UNITED
NATIONS, July
1 -- After the
UN Security
Council's
committee on
sanctions on
the Democratic
People's
Republic of
Korea met for
more
than three
hours Monday
afternoon,
chair Sylvie
Lucas of
Luxembourg
emerged and
gave an
explanation.
She
said of the 27
countries with
diplomatic
missions in
North Korea,
16
responded to
the
Committee's
“note verbale”
asking if they
had
difficulties
maintaining a
presence in
Pyongyang.
She
said there are
problems, but
blamed them on
DPRK saying
countries'
missions can
only have one
bank account,
and on
“unilateral
sanctions.”
Inner
City Press
asked Lucas if
the problems
faced by UN
funds and
programs
like the UN
Development
Program and
the World Food
Program were
discussed. She
said yes, they
were part of
the report,
but again
ascribed them
to DPRK
restrictions
or unilateral
sanctions.
(Earlier
on Monday
Inner City
Press spoke
with South
Korea's Kim
Sook about the
"UN Command"
and DPRK's
argument,
here.)
Lucas
said the
committee aims
to meet again
in July but it
is difficult
to
find a room
and a
translation
team. She
indicated that
the Security
Council's
committees are
sharing a
single
translation
team. The
meeting was
held in the
nearly empty
North Lawn
building; UN
envoy to
Myanmar Vijay
Nambiar walked
by and there
was talk of
incoming
president of
the General
Assembly John
Ashe.
Lucas
has become
more open in
her briefings
to the press
after
committee
sessions.
Meanwhile for
the interim
General
Assembly hall
on the
first floor of
the North Lawn
building, there are
no seats or
space
at all for the
press or
public.
This was
raised to the
UN Department
of Public
Information
back on June
10 by the new
Free
UN Coalition
for Access,
but no
action has
been taken.
And so it goes
at the UN.
, 
