In
UN Library Inner City Press Is
Ordered to Leave Jane's
Defence Oil Event, UN Spox
Says Fine
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Video
UNITED NATIONS,
June 6 – The UN Library
advertised and hosted a
presentative by Jane's Defence
Industry Solutions IHS Markit
on June 6 at 11 am. Inner City
Press registered, clicking the
box "Media Representative,"
and got an email confirming it
was registered. It went to the
UN Library's Room L-133 at
11:02 am only to hear, from
the podium, that is was
"Chatham House Rules," that
what was said could be
reported but not attributed.
Strangely, someone was being
allowed to film the event,
with assurances not to show
the audience. The presentation
ranged from oil blocks being
offered in Southern Lebanon to
losses of Turkey and Saudi
Arabia. Inner City Press was
typing a tweet with a quote,
without attibribution, when it
was tapped on the shoulder.
"You can't do that," an
officious man who will remain
unnamed said. Inner City Press
countered that it had
registered and was obeying
Chatham House Rules, and that
the man should not be reading
Inner City Press' laptop over
its shoulder. "You'll have to
leave," an equally officious
woman came to say. Inner City
Press voluntarily left,
despite having registered as
media and following the stated
rules. Inner City Press went
to the June 6 UN noon
briefing, where UN Spokesman
Stephane Dujarric for once
answered its question of the
day before, saying in his
opening, "you Matthew, asked
about the display near the
cafeteria: Our friends
at the Library tell us This is
a promotion for the Library
Lecture series. These
are not advertisements of
military products. The
pictures are a screenshot
(icons) from the
database. Jane's
Information Group is a British
publishing company
specializing in military,
aerospace, defence,
environment and transportation
topics. It’s a
subscription-based database,
with regular
publications. The
Library subscribes to it,
among many others, following
the expressed need of its
users, including delegates,
accredited media, United
Nations Secretariat staff and
United Nations agencies from
the world over. That
said, the Library has removed
some of the slides from the
screen." So Inner City Press
asked, video here,
UN transcript here:
Inner City Press:
thanks for that answer from
the Library, but, I'm sorry,
I'm compelled to ask you a
follow-up question.
Having attended this lecture
series, registered for it and
just attended it, they said it
was under Chatham House
rules. No problem.
Started live-tweeting it
without attribution, and I was
asked to leave, actually
required to leave, even though
this was a… and… and… the… the
topics being discussed, again
without attribution, were
things like oil blocks in
southern Lebanon, things that
were, at least to me, somewhat
controversial to be… to be
presented as a… as a
high-minded lecture
series. But… so, I
wanted to know, given what
you've said, you seem to
believe this event was… was
open, and… and it seemed to
be. Can these events
held in the library exclude,
as you put it, accredited
media and on what basis…?
Spokesman: Whoa,
whoa. Okay. Nobody
is excluding accredited media.
Inner
City Press: I
was told to leave the room.
Spokesman: My
understanding of Chatham House
rules is exactly that.
And I would not be surprised
if somebody who live-tweets
is…
Inner
City
Press:
He said you can tweet it… you
can quote it without
attributing it. Right.
Spokesman: Matthew, they
made a decision they
made. I don't find it
surprising. What is your
next question?
Inner City Press:
Okay. I did want to ask
you about Cameroon. I'd
asked you two days ago, and
you'd said that you'd check
what the country team have
held… heard back from the
Government and also about the
people now facing terrorism
charges for… for following in
a jail…?
Spokesman: We're
following these
developments. I'm not
able to share with you what
the country team heard back."
Ah transparency - as UN
Secretary General on June 6
himself tweeted
about how technology "is
finding new ways to connect us
every day." It is perhaps not
surprising that Guterres'
spokesman Dujarric was not
surprised - he himself has
evicted Inner City Press, from
the UN Press Briefing Room and
then its office, and banned
live stream Periscope at Guterres'
photo ops. The UN which
earlier this year hosted
advertisements for rocket
launchers and tanks on June 5
was asked about a display in
its lobby for Jane’s Defence
Industry Solutions complete
with fighter jet, American
flag and photo of the Chinese
Army. The spokesman for
Antonio Guterres the UN
Secretary General, Stephane
Dujarric, said he hadn't seen
the display just one story
below his office. Inner City
Press asked, UN transcript
here: Dujarric: Let me look
close to the screens as I go
downstairs, and I'll try to
answer and find… to your
question. Mr. Lee?
Inner City Press: I
can't resist. I have
some other things, but --
Spokesman:
When have you ever resisted?
[Note: As Dujarric has been
informed, Inner City Press
*has* resisted for more than a
month the entirely legal
live-streaming from the New
York City sidewalk of UN
Sec-Gen Antonio Guterres' $60
million mansion, first
streamed by Inner City Press
with its lights ablaze as
Guterres told others to turn
their lights off. A self
styled intermediary said these
streams caused security
issues, so Inner City Press
has “resisted” live streaming
for more than a month. But not
change, still restricted. It
was just a pretext?]
The June 5
transcript continued: Inner
City Press: In light of the
tank and other military
equipment that was advertised
in the 1B area of the UN, this
was late… said to be about…
only about a Member State, I
guess I… I just wonder, in
this case, these days there
are the signs up saying that
the UN is not in any way
endorsing any Member State
thing. This is… would
you acknowledge… even before
you look into this, are the
ads that are next to the… next
to the café that talk about
these library meetings with
publications, these are
endorsements. I mean,
these are…
Spokesman: I'm not going
to acknowledge anything until
I see it.
Inner City Press:
All right, but when you do see
it… can we watch you see it?
Spokesman:
When I see it, I'll tell you.”
Then this. Watch this site.
***
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