| UN Correspondent Has COVID
19 But Still No Answers From UN Spokespeople
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC
- Guardian
UK - Honduras
- CJR -
PFT
UN GATE / SDNY
COURT, March 18 – The United
Nations, which bills itself
the "world body," should
answer questions from the
press and public. But since
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres came in, the UN has
become more and more
opaque.
On March
16, Guterres' Spokesman
Stephane Dujarric in a nearly
empty Press Briefing Room said
that from now on he and his
Deputy Farhan Haq will answer
questions by text message or
WhatsApp.
But
apparently he tried to limit
this offer only to the
correspondents whom Guterres,
he and Melissa Fleming give
office space too, which does
not include critical Inner
City Press but does involve
three huge offices for China's
state media Xinhua, for
example.
Now on
March 18, forwarded to Inner
City Press, this: "UNCA member
tested positive for COVID-19.
Their test results were
revealed on Tuesday, March
17... The UNCA member was last
at UN Headquarters on
Thursday, March 12th, attended
the spokesperson's noon
briefing and spent time at the
Delegates Lounge and in the
press area on the third floor.
Our colleague started feeling
the symptoms on Friday
morning, took the test on
Saturday and immediately
quarantined at home... We
continue to keep in constant
contact with the
Spokesperson's Office and MALU
for minute-to-minute updates"
- but no answers to any other
journalists who cover the UN.
Several
disgusted members of the UN
Correspondents Association
forwarded to Inner City Press
an e-mail they received and
suggested it submit its
questions, about Guterres' and
Fleming's lack of financial
disclosure, cover up of UN
rapes and complicity in
Cameroon, through the ways
they were invited to. Here's
from the e-mail:
"Dear
colleagues, The
spokesperson's office has
provided us with both Stephane
and Farhan's cell number so
that correspondents can send a
question via WhatsApp or text
before noon. Stephane
Dujarric: +1 917 622
7652
Farhan Haq: +1
917 592 4591 In
addition, we are passing on an
update from MALU that there
will be NO signing in of
guests at UNHQ and the
accreditation office will not
be issuing any temporary
passes until further notice.
Valeria Robecco President,
United Nations Correspondents
Association."
So on
March 17 well before noon, by
both WhatsApp and text message
as well as e-mail, Inner City
Press submitted to both
spokesmen its substantive
questions, ranging from state
violence in Cameroon to
censorship in Iran to reported
cases of UN sexual abuse and
Guterres' and Fleming's lack
of disclosure. It asked that
receipt be confirmed and the
questions answered before or
at noon.
When the UN's
March 17 noon briefing
occurred, there were only two
in-person questioners, one of
whom is retired. She used the
briefing to advertise, as did
Spokesman Farhan Haq.
But there were no
answers, despite following the
procedures detailed above.
Inner City Press and the Free
UN Coalition for Access,
FUNCA, will have more on
this.
***
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