UN
Tells ICP
Guterres' Call
to Trump Not
Linked To
Budget Cuts,
While Votes
Loom in DC
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 4 --
Following the
election of
Donald Trump
on November
8-9 UN high
officials, one
of them told
Inner City
Press on
November 14,
“have been
freaking out.
They don't
know how much
is going to be
cut, and from
where.”
After
new UN
Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres
called Trump
on January 4,
Inner City
Press asked UN
deputy
spokesman
Farhan Haq of
the call's
links to
budget cuts.
Haq in typical
UN-ese
characterized
it as an
"introductory
call” that
"went quite
well." Video
here from
Min 9:42.
Famous last
words? In
Washington,
the House is
moving to cut
funding to the
UN, with the
same promised
in the Senate.
Trump
spokesman Sean
Spicer cited
Trump's
nominee as
Permanent
Representative
to the UN
Nikki Haley -
who recently
tweeted from
New York - and
said that
Washington can
demand some
"reforms and
changes.”
On January 3,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, who
despite
answering only
2 and one half
of the Press'
22 questions
from December
27 to December
30 when he and
his office
were paid,
about
impending
votes and
cuts. Video
here.From
the UN
transcript:
Inner City
Press: I want
to ask about
Washington and
also record
retention.
In Washington,
as you may
know, on
Thursday,
there’s a vote
set in the
House of
Representatives
concerning the
United
Nations.
And there’s a
lot of talk
also of
defunding the
United
Nations.
So I’m just
wondering, can
you give a
general sense
of what the
incoming
Secretary-General…
has he… forget
the
President-elect
but actual
Congress, has…
what… what is
the… the
presence of
the UN as
these votes
take place in
the coming
days and
weeks?
Spokesman:
Obviously,
we’re watching
what is going
on in the
Congress and
in
Washington.
As I said, we
very much
appreciate the
support and
the funding,
the American
Government,
the American
taxpayers,
have given the
UN throughout
its
history.
But I’m not
going to go
into any
further
details before
a vote has, in
fact, been
taken,
anything’s
been signed.
Inner City
Press:
And I wanted
to ask you
about,
earlier…
Staffan de
Mistura had
said at one
point to us at
the stakeout
that he was
going to reach
out to the
Trump
team.
Then he said
later that he
wasn’t going
to talk about
that
anymore.
And I wanted
to ask you a
direct
question.
Is it true
that Jeffrey
Feltman
informed UN
Special Envoys
not to
themselves
reach out to
any member of
the Trump team
but to work
entirely
through him
for that
purpose?
Spokesman:
No. I’m
not aware of
any such order
being issued.
...
Inner City
Press: over
the holiday,
there was
stories in a
number of
publications
but including
The New York
Times about
the
outstanding Ng
Lap Seng
bribery
case.
And I wanted
to know, among
the issues on
which the
Secretary-General
either briefed
the new
Secretary-General
or… what’s his
understanding
of the
case?
Has he been
briefed on
it? Does
he intend to
take any
different
approach in
terms of
providing
records to the
prosecution?
Spokesman:
I have no
comment on
this
particular
case.
Inner City
Press:
On the records
thing, I’d
sent you this
one.... Ban
Ki-moon, I
know that,
during the
John Ashe
case, the
issue came up
of where did
his records
go? Why
were there no
records?
Did he take
them with him
when he
left?
The
Secretary-General’s
records, which
of the records
remain in the
possession of
the UN so that
they could be…
Spokesman:
The official
records remain
in the
possession of
the UN.
We'll
see.
As to
cuts, here's a
suggestion,
based not only
on Inner City
Press' personal
experience at
the UN (NYT
here) --
including now
not only the
violation of
the UN mailbox
to which
people all
over the world
have written
to Inner City
Press but also
the unilateral
seizure of the
mail in it --
but also
interviews
with staff,
diplomats and
elected
officials: if
there is one
UN Department
to be cut,
even
eliminated, it
is the
Department of
Public
Information
(DPI).
Since Cristina
Gallach of
Spain took DPI
over, the
Department has
been in
decline, while
Gallach
herself
presumptively
uses UN --
that is,
public --
money to fly
around giving
little
publicized
speeches and
picking up
awards for
herself, if
only in
Catalan.
On November 28
with three
Spokespeople
for Ban
Ki-moon, for
whom Gallach ousted
and evicted
and now
restricts
Inner City
Press having
refused for
three days to
answer a
simple
question of
who paid for
this travel,
we published this,
translated
from Catalan:
“The
Association of
Journalists of
Catalonia has
announced the
winners of the
eighth edition
of the Awards
Press Office :
journalist
Cristina
Gallach,
Cristina
Gallach, head
of
communications
of the UN, the
Rovira i
Virgili
University and
the Provincial
Government of
Barcelona. The
awards will be
presented on
November 11 in
the framework
of the
Congress of
Journalists of
Catalonia
recovered. The
Prize 2015 has
been Spokesman
for the
journalist
Cristina
Gallach, who
has extensive
experience
covering
different
areas: press,
radio,
television
agencies,
corporate and
media
sources.”
Was travel to
get this
personal award
- as a
journalist -
paid for by
the UN? We are
awaiting the
answer. DPI
sources,
disgusted, say
that while USG
Gallach should
have answered
on Friday, she
was preening
in New
England. We
note again:
the UN
Spokesperson's
office were
open and
people getting
paid, but no
answer. And
lead spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, to
whom the
question was
sent, said at
the November
28 noon
briefing he
wasn't at all
aware of the
event, despite
the link
below. From
the UN
transcript:
Inner City
Press: can you
answer a
question that
I sent to you
on
Friday?
