Inner City Press: Investigative Reporting from the United Nations

UN Tight Lipped on Sri Lanka Killings and Burma Bombs, Honduras and Niger Elections

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 9 -- Even with the UN Spokesperson's office reducing its public question taking from five down to three days a week, still it refuses or is unable to answer simply queries about what the UN is doing, and its follow through if any on topics on which it has already spoken, from Sudan, Niger and Somalia to Sri Lanka and Honduras (that is, Africa, Asia and Latin America).

On Monday August 3, Inner City Press asked Spokesperson Michele Montas about reports of fighting between rebels and the government in Sudan, where the UN has two billion dollar peacekeeping missions, and about the total rejection in Somalia of an initiative of the UN's envoy to the country:

Inner City Press: there are these reports of the JEM [Justice and Equality Movement] rebels in Sudan engaging the Sudanese army in [inaudible]. Is that something that either of the two UN missions in Sudan can confirm?

Spokesperson Montas: No, I can try to get the answer for you.

Inner City Press: And I wanted to ask you, the Somali Parliament had voted down about 334 out of the 347… this Law of the Sea filing organized by [Ahmedou] Ould-Abdallah between Somalia and Kenya, funded by Norway. They voted it down, you know, and totally rejected. I wondered if either Ould-Abdallah has a comment and also whether this affects the filing that was made here at the UN for Somalia by Kenya for their undersea rights.

Spokesperson Montas: This I would have to ask the Treaty Department for you, if that changes anything. I don’t have an answer myself today right now.

On the JEM fighting, the Spokesperson's Office never provided an answer, even six days later. The UN's force commander for Darfur also dodged the question, saying the despite the billions of dollars, the UN can't see such fighting. On Ould Abdallah, after Inner City Press further pursued it, the answer was that the question should be posed to the states involved: that is, Somalia and Kenya and presumably Norway. But it was the deal Ould Abdallah put together that was turned down, by the Somali parliament. On whose behalf is he speaking?

On Wednesday, August 5, Inner City Press asked Ms. Montas about a mass killing in Sri Lanka on which the UN has previously spoken, but on which it is now mute, and for the second time about requests to the UN system for aid for Honduras camping with Mel Zelaya in Nicaragua:

Inner City Press: There are these reports that the camps set up for Hondurans just across the border in Nicaragua where Mr. Zelaya is, that Nicaragua has asked for UN for support to these camps. Have you received any information on this? Has a request been made and has any UN assistance or monitoring mission sent there or taken place?

Spokesperson: Not that I know of, but of course we can check with DPA or the refugee agency whether there was anything done on that account. As far as I know, no, so far.

Inner City Press: Can I also ask, the Human Rights Watch has asked the Secretary-General to set up an inquiry into the killing of 17 Action Contre la Faim aid workers three years ago and also other human rights abuses. They say that the Government hasn’t done anything. The request is specifically to the Secretary-General. Is he aware of that call? And given that he visited the country and said that he’d be monitoring it, what is, you know, what is his response?

Spokesperson: I don’t have any specifics on that. Of course we can try to find out whether there was a specific request that was made officially to the Secretary-General. I can try to find out for you.

While the UN in the four days that follow provided no answer on Honduras, diplomats from the region tell Inner City Press that assistance is being provided. On the Sri Lankan government's killings and self-exoneration, the UN's silence had become deafening. The UN's top Humanitarian has repeatedly said it's not clear to him that the government has stopped investigating. It's clear to Human Rights Watch, and to even pro-government journalists in Colombo.

UN's Ban with doctorate, but answers not provided by OSSG

The UN did, we note, provide an answer to a question on August 5, about Sudan, and even inserted the response into its transcript:

Spokesperson: Montas: Yes, Matthew.

Inner City Press: in the trial of Lubna Hussein, the UNMIS [United Nations Mission in the Sudan] worker that the… both protesters and one of her lawyers were apparently beaten up in front of, or beaten by the police in front of the court. I’m wondering what, even if UNMIS or the UN is monitoring that, if they have any comment on that, and also if there is yet an answer on whether, was she both a private journalist and UNMIS employee at the same time as was reported, or there was some…?

