By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 1 --
The only New
Years call by
Ban Ki-moon
for which the
UN has issued
a read-out, as
of 11 pm on January
1, is with
Park Geun-hye
of Ban's
native South
Korea, where
he is reported
in the mix for
the next
Presidential
race.
The
UN issued
this:
"The
Secretary-General
and President
Park Geun-hye
of the
Republic of
Korea (ROK)
exchanged New
Year's
greetings in a
phone
conversation
today.
"The Secretary
General
commended the
ROK's active
contribution
to the work of
the United
Nations under
the leadership
of President
Park,
including
through global
efforts to
address
climate change
and fight
against Ebola,
among others.
The
Secretary-General
noted this
year would
meaningfully
mark the 70th
anniversaries
of both the
founding of
the United
Nations and
the
independence
of the ROK.
"He told
President Park
that he looked
forward to the
ROK’s
leadership in
forging a
meaningful
agreement on
climate
change, as
well the
accomplishment
of the
Millennium
Development
Goals and the
shaping of the
post-2015
development
agenda.
"They also
discussed
issues related
to the Korean
Peninsula. The
Secretary-General
appreciated
President
Park's
commitment to
building peace
and prosperity
in the Korean
Peninsula
through
inter-Korean
dialogue. He
took note of
the Democratic
People's
Republic of
Korea’s
positive
response
today.
"The
Secretary-General
reaffirmed his
readiness to
provide any
support, as
appropriate,
in
facilitating
peace and
stability in
the region in
close
coordination
with the
concerned
countries."
Who is writing
this material?
Back on December
22, when UN
Secretary
General
returned from
a belated
Ebola tour
and took three
questions, two
of them were
about North
Korea. Ban,
looking down
at notes,
answered about
human rights.
At the end,
Inner City
Press asked
about the
allegations
that UN
Peacekeeping
covered by 200
rapes in Tabit
in Darfur. Ban
smiled but did
not answer.
Meanwhile Ban
has
been sent a
letter from
123
non-governmental
organizations
and experts
saying, among
other things,
that the head
of UN
Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous should not remain
in the
position.
Inner City
Press obtained
and put the
letter on line
on the morning
of December
22, here.
Another
question: does
Ban Ki-moon
demand and get
questions in
advance of his
rare press
conferences,
the better to
answer them?
On December
17, it seemed
that he did. Video here, Inner City Press and
Free UN
Coalition for
Access story
here. Of
those picked
by Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric on
December 17,
two of his
three on
December 22
were again
selected,
including the
most obviously
pre-submitted
question(er);
the third on
December 22
was Agence
France Presse,
predictably
about North
Korea, not
Ladsous.
On December
18, Inner City
Press for
FUNCA asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, for
the record, if
questions had
been given in
advance.
Dujarric said,
twice, that it
is his job to
get Ban
Ki-moon ready
for the press
conference.
Does that mean
getting
questions in
advance?
Dujarric
repeated the
same answer. Video here. It seems that
it does.
On December 17
after Ban
thanked some
of those in
the UN Press
Briefing Room
for inviting
and celebrating
him at a
black-tie ball
the previous
night, the
first question
was set aside
for the group
that
celebrated
him, the UN
Correspondents
Association. Video here.
Outgoing
UNCA
president
Pamela Falk
asked Ban
about Cuba,
“since you've
visit,” and
Ban said he
had been told
in advance.
While he
added, by the
US, he glanced
down and read
out a
statement. Of
course, Ban
Ki-moon has no
responsibility
for or power
over US policy
on Cuba. Video
here.
Ban
was asked a soft
question about
the US torture
report -- but
NOT
whether he
thinks anyone
should be
prosecuted.
Ban was asked
a question
about Ebola
and another
about the
transatlantic
slave trade
from Africa.
In
response to
the latter
question, Ban
read the
entirety of
his answer
from a script.
Video
here.
Yes, it was in
French. But if
he's getting
the questions
in advance on
this, why not
others? And as
another
journalist in
the room, not
Inner City
Press, said
afterward,
maybe he
wasn't called
on because he
hasn't been
willing to
give his
question in
advance.
It
is not
academic: the
way Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric ran
the December
17 press
conference, no
questions were
taken on
allegations
that the UN
covered up
mass rapes in
Darfur,
and video that
UN
Peacekeepers
shot democracy
protesters in
Haiti.
The Free UN Coalition for Access, formed
because Ban's
UNCA far
from defending
journalists
tried to get
the
investigative
Press thrown
out of the UN,
believes that
questions
should not be
requested or
given in
advance of
press
conferences.
We'll have
more on this.
Watch this
site.
Here's
from the UN's
December 18,
2014
transcript:
Inner
City
Press: I
wanted to ask
about the
press
conference
held
yesterday, if
you can
confirm or
deny that at
least certain
of the
questions were
provided in
advance to the
Secretary-General
and he read an
answer to
them.
And I ask this
because it
seems if we
are here
having what
seems to be a
press
conference, it
seems at least
important to
at least know
if it's
scripted.
Spokesman
Dujarric:
No, I think
the press
conference is
not
scripted.
It's my job as
the
Secretary-General's
Spokesman to
be ready for
this briefing
and to be
ready for… to
help the
Secretary-General
be ready for
his briefing.
Inner City
Press: On the
answer on the
Transatlantic
Slave Trade,
his entire
answer was
read
out. And
I'm saying
this with all
due respect,
but is this
normal?
Is it normal
in a press
conference to
have an answer
known in
advance and an
answer read
out?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I think, as I
said, Matthew,
it's my job to
be ready for
the briefings
and to make
sure the
Secretary-General
is ready for
his.
Inner City
Press:
Does that
include
knowing what
questions will
be
asked?
There is a big
difference.
Spokesman:
Those are the
only words I
can use.
So, anything
else?
Yes, I'll come
back to you.
, 
