Inner City Press: Global Inner Cities Report

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September 13, 2021

UN Guterres Pitches No-Vax UNGA In Presser He Bans Inner City Press From, No Answers

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Video Q&A
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN

UN GATE, Sept 10 – Since August 3, Inner City Press has each week end asked UN Spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming about the UN's planned "honor system" UN General Assembly week, without vaccination required.

Now on September 10 in a "press" conference from which he banned Inner City Press, Guterres again promoted his no-vax UNGA week, while saying he'll inject money to the Taliban and dodge a question about the Burma Ambassador targeted for assassination as prosecuted in SDNY court Inner City Press covers while banned from the UN by Guterres.

Inner City Press live tweeted the press-less presser here:

Guterres just talked about his UN using new technology. But they got hacked, staff's information sold on the Dark Web, while his UN handed info on Uighur dissidents to China, won't answer Press about it.

Guterres name-checks discrimination. But he's firing even UN staffer working on the issue, won't answer Inner City Press' questions about petition(s) https://change.org/p/unsg-antonio-guterres-usg-smale-we-demand-the-un-restore-inner-city-press-access-to-the-un-as-a-resident-correspondent and (race)

Now on Afghanistan, UNSG Antonio Guterres says he'll find ways to "inject' money - he's an expert in that, hiding his link to UN briber CEFC China Energy, through Gulbenkian which paid him money they tried to sell its oil company to CEFC

Now Guterres says, Don't delay COP. He's inviting unvaccinated dictators to NYC Sept 21 - now says NYC gov will offer vaccinations on-site. But if they're two shot? No answer to Inner City Press' questions about this potential super-spread event.

Now UN Spokesperson Dujarric , who bans Inner City Press and refuses all of its written questions contrary to his own (worthless?) on camera promise to answer, give softball Q to Chinese state media

So Antonio Guterres has never heard of the (London based) Al Quds Al Arabi, to which UN Spokesperson Dujarric gives so many questions / statements - watch the video of current (Press-less) press conference

On Burma, UNSG Antonio Guterres is asked about the UN Ambassador who was targeted for assassination, as prosecuted here SDNY LIVE . He dodges and says it's up to the Credentials Committee.

And now it's over - no one allowed in asked UNSG Antonio Guterres about Cameroon, or Haiti, or retaliation against Emma Reilly, or why he omitted from his financial disclosure his link to UN briber CEFC China Energy.

This is censorship.

Late on August 27 Guterres issued a second internal memo which banned Inner City Press exclusively publishes here:

"From: United Nations Sent: Friday, August 27, 2021 4:33:10 PM To: Broadcast - UNHQ NY Secretariat Agencies, Funds and Programmes Subject: CORRECTION: Message from the Secretary-General to all personnel at UNHQ regarding arrangements for September 2021 | Communication du Secrétaire général adressée à l’ensemble du personnel du Siège de l’ONU concernant les modalités de travail pour septembre Dear New York-based Colleagues, I hope this message finds you and your loved ones well. Further to my previous communications, I would like to update you on the provisional working arrangements at United Nations Headquarters in New York from September 2021. As communicated in my letter of 3 June 2021, the United Nations Headquarters in New York, as of 6 July 2021, have been reopened fully for in-person business, and all UNHQ New York personnel are expected to be present and work from the duty station as of 1 September 2021. Given the COVID-19 conditions in New York, we will maintain our current posture. This means that, with the exception of the High-Level General Debate period, all UNHQ New York personnel are to continue to perform their functions on premises one or more days a week until further notice. For the High-Level General Debate period — 20 to 27 September 2021 (inclusive) — all UNHQ New York personnel who are not required to be on site to support the proceedings are mandated to work remotely under alternate working arrangements (AWA). For those who have been informed that they are required to be on site, specific information concerning the arrangements during this time will be communicated separately by the respective Heads of Departments and offices. The COVID-19 situation continues to be constantly monitored and measured to ensure a safe work environment for our personnel and delegates, and will be reviewed and adapted as needed. Guidance on the COVID-19 prevention measures announced in my broadcast message of 13 August 2021 (on mask-wearing, indoor dining, vaccination status reporting and mandatory vaccination) will be updated shortly. I also encourage staff who have not already done so to get vaccinated through the local vaccination programmes and report it through EarthMed."