Spokesperson: She was an UNMIS employee. As you know, she said that she would not be claiming immunity and she wanted to have the case tried in court. Of course, we respect what she wants. However, there is an agreement signed by the UN, the peacekeeping mission there and the Government. And we’re still waiting for answers to know whether or not the immunity still holds. And that’s what we have to find out. We don’t have an answer yet. As you know, the trial has been postponed.

[Later, the correspondent was further informed that the United Nations has informed the Sudanese authorities that, as a United Nations staff member, Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein is covered by immunity from legal process. There is an agreed procedure between the host Government and the United Nations for dealing with cases in which the Government believes that a staff member has committed a criminal offence.

In such cases, the Government is required to report the matter to the United Nations, which in turn will conduct any necessary investigation and, upon the Government's request, decide whether to waive immunity. In the present case, the United Nations has not received any request for the waiver of the staff member’s immunity. Immunity is afforded not only to protect the staff member, but the interests of the United Nations in a broader sense. It is, therefore, not up to a staff member to waive his or her immunity. That is the sole prerogative of the United Nations.]

What the noble sounding answer doesn't address is the UN's failure to invoke immunity this year for two of its staff members in Sri Lanka who were seized by the government and, they say, tortured and asked to point out more people for the government to torture.

Even on the Sudan, when on August 7 Inner City Press directed a question about Lubna's case to a UN Police officer present at the noon briefing, UNPOL chief Hughes stepped in and refused to let her answer, as he did on Inner City Press' question about peacekeepers repatriated from the UN Mission in Haiti under charges of sexual exploitation and abuse. Video here.

On August 7, Inner City Press asked Ms. Montas' deputy Marie Okabe about Niger and Myanmar, without answer:

Inner City Pres: it’s reported that the President of Niger has won his contested referendum to extend his term in office. Does the Secretariat now have any comment or response to that?

Deputy Spokesperson Okabe: I have nothing beyond the comment that we already had issued on the concerns of these developments earlier.

Inner City Press: Also, Myanmar has announced that they have arrested 15 people who they say were going to set off a bomb while the Secretary-General was in Myanmar. Has that been communicated to the Secretariat? Does he think he was a target?

Deputy Spokesperson: I am not aware of any such reports. I’ve only seen them in the press reports.

Inner City Press: So Myanmar hasn’t communicated to the UN…?

Deputy Spokesperson: I haven’t seen anything.

And this litany of non answers is without regard to the UN's two week refusal to answer Inner City Press' questions about Congo envoy Alan Doss' documented pressure to get his daughter at UNDP, leading to the pepper spraying and now prosecution of the UNDP worker whose job was taken, click here for that.. When will things improve?

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UN Nepotism from Congo to NY Criminal Court, UNDP Biter Case Set for August 10

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 7 -- When the UN's top envoy to the Congo Alan Doss wrote in April to ask for leeway to get his daughter Rebecca hired at the UN Development Program, it set off a chain of events leading to the firing and pepper spraying of the person who held the Doss-sought post, and now starting on August 10 his criminal trial for fighting back, allegedly with his teeth. Click here for Inner City Press' exclusive three stories to date on this matter.

Nicola Baroncini, who until June 22 was the assistant to UNDP's Deputy Director for Asia and the Pacific, told Inner City Press on Friday that he intends to ask for a trial on the changes against him, and to demand the presence of various UN witnesses. These should, he said, including the Special Representative of the Secretary General in the Congo, Alan Doss, whose April 20, 2009 email, first published by Inner City Press, asked for "leeway" in awarding his daughter the position Mr. Baroncini had been filling.

On August 7, UNDP told Inner City Press that "Ms. Rebecca Doss began working at UNDP on July 1st 2009. The process through which she was hired is currently being investigated by UNDP’s Office of Audit and Investigation. Until that work is completed we will not have any further comments."

