Has the UN prohibited its staff from using the terms “war” and “invasion” in relation to what is happening in Ukraine? the United Nations denies the content of an Irish Times article. The newspaper mentions an email sent to UN staff, in which it is also forbidden to put Ukrainian flags on social media profiles.
The goal is to maintain the impartiality of UN personnel after Russia banned the term “invasion”. “Use ‘conflict’ or ‘military offensive’ and NOT ‘war’ or ‘invasion’ when referring to the situation in Ukraine” – reads the email – “as international officials we have a responsibility to be impartial”.
“It is hard to believe that the United Nations can essentially impose the same kind of censorship that the Kremlin now imposes within Russia by banning the use of the words” war “and” invasion “among UN personnel. I urge the Nations. United to quickly deny these reports if they are false. The reputation of the United Nations is at stake “, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, commenting on the article.
The UN, however, denies everything, as spokesman Stephane Dujarric told the Guardian, underlining that “it simply did not happen that the staff was ordered not to use these words”.
The spokesperson recalls the recent tweet from Rosmary DiCarlo, UN under-general secretary, who spoke of “senseless war”. And he points out that the secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has used “a wide range of words” in this vein to describe what is happening.
With regard to the e-mail quoted by the Irish Times, in which the use of these terms would be prohibited, just like the Kremlin does, Dujarric said he could not rule out that the managers of some UN agency may have had this initiative. but it would never come to his attention.
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