Earth to Antonio: flying in unvaccinated delegations of dictatorships the UN supports, like in Cameroon, is contrary to New York City law - but Guterres asserts impunity, as on his ongoing ban on Inner City Press, not even answering the polite letter from the Quinn Emanuel law firm.

On August 9, journalist Benny Avni asked Dujarric about the letter, video here, transcript:

Question: My second question is the law firm ‑‑ what is it called? ‑‑ Quinn Emanuel wrote a letter to the UN asking about reinstatement of our colleague Matthew Lee into the UN press corps. Do you have any comment on that?

Spokesman: No. All I can tell you is that we've received the letter, and I'm not aware of any change to his status.

Question: You're not aware? I mean, aren't you part of the group that decides the fate of... or even the negotiations... The letter calls for renegotiation [Cross talk]

Spokesman: I decide the fate of no one. [Laughter] Trust me, trust me, my authority is extremely limited, whether at home or at work. What I can tell you and, joking aside, is that the letter has indeed been received, and I'm not aware of any... and 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...

September 6, 2021

In Afghanistan UNDP Abandons Local Staff, Censorship By Guterres and Irish Mission

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Video Q&A
BBC - Guardian UK - Song - SDNY/FOIA

UN GATE, September 2 – Each day, the current United Nations gets worse. And Inner City Press, banned now for the 1258th 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 asked, or seemingly had the memo.

Now this about the UNDP's abandonment of Afghan staff, from whistleblowing sources to Inner City Press: "UNDP in Afghanistan is refusing to help national staff to leave the country. While other international organisations have evacuated all staff including guards and drivers, the United Nations Development Program is declining to evacuate any national staff. The response is that it is not United Nations policy to evacuate national staff. National staff are at risk because they served the UN and now are left to fend for themselves. Many are in hiding, including one woman who is forced to hide in a basement in fear of life or forced marriage to Taliban militia. The Resident Representative, Abdallah Dardari, got himself out to Kazakhstan quickly despite the chance to remain within a well-guarded compound. All the better to avoid any responsibility when national staff start to get their throats cut by the Taliban simply because they worked for an international organization. There are still UN humanitarian flights out of Afghanistan. Staff and their families could be got out if UNDP management accepted their moral responsibilities."

This is today's corrupt UN that can't even take questions.

On August 30, the UN Security Council after significant watering down a draft resolution on Afghanistan nevertheless witnessed abstention and speech from China name-checking, to denounced, "ETIM," the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. No one mentioned the mass imprisonment of Uighurs. And Guterres' teams did not answer any of Inner City Press' written questions. Video of Q&A for access. Song.
and now, podcast here.

So during the August 30 meeting, the last in August, Inner City Press wrote to the incoming UNSC Presidency for September, Ireland's Geraldine Byrne Nason, and her spokesperson Meghan Boroughs, for access at least by WebEx to their September 1 "press" conference.

The Mission's self-described spokesperson replied that she referred the request to MALU - which does not response or explain - and the Irish PR held a presser with another spokesperson, Irwin, and did not answer written questions on Haiti, Cameroon, South Sudan, and Afghanistan.

August 30, 2021

UN Guterres Heads To No-Vax UNGA Week For Dictators He Supports, Bans Press, Memo

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Video Q&A
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN

UN GATE, August 27, Exclusive – Since August 3, Inner City Press has each week end asked UN Spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming about the UN's planned "honor system" UN General Assembly week, without vaccination required. Then it also asked, Where *is* Guterres? No answer.

Now late on August 27 Guterres issued a second internal memo which banned Inner City Press exclusively publishes here:

On August 9, journalist Benny Avni asked Dujarric about the letter, video here, transcript:

Spokesman: No. All I can tell you is that we've received the letter, and I'm not aware of any change to his status.

Question: You're not aware? I mean, aren't you part of the group that decides the fate of... or even the negotiations... The letter calls for renegotiation [Cross talk]

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.

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.

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 etc

We'll have more on this. Watch this site.

August 23, 2021

From Afghanistan UN Almaty Memo Leaked To Inner City Press August 16, No Answers, Lies

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Video Q&A
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - SDNY/FOIA

UN GATE, August 18 – Each day, the current United Nations gets worse. And Inner City Press, banned now for the 1243rd 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.

