Member state can summon UN Coordinator, spokesperson says

Staff Reporter  :
Following the Foreign Ministry’s summoning of the UN Resident Coordinator Gwyan Lewis on Thursday, the UN Spokesperson on Saturday stated that a member state can request the presence of the coordinator when they have reservations about their public statements.

Gwyn Lewis, on July 18, tweeted to voice her concern over the attack on independent candidate Hero Alom during the Dhaka-17 by-election.
“The UN in Bangladesh is concerned over the attack on independent MP candidate Ashraful Alam during the Dhaka-17 by-poll. The fundamental human right of everyone to participate in elections without violence should be guaranteed and protected,” she wrote.

Being unhappy with the UN official’s public statement, the Bangladeshi government summoned her to address the matter.
On this issue, Stephane Dujarric, the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, was asked during a regular briefing on Saturday whether the Secretary General was aware of the situation and why one member state should summon the Resident Coordinator for just an informal tweet or formal tweet expressing concern over this?
“The Secretary General has full confidence in the UN team in Bangladesh. It is not uncommon for a Member State to call in a Resident Coordinator if they have an issue with what that person has said,” Stephane Dujarric said. She further said, “These are procedures. These are processes that Member States utilize when they may not be happy with something that someone has said. But, we have full confidence in the work of our country team.”

Attention was also drawn regarding the current political landscape in Bangladesh where, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in the capital and other cities, demanding the resignation of the ruling Prime Minister ahead of the expected January elections. Peaceful protests turned violent as clashes between opposition activists and security forces resulted in the tragic death of at least two activists, leaving hundreds injured.

“People have right to speak up, to demonstrate peacefully. Authorities have a responsibility to help people uphold that right and that goes across the board. We get asked this question many times. I’m not going to prejudge the elections before they happen,” the spokesperson said.

With the election period approaching fast, the international community started watching closely, urging all parties involved to seek peaceful dialogue and respect human rights.