As
UNGA Meets on
UN Rapes, ICP
Banned Then
Gets Reviews
With Minder
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, April
5-- Amid the
latest in a
series of
allegations of
child rapes
against UN and
French
peacekeepers
in the Central
African
Republic, the
UN General
Assembly
convened a
meeting on
April 5 in the
UN's
Trusteeship
Council
Chamber.
Inner
City Press for
two days asked
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
Office of the
Spokesperson
how, with its
accreditation
capriciously
reduced, it
could stakeout
and cover the
meeting
without a UN
minder.
Amazingly,
this proved to
be impossible.
But Inner City
Press still
covered it.
First, Inner
City Press was
told by the
guard at the
turnstile at
which Inner
City Press'
pass no longer
work to “Go
get MALU,” the
Media
Accreditation
and Liaison
Unit. But
MALU, when
they came,
said they were
understaffed
and did not
even have the
time to be
Inner City
Press' minder.
So Inner City
Press missed
more than 15
minutes of the
diplomats
entering the
meeting about
rapes.
(Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric had
previously
said that if
Inner City
Press couldn't
get through
the turnstile,
“Don't tweet
about it, go
talk to MALU.”
Inner City
Press this
time followed
the advice -
but MALU would
not get it
through the
turnstile. So
Inner City
Press did then
tweet about
it.)
Then MALU said
they had time
to be the
minder of
Inner City
Press. This
was done, at
least for part
of the time,
along with a
board member
of the UN
Correspondents
Association.
But even under
this sinister
watch, Inner
City Press
managed to
speak to at
least some
Permanent
Representatives,
while others
respectfully
declined to
speak, citing
the minder.
One said they
weren't much
impressed by
Jane Holl
Lute's excuse
that the
response had
been slow
because the
site of the
rapes was
remote and
dangerous.
Another
said a major
P5 country's
“intervention”
had been
ill-informed
and
unprepared.
But most with
whom Inner
City Press
spoke said it
was good the
session
happened, that
if the UN
doesn't “man
up” as one
Permanent
Representative
put it to
Inner City
Press, its
reputation
will be hurt
for decades.
Ban Ki-moon's
chief of staff
Edmond Mulet,
who spoke in
the meeting,
left and at
least smiled
at Inner City
Press. He has
received
letters to
give to Ban,
from Burundi
and elsewhere.
Several
diplomats,
including one
who for this
reasons
wouldn't not
comment to
Inner City
Press about
the meeting,
commented that
the requirement
of a minder for
the Press was
absurd,
wasteful and
"beneath the
UN." Another
said, "But
she's nice,"
referring to
the minder. Inner
City Press does
not disagree,
and is trying
to be agreeable.
But the restriction
is not
sustainable,
is unjustified
and must be
reversed,
shared office
and Resident
Correspondent
accreditation
restored.
While Inner
City Press
spoke with a
Permanent
Representative
it has long
known, an UNCA
board member -
we are being
diplomatic
here - came up
from behind
and moved the
Perm Rep's
scart (it was
a cold day),
then hugged
him.
The Permanent
Representative
turned and
asked, “Who
are you?”
This
individual
walked freely
without
minder,
apparently not
covering the
meeting on UN
rapes. We'll
have more on
this.
Footnote:
while staking
out the UN
rapes meeting
regarding
which some
Perm Reps
wouldn't speak
to the Press
because of the
minder, Inner
City Press
also covered
as a bonus the
election to
some ECOSOC
bodies. People
emerged, some
with swag
bags, some
saying they
hadn't
accepted the
bag to not "be
on Inner City
Press."
On
April 5 the
Narcotics
Board was
completed; on
April 6 it
will continue
on the
indigenous and
three other
ECOSOC bodies.
Watch this
site - unless
Inner City
Press remains
Banned from
covering this.
, 