On August 18 Dujarric announced, as news, the two day old memo. Pathetic. Lies. Here is UNAMA's email:

" From: Marija Sendekovic <sendekovic@un.org> On Behalf Of OSRSG-UNAMA Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2021 5:07 PM To: UNAMA-All Staff <unama-allstaff@un.org> Subject: Message to all staff Message to all staff The security and political landscape has evolved quickly and we may expect further volatility in the immediate period ahead. We understand the anxiety this has caused to all of you in face of such uncertainty. Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of all personnel. We have put in place and implemented many approaches and security measures to help protect staff. We will continue to make all necessary adjustments to procedures and work issues in order to safeguard personnel. Many colleagues from field offices have been involved in extensive relocation actions. I thank all the many teams across the UN family who made the relocations possible. I recognize such moves can be a real upheaval and stressful to colleagues and their families. Your safety is of paramount importance to us and we will continue to support you in every way we can. The relocations were overwhelmingly successful with the vast majority of field-based personnel safely moved out of immediate harms’ way. With a focus on keeping personnel and their families safe, we will be looking to see most national personnel mainly working from homes or the place of relocation. The UN’s leadership is continuing to explore every viable option to support national personnel in the challenging circumstances. In order to further reduce risks we are also looking at options to consolidate personnel reporting to the office in to fewer compounds within Afghanistan. Another step we are taking is to continue to lower the footprint of international personnel in Kabul. No evacuation is currently being considered but it is prudent that only senior management and essential international staff stay in Afghanistan for the time-being. In parallel to lightening of our international footprint in Kabul, we are setting up a satellite office for the UN in a nearby state in order for some international staff to support our work in Afghanistan. Almaty in Kazakhstan -that is less than two hours flight time from Kabul- has been identified as the location from where a small group of international personnel can work. We need to display patience and fortitude in the period ahead. As representatives of the United Nations we need to remain level-headed and all work together to shape these events so that they produce the best possible outcome for Afghanistan under the circumstances. These are the moments where the United Nations is called on to perform; let us strive to do our best to meet the great expectations that the Afghan people have on us."

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, transcript:

Spokesman: No. All I can tell you is that we've received the letter, and I'm not aware of any change to his status.

Question: You're not aware? I mean, aren't you part of the group that decides the fate of... or even the negotiations... The letter calls for renegotiation [Cross talk]

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.

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...

August 16, 2021

UN Guterres Bumbles Toward UNGA on Honor System, Some Staff Must Vax, Memo Here

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Video Q&A
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN

UN GATE, August 13, Exclusive – Since August 3, Inner City Press has each week end asked UN Spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming about the UN's planned "honor system" UN General Assembly week, without vaccination required. Then it also asked, Where *is* Guterres? No answer.

Now on August 13 Guterres returned from an undisclosed vacation - in a Level 4 / Do Not Travel country? - and issued an internal memo which banned Inner City Press exclusively publishes here:

Dear New York-based Colleagues, planning has commenced for the high-level period of the 76th Session of the General Assembly, which will take place at UNHQ from 14 September to 1 October 2021. The Delta variant of Covid-19 is posing some challenges to our planning, and we will be taking additional precautionary measures to ensure a safe work environment for our personnel and delegates. Mask requirement. To ensure adequate protection for all colleagues, effective today, all personnel must wear masks when indoors on premises. We will reassess this requirement as conditions warrant. Reporting of vaccination status. The most significant driver of COVID19-related risk is vaccination status. Accurate information on the vaccination status of staff is therefore essential to determine risk and appropriate mitigation strategies. For this reason, all staff at UNHQ in consideration of the need to protect one another will be required to report their vaccination status including through EarthMed with immediate effect. Reporting of positive test results. In addition, any personnel who has been on site and has a positive COVID-19 or Antigen test result must report the results immediately to the Division of Healthcare Management and Occupational Safety and Health through the confidential self-reporting portal (medical.un.org) in order to ensure effective risk mitigation at the workplace. Proof of vaccination to use dining facilities. In order to align UNHQ’s approach to indoor dining with that of NYC’s guidance, we will soon require proof of vaccination for seated meals at cafeterias and other dining facilities on premises. Further guidance on full return to work is being developed and will be issued in September. Vaccination requirement for certain categories. I continue to be very grateful to those staff who have been working on premises throughout the pandemic, either because their functions could not be performed remotely or when remote work would have impacted their effectiveness and efficiency. I particularly commend those who did so when we did not have the protection of vaccination. As the presence of unvaccinated staff potentially increases the risk for other staff members, whether vaccinated or not, vaccinations will be mandated for staff performing certain tasks and/or certain occupational groups at UNHQ whose functions do not allow sufficient management of exposure. This mandate may be waived where a recognized medical condition prevents vaccination. Those staff who will be required to be vaccinated must receive the final dose of a vaccine no later than 19 September 2021... Yours sincerely, António Guterres"

So what are the tasks? And why if the UN holding an "honor system" no vax UNGA, and banning Press?