But, as first published by Inner City Press, on April 20, 2009 Alan Doss wrote

"Dear Ligia,

This is just to inform that I have advised UNDP in writing that I will transfer to DPKO effective 1 July 2009. I have also spoken to Martin and advised him that I cannot transfer before that date because the new DPKO contractual arrangements only come into effect on the 1 July. He informed me that the ‘deadline’ for the ALD contracts is 15 May so the period of overlap would only be 6 weeks (assuming Rebecca’s ALD would come into force on the 14th May at the latest). I have asked for some flexibility, which would allow a very long serving and faithful UNDP staff member a little lee-way before he rides off into the sunset.

Becky is very excited about the prospect of going to work for you so I hope that it will work out. With my warm regards and thanks,

Alan."

It was improper for UNDP to process Rebecca Doss' "application," declare her on the short list, and offer her the position while her USG father was with UNDP. Beyond that, the contact by a UN Under Secretary General was improper.

Sources now say that Doss has obtained his daughter other jobs in the past, and they note that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon may have something of a conflict in ruling on Doss' behavior, given the hiring of Ban's son in law Siddarth Chatterjee first by the SRSG in Iraq, Steffan de Mistura, then by the head of the UN Office of Project Services in Copenhagen, Jan Mattsson. Attention is turning to the UN system posts of Ban's daughter, Chatterjee's wife.

Since Inner City Press' third story on the matter one week ago, Ban's spokespeople have repeated referred questions to UNDP, which has told Inner City Press that "the hiring is being reviewed." On August 7, Ban's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe specified that UNDP's Office of Audit and Investigation is looking at it. But UNDP no longer has jurisdiction over Alan Doss; Ms. Okabe on August 7 answered Inner City Press' question from a week ago, that Doss transferred from UNDP to the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations on July 1.

On August 7, Inner City Press asked the head of DPKO, Alain Le Roy, what he thought of the chief of the Congo peacekeeping mission bending rules to get his daughter hired by the UN. Mr. Le Roy, too, said that UNDP must answer, while noting that he has read Inner City Press' story. Others have as well, and questions are multiplying. Video of August 7 noon briefing here.

Alan Doss, at right, with Alain Le Roy, requests for hiring leeway not shown: Rule of Law?

Back on August 3, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesperson Michele Montas:

Inner City Press: Michele, on Friday I had asked Farhan a question about Alan Doss and when he became a DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] staffer and not a UNDP [United Nations Development Programme] staffer. He told me UNDP would answer. I still don’t have an answer. Since it seems to be a Secretariat question, it involves, it’s an e-mail that Mr Doss sent [inaudible]… that job --

Spokesperson: No, I think it’s a UNDP question.

Question: But isn’t it, I mean, the date on which he became DPKO is actually relevant to that inquiry and it seems like that is something that the Secretariat would know, since he --

Spokesperson: Well, at this point I don’t have anything new for you on this, and we have been saying that UNDP should handle that.

Question: But I sent them an e-mail as soon as we finished on Friday, but I don’t have… I guess I am just pleading with you maybe to put a squeeze on?

Spokesperson: Yes, okay, I will ask whether UNDP can answer you.

Question: And I know that the Secretary-General met with Helen Clark this morning. Is there any readout? What did they discuss?

Spokesperson: No, just internal matters.

Question: Including this most recent issue of [inaudible]… not just the biting incident, but the job search?

Spokesperson: I don’t think such minor issues come up in discussions of that sort.

Question: [inaudible] the envoy of Ban Ki-moon actually writes in and says “give my relative a job”; this doesn’t seem to me to be that minor. The biting might be kind of comical, but I mean, I don’t know if you’ve followed that issue, but I’ve just wondered…

Spokesperson: Yes, of course I have read about it, but…

Inner City Press: You don’t think it arose?

Spokesperson: I don’t think so. Thank you all so very much.

Helen Clark has yet to hold a press conference at the UN, despite holding the post for more than 100 days. On August 5 Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: In the Council today they’re talking about peacekeeping and leadership. I just wanted to know, on the question that arose about Alan Doss and when he became a DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] employee. You’ve said, Farhan said Friday UNDP [United Nations Development Programme] would answer it. You said Monday that they’d answer it. But, still they haven’t answered. So, that’s why I am asking. It seems like it’s a straight factual question and that the information is in this building. Do you have an answer to that?

