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By Matthew Russell Lee, Video here, Vine here

UNITED NATIONS, April 24 - UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says he has a "zero tolerance" policy for sexual harassment, and for retaliation. While questionable even at the UN, did it apply at the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR which he ran from 2005 to 2015? There were allegations there that now UNHCR Deputy Director Craig Sanders ordered Lori Handrahan not to report an alleged rape of a refugee by an aid worker in Chad, saying he 'would not have a sex-for-food scandal on my watch'. Handrahan writes, "Sexual abuse and exploitation of refugee women was occurring in the camps by humanitarians and others. When I reported one incident Sanders confronted me in anger, pointed his finger in my face, screamed at me and said I was not "going to discuss this at the co-ordination meeting" because a food-for-sex scandal was "not going to happen" on "his watch" and "ruin his career".' Handrahan says she still reported the rape to the UN meeting, but then was 'run out' of UNHCR Her three-month contract was not renewed and said she had several job applications rejected. Where was Antonio Guterres during all this? On April 24, Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who dodged, UN Transcript here: Inner City Press: As you may have seen, there's a sexual harassment #MeToo issue at UNHCR, and it goes back into the past in such a way that it actually intersects with António Guterres' time there.  It has to do with Craig Sanders, current Deputy Director of UNHCR, and it has to do with allegations, now widely reported in the UK and in at least two publications, that he told a colleague not to report, when he was serving in Darfur for UNHCR, sexual abuse allegations because he didn't want there to be food-for-sex scandal on his watch.  That's the quote.  And so this reverberated around apparently within UNHCR for some time after that while António Guterres was the head of UNHCR.  So you may not know, what was his…

Spokesman:  Look, I'm not aware of the case.  I think these questions are up to UNHCR to answer.  I think what I do know is that, while he was head of UNHCR, the Sec… the then High Commissioner made a priority to combat issues of sexual harassment." But that's exactly the question: what did Guterres know about l'affaire Craig Sanders, and when did he know it? And why now at the UN is Guterres imposing targeted restrictions on the investigative Press that asks the most questions about this, and #MeTooUN more generally? We'll have more on this. When Inner City Press asked Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq on March 15 about Michel Sidibé's reported threats of retaliatory investigations against those making and offering support to sexual harassment complaints at UNAIDS, Haq said this is entire a matter for UNAIDS. Earlier Inner City Press story here. On April 17, mid growing requests for Sidibe to resign, Inner City Press asked Guterres' led spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who reiterated Guterres has full confidence in Sidibe. So much for zero tolerance. Video here, UN transcript here and below. On April 19, Inner City Press asked Dujarric about The Lancet. Video here, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: The Lancet, a highly respected medical journal, has written an editorial very much saying that UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme against HIV/AIDS) is… I could read you the quotes.

Spokesman:  No, I've seen it.

Inner City Press: They're pretty damning.  Do you have a canned response?  Can you uncork it?

Spokesman:  I try to improvise as much as I can.

Inner City Press: Okay.  Is there one? I mean… I can read…

Spokesman:  No, our response is the same.  I think we… the Secretary-General supports the work of Mr. [Michel] Sidibé, [and] recognizes the efforts he's done to put gender parity at the forefront of the work of UNAIDS.

Inner City Press: No, what they're critical of is his role in…people are not just talking about the gender equality record under Mr. Sibidé.  They're talking about his covering up and not responding to a complaint made in 2015 about Luiz Loures being a sexual predator.  There's a…

Spokesman:  I think the case of Mr. Loures has been investigated.  And, if we have an update, I will share that with you." On April 17, Inner City Press followed up, including about inquiries by member states. From the UN transcript: Inner City Press: on UNAIDS [Joint United Nations Programme against HIV/AIDS].  I'd asked you yesterday about the various calls, including one letter that's said to be to the Secretary-General.  Is he going to respond to those letters?  You'd said he encouraged… he appreciates dialogue and hearing from people.

Spokesman:  As a matter of course, the Secretary-General's a polite person.  When he gets a letter, he either acknowledges or responds.

Inner City Press:   That's not always the case but… I wanted to ask you about… on the same topic of sexual harassment and abuse, it's said that the… the Australian Government, the… the International Development Minister has said that Australia, specifically as a country, has sought assurances from the UN regarding sexual exploitation in… in Syria, Central African Republic and other places.