On August 9, journalist Benny Avni asked Dujarric about the letter, video here, transcript:

Spokesman: No. All I can tell you is that we've received the letter, and I'm not aware of any change to his status.

Question: You're not aware? I mean, aren't you part of the group that decides the fate of... or even the negotiations... The letter calls for renegotiation [Cross talk]

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.

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...

August 9, 2021

Amid Burma Coup, 2 Arrested In Bid to Kill UN Ambassador, 20 Year-Old Zaw Detained, Risk

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Complaint
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN

UN GATE, August 6 – After the Burma coup regime purported to fired its New York-based UN ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun for his speech in New York in the usually scripted UN General Assembly, now two Burmese have been criminally charged with trying to kill him. One has been detained, as exclusively live tweeted by Inner City Press, here and below.

On the afternoon of August 6 this: Criminal complaint on Inner City Press' DocumentCloud here: the arrests of PHYO HEIN HTUT and YE HEIN ZAW for conspiracy to assault and make a violent attack upon Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations [Kyaw Moe Tun]. HTUT and ZAW were charged in two separate complaints... Between at least in or about July 2021 through at least on or about August 5, 2021, HTUT and ZAW, citizens of Myanmar currently residing in New York, conspired to injure or kill Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the UN.

During the conspiracy, HTUT communicated with an arms dealer in Thailand (the “Arms Dealer”) who sells weapons to the Burmese military, which overthrew Myanmar’s civilian government in or about February 2021. In the course of those conversations, HTUT and the Arms Dealer agreed on a plan in which HTUT would hire attackers to hurt the Ambassador in an attempt to force the Ambassador to step down from his post. If the Ambassador did not step down, then the Arms Dealer proposed that the attackers hired by HTUT would kill the Ambassador.

Shortly after agreeing on the plan, ZAW contacted HTUT by cellphone and transferred approximately $4,000 to HTUT through a money transfer app as an advance payment on the plot to attack the Ambassador. Later, during a recorded phone conversation with ZAW, HTUT discussed how the planned attackers would require an additional $1,000 to conduct the attack on the Ambassador in Westchester County, and for an additional payment the attackers could, in substance, “finish off” the Ambassador. In response, ZAW agreed, in substance, to pay the additional $1,000 and to try to obtain the additional money.

Inner City Press managed to find and live tweet the presentment of Zaw, here:

OK - now criminal presentment for attempt to kill Burma's UN Ambassador of PHYO HEIN HTUT & YE HEIN ZAW before @SDNYLIVE Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause. Inner City Press has reported it (even as banned from UN by SG @AntonioGuterres ) and will live tweet below

Zaw has a Burmese interpreter, a Mr. Leong - certified in California but not New York. He's being sworn in by Judge Krause. No one objects.

Judge: This is an initial appearance, to determine if bail may be set. You have the right to remain silent, any statement that you do make may be used against you. Do you understand? Zaw (though interpreter) Yes

Zaw is applying for a public defender, paid by US taxpayers. Judge: Do you have funds behind that set forth in this affidavit?

Judge: Mr. Zaw, you are entitled to have the consulate of Myanmar visit you. [Note: which consulate? There's a dispute who represents the country here, post-coup] Zaw: Please notify them later, when it become necessary, your Honor.

Zaw: I am 20 years old. Judge Krause: Have you taken any drugs or alcohol in the past 24 hours? Zaw: No. Defense: We are not making a bail application today. [So Zaw will be detained - where? MCC? Valhalla?]

Assistant US Attorney: Defendant was arrested yesterday at 1 pm. He was not able to be presented until today. Judge Krause: We had to locate an interpreter. Then he wasn't available until after 3 pm today...

Judge Krause: Mr. Zaw, you are charged with participating in a conspiracy. Have you reviewed the complaint with the interpreter? Yes. Public reading of the complaint waived.