One of the UN
officials
named in their
official
capacity in
the OIOS
[Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services]
audit, do you
consider it
fair to ask
whether travel
to various
places is, in
fact, paid by
the UN or not
paid by the
UN, and if so,
can you answer
the question
that was
submitted to
your office
and… and
Farhan and…
Spokesman:
You know,
every… if a
trip… I don't
recall the
question.
I know you
sent it.
I just don't
remember off
the…
Inner City
Press:
So if the SG
goes to get a
personal award
in Catalonia,
is this… is…
can this be
paid by the
UN, or is it
not paid by
the UN?
Spokesman:
I'm not aware
of the
particular
case…
[Cross talk]
Inner City
Press:
Sent you the
link.
Spokesman:
Obviously,
there is…
there are
rules and
regulations
which are
followed.
But a
full day
later, Ban's
spokesman
Dujarric
provide no
information,
even as he
said he would
"buckle down"
and provide
answers. We'll
have more on
this.
Inner City
Press asked
about this at
the November
22 noon
briefing -
then on
November 25, a
paid UN day
when Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman
canceled the
briefing but
said questions
about be
answered,
formally asked
six questions,
one about
Gallach's
rule-less
censorship and
this one on
use of funds:
“In terms of
UN Ethics and
spending of
public money,
please state
whether the
trip by USG
Gallach to
Catalonia to
get an award
was paid for
by the UN, and
if so why and
how much, https://twitter.com/BecarioslaCaixa/status/797018977289519104
and separately
provide a list
of USG
Gallach's
UN-paid trips
for the past
year.”
This
information
should,
obviously, be
provided and
when it is, or
isn't, we will
write about it
again. In
covering Ban
Ki-moon's
November 25
reward to
Spain's
Bernardino
Leon after
Leon sold out
the UN and
Libya by
negotiation a
UAE job, Inner
City Press'
last 2015
coverage of
Leon came back
up. Some point
to a link to
follow-Spaniard
Gallach's
February 2016
ouster of
Inner City
Press without
so much as
once speaking
with Inner
City Press or
giving it any
right to be
heard. Gallach
Must Go.
While the UN
where it sees
fit announces
the travel of
other Under
Secretaries
General, those
of Gallach are
not announced
(or, most
often,
reported
anywhere).
Recently, one
was reported,
if only in
press
releases. But
while Gallach
spent UN /
public money
to go, there
was no mention
of the UN.
Perhaps it was
a pretext to
go pick up an
award
elsewhere.
Maybe Gallach
should just
keep on
traveling.
How many trips
have there
been? What has
been the
benefit to the
UN, of Gallach
going to pick
up Catalan
awards? How
much has it
all cost?
We'll have
more on this.
Gallach was
put atop DPI
as Ban
Ki-moon's
attempt to
ingratiate
himself to
Spain during
its now-ending
UN Security
Council term,
it has not
only evicted
the
investigative
Press without
any due
process or
appeal, it
has most
recent named
as the UN's
gender
empowerment
ambassador not
an actual
person but
rather a
cartoon
character, Wonder
Woman.
Gallach, after
not consulting
with staff or
even the top
of UN Women,
ignored the
staff and
mission
protest to her
ceremony
promoting a
forthcoming
movie.
Now in
a move
surprising
even to Inner
City Press,
its long time
mailbox on the
UN's third
floor had the
"Inner City
Press" sign
removed and
all of the
mail in the
box was taken.
It was to this
box that
whistleblowers,
many of them
from inside
the UN system,
sent
information to
Inner City
Press.
For the UN to
believe it can
seize the
correspondence
in a
journalist's
box is a new
low, even for
Gallach and
Ban Ki-moon.
We'll now be
running
examples of
the type of
corruption
complaints
submitted,
concerning Ban
Ki-moon and
his promoted
son in law,
Gallach and
other Ban
officials.
During
a recent
meeting in the
UN of
representatives
of the UN
Information
Centers, a
participant
called Inner
City Press
aside and
said, among
other things,
that if they
were seen with
Inner City
Press they
would "pay the
consequences."
Who runs the
UNICs?
Gallach.
Before Gallach
put a target
on Inner City
Press for
daring to ask her about her role in the
UN bribery
scandal,
there were
other
Department of
Public
Information
officials in
communication
with Inner
City Press, on
how and why
this changed
we'll have
more. The UN
Department of
“Public”
Information
has become a
parody of its
title under
Gallach, now
to the point
of seizing the
Press' mail.
In terms of
outright
corruption,
even the UN's
Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services audit
of the John
Ashe / Ng Lap
Seng ongoing
bribery case
found that
Gallach did no
due diligence
of at least
two Ng Lap
Seng funded
events in the
UN, including
involving the
UN's slavery
memorial.
Three strikes
and you're
out. Further,
why does the
UN need its
own propaganda
arm? It
debilitates UN
officials to
think they can
avoid the
actual Press
and do
softball
“interviews”
with the UN's
own media.
There are some
good people in
DPI, and not
only they but
some of their
functions
could find
homes in other
Departments.
But as of
today, and in
the near
future, the UN
Department of
Public
Information
should be
cut.
We'll have
more on this.