Spokesman:  In Syria?  Yeah?

Inner City Press:  Yes.  Is that… is that… is that the case?  And I'd asked you previously about this group called MOPAN, which is a… an acronym I won't unpack, but it was chaired by Norway, that it'd asked… you'd said that there are reports on these things, but is the Secretar… on… on the way in which the Secretariat has dealt with sexual harassment cases, are… is there a dialogue going on with particular Member States…?

Spokesman:  Well, there's a dialogue going on with all Member States, because there's no way to fight sexual harassment and sexual abuse without being in partnership with Member States.  So there is a constant dialogue going on.

Inner City Press: Sure.  But has there… I guess what I'm saying is, are there… has there been provision of information beyond that which you referred to in public reports…?

Spokesman:  "We respond to Member States as requested....And that will be the last question." For now. From the April 17 transcript: Inner City Press:  I wanted to ask you about UNAIDS.  As I'm sure you've seen, a number of… a number of groups have asked for an investigation, but the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which does work on AIDS in 39 countries, has reportedly written to António Guterres asking that Mr. [Michel] Sidibé step down in light of his alleged retaliation against staff, in light of a staff member having, in 2015, told him that Luiz Loures was a sexual predator.  And I'm wondering, what does the Secretary-General think now that… that… basically, it doesn't seem that Mr. Sidibé is going to self-resign.  What does he make of… of a member of the…?

Spokesman:  I think it’s always important to hear from our partners.  Mr. Sidibé continues to have the confidence of the Secretary-General.

Inner City Press: And… and the investigation [inaudible] of Luiz Loures meets António Guterres' standards of zero tolerance…?

Spokesman:  I think we've spoken about the investigation." On March 29 when Inner City Press audibly asked Guterres, if he had even yet spoken to Sidibe, Guterres did not answer. Vine video here. Present was Guterres' Global Communicator Alison Smale, who orders UN staff to "speak with one voice" - hers - on allegations of sexual harassment. She has continued to restrict Inner City Press, declining for monthes to even answer what the rules are. Inner City Press has been receiving detailed complaints about mismanagement and harassment in UNAIDS, but the UN refuses to answer. So below are some more of the complaints. Tellingly, the day after Guterres refused Inner City Press' question about UNAIDS, here are Loures' victims speaking publicly, in their own names:  Martina Brostrom, a policy advisor at UNAIDS, said of Loures at a conference in Bangkok, Thailand in 2015: "I was pleading with him, and I was just bracing with all that I could just to not leave the elevator."  Guterres? No answer - and no action. Where is Guterres on this? Where is Guterres? Malayah Harper, who used to run UNAIDS' programs in Uganda and Kenya, on Loures a year earlier, also at a hotel: "He got into the lift with me, and then kind of lunged forward to -- you could call it -- kiss me, but I thought a kiss had to be consensual." We'll have more on this, and on retaliation. Some more of the complaints exclusively published by Inner City Press: "Michel Sidibé has established this 'boys club' culture where qualified women are made to feel less worthy, are openly ridiculed by male colleagues except those women who are providing favors to him and his 'boys,' he continues to give perks to his boys who serve as his connectors to presidents, prime ministers etc by appointing them to important positions as well as even when they retired bridging them back on special assignments for them to make easy money. People such as Fritz Lherisson, Georges Shaw and more recently Abdoul Dieng." There are the Mali connections, beyond what Inner City Press reported about Burundi on March 23, here: "Ben Wahab - A Malian recently appointed as UNAIDS Country Director for Burundi with no country level and no management experience. He came in as a P4 Adviser and very quickly in 3 years he rose to his present position of UNAIDS Country Director.... Theresa Poirier, a Malian Canadian,  UNAIDS Country Director for Malawi .Also a relatively new comer to UNAIDS appointed by Michel as Director in Mali and now serving in Malawi as UNAIDS Country Director... Fode Simanga a Malian serving as senior adviser in Geneva but graded at Director level... Dado SY Kagnsssy a Malian before UNAIDS Country Director for Djibouti, very little experience,non articulative  and a fairly new comer to UNAIDS who was appointed to this position whilst many longer serving staff members are over looked and now posted to Guinea as UNAIDS Country Director.. Amakonde Sande (moved from consultant to P4 in short order to  P5 as UNAIDS Country Director in Malawi and then sent to Uganda  a D1 position where she stayed only for 3 months only to be appointed to China as UNAIDS Country Director... Bridgitte Quenum recently appointed as UNAIDS Country Director but she has no leadership, management experience and was appointed over other more senior  persons. It is reputed that her family is/was a great friend of Michel Sidibe and that is how she entered UNAIDS and now gained this distinguished position." But note - not only has Antonio Guterres bragged recently that now at the UN "we have some Portuguese things" - he also has his own hiring and traveling patterns.

