In 2015, UN Officials Should Answer Questions, Not Given in Advance, No Set Asides

In 2015 at the UN, senior officials should without exception answer questions from the media. Questions should not be requested or given in advance, the Free UN Coalition for Access posits; if for some reason for example language they are, it should be disclosed. On disclosure more generally, the UN system starting with its Secretariat should have and abide by a Freedom of Information policy. On the right to impart information, the UN should adopt and apply content neutral access and accreditation read more [...]

FUNCA Says All Accredited Media Should Be Treated Equally And Have Input

With media access and substantive answers in decline at the UN, there are also outright inconsistencies. The Free UN Coalition for Access is opposing these. For example, UN embargoed documents should at least be made available to all UN system accredited journalists, not only as just happened to those media organizations which can afford to have a correspondent at the UN in Geneva. When the UN in Geneva on November 24 purported to promote its Committee Against Torture concluding remarks on eight read more [...]

UNGA Access Cut-Back, from GA Stakeout to Photo-Ops, USG Banning Filming, Privatization of Press Briefing Room, FUNCA Says UNacceptable

September 29 -- The UN General Debate of 2014 has seen cut-backs and several negative precedents for media access, abetted by the UN itself. The absurdity of requiring, even after metal detectors, minders or escorts from the UN Media Accreditation and Liaison unit to get to the General Assembly stakeout has yet to be explained. A P5 member state's attempt to privatize the UN Press Briefing Room was challenged by the Free UN Coalition for Access. But since then, the UN Spokesman has claimed that read more [...]

UN Needs Freedom of Information Act, Now More Than Ever, FUNCA Presses

September 15, 2014 -- While the UN holds another General Assembly debate, it still does not recognize any right by the press and public to access: the UN has no Freedom of Information Act. The Free UN Coalition for Access, which presses for greater access to information and access in matters large and small, has since its beginning asked the UN why it does not recognize this basic right, even as the UN preaches about openness and accountability. On September 15, the question was put to Secretary read more [...]

UN Should Become More Transparent & Even-Handed on Answers, Press Encounters, Reporting & Deference to Different States, FUNCA Says

July 5, 2014 -- With the top spot in the UN Department of Public Information not yet filled, but input yet to be sought from journalists who cover the UN, it’s a time to revisit the basics including the minimum that the press and public should be able to expect from the UN. The Office of the Spokesperson shouldn’t give false or misleading information, and if it has, it should correct it, including directly to the journalist(s) to which the false or misleading information was given. Recently, read more [...]