As Antonio
Guterres
prepares to
take over as
UN Secretary
General from
Ban Ki-moon on
January 1, one
litmus test
will be
whether those
Ban-era
officials
implicated in
corruption
like the Ng
Lap Seng /
John Ashse UN
bribery case
are moved out,
or retained
for political
reasons.
Here's the
test: while
Cristina
Gallach of
Spain, to whom
Ban Ki-moon
gave the top
job at the UN
Department of
Public
Information in
an attempt to
ingratiate
himself to
Spain which
had just come
onto the
Security
Council, is
repeatedly
criticized in
the UN Office
of Internal
Oversight
Services audit
of l'affaire
Ng Lap Seng (here
at Paragraphs
37-40 and 20b),
and summarily
evicted the
investigative
Press for
asking her
about her role
- will she
remain?
Rajoy of Spain
may want to
keep an Under
Secretary
General, but
is retaliatory
incompetent
Gallach the
right one? Why
not give Spain
the UN
Disarmament
USG post, if
they get one
at all? Gender
parity cannot
be made a
pretext to
protect
corruption and
censorship. Busca
una otra.
Sources tell
Inner City
Press that
Gallach's
previous boss
and protect,
Javier Solana,
may try to
play his
Socialist
Party cards to
keep her on.
But is that
appropriate?
Cristina
Gallach with
indicted
Franciso
Lorenzo, asked
then evicted
Press
As the
UN bribery
scandal
gathered force
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon called
for an audit
by the UN
Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services of
Sheri Yan's
Global
Sustainability
Foundation
(GSF), David
Ng Lap Seng's
Sun Kian Ip
Group and its
affiliates
including the
"World Harmony
Foundation"
and South
South News,
among others.
The
audit,
completed
early this
year but first
put online
by Inner City
Press,
directly
criticizes
Cristina
Gallach, the
Under
Secretary
General for
Communications
and Public
Information,
Paragraphs
37-40 -- and
20b.
This last
concerns the
lack of any
due diligence
by the UN
Department of
Public
Information
under Under
Secretary
General
Cristina
Gallach of Ng
Lap Seng's
GWF's
sponsorship of
the “Ark of
Return”
ceremony.
Now in
November, a
person charged
along with Ng
Lap Seng,
Jeffrey Yin,
has made a
motion to
suppress what
he said when
arrested in
September
2015. His
motion says
among other
things that he
was awake for
more than 24
hours. Whether
it would
furhter push
back Ng's
trial, already
put beyond the
time when Ban
Ki-moon, on
whose watch it
happened and
whose
Secretariat
including
Gallach bear
responsibility,
is not yet
known.
Even in
January,
Antonio
Guterres will
have taken
over from Ban
Ki-moon. Will
Guterres move
past Ban
Ki-moon's only
partial
cooperation --
and Ban's and
Gallach's
retaliation
against Inner
City Press for
having dug
into each of
their roles in
the scandal
since October
2015? In that
month, Inner
City Press
asked Gallach
about her role
in the South
South Awards
with South
South News'
Francis
Lorenzo. Video
here.
In
February 2016,
on the
thinnest of
pretexts and
without once
speaking with
Inner City
Press, Gallach
ordered it out
of the UN on
two hours
notice, then
evicted its
long time
office in
April. South
South News,
described in
the case as a
conduit for
bribery,
remains in its
office, never
asking any
quesitons at
the UN, like
Egyptian state
media Akhbar
al Yom to
which Gallach
purports to
give Inner
City Press'
office.
Gallach
herself must
go - but will
she? How, for
example, would
the laudable
ideal of
gender parity
apply to
incompetent or
corrupt
holdover
official?
We'll have
more on all
this.
On August 23,
2016, the
International
Day for the
Remembrance of
Slavery and
its Abolition,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban Ki-moon's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, UN transcript
here
On August 11,
lawyers for Ng
Lap Seng filed
in Federal
court their
formal demand
to the UN and
Ban Ki-moon's
chief lawyer
Manuel de
Serpa Soares
to produce a
slew of
financial and
other
information,
including all
of its
communications
with South
South News.
SSN is
described in
the file, by
the
prosecution,
as a vehicle
of bribery but
the UN has
left it in its
office -- a
conflict of
interest --
while evicting
Inner City
Press which
asked
questions
about it. Ban
Ki-moon's UN
is corrupt.
We'll have
more on this.
On July 29
Shiwei Yan
a/k/a Sheri
Yan was
sentenced to
20 months in
prison, was
fined $12,500
and forfeited
$300,000. U.S.
Attorney Preet
Bharara's press
release, here.
This is Ban
Ki-moon's UN:
Ban attended
Sheri Yan's
father's one
person art
show, had his
photo taken at
it. See
here.
Ban and Yan's
bio, credit
via photo
links
The UN claims
the Ng Lap
Seng and Sheri
Yan case has
nothing to do
with it or
especially
Ban, who wants
to run for
President of
South Korea.
But this is
false.
Ban is
allowing new
privatization
of the UN,
through UN
Security; his
spokesman is
trying to
discourage
questions
about it by
accusing Inner
City Press of
“unethical
Googling,”
after having
played a role
in ousting and
evicting Inner
City Press.
This is Ban's
UN.
From
the
prosecutor's
new letter:
"in an email
dated on or
about March
12, 2010, an
individual
affiliated
with the State
Council
Information
Office, an
entity of the
PRC
government,
sent an email
to a business
associate of
Ng, containing
a draft letter
(in Chinese)
for Ng to sign
or approve.
