UN
Parties, From Genital Mutilation to Fergie's Army of Mothers, Still No
Bar
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, March 5 -- The UN is full of good intentions, literally,
this week. There is the Commission on the Status of Women, on the
sidelines of which on Wednesday night an event was held on female
genital mutilation. Amid a spread of cheese cubes and wine, a speaker
from Mauritania urged the half-filled Delegates Dining Room to make
the UN General Assembly "outlaw FGM."
That
the General
Assembly can't outlaw anything was not mentioned. Nor was the UN's
invocation of immunity to defend against sexual harassment suits, and
failure to discipline its own peacekeepers even when charged with
rape.
Speakers
from
Uganda described President Museveni canceling a trip out of the
country in order to campaign against FGM in Karamoja. But his
government is accused of killing civilians in the region, bombing
them from the air.
Then
incongruously
at a press conference about the Chile, Sarah Ferguson showed up,
promoting an idea she said she had just had, of an Army of Mothers of
which she would be General. It may be a good idea, but it would be
better to get it off the ground before chasing off the UN press room
stage an organization like Equality Now, which was not even left
enough time to answer questions, for example questions from Inner
City Press about anti-women laws in the United States and Kenya. We'll
have more on both press conferences.
UN's Ban and Fergie, Army of Mothers and results not shown
Friday
evening saw
a film screening sponsored by the Greek Mission to the UN, set in
village in post coup 1968. A group of boys raise funds to buy a
television set to watch the Apollo 11 moon landing, while preparing
for pre-resignation Spiro Agnew to come for a visit. The audience
laughed, with nary a comment about the budget cut protests in Athens,
the government's new threat to turn to the IMF.
The
re-opening of
the UN Delegates' Lounge, promised for the first Friday in March, did
not happen. Sources blamed it on the Department for Management. "The
joyless reign of Ban Ki-moon," one correspondent cursed.
But
in the lobby
of the General Assembly there was Latin music from a band called Coco
Mama, and drinks for $5, plates of food for $10. It was to benefit
Haiti. There were good intentions everywhere.
* * *
UN
Powder was Non Dairy Creamer Brought In, Sources Say, UN Bar to Re-Open
in 2 Weeks, Reception Review
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, February 22 -- With the UN's cafeteria re-opened on February
22 after a two day
scare caused by the find of an "unidentified
powder" on the conveyor belt to the dish washing room, Inner
City Press asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky what the powder was.
Nesirky said he didn't know.
A
well placed
source tells Inner City Press that the powder was, in fact, non dairy
creamer, shaken out into an envelope. Since the UN's cafeteria does
not serve non dairy creamer, this means a person brought the powder
in. The source surmises this more likely makes the incident
intentional.
UN's Ban in cafeteria, non dairy creamer not shown
In
other UN food
or beverage news, Inner City Press is informed that the re-opening of
the UN's Delegates' Lounge bar may be in as little as two weeks. The
physical bar has been ordered. It will be on the second floor of the
North Lawn Temporary Building, facing the river.
On
February 19,
beer was for the first time served in the new building. The occasion
was a Japanese comedy put on by Japan's mission to the UN.
Afterwards, there were noodles and chicken and shrimp, and more
Saporo beer than anyone could drink.
In
fact, some who
had attended another event, a film about endangered languages,
venture down to the first floor for the Saporo spread. Anyone in the
UN could go. Good relations for Japan, to be sure.
, 
