In China,
Misuse of UNDP for Chief Malik's
Family Foundation, Staff Complain
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, September 1 -- In China, the UN
Development Program's
resident coordinator Khalid Malik's wife Carter runs a non
governmental organization which uses the UN connection to raise
funds. According to whistleblowing UNDP staff who
have contacted Inner City Press, Malik urges donations to his wife's
NGO, and some think they are giving to the UN when they give to his
wife's NGO. One example of the (intentional) confusion is contained
in a Chinese newspaper article, which Inner City Press is putting
online here.
It is explained below by Inner City Press' sources in
UNDP in China.
The
UNDP staff
in China have complained in many forums about Malik, without any
improvements.
Their staff evaluations have gotten worse each year, including
alleging increases in sexual harassment. It is understood that
complaints have been filed with UNDP against Malik personally. Here
is an account from inside the UNDP in China:
Subject:
Nepotism in UNDP China…..poor leadership, bad global staff survey
results for fours years….poor staff perception, Mr. Khalid Malik
regime continues…..China is awaiting for him to leaving including
the government partners….
Dear
Mr. Lee, As
UNDP China staff, we are so impressed with your serious of articles
of Nepotism, stonewall….and
we are shocked to see what happened
with the whistleblower in RBAP [the Regional Bureau for Asia and the
Pacific], however we are not surprised either, as this sounds
familiar….It came to our attention of your mention about China, a
country full of spirit and inspiration, however UNDP China office is
not as pleasant as the bigger China. Here are some examples: UNDP
china has stayed at the bottom of global 140s countries from the past
four years under Khalid Malik regime….without any improvements, but
to him, everybody else is the cause of the problem, but himself. Most
importantly, more than a dozen staff, professionalism staff simply
have to leave because of Malik's unprofessionalism, unfairness,
selfishness, and abuse of authority……..same thing happen when
Malik was the head of UNDP Evaluation office….all those
professionals had chosen to leave….
The
UNDP China staff people’s question is 'how many years of bad Global
Staff Survey results it takes to take a senior person out of UNDP
China.' There is serious problem of abuse of authority, lack of
accountability in those high level post’….and they can do
anything they like, recruit people they like, promote people they
like, and punish those who tried very hard to maintain their
integrity….and all those senior people can do is to ‘get rid of
those people’ who did not agree with them through ‘reprofiling’,
or ‘restructuring’ and never realize “Leadership” is the
biggest problem, their own bad, unprofessional behaviors,
selfishness, have resulted in ‘bad staff perception’ as well as
‘bad government partners perception’ of UNDP China. Khalid Malik
and Subinay Nandy, are the root cause of problems.
We
would like to draw you kind attention to one Human Resources related
case on the recently recruitment of a P5 post for Bureau of
Development Policy . As we hear that Ms. Wang Xiaojun, the current
UNDP China staff was selected, based on her background, it is serious
against UNDP HR policy. Concerns were expressed to RBAP, to audit
office, and it is like you described in your article, it is
‘stonewall’. We want to raise our concerns on this matter as Ms.
Wang does not qualify for this P5 post:
1.She
has been in the team leader of HIV/AIDS starting from Sep 17, 2007,
so not even TWO year yet. In addition, she being the Team Leader of
HIV/AID and Governance starting from Feb 13, 2008. Because of her
promotion to this post, in China office we called it ‘incapable
leading capable’, all professional staff including Edmund Seattle
decided to leave, because it was an ‘insult’ to him. Because all
the professionals had choose to leave, Grace Wang inherited all other
people’s credit on HIV and Governance because it is all other
people, Edmund seattle, Diana Gao, Edward Wu, Li Jing, (all left)
laid the ground work.
2.Staff
perception about the HR issue can be found very clearly in the four
years of BAD GSS results on transparency, management integrity,
honesty, trustfulness, HR recruitment, selection, and promotion
process, of all these indicators are very slow for Four FULL years.
3.It
is UNDP HR policy and requirement that ONE has to be in his/her
current Post for a minimum of 3 Year to apply for the next…. She
has been team leader of governance only ONE YEAR and FOUR Months
(starting from Feb 13, 2008). This is AGAINST UNDP policy, there is
seriously suspect of abuse of authority in the hiring, selection
process….
