U.S. claims it doesn't, and won't, spy on the UN

UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations said Wednesday it has received assurances from the U.S. government that U.N. communications networks "are not and will not be monitored" by American intelligence agencies.

But chief U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky would not comment on whether the world body had been monitored in the past, as reported by the German magazine Der Spiegel.

Nesirky said the United Nations had been in contact with Washington about the reports that surfaced two months ago and has received a U.S. guarantee of no current or future eavesdropping.

"Back in August when these reports first surfaced, we said we would be in touch with the relevant authorities," he said. "And I can tell you that we were indeed in touch with the U.S. authorities. I understand that the U.S. authorities have given assurance that the United Nations communications are not, and will not be monitored."

He would not elaborate on whether spying had taken place and declined to answer related questions.

For emphasis, Nesirky held up a piece of paper that said: "No comment."

A U.S. official said: "The United States is not conducting electronic surveillance targeting the United Nations headquarters in New York." The official, who was not authorized to be named, spoke on condition of anonymity.

It was not clear from the remarks by Nesirky and the U.S. official whether foreign U.N. missions in New York could be monitored by U.S. intelligence agencies.

On Tuesday, the U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman, Caitlin Hayden, commenting on a variety of reports including whether the United States had monitored allied foreign leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, declined to comment on specific cases.

"We are undertaking a review of our activities around the world, with a special emphasis on: examining whether we have the appropriate posture when it comes to heads of state; how we coordinate with our closest allies and partners; and what further guiding principles or constraints might be appropriate for our efforts." 

Der Spiegel said in August that documents it obtained from U.S. leaker Edward Snowden show the National Security Agency secretly monitored the U.N.'s internal video conferencing system by decrypting it last year.

Der Spiegel quoted an NSA document as saying within three weeks, the number of decoded communications had increased from 12 to 458. Der Spiegel also reported the NSA installed bugs in the European Union's office in Washington and infiltrated the EU's computer network.

The United Nations lodged objections. U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said international treaties protect U.N. offices and diplomatic missions from interference, spying and eavesdropping.

"The inviolability of diplomatic missions, including the United Nations, has been well-established in international law, and therefore all states are expected to act accordingly," Nesirky said Wednesday.

The 1961 Vienna Convention regulates diplomatic issues and status among nations and international organizations. Among other things, it says a host country cannot search diplomatic premises or seize its documents or property. It also says the host government must permit and protect free communication between the diplomats of the mission and their home country.

However, wiretapping and eavesdropping have been used for decades, most dramatically between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.