparing to write about
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres' claims about his
visit to Mali, where he
didn't even inquire into a
recent case child rape by a
UN Peacekeeper. With the
event still ongoing, Inner
City Press was approached by
Lieutenant Dobbins and told
that since it was just past
7 pm it had to leave the
building. Video here.
That is
not the rule, nor the
practice. But Inner City
Press under Guterres and his
head of Global
Communications Alison Smale
has inexplicable been at the
"non-resident correspondent"
level lowered from that of
no-show state media like
Akbhar al Yom's Sanaa
Youssef, assigned Inner City
Press' long time office
despite rarely coming in and
not asking a question in ten
years.
While
Guterres and Smale have
created and encourage the
atmosphere for targeting the
Press, Dobbins had and has
his own reasons. Inner City
Press previously exclusively
reported on fraudulent
promotions in the UN
Department of Safety and
Security, beginning of
series here
with a leaked document
with Dobbins own name on it,
under the heading "Possible
Promotions... if Dobbins
does not want Canine / ERU."
Document here.
Since the publication,
Dobbins and a number of UN
Security officers have
openly targeted Inner City
Press. This has been raised
in writing to Smale (for
eight months), for almost 18
months to Guterres and his
deputy Amina J. Mohammed,
whose response has been to
evade questions on Cameroon
and now an ambiguous smile
while surrounded by UN
Security. On June 25 Inner
City Press asked Guterres'
Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq
about it, video here,
UN transcript here:
Inner City Press:
on Friday there was the Eid
event in which António
Guterres gave a speech, and
I… I want… I guess I want to
put this in a general way
because I don't understand
it. During the event,
as the event went on, I was
required to leave by a
Lieutenant Dobbins and the
emergency response
unit. And it seemed
strange, because there were
many other non-resident
correspondents at the
event. So, I wanted to
know… to know, one, what are
the rules? Number two,
is it acceptable for a… a…
UN Security to… to single
out and target a specific
journalist? And I did…
and I ask this because I've
previously written a story
about promotions in DSS
[Department of Safety and
Security], including Mr.
Dobbins, and whatever that
is, what are the provisions
in the UN to make sure that
security cannot abuse its
powers? So those are…
I… I… I'd like you to answer
that, and also they didn't
give their names. The
other individuals refused to
give their names. Is
that UN policy?
Deputy Spokesman: UN
Security has their
policies. Your
concerns with them need to
be addressed to UN
Security. I'm not
going to comment on your own
problems with UN
Security. Brenden,
come on up.
Inner
City Press: I
don't understand. This
happened at a speech by the
Secretary-General.
Deputy Spokesman: No,
I'm sorry, your security
issues are things you're
going to have to deal with.
Inner City Press: It's not a
security issue. It was
done in the name of the
Secretary-General. Is
he speaking tomorrow at 6
p.m. somewhere? Can
you say where
the Secretary-General is
speaking tomorrow at 6 p.m.?
Deputy Spokesman: I’m
not going to argue with you
on this." There was more -
video
here.
Even if
Lt Dobbins and his team and
commanders wanted to
interpret and twist the
existing rules in a way they
are not enforced against any
other non-resident
correspondent at the UN, the
Guterres Eid al -Fitr event
listed in the UN Department
of Public Information was
still ongoing, making it
unquestionable that Inner
City Press had a right to be
in the UN and cover it.
But even as Inner City Press
dialed DPI's Media
Accreditation and Liaison
Unit, getting only voice
mail, Dobbins made a call
and UN “Emergency Response
Unit” officers arrived, with
barely concealed automatic
weapons. One of them
repeatedly pushed Inner City
Press' reporter in the back,
forcing him through the
General Assembly lobby
toward the exit. Video here.
UN
Under Secretary General
Catherine Pollard was told
the ouster and did nothing,
as was a Moroccan diplomat.
The heavily armed UN
Security officers refused to
give their names when asked.
Lieutenant Dobbins, with no
name plate on his uniform,
refused to spell his name.
He said, I have my orders.
From who - Guterres? His
Deputy SG or chief of staff,
both of whom were at the
event? DSS chief Drennan?
DPI chief Alison Smale?
Inner City Press repeatedly
asked to be able to get its
laptop computer, which was
upstairs - there was no way
to have known it would be
ousted during Guterres'
event.
But
Dobbins and the others
refused, as did the UN
Security officers at the
gate. Inner City Press
remained there, with
dwindling cell phone
battery, raising the issue
online to Smale, under whose
watch Inner City Press has
remained in the non-resident
correspondent status it was
reduced to for pursuing the
Ng Lp Seng UN bribery case
into the UN press briefing
room where Guterres'
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
ordered it out, then had it
evicted. A DPI
representative, whom Inner
City Press asked to call
Smale, was unable or
unwilling to even let Inner
City Press go in escorted to
get its laptop.
Just in the past week, when
Inner City Press complained
of Dujarric providing only
to Al Jazeera the response
of Antonio Guterres to the
US leaving the UN Human
Rights Council, Dujarric and
the Al Jazeera trio claimed
to MALU that the coverage
was “too aggressive.”
Journalism is not a crime?
Next week, Antonio Guterres
is set to give remarks, to
which Inner City Press has
requested the right to cover
response, to the UN
Correspondents Association,
which not only has not acted
on this censorship, but has
fueled it.
Inside
the UN the Eid event
continued, alongside a
liquor fueled barbeque
thrown by UN Security. This
DSS sold tickets to non
resident correspondents, and
allowed in people who had
nothing to do with the UN,
including some seeming
underage. When Inner City
Press audibly raised the
issue to UN Safety and
Security Service chief Mick
Brown, he did nothing.
The Moroccan diplomat
emerged and chided Inner
City Press for even telling
him of the ouster, claiming
that “25% of what you write
is about Morocco.” Some
Periscope video here.
Pakistan's Permanent
Representative, who hosted
the Eid event, said she
would look into it. Sweden's
spokesperson asked whom to
call in DPI and when Inner
City Press said, Alison
Smale, responded, Who is
Alison Smale? Indeed.
Smale
has refused to respond in
any way, in the eight months
she has been Guterres'
“Global Communications”
chief, to a 5000 signature
petition to restore Inner
City Press to its unused
office S-303 and to adopt
content neutral media access
rules going forward. That,
and appropriate action on
Lt. Dobbins and the others,
must be among the next
steps. Watch this site.
***
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