4.Employing
such a person without relevant and solid experiences, knowledge,
proven competencies as a practitioner in UNDP HQ of BDP the policy
bureau is jeopardizing UNDP’s image and reputation (it has to be
the right person and qualified person for the right job).
5.UNDP
has the policy of rank in post and even with is and the interview,
this should be only part of the consideration as proven performance,
knowledge, results and competence to fit in the post should also be
considered and are critical. This is the most important thing. She
has not demonstrated the necessary and proven results, competencies and
knowledge for this high level P5 post which is obvious. Reference
check should also be made thoroughly not only with the Resident
coordinator Mr. Khalid Malik and Country Director Subinay Nandy, but
also with the peers of the UNDP China (all the team leaders and the
left ones who used to interact with her), Ms. Wang’s previous
supervisees Li Jing left the office because he thinks UNDP does not
have ‘governance’ in people selection, only those kisses can get
up or get the job, and the selection should be made in a transparent
and competitive process.
6.One
key factor is that UNDP China Resident coordinator will leave (all
government partners are waiting for his departure after Six years in
China) and favoritism should be avoided for promotion and
international assignment for UNDP HQ and in China Country Office. UNDP
China HR function is ONLY an implementer of all those action
from Khalid Malik and Subinay Nandy, HR transparency has been of
complain of staff for many years. UNDP China has poor GSS results
for years and HR related issues has lots of problems and issues on
performance assessment, recruitment and promotion in terms of
fairness and transparency.
Mr.
Khalid Malik, Mr. Subinay Nandy, and Mr. Selim Jaham, all from south
Asian countries of Pakistan, the other two all from Bangladesh, want
to promote their favorite person Ms. Grace Wang Xiaojun, and export
their favorism, nepotism, abuse of authority from Khalid Malik China
regime to HQ…
Inner
City Press is
attaching to this article documentation
of the staff's assessment of Malik from 2005 to 2008.
Khalid Malik, at the mic, holds check, wife's
foundation and staff anger not shown
Here again is a description from
UNDP
staff in China of
Conflict
of interest between Khalid Malik’s wife private foundation Yunnan
Mountain Handicraft Center with Khalid Malik’s using of UN, UNDP,
private sector funding and other resources to benefit his wife's
foundation.
Khalid
Malik has had pretty long interests in Tibet and everybody does.
However, his behaviors have made staff suspicious of his real motives
whether it is to concentrate on development or using this as an
excuse to get benefit for himself or his wife and his family using
UN’s name and his position in UN.
1.In
2007 UN Day, using UN resources, most likely private sector resources
mobilized (Private sector contribution to RC), an UN Day event was
organized by inviting Naxi Guyue (a band from Yunnan Lijiang, headed
by Yuan Ke) around 50 people to conduct a performance. This is
justified of supporting of culture development in Yuannan.
2.However,
Khalid Malik’s wife has a personal foundation in Yunnan called
Yunnan Mountain Handicraft Center, www.ymhfshangrila.com
3.This
is not the first UN Day in years time….people are discussing
whether the choice of each UN day is Mr. Malik’s decision or his
wife’s, and what is the real purpose Advocate for UN or using UN or
UNDP’s resources to benefit his own personal interests, building
connection in both tangible and intangible terms.
4.The
news clip proves that right after the Naxi Guyue music performance on
Oct 25, 2007 in UN compound, the head of Naxi Guyue Mr. Xuan Ke
announced publicly to donate rmb 100,000 ($15,000USD) to his wife’s
private foundation. The title of the article in Chinese is ‘Mr.
Xuan ke donates rmb 100,000 to UN’, but it actually donated to
Carter Malik’s private foundation.
5.There
are also two evidences that two workshops had been organized in Ms.
Malik’s foundation in Yunnan, with multiple government official
been invited….The funding of these workshops are very
unclear….based on UNDP rules and procedures….and policies, it is
very inappropriate to use any public resources including money or
intangible resources such as name, brand for personal purposes. We
did heard from some government partners who was invited saying that
they believed it was an UNDP meeting, however, it ended up in his
wife foundation…..