Zaw wants a copy of the Complaint translated into Burmese. He doesn't have it yet. Judge Krause: It may take a few days. Preliminary hearing on September 1 - but might not happen, if there is an indictment by the grand jury.

Judge Krause: Would the government be seeking detention? AUSA: Yes. As an extreme risk of flight. Judge Krause: Mr. Zaw will be detained.

At the UN, SG Guterres removed Burma's or Myanmar's army from the UN "list of shame" for recruiting and using child soldiers, despite more than 200 cases. Emboldened by corrupt Guterres, they are recruiting and using even more. Now a call for Guterres, trying to steal a second term, to reinstate them on the list - but from a group which seems to join Guterres in banning Inner City Press from (its) press conference.

Tellingly, after UN PGA Volkan Bozkir's spokesman Brenden Varma (who blocks Inner City Press on Twitter) bragged there would be a GA vote on Myanmar on May 18, the vote is postponed and Varma, it seems, deleted his tweet without explanation, while uploaded selfies from Woodstock, Vermont. This is what the UN has come to: corrupt censorship. Burma indeed.

Meanwhile India, president of the Security Council for August, has no meeting on Burma and Ambassador Tirumurti refused Inner City Press written questions, here.

Watch this site.

***

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August 2, 2021

Amid UN Censorship, Lawyer's Letter to UN Trio and UNCA Dozen Is A Litmus Test

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN

UN GATE, July 29 – Each day, the current United Nations gets worse. Usually we focus on Secretary General Antonio Guterres moving from concealing his links to UN briber CEFC China Energy to banning the Press that asks, to failures on Sri Lanka, Cameroon, Haiti, Honduras (JOH) & Nigeria (Nnamdi & Igboho).

But today the UN loses a journalist of integrity, Apostolis Zoupaniotis, retiring to return to Greece. Even after the UN in retaliation threw Inner City Press out of its UN office, Apostolis offered the use of his cubicle.

By contrast the insiders of the UN Correspondents Association, while purporting to praise this journalist among with UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric on three week vacation in Greece, have neither responded to or offered any explanation when a lawyer's letter - to each UNCA Executive Committee member - urged them to have a dialogue about ending the UN's banning and censorship of Inner City Press.

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.

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 this. Watch this site.

July 26, 2021

In Corrupt UN of Guterres Sudan Staff Complain of UNFPA Nepotism & Retaliation

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN

UN GATE, July 19, updated July 22 – How corrupt has the UN system become under Antonio Guterres? Well, here is a sample retaliation complaint within UNFPA, in Sudan, which has been provided to Inner City Press, which Guterres has had banned for 1213 days without providing answers:

"Please provide the name and position of the person(s) who has committed the alleged act(s) of retaliation: Mr. Mateen Shaheen; Deputy Representative UNFPA CO, Sudan; email: shaheen@unfpa.org Mr. Massimo Diana; Representative UNFPA CO, Sudan; email: diana@unfpa.org II. Protected Activity: Did you report misconduct? To whom and when (date) did you make your report of misconduct? Yes, to the Executive Director on May 24th. 2021

What misconduct did you report? (Please describe in the context of Section 6 of the policy). Personnel who witness or are affected by wrongdoing. Did you cooperate with a duly authorized fact-finding activity? Who was or made aware of your cooperation? Yes, Ethics Office When did the authorized fact-finding activity take place? What was your role (complainant, witness, other)?

Was a report completed? On June 3rd. 2021, as a Complainant. III. Allegation of Retaliation: Describe, in as much detail as possible, the detrimental action(s) (i.e., alleged retaliation) that you suffered as a result of your protected activity, described in Section II (i.e., reporting the misconduct, or, cooperating with a duly authorized fact-finding activity). Please attach additional pages, if necessary.

1. Harsh or rude communication style by senior management through emails and during meetings, including repeatedly publicly asking staff to look for jobs outside of UNFPA and rudely accusing them of not being worth their salaries. 2. Continuous staff harassment, systematic violation of HR policies and abuse of authority that resulted in an unprecedented high resignation rate of several valuable UNFPA staff and a resulting loss of critical institutional memory, including HR Associate resignation in order not to be implicated in corrupt recruiting practices driven by senior management.

