UN GATE, Sept 22
– Each day, the current United
Nations less accountable. And
Inner City Press, banned now
for the 1276th 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.
On
September 22, this from the
UK: "Liz Truss will chair the
talks today (Wednesday 22
September) with Foreign
Ministers from the US, France,
China and Russia, and UN
Secretary-General António
Guterres. Liz Truss will
convene the meeting of the UN
Security Council’s five
permanent members (P5) during
the United Nations General
Assembly High-Level Meetings
in New York as part of her
first overseas visit in her
new
role.
The P5 will discuss the vital
role the Security Council,
including its permanent
members, has to play in
maintaining international
peace and security, amid a
backdrop of ongoing conflicts
and crises, including in
Afghanistan, Myanmar, Yemen
and Tigray."
Former UK colony
Cameroon? Nigeria? Not so
much. And UK Mission supports
censorship at the UN, and is
silent on UNGA proceeding
after Brazil diplomat's
positive COVID test, as if
nothing happened. Some
example.
On
September 18, in violation of
NYC COVID law and of basic
free press principles, this:
"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@unca.com no later
than 4:00 PM TODAY (09/18)
with the subject line
"STAKEOUT RSVP" if you want to
attend. The first 5
names will receive a
confirmation from the UNCA
Office and will be sent to
MALU. Only those who received
the confirmation email will be
able to attend the stakeout.
(No need to reply if you do
NOT want to
attend). *** If
you are selected and cannot
attend the stakeout PLEASE
inform us ASAP as there will
be a waiting list. If you are
not at the stakeout by 11:40
am your spot will be given to
the first in line on the
waiting list. We
will send a note when RSVP's
reach capacity.
Thank you for your attention
and cooperation. Valeria
Robecco President, United
Nations Correspondents
Association."
Note: The
UK Mission to the UN refuses
Press questions, including
about its failure on its
failures in its former colony
Southern British Cameroons
(Ambazonia).
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 at
president@unca.com,
valeria.robecco@gmail.com,
nabisaab@gmail.com,
mjg222888@gmail.com,
elederer@ap.org,
giampioli@aol.com,
lindafasulo@gmail.com,
ibtisam.azem@alaraby.co.uk,
abarada@hotmail.com,
ombyvozque@gmail.com,
s.brycepease@gmail.com,
alexander@tokyoshimbun.us,
khrenova_m@tass.ru,
philippe.rater@afp.com,
kaori.yoshida@nex.nikkei.com,
byuruk@aa.com.tr
We'll have
more on all
this. Watch
this site.
***
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