By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 16 --
The release of
the Sri Lanka
war crimes
report should
be delayed,
new UN High
Commission for
Human Rights
Prince Zeid of
Jordan
announced on
February
16. His
decision
echoes the withholding
of the South
Sudan human
rights report,
here. So
much for
accountability.
In the run-up
to Zeid's
decision, new
Sri Lankan
foreign
minister
Samaraweera
met February
13 with UN
Secretary General
Ban Ki-moon,
accompanied by
Sri Lankan ambassador
Palitha
Kohona, a
player in the
White Flag
Murders part
of the
report.
Inner
City Press
story and
video here.
This is the
same UN which
accepted Sri
Lankan
military
figure
Shavendra Silva
as an adviser
on
Peacekeeping
Operations.
Enough is
enough.
Perhaps now
Sudan can
claim it
didn't ban
a probe of
mass rapes in
Tabit in Darfur,
it only
"deferred"
investigation
- not even yet
for the six
month term
Zeid's granted
to Sri Lanka.
Zeid has
offered his
"one time
only" reasoning
we link to it,
here.
Of Zeid's reign
so far at
OHCHR in
Geneva we have
reported on
staff at the
UN Office of
the High
Commission for
Human Rights
petitioning Zeid
for due
process and
accountability.
Inner City
Press obtained
the petition
and is exclusively
put 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.
, 