3. Discrimination and nepotism; specifically, un-unified methods of recruitment, including 12 new positions were not opened internally following procedure’ referring to ‘fast track recruitments’ in order to not extend contracts of national staff in the Sudan CO in favour of bringing in staff who have served with senior management in former duty stations. As evidence, in the last six months, six new positions have been recruited and filled by staff from Syria, the former duty station of the Representative. Further, positions have also been filled through personal relations such as bringing on board the wife of the 1 Representative’s friends in Khartoum into the Youth Program without transparency or clarity on roles and responsibility.

4. Manipulating PAD’s and individual performance evaluation reports, as senior management assigned a committee to review and amend performance evaluation report (meant to be between the employee and their direct supervisor). The committee and staff requesting the (negative) amendments to my performance evaluation do not directly supervise me and have no insight into my daily work for UNFPA.

5. Senior management also offered a three-month contract, citing the amended negative performance evaluation report mention in the previous point; has also been decided by the same committee as a deliberate strategy in order to pave the way for non-extension or termination of staff contracts.

6. Pressure to take on colleague’s vacated role with no transparency: After the Programme Assistant in Health Unit resigned citing repeated staff harassment by senior management, I was then offered his post. I am more than happy to take on additional tasks, roles and responsibilities as required by the programme, always keeping in mind the project’s best interest to effectively achieve project goals as part of our important work in Sudan within a harassment free work environment. I have previously supported various divisions and units within the agency upon request beyond my job description. However, in this case I was not offered a clear ToR for the new role offered to me despite repeatedly requesting additional information.

7. Violation of UN Human Resources Charter: As I am familiar with the work of our former colleague, the Health Unit ProgramAssistant, I was fully aware that the ToR of this position is significantly different from my own. Yet senior management or HR were not willing to discuss this transparently or adapt my current ToR accordingly, including adjusting the grade and/or level appropriately. As more than 20% of my ToR would be changed this reaction clearly violated the UN Human Resources recruitment policy. 8. Contract terminated/ not extended: Two weeks later, I have been sent a letter stating that my contract will no longer be renewed after 30 June 2021 and being pressured to sign this letter by HR and Senior Management. This was similar to being pressured to sign my amended performance review and is clearly linked to my principled refusal to take over my colleague’s position after he resigned in distress and no review of my ToR was conducted.

Please explain why you believe the protected activity led to the alleged retaliation? If you are alleging several acts of retaliation, please provide a link between the protected activity/activities and each alleged act of retaliation. Receipt of a letter stating that my contract will no longer be renewed after 30 June 2021 (two weeks after Senior Management offering of Program Assistant position without a clear ToR for the new role offered to me.

Please list any evidence or documentation that would support your allegation of retaliation. If available, please provide the documents listed. 1. Assessing the Work from Home modality; evidence to point 1 in Part III 2. RE PGSD08 2020 NtF AWP and DoP Amendment; evidence to the start of personal harassment by Senior Management 3. RE Contract Extension 21; evidence to points 4 and 5 in Part III 4. RE Expiry of Contract; evidence to points 6, 7 and 8 in Part III 5. Non Extension Letter - Elhassan Zain Elabdin 6. Staff Association Official Letter Draft to Senior Management; submitted on May 9th. 2021 7. Concern Regarding Developments at UNFPA Sudan 8. Individual Concerns at UNFPA Sudan 9. Non-Extension of Contract UNFPA Sudan Country Office

Please provide the names and positions of any individuals who may be able to provide corroborating information to support your complaint of retaliation: [REDACTED DUE TO EXPRESSED FEAR OF RETALIATION IN GUTERRES' CORRUPT UN.]

IV. Purpose of complaint: Please state your goal in lodging this complaint. What would you like to happen? Ensuring fair assessment to my Performance Evaluation Report. Conducting investigation on the senior management practices listed in part III Providing protection against the current retaliation practices by the senior management Setting prevention policy of the future retaliation practices by the senior management Ensuring harassment-free work environment.

V. History: Who else besides the Ethics Office have you contacted for assistance? No other parties and/or bodies have been contacted for assistance."

Until Inner City Press, along with additional confidential information. Watch this site.

July 12, 2021

SG Guterres Covers Up UN Sex Abuse in DRC & Haiti As Bans Inner City Press 1200 Days

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video here, Vine here

UN GATE, July 6 -- Stephane Dujarric, the lead spokesman of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, and now Guterres' Global Communicator Melissa Fleming have joined their boss in personally covering up child rapes and sexual abuse by UN personnel, including recently a child rape by a UN "peacekeeper" from Paul Biya's Cameroon in DR Congo.

