Head of UN Pension Fund Ignores Investigation, While
Whistleblower Speaks in Exclusive Interview
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at
the UN
UNITED NATIONS, February 8 -- The chief executive
officer of the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund, Bernard G. Cocheme, faced with a UN
investigative report recommending action against two staff members for their
role in handing out no-bid contracts to one of their former bosses, has said he
will "take no action" against the staff members. The stand-off on corruption at
the Pension Fund now moves to the General Assembly.
Despite detailed adverse findings by the
UN Office of Internal Oversight Services, Paul Dooley and Dulcie C. Bull remain
among UN Pension Fund management, as a controversial outsourcing of $9 billion
in pension investments in North American stocks continues moving forward over
the objections of the staff union and staff council, and the until-now more
muted concerns of the General Assembly.
According to a statement released
Thursday by the UN to Inner City Press, Mr. Cocheme "informed OIOS that he
disagrees with the findings and recommendations of the report of investigation -
as regards the actions of his staff - and advised that he 'intends to take no
action' with regard to them. OIOS advised him that pursuant to its mandate, it
will report his response to the General Assembly."
Inner City Press tried to reach Mr.
Cocheme by telephone for an explanation of his disagreement and refusal to act
on UN investigators' recommendations, but as of press time six hours later, no
response had been received.
The original whistleblower, Yuri
Kondralyev, Thursday evening gave Inner City Press an on-the-record and so-far
exclusive interview about the scandal(s). Combined with information by other
UNJSPF insiders, not for attribution for fear of retaliation, a picture has
emerged of a Pension Fund management out of control.
UNJSPF:
Tell it to the General Assembly
First, some of the tale of Yuri
Kondralyev. His memo along with a well-regarded colleague on October 4, 2005,
detailed corruption both financial and managerial. It was sent to Controller
Warren Sach, to OHRM's Jan Beagle, to OIOS and the now-gone Mark Malloch Brown
and Christopher Burnham. Thursday Mr. Kondralyev told Inner City Press that the
first responses he received were from Bernard Cocheme, and were classic
cover-up. "They nod and do nothing," Mr. Kondralyev says.
According to Mr. Kondralyev, beyond her
involvement in Paul Dooley's shenanigans, Dulcie Bull was abusive to staff, and
knew little of her business. Her answers on matters of pensions were
ill-informed, and most of her work was delegated to one Norah Fitzgerald. In
fact, according to Mr. Kondralyev and other sources, within the Pension Fund
those most able to help pensioners are at the General Service or "G" category,
while the higher-ups coast by with little knowledge, carried by those beneath
them.
Mr. Kondralyev and others describe an
agency out of control, which went beyond its legal powers and bought an office
building, only to be ordered by the UN Office of Legal Affairs to divest it. The
Pension Fund sought special status, to for example allow more expensive business
travel than is the case in the rest of the UN. These days, it is said by inside
sources, Mr. Cocheme is a frequent flier to Geneva by way of Paris. Some is
justified by Pension business, these sources say, and some is not. The problem
is nobody's watching.
The Pension Fund is a club in which a
father can hire his son. Witness, for example, the passage from Ernie De Turris,
former Deputy, to his son Frank, now in the CEO's office (of whom Mr. Kondralyev,
despite noting the inescapable family connection, also has kind words). Witness
Dulcie Bull's hiring of one Hugh O'Donnell, sources say, who then got his
girlfriend hired. Ms. Bull brought in Peter Goddard, saying that of the hundreds
of people who applied, only he was the qualifications. This is what Paul Dooley
said of his friend Gerald Bodell, in giving him sole source IT contracts. It
emerges that beyond Mr. Bodell, there was an even less-present contractor
getting paid, working off-site from Dallas. The money was pouring out the door
and nobody was watching.
