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By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive Must Credit

UNITED NATIONS, May 23 -- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on May 14 in Vienna told UN staff that sexual exploitation and abuse is not relevant, only sexual harassment is. This statement was made amid allegations of physical sexual abuse by UNAIDS' Luiz Loures, and the purchase of sex by a D1 UN official in Somalia. Are those cases of harassment? Inner City Press asked the UN to explain Guterres' statement, below - and then was informed by sources in Vienna that the #MeTooUN problem there is wider than heretofor reported. An abrupt resignation at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, of Tero Varjoranta, was by some like Reuters linked to Trump's pull out from the Iran JCPOA deal. Varjoranta was linked to the JCPOA - but his resignation, multiple whistleblowers tell Inner City Press, was more tied to a sexual harassment incident witnessed by many staff. Inner City Press' sources, understandably afraid of retaliation in Guterres' UN (which continues to restrict Inner City Press) now exclusively provide Inner City Press: it was a retreat held in October 2017 by one division within the Department of Safeguards. That Department was responsible for the JCPOA, and is responsible for monitoring Iran. DDG Varjoranta was the most senior UN official advising DG IAEA on nuclear issues globally.

The retreat involved the staff member participants staying at a hotel in Krems, outside Vienna. At the retreat, there was a casual bar night where participants got together. DDG Varjoranta spent a large part of the night with one junior female professional officer - 'openly  kissing her, putting his arm around her, being massaged by her.' Numerous witnesses saw this and subsequently gave witness testimony in an internal investigation.There was also another incident where he put his hand on a female staff member’s leg.

This behaviour is clearly inconsistent with the Standards of Conduct and the IAEAs code of conduct. The matter was investigated by the Office of Internal Oversight. The DDG is required to be provided a copy of the internal investigation report, and was allowed to provide written comment on it, which he did. [As the Press moved in] the DDG resigned without notice and sent an email to Safeguards staff saying he was leaving for “family reasons”.

Subsequently, senior management have not addressed the real reason for his sudden departure with staff, simply telling staff not to spread rumours. It's called a cover up [which Inner City Press has found in many parts of Guterres' UN system, and suffering consequences for exposing and reporting and asking about.] In the background, the IAEA is planning “respectful workplace training” for general staff.

Senior management at the IAEA act with impunity. [A source affirms that] the DG [Amano] has known about the DDGs behaviour since January 2018, raised to him by senior staff. It seem he knew further back, since shortly after the Krems retreat. Given the status of the DDG and the facts proven by the Office of internal Oversight, Mr Varjoranta should have been sacked, not allowed to resign with full UN benefits,  the ability to gain other UN employment, and no outcome for the victims or the witnesses." But this is Guterres' UN system. Amano knew; it seems Guterres knew (Inner City Press asked his spokesman and was told, personal reasons - the resignation email is about family reasons. Another has exclusively told Inner City Press that "at a senior management retreat at the start of the year, the Deputy Director General  was seen to publicly 'kiss a female subordinate long and hard' and then was seen retiring to the bed chamber with the female person. Nonetheless, Amano approved a contract extension for the DDG subsequently... In my view the DG also should resign for his cover up - but he is laying the ground for a fourth term citing DPRK denuclearization." Now, as global media ask restricted Inner City Press for more information on the case, here was a bit more - and there is yet more than this - from IAEA whistleblowers, even as corporate wires cover up: "It’s all about ‘Kremsgate’ in late 2017, where the DDG Tero Varjoranta acted in front of up to 30 IAEA staff and touched 2 women.  Senior management - including Director General Amano - have known about this since about October 2017 and taken no action. The DG himself knew of this.  There was an internal investigation that supported the above facts. There are numerous witnesses in the Department of Safeguards. The two women have been badly impacted by the incidents. Witnesses are scared to talk due to lack of protection.  The issue fits well into the global ‘me too’ dialogue. The perpetrator resigned without sanction, and returned to his home country Finland. With all of the usual UN benefits and no repercussions.  The two female victims and the 30 odd witnesses are left traumatized and with no faith in the UN system." For now, rightfully so. "This issue ONLY came to light because the Office of Internal Oversight received a whistleblower complaint. The IAEA - and in particular the Director General of the IAEA - knew about the misconduct of the DDG and did nothing about it. Kremsgate was an open secret. But the DG did not request an internal investigation. He was fully aware of the potential misconduct, and did nothing. He himself should be held to account for this failure to comply with UN standards." This is today's UN, which confines Inner City Press to minders while serving corporate wire services pan seared corvina and wine, in exchange for no questions on the UN's sexual harassment scandal. On May 17, Inner City Press asked Guerres' deputy spokesman, UN transcript here, Inner City Press: Earlier this year, I asked a number of questions about UNFPA in India and the allegations of sexual harassment and abuse against a Diego Palacios there and there's just been a large press conference of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in India, both saying that the…  asking that the Secretary-General remove immunity from Mr. Diego Palacios and also tying it into the situation at UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme against HIV/AIDS) with Michel Sidibé, but I wanted to know an update from you.  They seem to say at this press conference that Mr. Palacios hasn't really even been interviewed, that there's not…  that the UN hasn't acted in any way on this detailed allegation of sexual harassment.  Are you aware of what UNFPA has done, if the Secretary-General is aware of and may act on this request that immunity be removed, particularly given the inaction by the UNFPA?