According to a
draft
translation
prepared by
the Federal
Bureau of
Investigation
(“FBI”), the
letter, which
began with Ng
introducing
himself as a
member of
Chinese
People’s
Political
Consultative
Conference
(“CPPCC”), a
political
advisory body,
and as the
“Chairman of
the Board of
the United
Nations South
South News,”
stated in
pertinent
part:
[quote] my
greatest wish
is to fairly
and
objectively
report the
social
development,
religion,
culture, and
ideology of
China through
the South
South News, a
global media
platform
authorized by
the UN, to
display
China’s soft
power, counter
malicious,
distorted news
by anti-China
forces, and
let the whole
world hear a
true voice
that comes
from China to
understand the
real China. .
. .
. . . I will
select
suitable
regions in
China to
establish a
South South
Cooperation
Organization
International
Conference
Center and a
South South
News Network
Media
Production
Center as a
base of
operations for
South South
News.
Hope that the
plan to
establish two
centers and
the
development of
South South
News in China
can obtain
strong support
from the
government of
China.
[unquote]
As the Court
is aware,
South South
News, the
entity
described in
the above
email, is the
conduit
through which
the Government
alleges that
defendants Ng
and Jeff C.
Yin funneled
some of their
bribe and
money
laundering
payments.”
So it says
South South
News was
“authorized”
by the UN; the
prosecution
says Ng and
Yin used South
South News as
a conduit for
bribery in the
UN. And as of
July 8, South
South News
still has its
UN official
from Ban
Ki-moon as
Inner City
Press while
investigating
it was evicted
and is now
restricted to
only cover
events on the
UN Conference
Building's
second floor
-- ECOSOC and
the
Trusteeship
Council
Chambers, the
General
Assembly and
General
Assembly
President's
office -- with
one of Ban
Ki-moon's
minders. This
is Ban's UN.
Inner City
Press: Monday
down in… in
Federal Court,
there was a
hearing for
Mr. Ng Lap
Seng in the
ongoing case,
and Assistant
District
Attorney
[Daniel]
Richenthal
basically
widened the
case and said
they're going
to be… there's
more things
they're
looking at as
to Ng Lap
Seng, and he
also described
in more detail
a, quote,
conduit of
bribery taking
place within
the UN.
And I wanted
to know, since
you've said
you're
monitoring it,
what is the
UN's response
to the new
information
that was
presented on
Monday?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Yeah, we are
aware of the
latest
information,
and, as I've
pointed out,
the situation
of South-South
News is under
review.
It continues
to be under
review, but
certainly, any
new
information is
useful in
light of that.
After the
above, a
corporate news
wire which has
a conflict of
interest on
this passed
through South
South News'
claims that it
has had "no connection with any government at any level"
- this is
false. But the
conflicted
corporate
wire, with its
own Permanent
seat on the
board of hte
UN
Correspondents
Assocation
which took
money from
Ng's South
South News,
merely passes
through the
denial. Call
it journalism?
We'll have
more on this.
On June 27,
former South
South News
reporter
turned
spokesperson
for John Ashe
and now his
family wrote
to the UN
press corps,
some of whom
she saw over
the weekend:
"Dear Friends
and Dear UN
and Media
Representatives,
I am kindly
forwarding a
Statement from
the Family of
the late John.
W. Ashe,
President of
the UN General
Assembly 68th
Session, at
the request of
his widowed
wife, Anilla
Cherian.I have
accepted to
forward this
Statement in
my personal
capacity and
in honor of
Ambassador
Ashe’s legacy
as a
long-serving
diplomat.
I will not be
addressing any
questions and
I do
appreciate
your
understanding.
It was very
nice seeing
several of you
over the
weekend. I
hope you are
all doing
well."
If the goal
was to
distinguish
South South
News from John
Ashe and Ng
Lap Seng, this
doesn't do it.
The audit
deals with
South South
News - which
as of June 27
STILL has a UN
office, photo
here,
UNlike Inner
City Press. In
Ban's UN one
only gets due
process if one
has money, or
pays money, as
South South
News did,
including to
the UN
Correspondents
Association
which then
gave Ng Lap
Seng a
photo-op with
Ban. Or as the
Saudis did to
get Ban to
remove them
from the Yemen
Children and
Armed Conflict
annex.
On June 27 in
Federal Court,
Assistant U.S.
Attorney
Daniel
Richenthal
said that
South South
News was a
conduit for
bribery
involving the
now
conveniently
(and
mysteriously)
deceased
former PGA
John Ashe.
(Some with
links to Ashe
try to erase
all trace, but
here
is one:
UNCA with
AAshe's
spokesperson
Konja,
formerly of
South South
News), which
one
wire-with-a-conflict
covering this
story never
mentions.
Compare to this.)
Meanwhile
while Inner
City Press can
only work with
minders, its
office given
to Akhbar
Elyom's
correspondent,
a former UNCA
presdient,
sits empty and
Gallach
gallavants in
Paris. We'll
have more on
all this.
Nor does Ban's
audit mention
that his Sri
Lanka adviser
Vijay Nambiar
and his
spouse, Ban
Soon-taek,
were both
present at the
founding of
the Global
Sustainability
Foundation;
the latter
took photos
with South
South News'
indicted
Vivian Wang at
the UN
Correspondents
Association
ball where
UNCA gave Ng,
from whose
South South
News it took
money, a photo
op with Ban
himself.
On April 16,
at Ban's and
his USG
Cristina
Gallach's
direction,
Inner City
Press' long
time UN office
in S-303 was
evicted and
five boxes of
files were
dumped onto
First Avenue.