An informed source says the problem at
the Pension Fund is the lack of accountability. No matter how badly a decision
works out, no effects are felt. Dulcie Bull hired a woman who, for the first
time in Pension Fund history, was unable to close the books at year's end. Yet
there were no consequences. Later Ms. Bull was named for action in the OIOS
report. But Cocheme denies it, and Ms. Bull made a presentation on pensions
earlier this week. Many personnel issues were referred to OHRM, run by Jan
Beagle, and nothing was done.
That remains Mr. Kondralyev main
complaint, that nothing has been done. He is not bitter: he lives in Riverdale
in the North Bronx, works as a consultant and is writing a book, on economics.
During the above-sketched interview, Inner Cit Press twice asked him if he was
sure he wished to be named, on the record. Mr. Kondralyev said yes without
equivocation. For people with either current and past affiliations with the UN,
in light of propensity to try to retaliate, Inner City Press offers anonymity.
But for now it must be noted that upbeat whistle-blowing is something the UN
needs much more of.
The OIOS report, on which
Inner City
Press was the first to report, on February 5 (click
here for
that initial article) has now been distributed more widely. While on the evening
of February 8, some high up in the UN blamed Inner City Press for its release, a
copy was given to a UN office on request, and then reappeared in the hands of
another reported.
Following Inner City Press'
February 5 exclusive, at the following day's
noon briefing,
Ban Ki-moon's spokeswoman faced questions about the report, which she didn't yet
have. On February 7, Inner City Press
asked the
spokeswoman about the
OIOS audit,
which names individuals that still work for the Pension Fund actually, that was
recommended that action be taken. We understand that Burnham, Chris Burnham,
before he left asked that the action be taken. I don’t know if Ms. Barcena has
followed-up on that? What’s going to happen with that? ... overall, what the
Secretary-General is going to do about outsourcing the pension; and number two,
is there any follow-up to the OIOS investigation?
Spokesperson: ... the Secretary-General has not reacted yet, nor has Ms.
Barcena, who, as I said earlier this week, is coming back from her trip to
Nairobi. And she should be coming to speak to you when she gets back. She has
accepted to come and respond to your questions.
To not simply await the
promised opportunity to question Ms. Barcena, which Inner City Press has been
told will be on February 12, Inner City Press also on Wednesday
asked the
Special Assistant to the Spokesman for the GA President, Frehiwot Bekele, the
following:
Inner City
Press: The Staff Pension Fund reports to the GA, is a creature of the GA in
relationship to it. So, I’m wondering, there’s been an OIOS investigative
report that has been titled 'Conflict of Interest, Favoritism and Mismanagement
in the UN Staff Pension Fund.' I’m wondering if this was ever turned over to
the GA, and if the GA has taken action on it.
Special
Assistant: I’m not aware. I can try to find out.
Inner City
Press: I’d appreciate that.
On Thursday morning, Mr. Bekele told
Inner City Press that since the OIOS report hadn't been given a formal number to
be released, the Secretary-General's Spokesperson's office would be responding,
which they did, requesting a copy of the report and then sending the following
response:
Subject: Your
question on OIOS and the Pension Fund
From:
[Spokesperson's Office at] un.org
To: Inner City
Press
Sent: Thu, 8
Feb 2007
In March 2006,
the OIOS completed an investigation into allegations of possible conflict of
interest, favoritism and mismanagement at the United Nations Joint Staff Pension
Fund. Based upon the evidence adduced, OIOS concluded that several staff members
- including two Senior UNJSPF staff - have acted improperly in connection to
contracts for information technology services awarded to a consultant retained
by UNJSPF.
OIOS issued
several recommendations in this case, including that UNJSPF management take
appropriate action against its two staff. The Chief Executive Officer of UNJSPF
informed OIOS that he disagrees with the findings and recommendations of the
report of investigation - as regards the actions of his staff - and advised that
he "intends to take no action" with regard to them. OIOS advised him that
pursuant to its mandate, it will report his response to the General Assembly.
Pursuant to
General Assembly resolution 59/272, the report is available to Member States
upon request. It has already been released, in redacted form, to two Member
States who have requested it.
