In UN
Musical
Chairs, OCHA's
O'Brien
Snubbed by
Saudis, Moves
to Cut Staff,
Leaks
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 13 --
The Security
Council
decided on
Antonio
Guterres to
replace Ban
Ki-moon as UN
Secretary
General, and
the battle of
some of Ban's
Under
Secretaries
General to
stay on began
in earnest.
This will be a
series.
USGs
like Cristina
Gallach, named
in the Office
of Internal
Oversight
Services audit
of the Ng Lap
Seng bribery
scandal as
having done no
due diligence
- and engaged
in censorship,
eviction
and
restriction of
the Press
after that -
must go.
But
this is a
story of
Stephen
O'Brien, the
Emergency
Relief
Coordinator.
Inner City
Press
exclusively
covered how
O'Brien got
the job, as
the UK's
second choice
foisted on Ban
Ki-moon who
simply
accepted that
Permanent Five
countries own
particular
positions. But
more recently,
when O'Brien
visiting Saudi
Arabia, he was
telling
snubbed by the
royal
leadership
there -- and
stayed silence
about it.
Here's how UN
humanitarian
sources put
it:
“He
was snubbed
big time - he
did not get
his visa until
the very last
minute - there
was no
protocol when
he arrived -
he complained
that he had to
queue like
everyone else
to get in at
the airoport
when he
arrived. He
did not meet
any
significant
officials and
was almost
like a bless
yes yes with
the few lower
level KSA
representatives
he met with.
He did not
raise any
substantive
issues related
to
humanitarian
operations
that are
hampered by
KSA - in
particular in
Yemen (he was
there just
before his
trip to KSA).
Stephen likes
to talk big in
the media but
in front of
officials he
is very weak.”
In order to
try to keep
his post,
these sources
say, O'Brien
is sacrificing
others:
“ he
is very much
threatened by
the current
discussion
over who will
take on OCHA.
He knows that
his own
Government
doesn't like
him and he is
trying
desperately to
have them keep
OCHA. He is
very worried
because he
wants to stay
at all cost so
he is very
much
'prostituting
himself' to
find a way to
stay. For that
- what he is
trying to do
is to cut a
quite sizable
number of
posts in OCHA
i.e fire a
number of
people to show
that he is
efficient and
can take tough
decisions. But
at the same
time he is
bringing his
own people
from outside
to do his
dirty job. For
the functional
review - we
hear that he
wants to bring
Bruce Aylwarld
- with his
team. He is
WHO ASG and
was engaged on
the Ebola
crisis. So as
you can
imagine we
feel that we
are Ebola and
Bruce is
coming to get
rid of us as
mandated by
Stephen
O'Brien. He
has not even
announced it
to the staff
but everyone
from outside
speaks about
it. As you can
imagine -
hiring people
while firing
others without
reason is
outrageous.
What Stephen
O'Brien wants
is to control
and use OCHA
for his media
coverage - his
own career.
At one
point he was
even thinking
about getting
the post of
the Chief of
Cabinet as -
as you know UK
is fighting to
get DPA or the
CdC post. In
fact he wants
to be the only
one in the
media. For
example - he
doesn't like
when Jan
Eagland is
giving press
briefing on
Syria on
humanitarian
issue and
wanted to find
a way to get
rid of him. So
he doesn't
care about the
message or the
people - he
cares just
about his
image. Matthew
- what I am
trying to say
is that this
guy care more
about himself
than the
people who are
suffering and
the staff in
OCHA who are
trying to do
their work.
Everyone hope
that he will
be asked to
leave. We just
hope that by
the time the
new SG comes
in it won't be
too late.
Please be our
voice and
speak up for
us - Stephen
should leave
OCHA - he has
destroyed our
credibility.”
We would
certainly like
to get
O'Brien's side
of the story.
But like many
Ban Ki-moon
officials,
worst among
them Herve
Ladsous,
O'Brien rarely
takes public
questions from
the Press (Ladsous
simply refuses).
The Ban
Ki-moon team
stood by amid
open targeting
and eviction
of the Press.
Still any
response from
O'Brien will
publish. For
now we publish
this leaked
email from
inside OCHA:
“Dear
Colleagues,
In
response to
requests
received and
in line with
EMC guidance,
i am pleased
to enclose for
you guidance
on human
resources
management
where
organisational
change can
mean
reductions in
posts and by
association of
existing
staff.
We are
aware that
decisions
concerning
posts are
being
discussed as
part of the
2017 budget
formulation
exercise.
Accordingly, i
hope that the
enclosed set
of guidance
can be useful
to you.
Focal points
and contacts
are listed on
the brochure
enclosed, but
if you have
any specific
needs, please
do continue to
write to
myself in the
first instance
so that i may
respond as
appropriate.
best wishes
The
attached
package is
designed to
support any
business unit
facing a
transition:
OCHA
Transition
Support
Package
Overview - An
overview of
all the
support
available at a
glance
Managing
Organizational
Change -
Reference
Materials for
Staff Members
Managing
Organizational
Change -
Reference
Materials for
Managers
Quick
guide on
Separation
Benefits
So who's going
to be
separated? Watch
this site.
, 
