On
Cyprus,
Two Views of Downer, “No Right to Be Exhausted,”
Disclosure Still Lacking, Lobbying Not Precluded
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
September 25 -- The President of Cyprus Dimitris
Christofias, and leader of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Dervis Eroglu, talked at cross purposes to the Press at the UN on
September 24 and 25.
Inner City Press asked each about the
performance of UN Special Adviser Alexander Downer, a former
Australian diplomat who now moonlights with the business consultancy
Bespoke Approach.
Eroglu
had been
quoted that the Greek Cypriots are “exhausting Downer's patience.”
When Inner City Press asked Christofias about the quote, he replied
that “Alexander Downer has no right to be exhausted. He's a Special
Adviser of the UN Secretary General for two years, maybe less than
two years... We have to be patient.” Video here,
from Minute 18:15.
Inner
City Press
waited until the next morning to ask Eroglu the same question. Eroglu
denied his quote in
the Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris, by way of
Famagusta Gazette, adopted the more diplomatic position that Downer
must be and is neutral. This was said in Turkish, through an
interpreter. Eroglu added in English, to Inner City Press, that
Downer is “young.. enough.”
In
fact, Downer
was walking jauntily about the UN this week. Some wondered whether
his ubiquity was entirely related to his Cyprus portfolio for the UN,
or might be related to or assist in his private for profit work for
the clients of Bespoke Approach.
Inner
City Press
has several times asked
Downer to disclose his outside business
interests and clients, so that possible conflicts of interest could
be assessed. Downer has refused, insisting that his work for
example
for Chinese firms wanting to do business in Australia has nothing to
do with Cyprus.
UN's Ban and the parties (former TRNC) & Downer,
dislosure not shown
But
consider this:
a part time Special Adviser or Special Representative like Alexander
Downer, or Tony Blair, or Matthew Nimitz, is given full access to the
UN. People including world leaders will take these people's call,
sometimes in part due to the UN connection. Can this be abused?
Should there be disclosure and then reform? Watch this site.
Footnote:
Eroglu's
stakeout took place before 10 a.m. on Saturday in the UN's
Temporary North Lawn Building. While security outside on First Avenue
and 42nd Street was post-Obama being dismantled, inside the UN buzzed
with bilateral meetings.
Inner
City Press spoke, for forthcoming
stories, with for example the Permanent Representatives of Uganda and
South Africa, in the midst of bilateral meetings, and
the Foreign Minister of Indonesia. The mood was collegial, with an
air of relief that the most tense part of the General Debate is over.
The Permanent Representative of Malaysia asked Inner City Press,
“Working on Saturday?” Yes. Watch this site.
* * *
Ban's
Envoy
Downer Calls His Business with Huawei "Private" From UN, Zerihoun
Leaving Cyprus?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April 27 -- "I have my private life," Alexander
Downer told the Press on Tuesday." It's mine and it's private."
Video here,
at
Minute 36.
Inner
City
Press
had asked Downer, the part time chief of the UN's Good Offices role
for Cyprus, whether the fact that his employer Bespoke Approach
represents Chinese technology firm Huawei, which does business in
Turkey, showed a need for UN rules against the appearance of conflict
of interest.
"With
the
greatest
respect," Downer said, "I might know more about
this that you... Ipso facto
-- it's my business."
Previously,
Downer
has
told Inner City Press that there
can be no conflict of interest
because Bespoke Approach's clients don't do business in Cyprus or, by
implication, Turkey or Greece, which have direct interests in Mr.
Downer's UN work.
Now
that Downer has
confirmed that Bespoke Approach represents Huawei, which itself brags
on its website about its Turkey business, the question is squarely
raised: why doesn't the UN prohibit or have rules about this?
Secretary
General
Ban
Ki-moon has promised transparency, and has urged his senior
officials -- although apparently not part time officials like Downer
-- to publicly disclose their financial holdings.
But
on Tuesday, Mr.
Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky tried to cut off the question by
saying, "Matthew, the Secretary General chose Mr. Downer [based
on] his demonstrated integrity. I don't think one needs to say more
than that." Video here,
from
37:52.
But
what about
having generally applicable rules? If confidence in particular
individuals' integrity was enough, Mr. Ban wouldn't have urged public
disclosure of financial holdings to avoid the appearance of conflict
of interest.
UN's Ban and Downer, rules against conflicts of
interest not shown
While
Inner
City
Press asked two questions about the Cyprus process, Downer sought to
not answer them, saying to Inner City Press, "You're not really
interested in Cyprus."
One
of the
questions concerned Cypriot president Demetris Christofias' request
to Qatar's Emir Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani that Qatar get
involved in the Cyprus process. How did Downer think this would
dovetail, or not, with his work?
Downer
said,
This
is a UN process, Mr. Christofias and Mr. [Dervis] Eroglu are aware of
that.
Only
at
the end of
his press conference did Downer, once reminded, consent to answer
Inner City Press' other question, about the relation of his work with
that of Mr. Ban's current representative to Cyprus, Taye-Brook
Zerihoun. He runs UNFICYP and I run the Good Offices, Downer said. He
is my deputy on the Good Offices. "You are very interested in
this.. I am only part time, Mr. Zerihoun has filled in" for me
and comes to meetings even when I am there.
Inner
City
Press
had, during Nesirky's briefing while Downer waited to speak, asked
what something it heard and reported yesterday, that Zerihoun is
being recalled to UN Headquarters to replace Haile Menkerios, now in
South Sudan, in the Africa Division of the UN Department of Political
Affairs. When Inner City Press asked if Nesirky could confirm, he
said "Not at the moment, but I'll find out." Video here,
from
Minute 17:03.
When
Inner
City
Press asked Downer if he was aware of Zerihoun, which whom Downer
said he plays golf, leaving the Cyprus post as early as May 1, Downer
said that was for the S-G and his spokesman to answer. Video here,
from
Minute 46:22. Nesirky said,
"I've already answered that." Inner City Press replied, no,
you said you didn't know, you'd find out.
Ironically,
not
only
Ambassadors and people in the Department of Political Affairs
were speaking about Zerihoun's getting the job, so was another
spokesperson at the UN. Watch this site.
, 