Who, you ask, are these unnamed Member
States? And what will they be doing? Watch this site.
Feedback: Editorial
[at] innercitypress.com
UN Office: S-453A,
UN, NY 10017 USA Tel: 212-963-1439
Reporter's mobile
(and weekends): 718-716-3540
UN
Pension Fund's Investment Director Has Resigned, Sources Say, Recusal and
Revolving Door Remains Unresolved
Byline:
Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN
UNITED NATIONS, February 7 -- In the midst of
controversy about proposals to outsource the money-management of a portion of
the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund, Inner City Press has been informed by
well-placed sources that the director of the Fund's Investment Management
Service, Chieko Okuda, has resigned.
Ms. Okuda has resigned, these sources
say, and yet remains on the job, as a still-withheld Request for Proposals is
circulated to an undisclosed short-list of bidders to take over management of
the North American equities portion of the Fund. Questions that arise include
whether there is any possibility of Ms. Okuda going to work at the investment
firm, if any, deemed the competition's winner, and even whether Ms. Okuda should
play any role in the selection process, given that she is, as one source puts
it, "in play," and looking for a job outside of the UN, in the financial field.
With the UNJSPF still refusing to release either the Request for Proposals or
the short-list of bidders, any outside review of conflicts of interest is
rendered impossible, perhaps intentionally. Given the detailed picture of
conflicts of interest within UNJSPF painted in an until-recently-confidential
investigative report by the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services, and the
failure to have acted on this conflicts and OIOS recommendations, serious
questions have arisen about UNJSPF's withholding of information.
On Monday, Inner City Press asked UN
Controller Warren Sach for a copy of the Request for Proposals, and was referred
to Ms. Okuda. A telephone call to Ms. Okuda's number on Monday has still not
resulted in obtaining the RFP, nor the requested list of bidders.
Needing answers, at Wednesday's noon
briefing by the Spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Inner City Press
asked for the Secretariat's position, and about the until-this-week confidential
OIOS "Investigation of conflict of interest, favoritism and mismanagement
at the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund." This report among other things details how
through the Pension Fund's Paul Dooley, millions of dollars in contacts were
given to a company called Sprig, Ltd, run by Gerald Bodell, who was previously
Dooley's supervisor at New York Guardian Mortgage Corporation. "Sprig received
an additional seven ICA contracts from UNJSPF, for a total of nine contracts
without competitive bidding."
Recommendations 1 and 2 of the OIOS investigative
report directs that "appropriate action be taken regarding Ms. Bull" and Mr.
Dooley. As confirmed Tuesday by Inner City Press, both remains working for the
UN, despite the OIOS' findings and recommendations. Both Dulcie Bull --
regarding whom "action" was recommended by OIOS -- and current Pension Fund CEO
Mr. Cocheme played their roles: "Ms. Bull and Mr. Cocheme both recommended
approval of the contract... and Mr. Bahel signed on behalf of the UN." Regarding
Mr. Cocheme, and others named in the OIOS report, there will be more detailed
accounts shortly. For now we can report that there is no love lost between Ms.
Okuda and Mr. Cocheme, and that it is Mr. Cocheme, in the first instance, who
stands to have to answer for the lack of action on OIOS' findings as to Mr.
Dooley and Ms. Bull.
Bernard
Cocheme, CEO of UN Pension Fund
It
should also be noted that much of the current opposition to the outsourcing plan
dates back to a switch in the last UN administration, attributed Mark Malloch
Brown and the Under Secretary General for Management, toward outsourcing and
privatization.
Further
back, the Fund's lack of transparency springs from its status as an inter-agency
body, which has been allowed by, among others, the Office of Legal Affairs and
Jan Beagle of OHRM to veer from Secretariat rules. As the OIOS report puts it,
"as an inter-agency entity, the UNJSPF is not bound to follow the specific
regulations and rule of any of its member organizations in any area, including
the application of financial regulations and rules." It also bear remembering
that the OIOS report does not even purport to have investigated and addressed
all the issues raised: many were simply "referred" to OHRM, that is, to Jan
Beagle, regarding whom the Staff Council has passed a vote of no-confidence. It
has previously been requested that Ms. Beagle come to a press briefing, to
discuss a variety of issues. Many staff now say they'll take measure of
forty-day Secretary General Ban Ki-moon by how he addresses this pension
outsource question.