Spokesperson: All I can tell you is that UNDP is reviewing the issue, that’s all I have really. I don’t have a definite answer for you. I know that UNDP is reviewing the issue, that’s all I can say at this point.

Question: But doesn’t DPKO know? I mean, the e-mail that was released said that he asked, he said that 1 July he was going to transfer to DPKO from UNDP, but he wanted them to hire his daughter prior to that and sort of play with the rules. So, it’s just factual, while they review that, that’s fine. But it seems like DPKO or your office should be able to know when someone…

Spokesperson: Well, we’re trying to ascertain the facts, that’s what I am saying, Matthew. I am not evading your question, I just don’t have the facts yet. And if I have them, I will give them to you as soon as I have them. In this specific case, as I said, I was told by UNDP that they are reviewing the case. That’s all I was told today. I asked the question.

Question: I mean, the guy who sort of raised this complaint that the job was improperly given has like a criminal trial date on 10 August, you know, that’s going to be released. He says that there is some connection between these two.

Spokesperson: Well, you know, I have to say about that incident, you know the one that you have mentioned several times here. There was a serious nature to the security incident that took place on 22 June in the DC-2 building. And the incident resulted -- and I found that out yesterday -- resulted in the injury of one of our UN officers, whom I might add was transported to the hospital because of the severity of his wound. So, I was not aware of that fact when I spoke to you yesterday. Now I know that the man was hospitalized. He has since had to do several tests for specific diseases as a result of the wound, which was extremely stressful for everyone involved. He was out on sick leave after the incident, based on the hospital’s request. So this is what I have. It was much more serious than was originally reported to us. And so I just wanted to underline that fact.

Inner City Press: [inaudible] I had asked Farhan, maybe now that you know this you can tell. The dispute seems to be whether security used pepper spray on the individual prior to what appears to be a biting or vice versa. Do you have any information on that?

Spokesperson: No, I don’t have the details on whether pepper spray was used or not. It was a violent incident and the individual was violent, as I can testify. The person was bitten.

The court return date is Monday, August 10. Watch this site.

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At UN, Biting Incident Reveals Nepotism of UNDP and Congo Envoy, Whistleblower Maced

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 30 -- The biting incident at the UN, on which Inner City Press exclusively reported one week ago, has its roots in a glaring case of nepotism in which the UN's top envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mr. Alan Doss, lobbied to get his daughter the UN Development Program job effectively held and applied for by alleged biter, Mr. Nicola Baroncini.

When Mr. Baroncini was suspected of knowing of the nepotism, documented by an e-mail to UNDP from Mr. Doss, he was fired, forcibly removed, with pepper spray, from the UN compound and arrested by NYPD on the basis of false accusations. Doss' daughter Rebecca is now ensconced in the disputed UNDP job, while Mr. Baroncini is due in Criminal Court on August 10 on charges of third degree assault.

The case is an early test of UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, in the job for 100 days now, and new UN Security chief Gregory Starr, with whom Mr. Baroncini is asking to meet in order to withdraw the criminal charges against him. Also in question is how Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will react to documented allegations of improper requests and nepotism by his personal envoy to one of the UN's largest and most controversial peacekeeping missions.

Documents filed with the US Department of State, obtained by Inner City Press, show the lead-up to the June 22 pepper spray. On March 16, 2009, after several other UNDP posts ranging from Cambodia to New York, Mr. Baroncini began functioning as assistant to Ms. Ligia Elizondo, Deputy Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBAP).

According to the complaint Mr. Baroncini was "managing her personal agenda; screening inbound and outbound communications; organizing meetings; reviewing documents and other material; distributing tasks within the bureau. I had unlimited access to her UNDP email account. My tasks also included email filing (in my hard drive)."

A month later in April according to the complaint, Mr. Baroncini "witnessed that Ms. Elizondo received several phone calls from Rebecca Doss. Her CV was permanently in Ms. Elizondo’s in-tray. Also while filing Ms. Elizondo’s UNDP email inbox I came across several emails from Rebecca Doss to Ms. Elizondo. In one, Rebecca made reference to the position of 'Special Assistant to RBAP Deputy Director' and said that she would contact Ms. Elizondo at home."

