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

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 2 -- On December 10, Inner City Press asked the UN about a donation of Samsung televisions.

  Inner City Press had been sent by a whistleblower, and published, the following from the November 25 minutes of the United Nations Correspondents Association, with which Secretary General Ban Ki-moon exclusively partners (and leaders of which tried to expel Inner City Press, including for its reporting on Sri Lanka and conflicts of interest)

"There was discussion about whether or not UNCA should receive a donation from Samsung and whether or not a Mission was involved. DPI was able to clarify the donation information, which does not involve a mission. This note was received: This is to confirm that once we get the donations from Samsung to the UN, DPI will loan a TV screen to UNCA to replace one of your old ones."

  This turned out not to be accurate, specifically the statement that the donation "does not involve a mission."

  In fact, as the UN put in its written answer 26 hours later to Inner City Press' December 9 question:

"The new Samsung sets in the UNCA room were donated by Samsung to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations. The Mission then donated them to the Department of Public Information (DPI) and DPI is loaning them to UNCA."

  It was false, then, to state that the donation does not "involve" a mission. And note the tense of the UN's response to Inner City Press: "the Samsung sets IN the UNCA room WERE donated."

   On December 31, Inner City Press witnessed workmen inside the room the UN gives to its UN Censorship Alliance, working on wiring, and saw a large screen TV. Inner City Press mentioned this in a story.

  Now, on the first work day of 2014 -- perhaps the first move of the "new" UNCA Executive Committee? -- this email arrived, which is published here in full:

  We publish this in full, despite what the UN formally responded, despite UNCA previous e-mail, and what was witnessed on December 31. 

Update: at the January 2 noon briefing, UNCA's 2013-14 president Pamela Falk essentially read the email above into the record, and acting deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said he had received a similar letter and would check on the language his office got. Video here and embedded below. Whatever he comes back with, the UN answered as it did, and UNCA's minutes (and subsequent defender's correspondence) is what it is. Watch this site.

Background: Previously, a defender of the dubious deal had written to Inner City Press claiming that despite the minutes not reflecting any vote, one was in fact taken. But was it based on the false information included in the minutes? Who voted how? Even the list of those voting is not included in the minutes.

Here is what Inner City Press asked the UN on December 9:

Inner City Press: is there a comprehensive place to go to see what donations the UN receives from corporations? In particular, I’m asking about what I understand to be a donation of television screens or sets from Samsung and I wanted to know, what are the rule applicable to these donations? Is the UN aware of pretty serious organizing drive in South Korea about occupational diseases at Samsung? What are the rules applicable and is there a database of such contributions?

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: I’ll check, Matthew.

Twenty six hours later, after insisting to Inner City Press that even the amount it pays to France in Mali under a letter of assist it now acknowledges but will not make public, the UN sent this to Inner City Press:

Subject: In response to your question yesterday on corporate donations to the UN
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Tue, Dec 10, 2013 at 2:55 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

In response to your question yesterday on corporate donations to the UN, here is what the Office of Legal Affairs and Controller's Office can say:

In accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, the UN can and does accept voluntary contributions, in cash and in kind, from governments, from non-governmental entities (e.g., associations, corporations, including those for-profit and not-for-profit), and individuals, provided that the purposes for which the contributions are made are consistent with the policies, aims and activities of the United Nations, and provided further that the acceptance of voluntary contributions that directly or indirectly involve additional financial liability for the United Nations require approval of the General Assembly (see Financial Regulation 3.12 and Financial Rule 103.4).

Normally, the Controller signs all the agreements for voluntary contributions after ensuring that there is no additional financial liability and that the envisaged activity to be funded from the contribution is in line with the programmatic mandated activity of the Organization. However, this authority is also delegated to several responsible officials in offices away from Headquarters, for their respective jurisdictions, subject to adherence to the financial regulations and rules.

Direct cash contributions to the United Nations from corporations are extremely rare. In-kind contributions of goods and services are more prevalent and are usually made in response to a natural disaster, such as in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. The new Samsung sets in the UNCA room were donated by Samsung to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations. The Mission then donated them to the Department of Public Information (DPI) and DPI is loaning them to UNCA.

The United Nations is not in a position to disclose information on the contribution of individual donors in view of confidentiality requirements provided in some of the contribution agreements. However, the volume of contributions, including contributions for specified and non-specified purposes, are reported on the website of the UN System Chief Executives Board. The following link http://www.unsceb.org/content/statistics provides very useful information not only for the United Nations but also the entire UN system organizations.

  The answer is appreciated and we will report on it more. But we highlight: "The new Samsung sets in the UNCA room were donated by Samsung to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations. The Mission then donated them to the Department of Public Information (DPI) and DPI is loaning them to UNCA."

What then of UNCA's leadership's claim that the donation "does not involve a mission"?

a re-coronation of Pamela Falk of CBS as the 2014 president of UNCA,now known as the UN Censorship Alliance, is set for next week.