By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 21 --
Protesting
layoffs and
lack of
transparency,
staff at the
UN Office of
the High
Commission for
Human Rights
are
petitioning new High
Commissioner
Prince
Zeid for
due process
and
accountability.
Inner City
Press has
obtained the
petition and
is exclusively
putting it
online here.
In it,
the OHCHR
staff call for
“transparent
and
comprehensive
information on
prospective
cuts and
restructuring,
detailing
their impact
on savings and
OHCHR’s
overall
financial
situation...
tangible
accountability
measures by
attributing
responsibility
for the
present crisis
and taking the
requisite
action to
prevent
another
financial
crisis of this
magnitude in
the future and
a meaningful
dialogue and
truly
consultative
decision-making
on ongoing
financial
including
putting
decisions on
hold.”
The
staff complain
to Zeid that
“the lack of
transparency,
consultation
and
information on
who, where or
how, not to
mention why,
some of us are
affected is
deplorable and
unacceptable.”
The
lack of
transparency
in the current
OHCHR extends
from Geneva to
New York,
where the Office
anonymously
spun its
Ukraine report
to hand-picked
scribes then
refused when
asked to
explain the
basis.
Inner
City Press on
behalf of the
Free
UN Coalition
for Access asked
at
the November
20 UN noon
briefing that
the New York
representative
of Prince Zeid
hold a press
availability
about the
report,
including
incongruities
in report on
labor issues
such as the
cut-off of
pensions, click
here for that.
On
accountability,
the staff
complain that
the “senior
management
level
evidently
bears much
more
responsibility.
Yet, it is
other
individuals at
lower levels
who are paying
the price for
this
mismanagement.”
Also
on
accountability
at the OHCHR,
as Inner City
Press has
twice
reported, document
leaks from
inside the UN
have
identified
improper
service of
Morocco,
on the
question of
Western
Sahara, by a
current
staffer at the
OHCHR, Anders
Kompass, and
by another who
has recently
left.
Prince
Zeid has yet
to publicly
address this
scandal,
though Inner
City Press
understands
that no only
is their an
investigation
by the UN
Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services, but
also inquiry
from member
states such as
Sweden.
Inquiry on
them was not
permitted at Zeid's one
press
availability
this week in
New York.
Zeid's
spokesman has
indicated
there will be
no comment at
all until
OIOS'
"investigation
is completed."
Since the OIOS
process is far
from
transparent,
this is the
way the UN
system tries
to make issues
go away, but
it is even
less
appropriate at
the UN's human
rights office.
Zeid should
address this
scandal - and
his Office's
staff. Watch
this site.
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