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

As a Ban Reform Dies, UN Refuses to Provide Comment or Costs

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 7 -- This UN brags extensively about what it considers its successes, but has not comment on and tries to prevent the reporting of its failures. The most recent case in point is the unceremonious withdrawal of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's proposal to move the UN from permanent contracts to so-called continuing contracts. The UN Staff Union has argued this undermines the independence of the international civil service. Member states before voting on it requested information about its costs.

On December 3, Inner City Press was informed that the Secretariat has withdrawn its continuing contracts human resources proposal. While the head of the UN's Department of Management has previously told Inner City Press in writing that she does not have time to answer press questions, the head of the Office of Human Resource Management Catherine Pollard as recently as late November answered a question about a karaoke party held in her office at four p.m. on an afternoon.

So seeking confirmation and comment, Inner City Press wrote to Assistant Secretary General Pollard:

hello. I understand that the Secretariat with withdrawn its report on Human Resource Management. Can you please comment? I am on deadline. Also, I believe you have reviewed the "procurement painter" case mentioned in my last e-mail to you. Can you state why this raises no issues regarding UN recruitment and promotion practices? Thanks. -Matthew

The request for confirmation and comment was received by Ms. Pollard's office:

Return Receipt

Your Re: Press question(s) document: was received by:Lourdes Quiogue/NY/UNO

at: 12/03/2009 05:51:47 PM

But no response was received, on December 3 or 4 or 7. On December 7, then, Inner City Press asked new Spokesman Martin Nesirky:

Inner City Press: There is a proposal by the Secretary-General about human resources management; continuing contracts. He made a big proposal to change permanent contracts into something else. I’ve just heard that it’s been withdrawn, that the proposal was no longer being put forward. Can you, I guess speak to Angela Kane or …?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Let’s see what we can find out.

  Later on December 7, Inner City Press reiterated to Mr. Nesirky that the UN's response should be send by email. But by midnight on December 7, the UN had provided neither confirmation nor a comment.

  A UN meetings coverage press release states that the Budget Committee

turned to a draft decision on the provisional staff rules (document A/C.5/64/L.9), submitted by MUHAMMAD A. MUHITH (Bangladesh) on behalf of the Chair, by which the Assembly would decides that the Staff Rules, as referred to in the report of the Secretary-General, should remain provisional pending their further consideration at its sixty-fifth session.

UN's Ban and Kane, withdrawal of reform proposal in basement not shown

CATHERINE POLLARD, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management, said the Secretary-General’s proposals were made in response to a request from the General Assembly last year, as part of its review of United Nations contractual reform. The report addressed the Assembly’s full range of concerns. However, it had become apparent from the Secretariat’s deliberations with the ACABQ and the Fifth Committee that the Office of Human Resources Management was not in a position to answer their questions on data on continuing needs. Since it was unable to provide the necessary responses required by the Committee to conclude its consideration of the item, the report on implementation of continuing appointments (document A/64/267) would be withdrawn and a new report would supersede it. The Committee was to be briefed on the issue during its first resumed session in March 2010.

The Committee adopted the decision without a vote.

The representative of Sweden, speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated States, said the European Union’s stated aim had been to carefully study the proposals on continuing appointments in order to take a well-informed decision. It was of great importance to complete the reform regime that was adopted by the Assembly at its previous session. The European Union was aware of the expectations of United Nations personnel, the Organization’s most important asset, and was ready to engage constructively to ensure that the new contractual system met the needs of both the Organization and its staff. At informals, the European Union had asked for clarifications and supplementary information, and learned that the Secretariat was not in a position to provide that information. The Secretariat had indicated its intention to brief the Committee at the first resumed session in March next year. While disappointed, the European Union appreciated the Secretariat’s frankness and open approach.

Sudan’s representative, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, expressed deep disappointment over the handling of this crucial issue. The Secretariat’s inability to answer questions raised by Member States was a major source of concern and surprise. Indeed, the Assembly had firmly intended to take a decision on the final step of the new contractual framework and the Secretariat had almost a year to prepare. Ensuring the well-being of the Organization’s staff was of utmost concern to the Group of 77 and China, and it approached today’s decision to postpone consideration of implementing continuing appointments with concern.

  So this was and is a setback for a reform proposal loudly announced by the UN Secretariat. Apparently the Secretariat hopes that the press does not cover the budget committee, and that by refusing to confirm what it said in the committee, there will be no outside coverage. This is a reason why this UN, even inside the UN, lack credibility. Watch this site.