As
Whistleblower
Calls for Cut
in US Funds to
UN, Ban Is
Silent, Raids
Press
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, April
8, updated
-- After the
UN staffer
James
Wasserstrom
blew the
whistle in
2007 on
corruption in
the UN
Peacekeeping
mission in
Kosovo, he was
retaliated
against. For
example, his
home was
illegally
searched, and
the UN
arranged to
attack him in
the media.
Inner
City Press
wrote in 2007
about the
corruption, by
Joachim
Ruecker,
Stephen
Schook, and
Alexander
Borg-Olivier
and others. Click here for
one example.
On Monday
Inner City
Press asked
Wasserstrom
where these
individuals
are now.
Wasserstrom
said
Rucker is an
official in
the German
foreign
service, while
Schook is an
adviser to a
senior
political
official in
Kosovo and
Borg-Olivier
is a lawyer in
private
practice in
Kosovo.
There
has been no
accountability
for those who
retaliated
against
Wasserstrom
for blowing
the whistle;
he has been
awarded a mere
$65,000, far
less than his
costs.
As
Shelley Walden
of the
Government
Accountability
Project put
it, at the UN
even when
whistleblowers
win, they
lose.
Inner
City Press
asked Walden
if she or GAP
have been able
to raise this
issue and the
need to reform
to Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon or his
team. No, she
said, despite
requests there
has
been total
silence.
So
much for the
supposedly
reforming
Secretary
General. Video
here.
Wasserstrom
is
calling for
activation of
the
whistleblower
protection
criteria
adopted in the
2012 US
Consolidated
Appropriations
Act (H.R.
2055).
HR 2055 requires
a 15%
withholding of
the US
contribution
to any UN
agency if it
"is not taking
steps to …
implement best
practices for
the protection
of
whistleblowers
from
retaliation,
including best
practices for
legal burdens
of proof,
access to
independent
adjudicative
bodies, [and]
results that
eliminate the
effects of
retaliation..."
Inner
City Press
asked if the
US Mission to
the UN,
particularly
Ambassador for
reform Joe
Torsella has
been helpful.
Walden
said they've
met with
Torsella
before, he's
done what he
can -- that,
we'd like to
hear more
about -- and
they they
hoped to meet
with later on
Monday, if his
schedule
permits.
Inner
City Press
asked Walden
how
whistleblower
protections
could be
extended to
actual UN
peacekeepers
and police,
and to
victims.
Walden said
none of these
are currently
covered by UN
policies, only
UN staff. And
even then...
The UN
also
retaliated
against the
investigative
press. On
March 18,
2013, UN
official
raised Inner
City Press'
office without
notice or
consent.
Footnote:
Inner
City Press
asked Walden
about a
previous UN
system
whistleblower
case about
North Korea.
She said that
the case of
Artjon Tony
Shkurtaj, on
which Inner
City Press
extensively
reported, "shows that
UNDP could
be doing more
to protect
whistleblowers
from
retaliation,
as he was
subjected to
intense
retaliation
for his
whistleblowing
and he, too,
did not
receive
comprehensive
relief that
eliminated the
effects of
retaliation."
We'll have
more on UNDP.
Update:
Inner
City Press
asked Ban
Ki-moon's
deputy
spokesman
Eduardo Del
Buey about
Wasserstrom's
letter
and GAP's answer
about Ban's
non response;
he said
only that Ban
is appealing.
Later,
Inner City
Press was told
by a
self-described
US official,
“The
legislation
only requires
the Secretary
of State to
withhold funds
if he
determines
that an
organization
is not taking
steps to
provide
transparency
and
accountability
as described
in the
legislation.
We do not
believe any
withholdings
are required
pursuant to
Sec. 7049(a)
at this time.
However, we
continue to
press for
improved
whistleblower
protections at
the United
Nations, and,
in fact, our
urging, in
March member
states urged
the
Secretary-General
to expedite
the
development of
strengthened
protections
against
whistleblower
retaliation.”