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As Suntech Says Got $80 M Contract For UN Peacekeeping, Chief Not Aware

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, February 17, updated -- After a large Chinese company Suntech Power Holdings announced it has won a $80 million contract with the UN to supply solar panels to “serve the UN's peacekeeping forces,” Inner City Press asked head UN Peacekeeper Alain Le Roy about the contract.

I am not aware of that,” Le Roy told Inner City Press.

At the February 17 UN noon briefing, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky several questions about the announced contract award: to confirm it (Nesirky could not), and to explain what conflict of interest safeguards there are, since Suntech's CEO Shi Zhengrong is a on Ban Ki-moon's group of Advisors on Energy and Climate Change.

Inner City Press asked: how many other bidders were there? What weight was given to Shi Zhengrong's status with Ban Ki-moon? Nesirky had no answers.

In the hours after the noon briefing, Inner City Press found that while Suntech is nowhere to be found in the UN vendor's data base, under the headline “Suntech Power wins USD80 mln PV contact from UN,” it was mentioned that “teaming up with Peak International Trade (Tianjin), Suntech Power has just won the bidding for the 80 million US-dollar photovoltaic (PV) system program from the UN, Shi Zhengrong, Suntech's Chairman and CEO, announced.”

While Peak International Trade (Tianjin) IS listed in the UN vendor data base, experts conclude that Peak is a Intermediary Vendor, a structure supposedly disfavored by the UN.


Solar Panels from UN web site, Suntech as vendor and safeguards not shown

   The UN's own procurement manual provides that

There are indications that certain parties have approached prospective vendors offering to act as intermediaries in dealings with the United Nations. Some of these intermediaries purport to have various arrangements with the United Nations, or to possess support facilities within UN missions or projects which can place a vendor in a more advantageous position in a competitive bidding exercise. Vendors are advised that the UN prefers to deal directly with principals to the extent possible. Vendors are therefore urged to consult with the Procurement Division before deciding to submit offers or negotiate contracts through any intermediary.”

So why would the UN allow a non-vendor run by an Advisor to Ban Ki-moon to work around this through an intermediary and announce a $80 million contract with the UN?

In fact, UN contracts contain a clause that

PUBLICITY, AND USE OF THE NAME, EMBLEM OR OFFICIAL SEAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS: The Contractor shall not advertise or otherwise make public for purposes of commercial advantage or goodwill that it has a contractual relationship with the United Nations, nor shall the Contractor, in any manner whatsoever use the name, emblem or official seal of the United Nations, or any abbreviation of the name of the United Nations in connection with its business or otherwise without the written permission the United Nations.”

So was Ban Ki-moon advisor Shi Zhengrong given special rights and waivers? Is has this publicly traded company (STP.NYSE) made a mis-statement? And why can't the UN answer? Watch this site.

Update of 6 pm - six hours after the questions were raised, all the UN provided was a list of ACECC membersWhat about the safeguards? What about the other questions, including those raised at the noon briefing?

From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 6:17 PM
Subject: Your question on ACECC membership
To: Matthew Russell Lee [at] innercitypress.com

The list of members is publicly available in the AGECC report, which is posted at:

http://www.un.org/wcm/webdav/site/climatechange/shared/Documents/AGECC%20summary%20report%5B1%5D.pdf

Members are listed on page 4 of the AGECC final report, which includes:

Shi Zhengrong, Chairman and CEO, Suntech Power Holdings, China

What about the safeguards? What about the other questions, including those raised at the noon briefing?


Watch this site.

* * *

At UN, Ban's Claim of 99% Public Financial Disclosure Called “Metaphorical”

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 28 -- Rather than admit that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon misspoke when he claimed two weeks ago that 99% of his officials have made public financial disclosure, Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky told Inner City Press on Friday, “I wouldn't get hung up on the ninety nine percent figure as a mathematical absolute, because it is also a metaphorical expression, that nearly everyone” disclosed. Video here, transcript below.

  But this claim of 99% transparency has been Ban's response to questions about the UN's lack of accountability under his watch. On January 14, Ban told the press that “now ninety nine percent of senior advisers of the United Nations have declared their financial assets publicly on the website.”

  Inner City Press reviewed the UN's web site and found that this was not the case. On the eve of hearing before the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee about the UN, Inner City Press published a list of the many Ban officials who instead of making even basic disclosure state that “I have chosen to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed by me in order to comply with the Financial Disclosure Program.”

  The officials not making public disclosure range from Ban' two Sudan envoys Ibrahim Gambari and Haile Menkerios through Rule of Law chief Dmitry Titov to Ban's close ally and envoy to Cote d'Ivoire Choi Young-jin.