From
Wednesday's noon briefing
transcript:
Inner City
Press: On the Pension Fund, in the last couple of days, there’s been a lot of
action. There’s a meeting today of the Staff Union to endorse the Staff Council
resolution that was passed, which, among other things, calls on the
Secretary-General to, as a fiduciary of the Pension Fund, to at least stall, if
not stop, the outsourcing of management of parts of the pension. So, I’m
wondering, one, if the Secretary-General is aware of that Staff Council
resolution, has any response to it? And also, there seems to be an OIOS audit,
which names individuals that still work for the Pension Fund actually, that was
recommended that action be taken. We understand that Burnham, Chris Burnham,
before he left asked that the action be taken. I don’t know if Ms. Barcena has
followed-up on that? What’s going to happen with that? So, I’m sorry… there’s
two different questions: overall, what the Secretary-General is going to do
about outsourcing the pension; and number two, is there any follow-up to the
OIOS investigation?
Spokesperson:
Well, an answer to your question is contained in the briefing given to staff on
the Pension Fund on Tuesday by Mr. Warren Sach, the Controller. This is on 'ISeek,'
and you can have all the information you want on this. All the information you
ask me for, it’s there, it’s public.
Inner City
Press: I guess, after that meeting, the Staff Union is now voting to take an
additional step, so that’s why I’m, you’re just saying the Secretary-General
stands behind the outsourcing?
Spokesperson:
Well, so far, no. I’m not saying this. I’m saying that you had information on
it given by the Controller, and the Secretary-General has not reacted yet, nor
has Ms. Barcena, who, as I said earlier this week, is coming back from her trip
to Nairobi. And she should be coming to speak to you when she gets back. She
has accepted to come and respond to your questions.
While awaiting the promised
opportunity to question Ms. Barcena on a variety of matters, it is worth noting
that while the previous Under Secretary General for Management served as S-G's
representative for the Pension Fund, his successor Ms. Barcena has not for now
taken the post, leaving it to an arguably conflicted Warren Sach, who is also in
charge of procurement. The above-quoted OIOS report makes much of the "principle
of segregation of responsibilities between requisitioning and procurement." It
is also unclear if the
post-employment restrictions, weakened and
announced in the final work week
of the Kofi Annan Secretariat apply to Ms. Okuda.
Following Wednesday's noon briefing,
Inner City Press followed the spokesperson's advice and checked Mr. Sach's
presentation on the UN's iSeek computer system. (This system is not available
outside of the UN, and so cannot be linked-to here.) The presentation still does
not answer the question of how large a fee would be paid, and makes no mention
of the question made about the ACABQ recommendation to undertake a comprehensive
asset-liability management study (A/61/545, paragraph 17 (c)). On Monday, Sachs
responded vaguely that the ACABQ only made recommendations, that the ACABQ had
"no expertise" on the subject, that the asset-liability management study would
not eventually help to take a decision on the matter, and that the General
Assembly had rejected it.
As some noted at the time, this last is
not entirely correct. The General Assembly in section VIII, paragraph 3 of its
resolution 61/240 (draft A/C.5/61/L.29) "stresse[d] the need for a comprehensive
asset-liability management study...". The Secretariat, or at least those within
now pushing for outsourcing, may argue that "stressing the need" is not binding
for management, but it seems clear in context that the General Assembly did not
reject the idea.
