By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 3 --
The UN's lack
of
transparency
on Western
Sahara, where
is has failed
to hold the
referendum on
independence
for which it
has long had a
UN
Peacekeeping
mission,
continues.
In connection
with the
International
Day of Persons
with
Disabilities,
the UN put out
a world map of
countries
actions on the
Convention on
the Rights of
Persons with
Disabilities
and its
Optional
Protocol, here.
On the map
there are only
three or four
gray areas:
Jammu and
Kashmir,
Western
Sahara, and
Greenland. But
the map's
footnote
addresses only
the first of
these and
Sudan / South
Sudan: "Note:
The boundaries
and the names
shown and the
designations
used on these
maps do not
imply official
endorsement or
acceptance by
the United
Nations. Final
boundary
between the
Republic of
Sudan and the
Republic of
South Sudan
has not yet
been
determined.
Dotted line
represents
approximately
the Line of
Control in
Jammu and
Kashmir agreed
upon by India
and Pakistan.
The final
status of
Jammu and
Kashmir has
not yet been
agreed upon by
the parties."
But what about
Western
Sahara? The
map generally
says, "For
application of
treaties to
overseas,
non-self-governing
and other
territories,
shown here in
grey, see
http://untreaty.un.org/ola."
But this final
link is dead.
And there is
lies.
As
Inner City
Press reported
on November
26, the UN
Office of the
High
Commissioner
for Refugees
censored even
the words
"Western
Sahara" from
its revised
report on
Saharawi
refugees. And
two separate
UNHCR
spokespeople
have not
provided any
explanation,
two days after
Inner City
Press sent
them:
"a
Press request
for UNHCR to
explain why
its report(s)
on Saharawi
refugees
"Nutrition
Survey,
Western Sahara
Refugee Camps,
Tindouf,
Algeria," was
initially
released,
here, with
multiple
references to
“Western
Sahara”
but was
finalized and
re-issued with
all of those
references
removed. (The
"revised" new
version,
"Nutrition
Survey
Saharawi
Refugee Camps,
Tindouf,
Algeria," can
be downloaded
for example here.)
"Why
did UNHCR do
this? What
were the
communications
between UNHCR
and Morocco
before this
change was
made? Who made
this change or
revision? Who
is responsible
for it? Is
this
reflective of
UN systemwide
policy, or
only UNHCR's
policy? If
only UNHCR's,
please state
why (and under
what authority
or mandate,
given
applicable
General
Assembly and
Security
Council
resolutions)
UNHCR adopted
this policy.
On deadline."
Mor than a
week and
counting after
this was sent
to UNHCR
spokespeople
Christopher
Reardon and
Melissa
Fleming, no
explanation.
We'll stay on
this.
At UN
headquarters
while UN
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric still
refuses to
comment on the
leaked cable
showing UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous
undermining
the MINURSO
mission on
human rights,
on November 7
Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric about
Morocco's
King's
speech.
Video
here.
Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric about
these quotes
of King
Mohammed VI:
"Morocco’s
sovereignty
over its
entire
territory is
effective,
inalienable
and
non-negotiable...
'No' to any
attempt to
reconsider the
principles and
criteria of
the
negotiation
process, or
any attempt to
revise and
expand the
MINURSO
mandate to
include such
matters as the
supervision of
the human
rights
situation."
While Ladsous'
views in the
cable support
or even parrot
this last,
against a UN
role in human
rights despite
Ban Ki-moon's
supposed
"Rights Up
Front" plan,
Dujarric on
November 7 had
a prepared
"If-Asked"
about the
speech, and
read:
"We’ve
seen the
speech. We
remain
committed to
our work as
per the
mandate of the
Security
Council on
Western Sahara
and in that
respect one
looks forward
to the speedy
resumption of
the
negotiation
process and
the
facilitation
of the
Personal Envoy
of the
Secretary
General,
Christopher
Ross, as well
as the
deployment of
the Special
Representative
of the
Secretary
General for
Western
Sahara, Kim
Bolduc, who’s
also the head
of the MINURSO
mission there.
As you know,
both Mr. Ross
and Ms Bolduc
briefed the
Council on
October 27 and
afterwards the
Council
reiterated its
desire to see
Mr. Ross’s
facilitation
resume, as
well as to see
Ms. Bolduc
take a her
duties at the
helm of
MINURSO as
soon as
possible. We
look forward
to Mr. Ross’s
visits to the
region, as
well as to the
deployment of
Ms. Bolduc."
Other leaked
cables discuss
Ms Bolduc, and
Mr Ross --
we'll have
more on these.
Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric to
provide by
e-mail the
"if-asked"
text that he
read; Dujarric
refused,
despite the
fact that his
Office
routinely
provides this
service to
other,
presumably
more friendly,
correspondents.
We'll have
more on this
as well.
Document leaks
from inside
the UN have
identified
improper
service of
Morocco, on
the question
of Western
Sahara, by a
staffer at the
Office of the
High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights, Anders
Kompass.
Inner
City Press
waited to
report on the
leaked
cable(s) - the
spokesperson
for the High
Commissioner
on November 5
said his
office is
aware the
leaked cables,
which contain
the
perspective of
certain
diplomats, and
that the
situation is
being
investigated
to clarify the
facts.”
Whatever
the
Office of the
High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights, now
under Jordan's
Prince Zeid,
does about the
content of the
leaks, more
will be
required in
the UN
Secretariat in
New York --
particularly
at the top of
the Department
of
Peacekeeping
Operations,
which runs the
MINURSO
mission in
Western
Sahara.
The
cables show
that Herve
Ladsous, a long-time
French
diplomat now
the boss of
DPKO and
thus of
MINURSO, was
flacking for
Morocco on the
supposed
quality of its
human rights
mechanisms. This
directly
undercuts the
MINURSO
mission, for
which Ladsous
is supposed to
be working.