Subsequently, Mr. Baroncini applied for and was one of four short-listed candidates for this post, whose functions he was already performing. Other candidates included Violeta Maximova and Rebecca Doss, whose father Alan Doss, in charge of the UN's billion dollar peacekeeping mission in the Congo, wrote on April 20 to Ms. Elizondo

Alan.

Alan Doss
Special Representative of the Secretary-General United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo"

E-mail in docx text format - download

When Inner City Press asked the UN spokesperson's office on July 27 about the and biting incident and the underlying recruitment, Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq said "it had to do with a frustrated jobseeker. The only thing I can say is the information I got from UNDP on this is that the hiring process regarding that particular vacancy at UNDP was filled in accordance with their rules." Transcript here, video here.

But as Doss' email in the complaint shows, since it is illegal for the child of a UNDP staff member, as Doss then was, to be hired by UNDP, Doss asked for "a little lee-way" -- to ignore what he called a six week overlap. The propriety of a UN Under Secretary General making personal contact and applying pressure to waive rules and award a job to his daughter has not yet been addressed.

UN's Doss, at right, with Kouchner and Clooney: Doss is connected

Next, Ms. Maximova and Ms. Doss were declared the top two candidates. Ms. Maximova suddenly was offered and accepted a job at the Clinton Foundation / Initiative, and Ms. Doss was given the job.

Mr. Baroncini spoke with the Director of RBAP, Mr. Ajay Chhibber, on July 19. Initially, Mr. Chhibber took an interest in hearing out Mr. Baroncini, offering him advice. But once Ms. Elizondo realized that Mr. Baroncini might, in the course of his duties, have become aware of the improper influence in the hiring decision, Mr. Baroncini had his email access terminated and was told to no longer come in to UNDP.

Subsequently, according to the complaint filed by Mr. Baroncini:

I voiced my complete disapproval and said that I will challenge this decision with the appropriate personnel.

I handed to Mr. Chhibber a print-out of Alan Doss’ email to Ms. Elizondo of April 20, 2009 and told him, “In case you do not know, this is the way human resources selection works in UNDP.” I repeated that I will challenge this course of events.

Within a couple of minutes a man arrived. He asked for my UN badge and requested that I leave the building. I began collecting my personal belonging. The whole process took several minutes.

Three UN Department of Safety and Security Guards approached me. Immediately, Peter Kolonias, one of the guards, ordered me to enter office 2312 of DC-1. I complied immediately.

I entered the office and sat down escorted by two UN DSS Security Guards. The door was shut. Shortly, my wife joined me (she works elsewhere in UNDP).

After waiting for some time, I asked the guards about the procedures in place and why we had been waiting for so long. In several instances I was told that Ms. Elizondo was giving a written statement and that once she had completed it would be my turn.

I began asking for access to a lawyer and my consulate. I repeated this request frequently (I would say every 15 minutes) both to the guard inside office 2312 and to other officials that entered the office.

I asked my wife to leave office 2312 and look for Mr. Chhibber and ask him to speak with me. I wanted to understand if he had any control concerning what was happening, and I wanted to share my concerns about this absurd escalation of events.

My wife left the office, but the guards outside invited her to join Ms. Elizondo and Ms. Jovita Domingo, a UNDP human resources advisor, inside Ms. Elizondo’s office. There, they questioned my wife about our private life until a UN official wearing a white uniform came in and my wife was invited to leave by Ms. Elizondo.

Once my wife left Ms. Elizondo’s office, they shut the door and had a meeting. My wife returned to office 2312.

The UN official wearing a white uniform along with the third UN DSS guard, Peter Kolonias, joined the two other UN DSS guards inside office 2312. They asked my wife to leave and shut the door.

The UN official wearing a white uniform swiftly informed me that I had two options: leave the building with them or be handcuffed.

I felt that something very wrong was happening and again I requested access to a lawyer, the Italian consulate and to give a statement.