  The lack of public disclosure came up at the House of Representatives hearing on January 25, and Inner City Press that day and each day since has e-mailed Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky with this request:

Please explain Ban Ki-moon statement that 99% of his officials have made public financial disclose in light of the actual, much lower figure on [the UN website], with non public disclosure by inter alia Gambari, Choi Young-jin, Jan Mattsson, Greg Starr, Iqbal Riza, Terje Roed-Larsen, Said Djinnit, Mr. Diarra, Ajay Chhibber, Haile Menkerios, Ray Chambers, Peter Sutherland, dead links Nicolas Michel and Achim Steiner, only "outside activity" and no finance or clients for Alexander Downer, Douste Blazy, etc.”

  Nesirky, who on January 21 after Inner City Press asked about the UN's seeming failure to comply with its own Regulation 1.2 said he wouldn't answer any more questions until Inner City Press somehow acted “appropriately,” never answered this e-mail question.


UN's Ban & Nesirky on Jan 14: transparency claim now called "metaphor"

  At the UN noon briefing on January 28, Inner City Press finally asked Nesirky directly about Ban's statement that 99% of his officials have made public financial disclosure.

Nesirky began by dodging the questions, saying that "financial disclosure means to disclose to the United Nations what your assets are and so on. And then it is fully within the rights of the individual to elect or not to elect for that to be publicly disclosed. And I think you will see that in the vast majority of cases, this is publicly disclosed."

But Ban specifically used the word “publicly” on January 14, saying that “ninety nine percent of senior advisers of the United Nations have declared their financial assets publicly on the website.” Click here for footage of Ban's claims from a recent piece on Swedish TV including Inner City Press and a FAC hearing witness.

  Inner City Press on January 28 asked Nesirky if Ban considered disclosing a refusal to make public any financial information to be “public financial disclosure.”

This is when Nesirky told Inner City Press, “I wouldn't get hung up on the 99% figure as a mathematical absolute, because it is also a metaphorical expression, that nearly everyone” disclosed. Video here.

So at the UN, a claim by Ban Ki-moon that 99% of his officials have made public financial disclosure is just a metaphor.

From the UN's transcript of January 28:

Inner City Press: In his last press conference in here, the Secretary-General said when asked about the [Inga-Britt] Ahlenius book, that 99 per cent of officials have made public financial disclosure. And just having looked at the website of disclosures, it doesn’t, that number is not the number. The number of his officials including Mr. Choi [Young-jin] of Côte d'Ivoire, [Ibrahim] Gambari, [Haile] Menkerios, Said Djinnit, Michael Williams, whom you mentioned, they have all filled out a form saying “we chose not to disclose”. So, I just… I have been trying to figure out, what is the 99 per cent figure based on? Does he include people that say “I won’t disclose” as having made a public disclosure? Or, what is the actual number?

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Financial disclosure means to disclose to the United Nations what your assets are and so on. And then it is fully within the rights of the individual to elect or not to elect for that to be publicly disclosed. And I think you will see that in the vast majority of cases, this is publicly disclosed.

Inner City Press: When he said public, that’s the phrase that he used — he said that 99 per cent of my officials have made public financial disclosures. So, is that… that’s not what he meant? He meant that they have actually… they have made disclosure to the UN?

Spokesperson: Well I think also I wouldn’t get hung up on the 99 per cent figure as a mathematical absolute, because it is also a metaphorical expression meaning nearly everyone, okay?

Inner City Press: But, Mr. Choi, does he think that Mr. Choi, kind of a close ally, long-time person that he has worked with, does he think that Mr. Choi should publicly disclose? Would he call on him to publicly disclose?

Spokesperson: Again, this is a matter for the individuals concerned. Okay, yes?

No, not okay. Watch this site.

* * *

UN Officials Refusing Financial Disclosure Range from Sudan to Security, Abidjan to Lebanon, Ban's Friends & UNtrue Claim

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, January 25, updated -- In the run up to UN corruption hearings in the US House of Representatives today, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon angrily answered questions about lack of transparency by claiming that 99% of his officials publicly disclose their finances. This is not true, as Inner City Press has said and now documents.

   On the UN's website for such disclosures, numerous Ban officials simply state “I have chosen to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed by me in order to comply with the Financial Disclosure Program.” This is not public disclosure of finances: it is its opposite.

   Those Ban officials refusing make even the most basic disclosure -- as simple as in what country they own property, such as the one line disclosure by top UN lawyer Patricia O'Brien that she owns “farmland, Ireland” -- ranging from both of Ban's envoys in Sudan, Ibrahim Gambari and Haile Menkerios to UN officials with outside jobs that might conflict, such as Terje Roed-Larsen (Lebanon and IPI), Peter Sutherland (migration and BP) and Ray Chambers (malaria and hedge funds).

  When Chambers took the job, Inner City Press asked him about his outside interests. Now Chambers simply states, “I have chosen to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed by me in order to comply with the Financial Disclosure Program.”