Deputy Spokesman:  As far as I'm aware at this stage, it remains in the hands of the UN Population Fund, and they're the ones who are looking into this, and we'll leave it in their hands.

Inner City Press:  Recently, there was an abrupt resignation of a Deputy Director General of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) in Geneva, Tero Varjoranta, and we've been hearing various reasons for it, and since the Secretary-General was just in Vienna, is he aware of any quote "#MeToo issues” at IAEA, and if so, what did he do while he's there?

Deputy Spokesman:  I don't really have any comment to share on this.  As far as I'm aware, the International Atomic Energy Agency said that he had stepped down for personal reasons, and so that is the information we have on that." Really. Guterres' statement was made at a staff Town Hall meeting for which he was 45 minutes late. After he said it, a staff member complained that her application to set up a #MeToo club had been denied and would Guterres help? He did not say yes. So on May 15 in New York, Inner City Press asked Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: At yesterday's town-hall meeting in Vienna, one of the questions from the floor was from a self-described victim of sexual harassment within the UN system, and she asked Secretary-General whether he supported the idea of a "me too" club, I guess, within the UN in Vienna.  He didn't seem to say yes.  He seemed to say, well, if I understand it better.  She said, do you support it, and they just moved on.  Can you say now does the Secretary-General support the idea?  She was apparently rejected by the UN in Vienna to set up this, such a club.  Does he support that idea, and will he follow up with the staff member who asked him this explicitly in the town-hall meeting?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, first, we are trying to get input from all staff about what needs to happen in order to deal more effectively with sexual harassment, including through a survey of staff, and so we will try to evaluate what staff broadly say and see what steps need to be taken." Oh. Guterres also on May 14 said his attempted reform of the UN development system had "passed silence," with but without assessed contributions. On May 15 Inner City Press also asked Haq: He also seemed to say that, I don't know if that the assessed contributions, that the reform of the development system had passed through silence procedure; it still has not been voted on, but he seemed to say that it's passed, but without the Resident Coordinator system being funded through assessed contributions.  What is his plan, given that it seems like that he thinks that now it's going to be approved by the General Assembly, hasn’t passed through, what is the plan to actually fund these resident coordinators?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, first, we will see what the final results are once the Member States agree on it.  We hope in the coming days we will be able to provide some details about what the development reform is about. " Back on May 14 in New York at the UN noon briefing Inner City Press asked Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq if Guteres doesn't think the Loures cases is about sexual abuse, beyond harassment. Haq seemed to say Guterres uses these terms based on the identify of the victim, not the use of force or economic pressure. #MeTooUN?  Days after first banning the Press from his photo ops with Al Sharpton and new Political Affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo, Guterres' UN then prohibited Inner City Press' livestreaming of a photo op with Finland's foreign minister even though UN Television shot video and audio there. This has continued and been reaffirmed - but not explained or justified.
  Is Guterres going to take his absurd restrictions on and censorship of the Press on the road? Or create a double standard where the restrictions apply only inside UN headquarters? How long will he continue his rote expressions of support for UNAIDS' Michel Sidibe, who threatened staff with retaliation for speaking about against Luiz Loures? And given the statements, when will Guterres have to start recusing himself? Watch this site.

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