As to UNAIDS and Sidibe, there is talk of mining business; there are harassment complaints and findings that Sidibé refuses to act on.  Of Girmay Haile, the current UNAIDS country director in Zimbabwe, whistleblowers tell Inner City Press that a recent internal investigation came unanimously to the conclusion of severe bullying and intimidation just two weeks ago - but Sidibé has refused to move him. This followed a previous investigation against Girmay Haile Girmay HaileGirmay HaileGirmay Hailein Kenya; Sidibe refused the recommendation of the internal team and promoted him to country director Ghana. Girmay Haile has reportedly said he knows too much and if he falls they all fall. We shall see.

  Back on March 15 when Inner City Press asked about the UN Secretariat's own investigation of whistleblowers, for the second day in a row, Haq again defended it, as somehow benefiting member states. From the UN transcript: Inner City Press: I'm sure you've seen the article in The Guardian quoting Michel Sibidé [sic] of UNAIDS [Joint United Nations Programme against HIV/AIDS].  What I wanted to ask you is, he seems to be attacking those who came forward in the sexual harassment case against Luiz Loures.  He's attacked them.  He's said that Loures is a… is… made a courageous decision.  And, of his detractors, he says, we know these people are taking their golden shan… handshakes from us here and knowing they have a job and then attacking us.  We know all about that.  We know every single thing.  Time will come for everything.  When I hear anything about abuse of our assets, I ask for an investigation.  Maybe these investigations are going on.  And so, many staff and many people in the… in the “#MeToo” movement see this as a direct threat against those who came forward.  And I wonder, what does António Guterres… who I'm… I… I would assume is a reader of The Guardian, what does he think of these comments?

Deputy Spokesman:  We're aware of this article.  Obviously, it's for UNAIDS and Mr.  Sidibé to explain what the comments attributed to him are. 

At UNESCO in Paris there are cover-ups and retaliation in the wake of the two-step firing of Assistant Director General Frank La Rue for sexual harassment.

But when Inner City Press on March 20 asked Guy Berger, the grandly titled Director of Freedom of Expression and Media Development at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, if he thought reporting on l'affaire La Rue, which has included Inner City Press' exclusive report that after his suspension he was still getting paid and now questions about UNESCO Ethics Adviser Rebecca Trott, Berger said he was unaware of the specifics of the case and to ask UNESCO's press officer.

  Since Inner City Press published the video of the Q&A, it has heard from UNESCO staff in New York that Berger "lied - he was among the best friends of La Rue, defended him at every turn, while also trying to take his job." This is how the UN works - work with collaborators like Berger's former student, to cover up abuse, while seeking mutual advancement. It is disgusting. So too on Rebecca Trott, UNESCO's "Ethics" adviser. As question mount about cover up, it will be interesting to know who is still protecting her within the organization. We'll have more on this.

Likewise, after Berger has spoken and joked with a former student (given the first question) about the importance of independent media and even holding power in check, when Inner City Press asked about the UN's FAO and WIPO going after the press, he said he was unaware but implied it might be justified.

When Inner City Press asked about the UN Department of Public Information's continuing lack of content neutral media access rules, despite Inner City Press' repeated requests to DPI boss Alison Smale, both his student and the UN moderate looked surprised, as if they didn't understand.

OK: Inner City Press was evicted from its UN work space for pursuing the Ng Lap Seng UN bribery case in the UN Press Briefing Room - an event of the group headed by Berger's student - and has been a non-resident correspondent requiring DPI “minders” to cover the UN General Assembly and its President. Meanwhile its office was given to a no-show Egyptian state media, Akhbar al Yom's Sanaa Youssef, who has not ask the UN a question in ten years.

Media that rarely come in and ask anything have arrived since Inner City Press' eviction and have been given UN office space. Inner City Press has been told it is not even on the list, and Smale has not answer a single email. No rules. We'll have more on this (charade) - and on UNESCO. Watch this site.

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