Video
here and here.
On April 20,
the Free UN
Coalition for
Access sign on
S-303 was
removed (photo
here)
without the
consent of
Inner City
Press' office
mate, also a
FUNCA member,
who was told
that the lock
was being
changed,
presumably to
sell the
office to
someone else.
Inner City
Press
immediately
objected to
MALU, the DSG,
Chef de
Cabinet and
Spokesman,
putting them
on notice.
And lo and
behold it was
given to a
former UNCA
president who
never comes to
the UN, never
asks
questions:
Saana Youssef
of Egyptian
state media
Akhbar Elyom.
This is Ban's
UN.
UNCA,
at least under
Giampaolo
Pioli, openly
tells people
to pay it
money, it can
get them UN
official
space. This is
corruption.
Now
since the
eviction of
Inner City
Press, South
South News has
sent out a
press release
saying that
despite the
guilty plea by
its President
Francis
Lorenzo and
indictment of
its Vice
President
Vivan Wang, it
is clean - and
blames its
problems on a
"few
independent
journalists."
Wonder who's
referred to -
as the other
one(s).
Not Reuters,
which passes
through
without
analysis South
South News'
press releases
- and without
disclosing
that Reuters'
Lou
Charbonneau
and now
Michelle
Nichols have
occupied
Reuters'
permanent seat
on the
Executive
Committee of
the UN
Correspondents
Association,
which took
South South
News' money
then arranged
a photo op for
Ng Lap Seng
with Ban
Ki-moon.
South
South News'
founding is
described in
the John Ashe
and Ng Lap
Seng
indictment; it
is portrayed
through gauze
in the OIOS
audit. The
name South
South News has
appeared in
the Panama
Papers.
Inner
City Press on
January 29
sought to
cover an UNCA
event held in
the UN Press
Briefing Room,
which was
nowhere listed
as
closed.
On February
19
Gallach,
without
recusing
herself,
unilaterally
deactivated
Inner City
Press UN
residential
correspondents
pass, and had
Inner City
Press'
reporter
physically
thrown out on
First Avenue
without coat
or passport. Audio
here.
This is
called
retaliation.
On the
afternoon of
April 12,
Inner City
Press while
with another
colleague
asked Ban
about
Gallach's
orders.
"That
is not my
decision," Ban
said quickly.
He is aware;
the ouster and
censorship
serve him, but
he says it is
not his
decision, just
as for example
Sri Lanka's
Mahinda
Rajapaksa or
higher profile
censors might.
On the
evening of
April 12
Gallach ordered
the final
eviction
of all of
Inner City
Press'
investigative
files on
Saturday,
April 16 at 10
am. This is
the face of
today's UN
corruption.
Here is some
of what the OIOS
audit says,
about USG
Gallach:
"37. On 30
June 2015,
Global
Sustainability
Foundation
sponsored an
exhibition
titled “The
Transformative
Power of Art”
in the
visitors’
lobby at
United Nations
Headquarters.
This
exhibition was
curated by an
Italian
artist, whose
works were
displayed
along with the
works of other
artists
participating
in one of his
workshops.
38.
Exhibitions in
publicly
accessible
areas at
Headquarters
are governed
by the
Secretary
General’s
Bulletin
ST/SGB/2008/6,
which
stipulates,
inter alia, as
follows:
(a) The United
Nations
Exhibits
Committee,
which is an
interdepartmental
body of the
Secretariat
chaired by the
Under
Secretary
General for
Communications
and Public
Information
[Cristina
Gallach] is
the standing
body that
reviews and
authorizes
such
exhibitions;
(b) Any
proposal
originating
from an NGO or
foundation
must be
accompanied by
a written
communication
of support
from a
Secretariat
department or
office, a
separately
administered
organ or
programme of
the United
Nations, an
organization
of the United
Nations system
or a permanent
or observer
mission to the
United
Nations;
(c) Exhibit
proposals
focusing on a
specific
individual, or
originating
from a single
artist, shall
not be
permitted;
(d) The
Exhibits
Committee may,
at its
discretion,
reject a
proposal for
an exhibit in
part or in its
entirety, or
require the
elimination or
alteration of
any part
thereof; and
(e) The
secretariat of
the Exhibits
Committee
shall inform
the Assistant
Secretary
General,
Office of
Central
Support
Services, of
the
authorization
granted for a
proposed
exhibit.39.
OIOS noted
that the
exhibition
held of 30
June 2015 was
not in
compliance
with these
provisions.
The Exhibits
Committee did
not authorize
the exhibition
because it did
not receive a
proposal in
accordance
with (b)
above. The
Chef de
Cabinet of the
Office of the
President of
the
sixty-ninth
session of the
General
Assembly
informed the
Exhibits
Committee of
the
President’s
decision to
host a series
of major
cultural
events, which
included an
exhibition,
reception, and
concert. The
Committee
informed the
Office of the
President that
the exhibition
was not in
accordance
with the
regulations
for exhibits
in publicly
accessible
areas at
Headquarters,
but the Office
of the
President
decided to
proceed with
the exhibition
anyway.
Therefore, the
Exhibits
Committee did
not accept,
reject or
alter the
“proposal”.
40. OIOS notes
that the
Exhibits
Committee only
had an
advisory role
in the matter,
and in the
circumstances
described, it
could not have
possibly
prevented the
staging of the
event.