Even while they and OIOS Ben Swanson purport to care - and even answer questions - on the UN's cover up for Burundian and Gabon rapes in CAR in 2017, they have adopted corrupt Guterres' solution going forward: cover up the cases in advance. Rough up and ban the Press which asks, leave inside only insiders who ask why they can't use the UN escalator instead of walking one or two flights of stairs, and refuse to answer written questions. Their UN is dying - and taking young victims with it. See Tel Aviv UNTSO video first published by Inner City Press on June 23, here, and Swanson here.

On July 6 at 10 am, the UN data dumped yet new cases of sexual abuse on Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, by international staff including "UN Volunteers" for which nationality was not provided.

On the morning of July 6, 2021, Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres, Amina J. Mohammed and their spokespeople: "On UN sexual exploitation and abuse - alleged - this is a request on the new 2021 UN sex abuse in DRC and Haiti by UN "peacekeeping" civilian international UN staff members, including UN Volunteers, with nationality not given (alleged rape), dumped at 10 am on July 6, 2021 that you immediately provide the "if asked" information, also the June 15 data-dumped cases none of you have answered Inner City Press on, also about case of child rape in CAR by a Gabon "peacekeeper," a UN civilian child rape in DRC and a UN civil sex abuse case in South Sudan, all data dumped at 12:35 pm on Jan 5, 2021... This is a request that you immediately confirm receipt of these questions and requests and explain how UN spox and official blocking such questions is not complicity -Matthew Russell Lee, InnerCityPress.com" So far, nothing. Corrupt.

On September 2, 2020 after the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced the indictment and arrest of UN staffer Karim Elkorany for drugging and raping women in Iraq, the UN data dumped more UN sexual abuse charges -- the fourteenth this summer, only so far, as Guterres is dragging the UN down to his level of mounting abuse and no answers - this time sexual abuse by UN Tunisia "peacekeeper" in Mali, and rape by a Philippines peacekeeper in Haiti. Only on this last, child rape in Haiti (but not drug rape in Iraq), the UN's Farhan Haq has responded to Inner City Press with an answer, the first in months, which we immediately publish: "The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) has received an allegation of sexual abuse involving a member of the military contingent from the Philippines deployed to the former United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). The allegation refers to the rape of a child that allegedly took place in 2006, and resulted in the birth of a child. The UN has informed the Member State of the allegation and has requested that a National Investigation Officer (NIO) be appointed within five (5) working days, and for the investigation to be completed within 90 days. BINUH has referred the alleged victim for appropriate assistance in line with the UN’s victim assistance protocols." We'll have more on this.

No answers, despite Dujarric's previous on camera commitment / lie about answering Inner City Press' questions. Video here.

July 5, 2021

On Honduras As US Omits JOH From List of Corrupt Actors Inner City Press Asks Zuniga

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Song Filing
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN

SDNY COURTHOUSE / UN Gate July 1 – Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez took a briefcase of cash and said he would stuff drugs up the noses of the gringos, a jury was told on March 16, 2021. Inner City Press live tweeted it, morning here and then the afternoon, about the video(s), here and below. Geovanny Fuentes was found guilty, and his lawyer told Inner City Press he thinks JOH will be or has already been indicted.

But when the U.S. State Department on July 1 released its Section 353 List of Corrupt and Undemocratic Actors for Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, Juan Orlando Hernandez was not on the list.

At 4:30 pm on July 1 the State Department held a press call with Special Envoy for the Northern Triangle Ricardo Zúniga. Others asked about Guatemala and El Salvador (and China) - then Inner City Press asked about Honduras, noting that while Pepe Lobo and Oscar Najera are on the list, JOH is not, despite evidence presented by US DOJ in the Tony Hernandez and Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez cases, below.

Envoy Zuniga replied that the US uses a variety of tools and will only work with leaders who are committed to anti-corruption. What? Transcript here:

MR PRICE: We’ll go the line of Matthew Russell Lee.

QUESTION: Sure. Thanks a lot. And thanks, thanks for doing the call. I wanted to ask about Honduras. In looking at the list, you have former President Pepe Lobo, you have current Congressman Oscar Najera, and you mention this Cachiros. But being here in the Southern District of New York court and covering the trials of the brother of the current president and of Geovanny Fuentes Ramirez, it’s clear that President Juan Orlando Hernandez is mentioned repeatedly by Department of Justice prosecutors as not only getting campaign contributions from drug traffickers but perhaps being involved in it himself. So I’m wondering: On this specific case, can you say what the reasoning is of not having him on the list?