The second or third time I repeated my requested I was assaulted.

First, Peter Kolonias put me to the floor. The two other guards followed immediately. They tried to immobilize me using every sort of technique. I was kicked repeatedly on the leg, stomach and neck. I was punched repeatedly on the neck, head and face. Twice, at close range, I was sprayed a pepper spray on the face. Immediately, and for about two hours thereafter, I was blinded and suffered tremendous pain on the face and eyes. Other than limited access to water, I was denied proper medical treatment despite my repeated requests.

Eventually I was handcuffed. UN DSS guards brought me outside office 2312 and I waited there for about 1½ hours, handcuffed, sitting in a chair in RBAP Directorate area.

At 2:35 pm, NYPD officers arrived and I was officially arrested

Eventually I was escorted outside DC1 building where an ambulance was waiting

I waited handcuffed until approximately 7:40 pm in a waiting room of Bellevue Hospital. After meeting with a Dr. Falck, I was immediately discharged.

I was brought to a police facility where NYPD took my fingerprints, and I awaited transportation to 100 Centre Street.

After routine procedures, I was jailed until 9:30 am of the following day. The jail was no more than 17-18 square meters. The number of detainees kept changing between 18 and 20 men. No restroom. Primitive sanitation. No hygiene facilities.

My case was reviewed, and I was immediately released without any bail payment. I am set to appear in Court on August 10, 2009."

These techniques -- the pepper spraying of those who ask questions, pressing of criminal charges as retaliation -- are the type of tactics that the UN and officials like Alan Doss criticize in places like the Congo. But the UN engages in them right on First Avenue in New York. What will Ban Ki-moon, Gregory Starr and Helen Clark each do? In the case Ms. Clark, she was officially informed of all of the above on July 27, and her closest advisor Heather Simpson a full week before that. Now what? Watch this site.

UNDP has told Inner City Press first that

"There was an unfortunate and isolated incident involving an employee of UNDP on 23rd June 2009. UN Security and the New York Police Department responded, and it is now being handled by the authorities of the host government."

Then after a follow up request by Inner City Press to UNDP spokesperson Stephane Dujarric that UNDP "provide the requested description of the recruitment process, the name of the post and the person awarded, and whether they have any family or personal relationship with the supervisor or selector," UNDP Administrator Helen Clark's spokesperson Christina LoNigro responded that "we cannot comment further on this case at this time as the legal process is ongoing."

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At UN, Complaint to EU After Man Bites Man, Biter Seeks Meeting and Consular Protection

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 29 -- In the wake of the UN macing and calling the NY Police Department to arrest a UN Development Program staffer who complained and bit a UN Security Officer, the UNDP staffer has complained to the European Commission. Click here for Inner City Press' first exclusive report.

Mr. Nicola Baroncini has written to the Legal Counsellor to EC Delegation to the UN, asking for assistance in obtaining a meeting with the head of the UN Department of Safety and Security, Gregory Staff.

The EC's Roland Tricot, calling it a "consular protection" matter, has urged Baroncini to write to his Italian mission. Mr. Baroncini, citing another report by Inner City Press, which beyond reporting exclusively on the biting incident last week continued reporting this week, says he see no reason to meet with Starr's subordinate Bruno Henn, to whom UNDP referred him. Baroncini writes that "Mr. Henn is under investigation and is about to leave is position with UN DSS."

Below is the pertinent portion of a message Mr. Baroncini has sent today to numerous officials in the EC and Italian government, as well as to Inner City Press.

UN's Ban and DSS' Starr, biting incident and consular protection not shown

Subj: Re: Asking for EU assistance
From: Nicola Baroncini
To: Roland.TRICOT [at] ec.europa.eu
cc's
Sent: 7/29/2009 9:26:16 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

Dear Mr. Tricot,

Thank you very much for your concise and very clear message. Also thank you for confirming my position. European institutions are run and shape their culture upon Treaty not common sense even when the two do not get along. I also acknowledge that none of European Institutions is willing to use their "moral suasion" for my case, i.e. asking for a meeting with UN DSS USG or somebody senior and get down to what really happened. UNDP told my lawyer to contact Mr. Bruno Henn. I do not know who he is. I know however from the media that Mr. Henn is under investigation and is about to leave is position with UN DSS therefore I do not think he will ever reply and if he will I doubt it has any leverage.