Due to the lack of answers
elsewhere, and the Secretariat's gloss on the General Assembly position, on
Wednesday Inner City Press also
asked the
Special Assistant to the Spokesman for the GA President, Frehiwot Bekele, the
following:
Inner City
Press: Something a little different: the Staff Pension Fund reports to the GA,
is a creature of the GA in relationship to it. So, I’m wondering, there’s been
an OIOS investigative report that has been titled 'Conflict of Interest,
Favoritism and Mismanagement in the UN Staff Pension Fund.' I’m wondering if
this was ever turned over to the GA, and if the GA has taken action on it.
Special
Assistant: I’m not aware. I can try to find out.
Inner City
Press: I’d appreciate that.
To be continued.
Other Inner City Press
reports are available in the ProQuest service and some are archived on
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Copters Grounded
US's Frazer
Accuses Al-Bashir of Sabotage, Arab League of Stinginess, Chavez of
Buying Leaders -
Click
here for
video file by Inner City Press.
Third Day of UN
General Debate Gets Surreal, Canapes and Killings, Questions on Iran and
Montenegro and Still Somalia
On Darfur, Hugo
Chavez Asks for More Time to Study, While Planning West Africa Oil
Refinery
At the UN, Ivory
Coast Discussed Without Decision on Toxic Politics, the Silence of
Somalia
Evo Morales
Blames Strike on Mobbed-Up Parasites, Sings Praise of Coca Leaf and Jabs
at Coca-Cola
Musharraf Says
Unrest in Baluchistan Is Waning, While Dodging Question on Restoring
Civilian Rule
At the UN, Cyprus
Confirms 'Paramilitary' Investigation, Denies Connection to Def Min
Resignation, CBTB Update
A Tale
of Three Leaders, Liberia Comes to Praise and Iran and Sudan to Bury the UN
UN Round-up:
Poland's President Says Iraq Is Ever-More Tense While Amb. Bolton Talks
Burmese Drugs, Spin on Ivory Coast
As UN's Annan
Now Says He Will Disclose, When and Whether It Will Be to the Public and
Why It Took So Long Go Unasked
At the UN,
Stonewalling Continues on Financial Disclosure and Letter(s) U.S.
Mission Has, While Zimbabwe Goes Ignored
At the UN,
Financial Disclosure Are Withheld While Freedom of Information Is
Promised, Of Hollywood and Dictators' Gift Shops
UN's Annan Says
Dig Into Toxic Dumping, While Declining to Discuss Financial Disclosure
A Still-Unnamed
Senior UN Official in NY Takes Free Housing from His Government,
Contrary to UN Staff Regulations
UN Admits To
Errors in its Report on Destruction of Congolese Village of Kazana,
Safeguards Not In Place
As UN Checks
Toxins in Abidjan, the Dumper Trafigura Figured in Oil for Food Scandal,
Funded by RBS and BNP Paribas
Targeting of
African Americans For High Cost Mortgages Grew Worse in 2005, While Fed
Downplays Its Own Findings
The UN and
Nagorno-Karabakh: Flurries of Activity Leave Frozen Conflicts Unchanged;
Updates on Gaza, Gavels and Gbagbo
The UN Cries
Poor on Lawless Somalia, While Its Ex-Security Chief Does Business
Through Ruleless Revolving Door
At the UN,
Micro-States Simmer Under the Assembly's Surface, While Incoming Council
President Dodges Most Questions
"Horror Struck"
is How UN Officials Getting Free Housing from Governments Would Leave
U.S., Referral on Burma But Not Uzbekistan
Security Council
President Condemns UN Officials Getting Free Housing from Governments,
While UK "Doesn't Do It Any More"
At the UN,
Incomplete Reforms Allow for Gifts of Free Housing to UN Officials by
Member States
Rare UN Sunshine
From If Not In Chad While Blind on Somalia and Zimbabwe, UNDP With Shell
in its Ear on Nigeria
Annan Family
Ties With Purchaser from Compass, Embroiled in UN Scandal, Raise
Unanswered Ethical Questions
At the UN, from
Casamance to Transdniestria, Kosovars to Lezgines, Micro-States as
Powerful's Playthings
Inquiry Into
Housing Subsidies Contrary to UN Charter Goes Ignored for 8 Weeks, As
Head UN Peacekeeper Does Not Respond
On the UN -
Corporate Beat, Dow Chemical Luncheon Chickens Come Home to Roost
Stop Bank
Branch Closings and Monopolies in the Katrina Zone, Group Says,
Challenging Regions- AmSouth Merger
Ship-Breakers
Missed by UN's Budget for Travel and Consultants in Bangladesh, Largest
UNIFIL Troop Donor
With Somalia on
the Brink of Horn-Wide War, UN Avoids Question of Ethiopian Invasion
In UN's Lebanon
Frenzy, Darfur Is Ignored As Are the Disabled, "If You Crave UNIFIL,
Can't You Make Do With MONUC?"