However,
considering
that the
exhibition was
attended by
the
Secretary-General
and other
senior
Secretariat
staff despite
its
non-compliance
with the
Secretary-General’s
bulletin on
exhibits, the
perception
that the NGO
was given
preferential
treatment or
favour (that
too without
performing any
due diligence
checks) could
have an
adverse impact
on the
Organization’s
reputation.
This risk is
aggravated by
the
allegations in
the criminal
complaint
against Sun
Kian Ip group,
with whom this
NGO is
affiliated."
While Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric has
said this
audit will not
be made public
until April
22, on April 6
as a
full text
exclusive
Inner City
Press
published the
audit while
noting
affiliates the
UN audit
omitted, and
portions of
the audit that
some involved
seem to be
trying to
cover up,
including not
only as to the
Department of
Public
Information,
but also the
Global Compact
and other
back-doors
into the UN,
including but
not limited to
"Friends of
the UN."
Beyond
the Under
Secretary
General of the
Department of
Public
Information's
responsibility
for exhibits
in the
Visitor's
Lobby such as
the one
indicted Sheri
Yan's Global
Sustainability
Foundation
held on June
30, 2015, she
was also in
charge when
GSF was
allowed,
without any
due diligence,
to on March
25, 2015
sponsor an
event entitled
"Unveiling of
the 'Ark of
Return'
Permanent
Memorial."
Audit at
Paragraph 20
(b).
Inner
City Press asked
the UN about
DPI's
engagement
with the
Global
Sustainability
Foundation
around the Ark
of Return in October
2015. To
be diplomatic,
this should
have led to /
required a
recusal.
DPI, the audit
says, was
"associated"
with Ng Lap
Seng's and
Frank Liu's
World Harmony
Foundation
through
something
called the
"Friends of
the UN" based
in Los Angeles
/ Santa
Monica. We'll
have more on
this.
As
Inner City
Press
demonstrated
even before
publishing the
audit, the
Global Compact
as of April
2016 lists
Ng's World
Harmony
Foundation as
a member,
despite the
October 2015
indictments.
Now we
note that the
Global
Compact,
represented at
Ng's Macau
event in
August 2015,
has a
representative
who because
not a UN staff
member kept
the iPad Ng's
Sun Kian Ip
foundation
gifted. What
kind of "anti
corruption" UN
Global Compact
is this?
On April 11,
after
publishing the
above, Inner
City Press
asked Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
it, and when
Ban will
answer
questions. Video here, UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press:
on this OIOS
inquiry, I
want to ask
you
something.
One of the
entities
controlled by
Mr. Ng Lap
Seng is World
Harmony
Foundation.
I don’t know
if it was you
or Farhan
[Haq] last
week that said
it’s still a
member of the
Global
Compact, but
it also seems
to partner
with DPI
(Department of
Public
Information)
is associated
through
something
called Friends
of the United
Nations, which
seems to be
based in Santa
Monica,
California.
It’s a little
unclear.
Can you say,
is this one of
the ground
balls that you
guys are going
to be running
down, in terms
of what other
groups enter
through that
way?
Also, what
explains World
Harmony
Foundation six
months after
the indictment
still being
part of the
Global
Compact?
And one other
Global Compact
question.
The audit
specifically
says that, of
the iPads
given out at
the Macau
event in
August, the
representative
of the Global
Compact has
not returned
it, said that
he’s not going
to return
it. He’s
not a staff
member and
he’s keeping
it. It’s
right in the
audit.
And so I
wanted to
know, since
the Global
Compact said
it’s about
transparency,
anticorruption,
is this
okay?
And why isn’t
he a staff
member if he’s
representing
the Global
Compact?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I don’t
know.
That’s a
question you
should… in
terms of World
Harmony,
whether or not
they’re still
a member, is a
question you
can ask of the
Global
Compact.
Obviously, as
we said, the
audit is an
initial step,
and other
issues are
being pursued.
Inner City
Press:
But are they
going… I mean,
I guess Global
Compact, UNDP
(United
Nations
Development
Programme),
are they going
to hold a
press
conference?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
You should ask
them.
They have
press people,
like the
Secretariat,
and they’re
there to
answer
questions.
Inner City
Press:
And the
Secretary-General,
you said he’ll
be in the room
tomorrow, but
he won’t
speak.
Looking at the
list of press
conferences,
it seems like
the last one
was December
of last year…
Spokesman:
He will have…
there will be
some sort of a
press
conference…
there will be
a press
conference,
probably on
Friday, tied
to the climate
event.
Inner City
Press: this
OIOS [Office
of Internal
Oversight
Services]
audit, I
obtained it,
published it
and I want to
ask just for
today, two
specific
questions
about
it. One
is, it talks
about funds
going to this
thing called
UNPAN, which
I've heard of,
but it seems
to be pretty
obscure.
And in looking
at its
website, it
claims to be
publishing
articles they
say were
published in
December 2016,
which hasn't
actually
occurred
yet. So,
there's
something a
little… What's
been done on
the
recommendations
as to… to
UNPAN and the
use of its
name by the
entities that
were
audited....
Spokesman:
The recommend…
the audit, I
think, as all
of you have
seen now,
includes
recommendations
and includes
the status of
those
recommendations,
and we're
following
through with
them.
Inner City
Press: I'd
asked Farhan
[Haq]
yesterday
about the 30
June 2015
event in the
Visitor's
Lobby, which
has a section
of the whole
audit about
DPI
[Department of
Public
Information]
being in
charge of it,
not doing
it. I
want to ask
you about
another event,
which was 25
March, this
unveiling of
the Ark of
Return permit
memorial,
which they
said was no
due diligence
done of the
Global
Sustainability
Foundation.