MR ZUNIGA: So for questions about U.S. criminal prosecutions, we obviously refer you to the Department of Justice. We do – this list is intended to demonstrate that we have a commitment to the rule of law and to fighting impunity in Honduras. We’ve made that clear in our communications with governments across the region, including Honduras, and we’ve made clear that leaders who seek a close relationship with the United States have to demonstrate a commitment to combating corruption. We use, again, a variety of tools for promoting accountability and combating impunity. This is one – this list is one of several tools that we use for that purpose. We do work with other actors in Honduras in government, in civil society, in private sector, and – but again, our primary commitment is to leaders who demonstrate a commitment to combating corruption.

On May 10, in the parallel case of US v. Lobo, Honduras police officer Ludwig Criss Zelaya Romero was being sentenced by Judge Schofield. Inner City Press live tweeted it here:

Inner City Press video stand up afterward here.

This case is US v. Lobo, et al., 15-cr-174 (Schofield)

US Speaks On Ethiopia Ceasefire As Guterres Brags of Call With Abiy While UN Bans Press

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN

UN GATE, June 29– While the UN belatedly expressed concern that Tigrayan troops in the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan were suddenly "repatriated" -- the same thing the UN does for troops from Cameroon when they are charged with rape in the Central African Republic -- its Secretary General Antonio Guterres who refuses Press questions now on June 28 has another canned statement, notably with no date line as having grabbed five more years by banning at least seven opposition candidates he plans more unreported personal travel.

Now on June 29 from the US, this: "The Government of Ethiopia’s announcement yesterday of a unilateral ceasefire in the Tigray region could be a positive step if it results in changes on the ground to end the conflict, stop the atrocities, and allow unhindered humanitarian assistance. We are closely monitoring developments...The United States stands ready to work with the Ethiopian government, Tigrayan authorities, the United Nations, and other international partners to expedite the delivery of life-saving food assistance." Don't count on the UN of Guterres - he has banned the Press for 1093rd day, and answered no questions.

UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric has refused all Press questions about Ethiopia, and Cameroon, and Guterres' son Pedro Guimarães e Melo De Oliveira Guterres doing business in Africa while his father is UNSG.

Today's UN is corrupt and has not credibility.

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June 28, 2021

In UN Corrupted By Guterres, Term Limits Repeal Rejected Then Reinstated In Re-Vote

By Matthew Russell Lee & sources, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN

UN GATE, June 25, Exclusive – Elections are in full swing at the UN Staff Union in New York, just after the ghoulish one-man "re-election" of Antonio Guterres as Secretary General with at least seven opposition candidates blocked. A fish rots from the head. Now another update from banned Inner City Press:

With elections underway for the UN staff union in New York, the first Vice-President, Aitor Arauz Chapman, found his ticket disqualified because he had exceeded term limits.

Not to be outdone by the rules, he and outgoing president Patricia Nemeth organized an emergency general meeting, without getting the 300 signatures required, in order to lift term limits halfway through the elections. This practice is illegal in countries and in the union itself. 900 staff turned out and the proposal was voted down.

The outgoing leadership unilaterally decided that the vote they had lost was "unreliable" and announced a new vote, this time through Microsoft Forms.

By using this survey software they could see exactly who voted and how. No independent observers were allowed access and many of those who attended the original EGM did not receive a link to vote. Unsurprisingly, the vote was reversed to allow the outgoing leadership to run again. Staff members have accused the union leadership of foul play and corruption.

They are calling on the Secretary-General to disallow their desperate attempts to outstay their legal welcome. However, it is unlikely the SG will intervene as he has publicly thanked the outgoing New York leadership for bending to his will and awarded them a special prize.

Also, Guterres engaged in his own electoral fraud, with at least seven opposition candidates blocked. To this has the UN sunk.

With the outgoing President also running for the UN staff pension committee, many wonder what lies in store for their own pensions.

Watch this space - and keep the info coming, including responses. Unlike the UN of Guterres and Melissa Fleming, Inner City Press believes in free speech.

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June 21, 2021

In UN 1-Man Election Guterres Grabs 5 More Years Then Lies He's For Press Freedom

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Podcast
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras -