Amid
Murky UNHCR
Selection, ICP
Asks If
Eliasson
Should Be
Recused, HTS
By Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
series
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 5 --
When new UN
President of
the General
Assembly
Mogens
Lykketoft of
Denmark held a
press
conference on
September 21,
Inner City
Press asked
him of
Denmark's
policies on
refugees, and
of who pays
the people
working in his
office. Video
here.
On
September 29,
Inner City
Press asked
about its exclusive
report on
the PGA's
office being
used to
campaign for
former Danish
prime minister
Helle
Thorning-Schmidt
to replace
Antonio
Guterres atop
the UN's
refugee
agency, UNHCR.
Inner City
Press: because
you'd referred
a number of
times to a
document… I
think I found
it. I
think it may
be
A-66-380-Add
1, in which
the
Secretary-General
himself told
the GA
(General
Assembly) what
process he
would be using
for selecting
candidates.
So this is
what I wanted
to ask.
Over the
weekend, the
Swedish Prime
Minister, Mr.
[Stefan]
Löfven, has
come out
publicly in
favour of
Helle
Thorning-Schmidt.
And the
document you
referred me
to, if it's
the right one,
says that
there will be
a pool… there
will be
interview
pools and that
they will be
named, bearing
in mind their
background,
geographic
origin, and
gender.
So I wanted to
know, if it's
the case that
Mr. Jan
Eliasson is
the head of
the selection
panel and
there's now a
clear Nordic
choice, what
was the
reference in
this 2002
document that
choosing
interviewers
based on
geographical
origin?
And who… for
this reason,
I'm asking…
[cross talk]
Spokesman:
First of all,
I'm not
confirming
that Mr.
Eliasson has…
his
involvement in
the
process.
Second, it's
just to ensure
that there's
geographical
balance.
Senior
officials in
this
Organization
and any
official in
this
Organization
serve the
Organization
and not their
countries.
Inner City
Press:
Can we know
what the
balance are,
the region,
the contents?
Spokesman:
No.
Video
here.
On September
30, Lykketoft
appeared at a
Q&A
stakeout along
with Guterres
and Deputy
Secretary
General Jan
Eliasson, said
to be heading
the panel to
name Guterres'
successor.
Inner City
Press asked
Eliasson to
confirm his
role and
describe the
process, in
the spirit of
transparency
for which the
General
Assembly has
called, for
example in
connection
with picking
the successor
to Ban Ki-moon
as Secretary
General. Video
here.
Eliasson said
since some
candidacies
are public --
like Thorning
Schmidt's --
and some are
not, he would
not comment. Video here.
But
presumably
some yearning
to be the next
Secretary
General,
including at
the microphone
at this very
stakeout,
would also
want to be
"non-public"
candidates.
This did not
prevent the
General
Assembly from
its resolution
for public
platforms from
candidates. So
why should it
be so
different for
UNHCR,
especially at
this time?
We'll have
more on this.
Lykketoft said
more than half
of the 30
people in his
cabinet are
"seconded"
from
countries,
with slightly
more than a
handful from
Denmark. To
Inner City
Press'
question about
Denmark for
example
publishing an
advertisement
in the
Lebanese press
trying to
discourage
asylum-seekers,
Lykketoft
distanced
himself, and
Thorning-Schmidt,
the candidate
he
"recommends,"
from the
recent ad.
Transcript
below. But the
policies go
back longer.
Lykketoft said
for the second
time that
despite
"favoring"
Thorning-Schmidt
he has no role
in the
process.
On September
28 Inner City
Press
exclusively
reported on
complaints
that
Lykketoft's
PGA office is
being used to
promote
Thorning-Schmidt.
Countries'
delegations
and officials
are invited to
the PGA's
office where
they are met
by
Thorning-Schmidt.
It is a
full court
press; one
sources
questioned
that UN
resources are
being used,
and positions
in a
prospective
Thorning-Schmidt
"administration"
at UNHCR being
traded. It is
not an
auspicious
beginning.
Inner City
Press: This
has to do with
UNHCR, this
post that I
asked you
about
repeatedly.
And the
President of
the General
Assembly had
said he may
have a
favourite
candidate, but
he’s not
involved, it’s
the
Secretary-General’s.
But I became
aware from a
number of
people that
were invited
to meetings in
the PGA’s
[President of
the General
Assembly]
office with
Ms. Helle
Thorning-Schmidt
convened by
the PGA in
what appears
to be an
orchestrated
sort of
lobbying
campaign for
her
candidacy.
So I wanted to
know, would
that be
appropriate?
Two, has Ban
Ki-moon met
with her about
this
candidacy?
And is it
appropriate
for the PGA’s
office to be
involved in
inviting in…
Spokesman:
I think that’s
a question —
what meetings
may or may not
happen is a
question for
the PGA.
We have, we
have a
process.
I think as in
any process,
people
campaign or
whatever you
want to
say.
There’s a
process
outline of how
these things
are
done.
It’s through
the document I
shared with
you — and
we’ll go
through the
process in a
fair
manner.
When we’re
ready to
announce it,
we will.
Inner City
Press:
But is it done
on
merit? I
guess… because
of the way
this thing
looks in terms
of… it’s
actually
exchange of…
[inaudible]
Inner City
Press:
You can look
at it through
whichever
prism.
The best
possible
person will be
hired for the
job of High
Commissioner.
Inner City
Press: Thanks
a lot.
Matthew Lee,
Inner City
Press.
[Omitted by
Lykketoft's
office: "On
behalf of the
Free
UN Coalition
for Access]
Thanks a lot
for the
briefing and
hoping you'll
do stakeouts
and other
things after
GA meetings so
we can ask you
more
questions.
What I wanted
to ask you
about is I've
seen your
opening
remarks on the
refugee crisis
and I asked
you about the
candidacy for
the next
refugee
Commissioner
process and
there's
obviously a
Danish
candidate so
some people in
looking at
that have said
Denmark's own
policies have
been subject
to criticism
by the UN
system.
They published
an
advertisement
in Lebanon
telling people
that they
won't get
certain
benefits if
they get to
the
country.
Prior to that
there were
some switches
in
policy.
You may
disagree but
it seems like
it's not
viewed as
among the most
welcoming of
European
countries.
How does that
square with
what you
said?
And perhaps
relatedly I've
looked at the
team on your
website.
I wanted to
know this is a
problem that,
not a problem,
an issue for
all
PGAs.
How many of
the positions
in your office
are funded by
the UN?
And how many
are funded by
countries I.E.
secunded
staff?
And it seems
like there may
be 6 or 7 that
are from
Denmark.
Are they all
funded by the
Danish
Government?
Do all the
staff in your
office work
during this
year entirely
for the UN
System?
Thanks.
MOGENS
LYKKETOFT:
I can say for
sure for
myself, and
that means
also for the
staff, we are
all working
for the UN
System.
I come from
Denmark.
I'm proud of
that.
But I'm not
representing
as President
of the General
Assembly, in
specific the
Kingdom of
Denmark.
That's one
thing.
And how the
staff is
composed, I
have not the
exact figures,
but I think
that more than
half of the
members of the
staff are
secunded from
member
countries
outside
Denmark, a few
from the UN,
and more than
a handful from
Denmark.
That's the
composition of
the 30 men and
women we have
in the
Cabinet.
And about the
Danish
candidate for
UN HGR, I can
only recommend
her. I'm
not part of
the decision
who is brought
forward to the
General
Assembly.
It's a
procedure of
the
Secretary-General.
But I can only
add one thing
to your
comments on
Danish
policies:
It was
certainly not
the candidate
that was
leader of the
Government
that put the
advertisement
in the
Lebanon...
Lebanese
papers.
When
Lykketoft
spoke to the
press on
September 15,
Inner City
Press asked
him how the
General
Assembly under
his leadership
will select a
new head of
the UN Office
of the High
Commissioner
for Refugees,
from among
candidates
that include
fellow Dane
Helle
Thorning-Schmidt.
Video
here.
Lykketoft
replied, “I
discuss that
with the
Secretary
General. Don't
ask for my
preference,
because that's
obvious, where
I come from.
There will be
a proposal by
the Secretary
General to the
General
Assembly. How
that will
evolve, I'm
not sure.
We'll discuss
it in the near
future.”
Inner City
Press: On
refugees, the
notice put out
by the
Secretary-General
for
nominations
for… to
replace… to
succeed Mr.
[Antonio]
Guterres, top
UNHCR, said to
apply by 14
September.
Can you say
how many
people have
applied?
Can you
confirm Filippo
Grandi is an
applicant?
Given now that
the GA has
asked for
greater
transparency
in the
selection of
the SG, what's
the process
here? Is
there going to
be a panel to
interview
people?
How does it
work?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
The process is
being guided
by direct… by…
excuse me… by
direct… by…
excuse me, by
a directive
from the
General
Assembly.
I can make
that
public.
We will not be
releasing a
short list or
any other
details.
Inner City
Press:
Is there a
panel to
interview
people?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
There's always
a panel.
Inner City
Press:
Who's on the
panel?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I have no
other details
to share with
you.
Three months
earlier on
June 15, after
Lykketoft was
elected (by
acclamation,
without
opposition) as
the next
President of
the UN General
Assembly,
Inner City
Press asked
him how he
would run the
upcoming
process to
select the
next Secretary
General.
Lykkotoft
replied that
he had heard
from the heads
of all five UN
regional
groups a
desire for a
more open
process, with
multiple
candidates
making
presentations.
One wonders if
Lykketoft
believes the
position is
reserved for
the Eastern
European Group
(he was the
candidate of
the Western
European and
Other Group,
and got the
post by
regional
rotation), but
there was not
yet time to
ask.
Inner
City Press
also asked
Lykketoft for
his view on
the scandal of
the UN's cover
up of sexual
abuse of
children in
the Central
African
Republic by
French
“peacekeepers,”
and then
retaliation
against fellow
Scandinavian
Anders Kompass
of Sweden.
Lykketoft said
he is aware of
the case but
thought it
better not to
comment for
now. He said
the same in
response to
most other
questions, for
example on
Palestine. (Periscope
video here).
Footnote: The
first question
was set aside
for UNCA,
become the UN's
Censorship
Alliance,
which used it
to say that
SDGs is the
most boring
name. Takes
one to know
one. If
Lykketoft can
run a more
transparent
process to
select the
next SG, he
will have done
well. Inner
City Press and
the new Free
UN Coalition
for Access
will stay on
this. Watch
this site. Follow @innercitypressFollow @FUNCA_info
, 