UN Decries
Uzbekistan's Use of Torture, While Helping It To Tax and Rule; Updates
on UNIFIL and UNMIS Off-Message
On Lebanon,
Russian Gambit Focuses Franco-American Minds, Short Term Resolution Goes
Blue Amid Flashes of Lightening
Africa Can Solve
Its Own Problems, Ghanaian Minister Tells Inner City Press, On LRA Peace
Talks and Kofi Annan's Views
At the UN, Jay-Z
Floats Past Questions on Water Privatization and Sweatshops, Q'Orianka
Kilcher in the Basement
In the UN
Security Council, Speeches and Stasis as Haiti is Forgotten, for a
Shebaa Farms Solution?
UN Knew of Child
Soldier Use by Two Warlords Whose Entry into Congo Army the UN
Facilitated
Impunity's in
the Air, at the UN in Kinshasa and NY, for Kony and Karim and MONUC for
Kazana
UN Still Silent
on Somalia, Despite Reported Invasion, In Lead-Up to More Congo Spin
UN's Guehenno
Says Congo Warlord Just Needs Training, and Kazana Probe Continues
With Congo
Elections Approaching, UN Issues Hasty Self-Exoneration as Annan Is
Distracted
In DR Congo, UN
Applauds Entry into Army of Child-Soldier Commander Along with Kidnapper
Spinning the
Congo, UN Admits Hostage Deal with Warlord That Put Him in Congolese
Army
At the UN, Dow
Chemical's Invited In, While Teaming Up With Microsoft is Defended
Kofi Annan
Questioned about Congolese Colonel Who Kidnapped Seven UN Soldiers
UN Silent As
Congolese Kidnapper of UN Peacekeepers Is Made An Army Colonel: News
Analysis
UN's Guehenno
Speaks of "Political Overstretch" Undermining Peacekeeping in Lower
Profile Zones
In Gaza Power
Station, the Role of Enron and the U.S. Government's OPIC Revealed by UN
Sources
UN's Corporate
Partnerships Will Be Reviewed, While New Teaming Up with Microsoft, and
UNDP Continues
BTC Briefing,
Like Pipeline, Skirts Troublespots, Azeri Revelations
Conflicts of
Interest in UNHCR Program with SocGen and Pictet Reveal Reform Rifts
UN Grapples with
Somalia, While UNDP Funds Mugabe's Human Rights Unit, Without
Explanation
UN Gives Mugabe
Time with His Friendly Mediator, Refugees Abandoned
At the UN,
Friday Night's Alright for Fighting; Annan Meets Mugabe
UN Acknowledges
Abuse in Uganda, But What Did Donors Know and When? Kazakh Questions
In Uganda, UNDP
to Make Belated Announcement of Program Halt, But Questions Remain (and
see
The New Vision,
offsite).
Disarmament
Abuse in Uganda Leads UN Agency to Suspend Its Work and Spending
Disarmament
Abuse in Uganda Blamed on UNDP, Still Silent on Finance
Alleged Abuse in
Disarmament in Uganda Known by UNDP, But Dollar Figures Still Not Given:
What Did UN Know and When?
