Ban Ki-moon Leaves UNanswered Qs on Nepotism, Sri Lanka, Waste, S Sudan

By Matthew Russell Lee, Follow Up on Exclusives

UNITED NATIONS, September 2 -- Under Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the UN has become so lawless that Ban's son-in-law Siddharth Chatterjee was just named UN Resident Representative in Kenya without Ban recusing himself.  Inner City Press reported and asked about this on August 25.

On August 26, Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric confirmed that Ban had not recused himself, had in fact signed the letter giving his own son in law the job, see below.

On September 2, with Ban Ki-moon amid a junket that has him in Sri Lanka, and with Ban's spokesman Dujarric having canceled the noon briefing at which questions could be asked, Inner City Press submitted these questions, not one of which was answered or even acknowledged five hours later, as Dujarric's office called end of day "lid" for a three-day weekend:

Here are questions in lieu of a noon briefing:

Sept 2 - 1: This is a request that your Office confirm or deny that the Secretary General did not specifically mention the UNHRC resolution during his meeting with Sri Lanka President Sirisena, in light of a public report that “The President told us that Ban did not mention the UNHRC resolution even in the 10 minute one-to-one meeting he had with him. In fact Ban expressed satisfaction about the way the Sri Lankan government is handling the issue of reconciliation,” a reliable source in the President’s Office told Express.”

Sept 2 - 2: On Western Sahara... please state how the UN / Ross / MINURSO view this information and how they will act on it.

Sept 2 - 3: On the Secretary General's son in law Siddharth Chatterjee's activities in Sri Lanka, you have not answer on what he DID, stating only that “It's not for me to comment on a staff members writings on an activity that preceded employment with the UN.”

In this light, please confirm or deny that there is a place a policy under which UN officials including USGs and ASGs (please specify what level the Secretary General's son in law is at, as Resident Coordinator in Kenya) must certify compliance with human rights, and state whether this covers time before UN employment.

Sept 2 - 4: On USG Pollard's role ... please state if and why it was done as a “Temporary Vacancy” TVA and not as “Acting,” and USG Pollard's role in the process.

Sept 2 - 5: Yesterday Inner City Press was prevented from covering a meeting in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, allegedly due to a lack of “escorts” or minders at MALU and the requirement that Inner City Press have such a minder. In that light, and as a matter of transparent this is a formal request that you today pre-lid provide

a) the size of the Secretary General's delegation on each stop of his current trip, and over all;

b) the names of those traveling, as is done by various ministries of foreign affairs including of the host country;

c) the estimated cost of the trip, and each leg;

d) as you have previous said you will do if asked, if any travel is being accepted from non-UN sources, the estimate value, and any other offered or in-kind contributions.

Sept 2 - 6: On the Philippines and President Duterte, Inner City Press asked you on August 30 if the SG would meet him. Now you are quoted “contacts were had to try to set up a time” for a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN forum meeting in Laos next week, but that “no time could be agreed upon.” Please confirm and comment, and explain why no update was provided in response to Inner City Press' August 30 question.

Sept 2 - 7: Now that Inner City Press has directly provided you with the flier for the October 2 “fundraiser” in the UN, this is a reiterated request that you state the UN rules on fundraisers in the UN, and how they apply to this one (and to one by the same sponsor in August which Mr. Nambiar attended).

Sept 2 - 8: Regarding South Sudan, please explain why DPKO and its Radio Miraya are unwilling or, they tell Inner City Press on Twitter, unable to live-stream the UNSC's press conference on Sunday. You told Inner City Press to ask UNMISS about DPKO's policy of tear gas, but UNMISS did not answer an email from Inner City Press about the above, only a tweet.

On the UNSC trip, ignoring yesterday's request (which is now made on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access), you repeat that “The announcement was sent to Resident Correspondents," please explain [...]

Sept 2 - 8: Continuing to await SG comment on the going into effect in South Korea [last] Sunday of the “North Korean Human Rights Act,” now in light of the parallel UN action

On Ban's nepotism on which his spokesman refuses to provide basic information, without accepting that we have asked elsewhere as well. Watch this site.

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