UN GATE, Dec
17 – Each day, the
current United Nations less
accountable. And Inner City
Press, banned now for the
1361th day by Secretary
General Antonio Guterres
continues to report on it, on
August 16 publishing a UN
internal memo about moving
international staff to
Kazakhstan. On August 16, 17
and 18 it in writing asking
Guterres and his UN
Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric
and Melissa Fleming about it -
no answer. And no one they let
in ask, or seeming had the
memo, below.
Now on
December 17, a Senior US State
Department Official briefed
the press about the suspended
JCPOA talks. He said Iran must
have had its reasons for
stepping away but he hoped
they would return. He cited
the week's talks on UNSC
Resolution 2231 in the UN
Security Council, in a UN
access to which the US State
Department has yet to secure
for independent US-based Press
(while Iran state media have
numerous free offices in the
UN). The official did,
however, effectively quip
about curb your enthusiasm.
Here's the quote:
"thanks to the diplomacy of
the European Union in
particular, we now have a
common understanding of what
the text will be that will
serve as the basis for
negotiations on nuclear
issues. That’s, again, a
welcome step, but I’d also
caution that we should curb
our enthusiasm because we’re
now at best to where we were
last June, and what we’ve done
is define the items on the
agenda that need to be
discussed." We'll have more on
this - and on the UN.
On September 23
amid an UNGA in violation of
NYC COVID law and of basic
free press principles, this
Guterres read-out: "The
Secretary-General met with
H.E. Mr. Hossein Amir
Abdollahian, Minister for
Foreign Affairs of the Islamic
Republic of Iran. The
Secretary-General
congratulated the Foreign
Minister on his recent
appointment. The
Secretary-General and the
Foreign Minister discussed
matters of mutual interest,
including the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA) and regional issues. "
And also from
inside: "Dear
colleagues, MALU has
just informed us that there
will be a stakeout on Monday,
September 20th at 11:40 am
with the Secretary-General and
the Prime Minister of the
United Kingdom and Northern
Ireland, Boris Johnson,
following the Informal Leaders
Roundtable on Climate
Action. A limited number
of only five (5) RESIDENT
media, as well as a couple of
photographers will be
accommodated.
RSVPs will be taken on a first
come first served basis.
Please send your name to
contactus [at] unca.com no
later than 4:00 PM TODAY
Thank you for your attention
and cooperation. Valeria
Robecco President, United
Nations Correspondents
Association."
The UN has
neither
responded to
or offered any
explanation
when a
lawyer's
letter - to UN
official
Fleming, and
Tal Mekel, and
to each UNCA
Executive
Committee
member - urged
them to have a
dialogue about
ending the
UN's banning
and censorship
of Inner City
Press.
On
August 9, an
independent
(minded)
journalist
asked Dujarric
about the
letter, video
here,
Spokesman:
There has been
no change in
Mr. Lee's
status.
Question:
Has the letter
been answered?
Do you plan to
answer
it?
Spokesman:
It's been
received.
Whether or not
it's been
answered, I
don't know
yet.
The
letter was
received by
the UN's
Melissa
Fleming, Maria
Luiza Vioti
and Tal Mekel
and to each
UNCA Executive
Board member,
to them citing
UNCA's stated
goals that it
has a charter
to supposedly
uphold.
What's
next? Since
the letter,
Inner City
Press has
published
exclusive
stories not
only from the
U.S. court
systems but
about the
United
Nations,
including its
agencies UNOPS,
UNFPA,UNITAR
and UNESCO.
(Also credited
in AP,
Daily
Mail, and
Nigeria's
Sahara
Reporters,
amid answers
from the IMF.)
But
none of its
written
questions have
been answered
by the UN
Spokespeople,
and it remains
banned from
entry to the
UN's
briefings.
This must
end.
Having
asked for a
colleagial
discussion,
and while
still offering
it, things
must turn to
the law. UNCA
is a New York
State
non-profit
which has not
only not
abided by its
stated goals -
it has
tortiously
interfered
with a
journalist's
right to cover
the United
Nations.
The United
Nations itself
propounds
Article 19 of
the Universal
Declaration of
Human Rights,
and has other
legal duties
that must be
addressed by
national
courts,
particularly
in the UN's
host
country...
Those
in receipt of
the first,
friendly
letter:
melissa.fleming@un.org,
marialuiza.viotti@un.org,
mekel@un.org,
malu@un.org,
and
UNCA
Valeria
Robecco, ANSA
News Agency,
Nabil Abi
Saab,
Al-Araby,
Jianguo Ma,
Xinhua News
Agency, Edith
Lederer,
Associated,
Giampaolo
Pioli,
Quotidiano,
Linda Fasulo,
Ibtisam Azem,
Al-Araby
Al-Jadeed
Newspaper, Ali
Barada, France
24, Asharq
Al-Awsat;
Oscar Bolanos,
OMB News,
Sherwin
Bryce-Pease,
SABC South
Africa -
Alexander
Hassanein, The
Tokyo Shimbun,
Maria
Khrenova,
TASS, Philippe
Rater, Agence
France-Presse,
Kaori Yoshida,
Nikkei, Betul
Yuruk, Anadolu
Agency
Iranian
state media
has several
offices in the
UN. But Inner
City Press
cannot enter,
even to use
the bullpen.
We'll have
more on all
this. Watch
this site.
***
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