It seems like,
in this audit,
they make
these two
findings about
DPI, these two
events, but
it's only
looking at it,
I guess,
institutionally.
As I've asked
you, when
Global
Sustainability
Foundation was
founded in
this building,
a senior
adviser of the
Secretary-General
and his spouse
were present…
Spokesman:
I mean, I
think…
Inner City
Press:
Does this
audit look at
individuals or
only
entities…?
Spokesman:
The audit
looks at…
looked at the
systems.
When there are
issues related
to
individuals,
further
investigations
are being
done.
Inner City
Press:
Right.
But, it seems
like they only
mention the
individuals
that were in
the criminal
complaint.
There was
nothing…
Spokesman:
You know, the
audit… I think
the audit
speaks for
itself and
outlines how
we're
following up
with it.
There is
a need for
follow up.
The
audit cites
Ng's
Interntional
Organization
for South
South
Cooperation's
engagements
with, or
capture of,
the UN agency
UNPAN, the UN
Public
Administration
Network. A
visit on April
8, 2016 to UNPAN's
website
finds them
featuring
articles they
say were
publishd in
December 2016
- that is, in
the future.
Ironically,
the article(s)
address the
topic of
corruption.
That is
today's UN.
The audit for
example does
purport to
cover South
South News,
but not the
big money
South South
Awards held in
September 2015
at the Waldorf
Astoria
including the
Under
Secretary
General of the
Department of
Public
Information
(DPI) Cristina
Gallach.
(Inner City
Press in
October 2015
questioned Ms.
Gallach about
her
participation
in the South
South Awards,
video
here. On
February 19,
2016 Gallach
ordered Inner
City Press to
leave its long
time office
and stripped
its Resident
Correspondent
accreditation,
without once
speaking to
it. This is
the subject of
an April
5 letter to
Ban Ki-moon
from the
Government
Accountability
Project,
demanding that
this “crude
and heavy
handed”
retaliation be
reversed,
watch this
site.)
On April
7, Inner City
Press asked UN
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq a
first round of
questions
about some of
the
limitations of
the audio, video here,
Inner City
Press: I've
now obtained
and published
this OIOS
audit of
selected NGOs
and related
entity that
you said will
come out on 22
April.
And there's
different
things I want
to ask you
about it, but
main thing I
want to ask
about is,
there's an
entire section
that runs from
paragraph 37
through
paragraph 40
that it's
about an
exhibit they
say was
improperly
held in the
Visitor's
Lobby on 30
June
2015.
And it goes
through a lot
of detail, and
it says that
the
Under-Secretary-General
of the
Department of
Public
Information is
in charge of
the exhibits
committee and,
I guess, in
charge of the
space.
And somehow,
this exhibit
was held in
violation of a
number of the
rules that
apply to
it. What
I'm wondering
is, what is
the
response?
Obviously, it
seems like you
guys have had
access to this
audit even
before it was
sent to Member
States.
What is the
thinking… the
way they walk
through it is
they say… it
seems strange.
If she's in
charge of the
space and the
exhibit took
place without
complying with
the rules,
what is the
response to
her
responsibility
for
that?
And what steps
have been
taken?
The audit
doesn't say
that any steps
have yet been
taken to
address that.
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq:
Well, with
regard to the
specific cases
referred to in
the audit,
actions being
taken to
determine
responsibility
and any
follow-up and
any measures
that may be
deemed
appropriate.
And so, we'll
continue to
study that.
Inner City
Press:
And who
decides? In
getting the
audit, there
obviously is a
long section
about
South-South
News, but I
noticed that a
related entity
of which
there's been a
lot of
coverage is
South-South
Awards.
And it's
unclear, it's
not mentioned
once in
here.
And this is
something
that… I mean,
the
Secretary-General
received the
South-South
Award.
This is an
entity that's
absolutely
connected to
Ng Lap Seng
and Frank
Lorenzo et
al. So,
the question
is, who… maybe
that's OIOS,
but who
decided on the
scope of this
audit, the
date that it
would start, 1
January 2012,
and the
exclusion of…
of… one of the
things that
people
covering this
scandal have
focused on are
these glitzy
events in the
Waldorf.
The
Under-Secretary-General
of DPI did
attend in
September, but
prior to that,
Ms. [Susana]
Malcorra took
an award for
Ban
[Ki-moon].
Why is this
not in the
audit?
And will there
be an audit of
South-South
Awards going
forward?
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq: I
think the
audit is what
it is.
It's prepared
by the
professional
people in the
Office of
Internal
Oversight who
deal with
audits.
And you can
evaluate the
results for
yourself.
Inner City
Press:
And just one
other thing I
wanted to ask
about, because
I know I'd
asked Stéphane
[Dujarric] and
you, going
back to
October, about
the inclusion
of South-South
News content
in UN
Television
archives.
And,
eventually,
you came back
with this
answer that it
was due to
Habitat.
And I just…
I've pointed
out to you
that there's a
number of
things that
have nothing
to do with
Habitat, a
number of
inclusions
that you just
search UNTV
for
"South-South
News".
But, I do
notice in this
audit that
there is a
reference to
South-South
News and
Habitat.
So, I wanted
to know, was
this finding
that you said
of people
looking into
how it got in
there, was it
basically just
taken from
reading the
audit, or was
there a… a… a…
an analysis,
either by your
office or DPI,
of how the
many other
inclusions of
South-South
News and UNTV
archives took
place?
