Inner City Press: Investigative Reporting from the United Nations

As UNEP Prepares Award for Calderon, Drug War Protests, LG Pollution

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 5 -- When the UN Environment Program teased its May 10 “Champions of the Earth” ceremony by saying that an unnamed “Head of State from the Latin American region” would be given its “flagship environmental award,” many assumed that it would be Evo Morales of Bolivia, loud proponent of La Madre Tierra, Pachamama or Mother Earth.

But inquiries by Inner City Press have found that UNEP's mystery guest will be Felipe Calderon Hinojosa of Mexico. The New York ceremony will come days after a protest of Calderon's drug war in Mexico. While the streets run red with blood, quipped one skeptic, Calderon drapes himself in green and UN blue.

UNEP's event is sponsored by South Korea based LG Group, which is charged for business in China with Changzhou Hongdu Electronics Co. and heavy metal pollution.

To be fair, particularly since it is Cinco de Mayo, some of Mexico's pollution has been reduced under Calderon. Click here for Inner City Press coverage of Cancun.

With UN's Ban & Zuma, Calderon previously celebrates, UNEP & protests not shown

But even on the environment, “critics suggest that the Mexican president and the Congress are not doing enough to promote renewable energy. A strong effort is important, they say, because Mexico is far behind other countries in implementing the technologies that will make a major difference in reducing pollution and ensuring Mexico’s energy security.”

Another telltale sign, beyond Inner City Press' first hand reporting, that he is UNEP's May 10 awardee is the announcement that he will appear in Washington DC on May 11 for yet another award.

(At the UN, Mexico's departure from the Security Council is felt, on protection of civilians and, as the most recent example, the unqualified celebration of the killing of Osama bin Laden in a Presidential Statement on May 2. Mexico might, probably would, have voted for it, but would probably have asked for some changes.)

In any event, for this event, fleeing protests in Mexico, Calderon comes to the UN in New York. Many embattled leaders have done it. But sometimes their sojourn at the UN has hurt rather than helped them. How will it be for Calderon? Watch this site.

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In Run Up to UN SC Statement on Bin Laden, Pakistan Diplomat In and Out of Chamber, Afghan Snark

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 2, updated -- When Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Abdullah Hussain Haroon came out of the Security Council Monday afternoon, he did not speak to the press. Earlier in the day, the Pakistani Mission put out a press release that

“earlier today, President Obama telephoned President Zardari on the successful US operation which resulted in killing of Osama bin Ladin. Osama bin Ladin’s death illustrates the resolve of the international community.”

Inner City Press asked a Permanent member of the Security Council to confirm that there might be a Council Presidential statement on the killing of Bin Laden. Yes, was the answer, along with a joke about Pakistan's belated “non-objection” to the US raid on Abbottabad.

Afghanistan's Permanent Representative Tanin told Inner City Press, "This is a Pakistani issue... He was at the end of the day in Islamabad."

“Osama was living right next to Pakistan's West Point,” another diplomat scoffed. Still, Pakistan's Ambassador went into the Council, where Gerard Araud of France was meeting with each of the Council's members about May's program of work. Pakistan, a source said, wanted to protect its interests.

Update of 4:20 pm -- after this piece was published, Araud of France came out and told the press, Statement meeting at 5 pm...

Pakistan's Haroon, previously with John Holmes, UBL sanctuary not shown

In some other news, as Brazil's Ambassador left her meetings with Araud, she told the Press that her country had been ready to sign on to Council press statements on Yemen and Syria.

Inner City Press asked about the European Union's drive for special rights in the General Assembly. While Brazil's concerns were addressed, she said, Brazil is sensitive to the concerns of CARICOM. When asked what Brazil thinks of Syria's campaign to be elected, on a “clean” slate, to the UN Human Rights Council, she said Brazil believes in the right of any country to run for any position. Watch this site.

Click for Mar 1, '11 BloggingHeads.tv re Libya, Sri Lanka, UN Corruption

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

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

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the Inner City to Wall Street to the United Nations