There are other ways to not disclosure. Philippe Douste-Blazy, whom Inner City Press has exposed as wasting millions of dollars through the “MassiveGood” scheme, discloses no finances, only service for the Millennium Foundation.

  Alexander Downer, Ban's man on Cyprus, makes no financial disclosure although he lists he works at the business consultancy Bespoke Approach. And do its clients, in Turkey for example, raise conflicts? There is no way to know.

Ban's close ally and Cote d'Ivoire envoy Choi Young-jin states that “I have chosen to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed by me in order to comply with the Financial Disclosure Program,” as does Ban's UN Security chief Gregory Starr.


UN's Ban & chief of staff Nambiar in Dept of Management: empty forms not shown

These refusals are noteworthy given how superficial even the “public disclosures” are. Peacekeeping logistics deputy Anthony Banbury, who famously said that “only” three rapes in a Haitian IDP camp “elated” him, lists “Nil” for both assets and liabilities, as does General Assembly Affairs chief Shaaban Shaaban.

Some officials are listed, but there is no link to any form, even one refusing to disclose. These include Achim Steiner of UNEP and former UN lawyer, still listed as adviser Nicolas Michel, who took money from the Swiss government for his housing while serving as the UN's lawyer. Since that scandal, there are issues about Ban officials receiving housing subsidies through their spouses, not disclosed on the “public” disclosure forms.

Other Ban officials stating “I have chosen to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed by me in order to comply with the Financial Disclosure Program” include West Africa envoy Said Djinnit, Middle East and Lebanon specialist Michael Williams, UNDP Asia boss Ajay Chhibber (in charge, another other places, of Myanmar), Jan Mattsson of UNOPS, where Ban's son in law got a controversial promotion, and Cheick Sidi Diarra, whose brother has been Microsoft's Ambassador to Africa, allowed to use a UN dining room for this purpose.

In another display of non - transparency, Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky on January 21 told Inner City Press he would not answer any more questions until Inner City Press acted “appropriately.” This outburst came after Inner City Press asked for the second day in a row how UN Staff Regulation 1.2 applies to UN official's outside political activity.

Ban named Jack Lang as his adviser on piracy, reporting to the Security Council today. But Lang continues to write letters as an official of a political party in France, for example regarding Ivory Coast (where, again, Ban's envoy Choi Young-jin refuses to disclose his finances). The UN has refused to apply its Regulation 1.2 to this or other case, or to even answer questions about it.

   One wonders how this will be dealt with at today's US House of Representative hearings and afterward. Click here for footage of Ban's claims from a recent piece on Swedish TV including Inner City Press and a hearing witness.

  Ban's main claim to transparency, the 99% of his officials make public financial disclosure, is simply not true, and his spokesman refuses to answer any questions. Watch this space.

Update of 11:15 am -- Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesperson's office, Messrs. Nesirky and Haq, the clarify Ban's now disproved claim, and received back only this, from Haq:

On the House of Representatives, what we have to say for today is:

The United Nations has always worked constructively with the United States, and we share the same goals: for a stronger UN, one that is efficient, effective, and accountable. That is why the Secretary-General has made strengthening the UN one of his top priorities since taking office.

The Secretary-General is convinced that a strong, effective and efficient United Nations needs the active and constructive support of Member States. To achieve that, he will continue to engage with the US Administration and with the US Congress on ways to ensure that the Organization can find solutions to today’s challenges, and deliver on the mandates given by it Member States.

  Still with no answer at all are questions submitted January 22, including

Ban Ki-moon is quoted by Bloomberg, which he sought out, that Congressional Republicans' "only complaint they may have is the lack of much faster progress than they might have expected.” What specific areas of "progress" was the SG referring to? Namely, which areas does the SG acknowledge not having met expectations and for which progress should have been made "faster"?

Michael Dudley, the acting head of OIOS' Investigations Division, is under investigation, for among other things, retaliation and evidence tampering. Given that Ban Ki-moon says he prides himself on the transparency of his administration, what specifically are the facts surrounding the investigation process regarding Mr. Dudley, and will the UN be reassigning him to other duties during the investigation?

 Watch this site.

Click here for Inner City Press' March 27 UN debate

Click here for Inner City Press March 12 UN (and AIG bailout) debate

Click here for Inner City Press' Feb 26 UN debate

Click here for Feb. 12 debate on Sri Lanka http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/17772?in=11:33&out=32:56

Click here for Inner City Press' Jan. 16, 2009 debate about Gaza

Click here for Inner City Press' review-of-2008 UN Top Ten debate

Click here for Inner City Press' December 24 debate on UN budget, Niger

Click here from Inner City Press' December 12 debate on UN double standards

Click here for Inner City Press' November 25 debate on Somalia, politics

and this October 17 debate, on Security Council and Obama and the UN.

* * *

These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.  Video Analysis here

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

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