Deputy
Spokesman:
No, our office
had checked
with
DPI.
That was prior
to us knowing
about the
results of the
audit.
Similarly,
using timing
as a basis of
omission, by
stopping the
audit at
January 1,
2012, OIOS did
not address
the issue of
Ng's South
South News
getting a
photo op
directly with
Ban Ki-moon in
December 2011
at the UN
Correspondents
Association
ball at
Cipriani's
42nd Street
after giving
money to UNCA
including for
a two page ad
spread in
UNCA's “ball
book.”
While
Dujarric's
deputy Farhan
Haq allowed
four UNCA
board members
from Reuters,
France 24 and
Agence France
Presse to seek
to rebut this
including by
directly
addressing
Inner City
Press in the
noon briefing
on April 6,
the cut-off at
January 1,
2012 is
problematic,
especially as
related to Ban
Ki-moon
himself.
The
audit goes out
of its way to
say that Ban's
Executive
Office of the
Secretary
General did
not know when
a letter to it
was modified
to add the
name of Ng's
firm and of
South South
News. How is
that possible?
And again, why
was Ban's
direct dealing
with Ng cut
out from the
audit by a
matter of
days?
Many of the
irregularities
in the audit
are things
first reported
by Inner City
Press, such
as Yan's
Global
Sustainability
Foundation
funding the
UN's slavery
memorial,
including an
engagement
with Gallach's
DPI which even
the audit
criticizes
while DPI
tries to deny.
Undeniable is
that Gallach
chaired the UN
Exhibits
Committee
which allowed
the bogus
“Transformative
Power of Art”
exhibit on
June 30, 2015.
How does
Gallach's no
due process
ouster of
Inner City
Press on
February 19,
2016, when
Inner City
Press was
thrown into
the street and
its laptop on
the sidewalk
by eight UN
guards, look
now that the
audit is out?
Even with the
audit
inexplicably
omitting the
South South
Awards -- Ban
Ki-moon got
one of the
awards -- the
audit chides
DPI for lack
of due
diligence for
its slavery
event, and
Gallach as
chair of the
Exhibit
Committee
which allowed
the Jun 30,
2015
“Transformative
Power of Art”
exhibit.
"The
Government
Accountability
Project
complained
about Lee's
fallout in a
Feb. 26 letter
to the U.S.
Permanent
Mission of the
United
Nations.
'The action
targeted
Matthew Lee
alone, and
appears to be
retaliatory in
response to
independent,
critical
journalism,'
wrote Beatrice
Edwards, the
project's
international
program
director.
UNCA, the
group whose
meeting Lee
got in trouble
for recording,
has denied the
appearance of
unfairness.
'UNCA stands
for press
freedom and
vehemently
defends rights
of journalists
at the UN and
around the
world,' the
statement
says."
Really?
Where? It was
the Free UN
Coalition for
Access asking
this month
about the UN
requiring
minders, not
only in UN
Headquarters
but also in
South Sudan.
The Courthouse
News
continues:
"Lee blasted
what he
described as
'post-hoc'
justifications
for his
ouster, which
he compared to
a Franz Kafka
novel.
'Initially,
they tried to
say that I
secretly
filmed a
closed
meeting,' he
said.
'That's fallen
apart because
the meeting
wasn't
recorded as
closed.' Lee
laughed off
allegations
that he
entered a
restricted
area to
secretly film
the meeting,
which he
broadcast via
a popular
web-casting
platform.
'It's hard to
say that a
Periscope
live-streaming
with my arms
up is secret,'
he said.
By downgrading
his
residential
correspondent
credentials to
a second-tier
status, the
U.N. has
restricted
Lee's freedom
of movement,
forced him to
be chaperoned
by a minder."
That's
right, a UN
minder
courtesy of UN
Communications
chief Cristina
Gallach and
ultimately,
Ban Ki-moon.
In terms of
violations,
and cover up,
see Paragraphs
37 through 40
of the OIOS
audit.
Inner City
Press on April
5 asked if
Ng's World
Harmony
Foundation is
still part of
the UN Global
Compact;
deputy
spokesperson
Haq said he
would check
but never came
back with an
answer. On
April 6 Inner
City Press
asked again
and Haq said
yes - now we
see it is
confirmed and
criticized in
the audit.
Worse while
Inner City
Press from
October 2015
on asked
Dujarric and
Haq how South
South News got
its content in
the UNTV
archives run
by Gallach's
DPI, Haq
belatedly
mentioned only
one use,
connected to
HABITAT. Now
we see the
HABITAT -
South South
News
interaction is
listed in the
audit, which
it seems Haq
consulted
before
answering (and
whatever else
he did with
the audit).
But why
didn't OIOS
look into
South South
News' OTHER
inclusions in
DPI's archives
of UNTV? Watch
this site.
Another
question, now
more poignant
with the full
audit online,
is why the
wire services
reporters from
Reuters and
Agence France
Presse, on the
Executive
Committee of
the UN
Correspondents
Association
which took
Ng's South
South News'
money and then
gave Ng a
photo op with
Ban Ki-moon,
didn't even
MENTION that
DPI, their
partner in
censorship,
was listed and
criticized in
the audit.
Not only
the South
South Awards,
but the the
Gallach-approved
bogus
exhibition
criticized in
detail in the
audit is
nowhere in
their reports.
Hence the
April 6 threat
and April 6
noon briefing,
video here.
We'll have
more on this
, 