Still looking forward to receive a copy of your organization policy and procedure about how staff has to handle relation with the public.

On July 27, after publishing the first exclusive story about the biting incident, Inner City Press asked UN Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq:

Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you if you can either provide information on or comment on an incident that took place last week in which a UN security officer was apparently bitten by a staff member who had a contract terminated in DC-1. What was the cause of that?

Associate Spokesperson: That wasn’t last week. That was actually several weeks ago, unless there’s a more recent biting incident. But I assume what you’re referring to took place about a month ago, roughly. The basic point is, yes, I can confirm that that did happen. It had to do with a frustrated jobseeker. The only thing I can say is the information I got from UNDP [United Nations Development Programme] on this is that the hiring process regarding that particular vacancy at UNDP was filled in accordance with their rules. And beyond that, I’d refer you to UNDP.

Inner City Press: Just to make sure we’re talking about the same biting, was the biter maced and taken to the Seventeenth Precinct?

Associate Spokesperson: I know that UN security, and then outside security, handled the situation. I am not aware of any sort of use of mace. I can’t imagine that we’re talking about more than one biting incident. This doesn’t happen all the time!

Inner City Press: When you say outside security, you mean like the New York City Police Department? What do you mean?

Associate Spokesperson: I think outside security was brought in eventually after the initial response by UN security.

Inner City Press then asked UNDP in writing:

Please provide all available UNDP information on the biting incident I asked about at noon: Farhan says UNDP tells him the biter was a job SEEKER, and that the recruitment was transparent. Please name the underlying job, the job seeker, and what happened.

Six hours later, UNDP's Christina LoNigro replied:

There was an unfortunate and isolated incident involving an employee of UNDP on 23rd June 2009. UN Security and the New York Police Department responded, and it is now being handled by the authorities of the host government.

Inner City Press, now naming the bitee, asked for confirmation and explaination:

"On the biting incident, while UNDP did not provide the name as requested, now I'll ask you to confirm or deny that the the biter (and macee) was Nicola Baroncini, and to provide the requested description of the recruitment process, the name of the post and th person awarded, and whether they have any family or personal relationship with the supervisor or selector."

UNDP responded, "unfortunately we cannot comment further on this case at this time as the legal process is ongoing." UNDP suggested to Mr. Baroncini that he speak with Bruno Henn, of whom Mr. Baroncini writes, he "is under investigation and is about to leave is position with UN DSS."

Henn, after the UN's rejection of his request to become security chief for the Capital Master Plan renovations of the UN, is said to be seeking outside employment, on information and belief with an energy company in New Jersey. The UN has repeatedly be requested to produce Mr. Henn for a press conference or other Q & A, but has not. Watch this site.

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At UN, Man Bites Man as Contracts Cut, Snafus of Relocation, Flushing Out the Press

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 24, updated July 27 -- A UN security officer was bitten earlier this month, not by a dog but by a just-terminated staff member. Special Operations officer Peter Kolonias, responding to a disturbance in the UN's building on the west side of First Avenue and 44th Street, was confronted by an individual distraught by his contract's termination.*

The UN sources who told Inner City Press about the biting, which has not been reported by the UN at its noon briefing nor in any other media, said that further adverse reactions by staff are to be expected, with the UN having eliminated the so-called permanent contract as of July 1, and now moving remaining staff members out of its headquarters to locations as far west as Madison Avenue and as far east as Long Island City.

In the course of Inner City Press' reporting on July 24 to confirm the man bites man story, a range of staff members complained about their moves, in connection with the UN's Capital Master Plan renovation. Members of the Office of Human Resources Management, after being told there would be no more changes to the relocation plan, were recent told they will move across the East River into Queens.

Longtime Conference Management staffers have been told they will relocate to "above the liquor store" on Second Avenue. "Whiskey for breakfast," one staffer said, questioning moving his unit four blocks away from the meeting rooms they service.

