UN Sec-Gen Hits New Low, 4 Days Location UNdisclosed, Amid Bribery & #MeTooUN Scandals, Still No Content-Neutral Media Access Rules

April 2, 2018 -- Today’s UN has hit yet another new low in which the Secretary General on March 30 after a scripted stakeout left New York unannounced, location undisclosed. Only after multiple Press questions over 17 hours, and in connection with a Security Council emergency meeting on Gaza, did the Office of the Spokesperson acknowledge Guterres was, again, in Lisbon, this time for four days. This while UN DPI has no content neutral rules for accreditation or the assignment of work-space read more [...]

UNSG Hits New Low, Meeting with P-5 FM Undisclosed, Amid Bribery & Rosewood Scandals, Still No Content-Neutral Media Access Rules

Today’s UN has hit yet another new low in which the Secretary General on January 18 meet with the foreign minister of a Permanent Five member of the UN Security Council without even disclosing it in his public schedule, making it Closed Press like his swearing in of the head of the Department of “Public” Information. (The Secretary General's spokesman, when Pressed, called it a "private dinner" - but it had a very public topic, now published here.) This while DPI has no content neutral read more [...]

UNSG Hits New Low, Stakeouts Without Q&A, No End of Year Presser Amid Bribery & Rosewood Scandals, Should Not Be Honored

December 11, 2017 -- Today’s UN has hit yet another new low in which the Secretary General has decided to not even hold an end of the year press conference, which his predecessor held, while now closing to the press the swearing-in of his top Communications official and holding stakeouts at which no questions are taken. This comes while there are questions to be answered about his UN’s use of funds from a group whose UN representative had already been indicted for bribery of a former President read more [...]

At UN, Withheld Read-Outs & Access, From Faux to No Pooling, Need For Accountability from DPI & UN Security, UNSG Answers

October 7, 2017 Today’s UN is becoming less and less transparent and accessible. Some examples: when Secretary General Antonio Guterres met the Foreign Minister of the Philippines on September 29, despite the issues obviously to be discussed, there was no UN read-out. (Press was even hindered from capturing the photo op by UN Security, which increasingly blocks access.) After the September 22 Cameroon meeting, the UN belatedly claimed the read-out was incomplete. And when Egypt’s al-Sisi read more [...]

For #UNGA72, Wider Access Needed, For More Journalists, Accountability from DPI & UN Security, UNSG Answers & Read-Out

September 9, 2017 - For UN General Assembly 72, the UN says it will be restricting access in Headquarters, including limiting walk-around passes for the Conference Room basement to those to which it gives office space. This two-tier system is UNjustifiable. When it was announced on Sept 8, for the first time in years no UN Security official was there to be accountable; nor was new DPI Under Secretary General Alison Smale present or answering questions. This is UNacceptable, as is the weakened wi-fi read more [...]