Strong Arm on
Small Arms: Rift Within UN About Uganda's Involuntary Disarmament of
Karamojong Villages
UN's Selective
Vision on Somalia and Wishful Thinking on Uighurs
UN Habitat
Predicts The World Is a Ghetto, But Will Finance Be Addressed at
Vancouver World Urban Forum?
UN's Annan
Concerned About Use of Terror's T-Word to Repress, Wants
Freedom of Information
UN Waffles on
Human Rights in Central Asia and China; ICC on Kony and a Hero from
Algiers
UN & US,
Transparency for Finance But Not Foreign Affairs: Somalia, Sovereignty
and Senator Tom Coburn
Human Rights
Forgotten in UN's War of Words, Bolton versus Mark Malloch Brown: News
Analysis
In Praise of
Migration, UN Misses the Net and Bangalore While Going Soft on Financial
Exclusion
UN Sees Somalia
Through a Glass, Darkly, While Chomsky Speaks on Corporations and
Everything But Congo
Corporate Spin on
AIDS, Holbrooke's Kudos to Montenegro and its Independence
The Silence of
the Congo and Naomi Watts; Between Bolivia and the World Bank
Human Rights
Council Has Its Own Hanging Chads; Cocky U.S. State Department Spins
from SUVs
Child Labor and
Cargill and Nestle; Iran, Darfur and WHO's on First with Bird Flu
Press Freedom?
Editor Arrested by Congo-Brazzaville, As It Presides Over Security
Council
The
Place of the Cost-Cut UN in Europe's Torn-Up Heart;
Deafness to Consumers, Even by the Greens
Background Checks
at the UN, But Not the Global Compact; Teaching Statistics from
Turkmenbashi's Single Book
Ripped Off Worse
in the Big Apple, by Citigroup and Chase: High Cost Mortgages Spread in
Outer Boroughs in 2005, Study Finds
Burundi: Chaos at
Camp for Congolese Refugees, Silence from UNHCR, While Reform's Debated
by Forty Until 4 AM
The Chadian
Mirage: Beyond French Bombs, Is Exxon In the Cast? Asylum and the
Uzbeks, Shadows of Stories to Come
Through the UN's
One-Way Mirror, Sustainable Development To Be Discussed by Corporations,
Even Nuclear Areva
Racial
Disparities Grew Worse in 2005 at Citigroup, HSBC and Other Large Banks
Mine Your Own
Business: Explosive Remnants of War and the Great Powers, Amid the
Paparazzi
Human Rights Are
Lost in the Mail: DR Congo Got the Letter, But the Process is Still
Murky
Iraq's Oil to be
Metered by Shell, While Basrah Project Remains Less than Clear
Kofi, Kony,
Kagame and Coltan: This Moment in the Congo and Kampala
As Operation
Swarmer Begins, UN's Qazi Denies It's Civil War and Has No Answers if
Iraq's Oil is Being Metered
Cash Crop: In
Nepal, Bhutanese Refugees Prohibited from Income Generation Even in
their Camps
The Shorted and
Shorting in Humanitarian Aid: From Davos to Darfur, the Numbers Don't
Add Up
UN Reform:
Transparency Later, Not Now -- At Least Not for AXA - WFP Insurance
Contract
In the Sudanese
Crisis, Oil Revenue Goes Missing, UN Says
Empty Words on
Money Laundering and Narcotics, from the UN and Georgia
What is the Sound
of Eleven Uzbeks Disappearing? A Lack of Seats in Tashkent, a Turf War
at UN
Kosovo: Of
Collective Punishment and Electricity; Lights Out on Privatization of
Ferronikeli Mines
Abkhazia:
Cleansing and (Money) Laundering, Says Georgia
Post-Tsunami
Human Rights Abuses, including by UNDP in the Maldives
Citigroup
Dissembles at United Nations Environmental Conference
Other Inner City Press
reports are available in the ProQuest service and some are archived on
www.InnerCityPress.com --
Copyright 2006 Inner City Press, Inc. To request
reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com - phone: (718) 716-3540