UN Security with dogs, human bites not shown

The UN's Under Secretary General for Management Angela Kane told the Press earlier this week that the temporary General Assembly building rising on the UN's North Lawn will not have a bar, as the current building does in its second floor Delegates' Lounge. Ms. Kane spoke rosily of the contract changes that resulted in the elimination of permanent contracts -- and, the Staff Union says, in the death of the independent international civil service -- and of progress with the Capital Master Plan.

CMP chief Michael Adlerstein, who along with Ms. Kane changed previous plans for enclosed media work space to an "open office" system in which whistleblowers could not approach the Press, is said to be angered concerned about a Dear Colleague letter circulated in the U.S. House of Representatives about this aspect of the CMP, and a Kane-led meeting to target the Press. But this reporting on events at the UN will continue -- particularly when man bites man. Watch this site.

Update of July 27 -- Three days after Inner City Press published the above, UN Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq confirmed the a biting incident took place in the DC-1 building, and stated that the biter was, according to the UN Development Program, a job seeker, and argued that the underlying recruitment process was transparent. Haq referred all other questions - including whether the individual was maced and taken to the local police precinct - to UNDP. Inner City Press has asked UNDP, which has declined in the past to answer basic questions, and any update will appear on this site.

Update of July 27, 6:35 p.m. -- Inner City Press asked UNDP in writing:

Six hours later, UNDP's Christina LoNigro replied:

But what of the biter's name, the specifics of the post and recruitment, and what happened at and after the 17th police precinct? Watch this site.

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UN Moves Staff Out and In, Ripert and Henn to Leave, On Adada and Verbecke No Comment

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 15, updated July 16 -- At the UN these days, everything must go. Hundreds of staff were moved out of Headquarters to the top floors of a rented building on 46th Street. But with only two elevators, the staff now waste time waiting to get up to their offices, where they say the furniture is cheap, the desks too high, not ergonomic.

Meanwhile Department of Political Affairs staff are leaving rented space in Uganda House -- and returning to just vacated space on the 14th floor of Headquarters. It is an expensive game of musical chairs.

This coming weekend, "the Chinese" in the Department of General Services and Conference Management are slated to move out. There is grumbling that the small refrigerators that some staff members used -- particularly in these text preparation units with their minimum numbers of words that must be typed -- will not be used by the UN to the new work space. Some have suggested that a small business spring up to offer just this service.

And some people will be left out. From the Security Council, French Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert is being pushed out by Sarkozy's political advisor, in favor of Gerard Araud.

From UN Security, Bruno Henn is said to be losing out on the Capital Master Plan job, and now looking for employment outside of the UN. His right hand man Albert Lyttle, exposed some say by Inner City Press in the DSS pre-decided promotion scandal, is said to be under investigation.

At Council on Georgia, speech by Ripert, one of many leaving the UN

From the Media Liaison Unit, Gary Fowlie has finally confirmed that he is leaving, over to the ITU, where he used to work, for a promotion. Whether the UN press corps will be given any input into the identity or at least qualifications of the person who will replace him is not yet known.

CMP chief Michael Adlerstein wrote last week to the UN press corps that there will be no walls or doors for any print reporter in the swing space he's preparing. The UN as a no whistleblower zone, some are calling it. Ironically, broadcasters will get private, soundproofed offices. But investigative reporters need to talk on the phone, meet whistleblowers, even tape online debates about the UN.

There are other envoys on the way out. On July 14 Inner City Press asked Ban's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe about reports that UN - AU envoy to Darfur Rodolphe Adada's job is being shopped, to a range of other African UN envoys. Okabe declined to comment.

On July 15, Inner City Press asked Ban's chief Spokesperson Michele Montas -- herself said to be leaving in or before November -- if the UN would replace Johan Verbecke as envoy to the talks on Georgia if, as Inner City Press is told, Verbecke returns to the Belgian foreign service, specifically as Ambassador to the UK. Montas said it was too early to say. But at the UN, it's getting late. Watch this site.

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These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund. Video Analysis here

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the Inner City to Wall Street to the United Nations