6.The
other clips have shown the activities of UNDP project in partnership
with All China Federation of Industry and Commerce….in Yunnan….but
as time accumulated, (since we did not know from the beginning why he
is so much interested in Yunnan)….now become more clear that
anything in Yunnan connected with his wife’s interest in
Yunnan….and potential connection with government officials,
business, and benefits for his family using agency resources
including UN, UNDP, private sector funding…..for his potential
network for future.
7.Despite
Culture is not an UNDP mandate, Khalid still insisted to formulate a
UNDP project on culture….and handcraft making….all related to his
wife interests…most important of all, all these was used purposely
for his application of job in UNWTO….which are very much focusing
on tourism…culture….aspect. However, all these things everybody
knows in UNDP, China, HQ….however, it is in such a grey area to be
used as evidence against Khalik….but it happens all the time.
8.Ms.
Malik foundation is recruiting for interns…and there are five of
them all working in Mr. Malik’s private promise in UN compound.
However, the network is not fast enough with five people working at
him home and she requested IT to upgrade their home network. It was
done with UNDP XB resources of RMB 6000 ($900). Everyone staff knows
that XB china is almost gone….however, this is not the only time
that their personal expenses were changed to UNDP XB
account….(finance have all the record). This is an integrity
issue….all these expenses adding up together may be or may not be
very big, however, this is Fraud and Abuse of authority of
inappropriate use of UNDP funds…..
UNDP's
Office
of Audit and Investiations is already supposedly
investigating the
Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific's having given a job to the
daughter of the UN's envoy to the Congo Alan Doss, who was until
July
1 a UNDP staff member and therefore needed and asked for "leeway"
for the hiring of his daughter.
UNDP
appears to be stalling the
investigation, which involves personnel long acquainted with Doss;
UNDP has also declined
to provide a press conference by Administrator
Helen Clark, and tries to micro-manage who can interview her. At an
appearance in UN Headquarters basement by Malik, UNDP rushed him off
for other interviews. Other questions
to UNDP have remained
unanswered since August 13. Watch this site.
* * *
In
UN Bite-Gate, UNDP's Toothless Investigation of Nepotism and
Irregularities in Asia and
Africa, Attempts to Moot Out Scandal
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, August 13, updated*
-- With the UN hoping to put behind it the hybrid nepotism
and biting scandal brought to light by UN Congo
envoy Alan
Doss' email to the UN Development Program asking for "leeway"
in hiring his daughter Rebecca being published by Inner City Press,
spokesperson Marie Okabe on August 12 replied
to questions about immunity and whether the Secretary General will
allow UN Security personnel to testify against the alleged biter by
saying that "all queries
should be addressed to the New York County District Attorney’s
office." Video here.
*She has since provided a wider statement about the alleged nepotism,
which will be reported in a separate article on this site shortly.
But
from within
UNDP, sources tell Inner City Press of a multi part strategy to try to
moot
out the scandal. UNDP's investigation, they say, involves one Francois
Dubois and long-time associates of Alan
Doss. Beyond and reflecting what they call this conflict of interest,
they say that the supposed investigation has become an attempt to
justify, post facto, the violation of the spirit and letter of UNDP
and UN rules by focusing on leave time that Alan Doss had
accumulated.
Despite
Doss himself having told Inner City Press in
writing that he tranferred from UNDP to the Department of Peacekeeping
Operations on July 1, 2009, after
his daughter was short listed for
and offered the UNDP job, an attempt is afoot to claim that before
his July 1 "arrival" at DPKO, Doss was already not at UNDP
at least technically. Doss may have asked in an unseemly way for
"leeway," the theory goes, but he didn't need it.
As
first reported by Inner City Press, on April 20, 2009 Alan Doss wrote
to UNDP's deputy director of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the
Pacific:
"Dear
Ligia,
This is just to inform that I have advised UNDP in writing
that I will transfer to DPKO effective 1 July 2009. I have also
spoken to Martin and advised him that I cannot transfer before that
date because the new DPKO contractual arrangements only come into
effect on the 1 July. He informed me that the ‘deadline’ for the
ALD contracts is 15 May so the period of overlap would only be 6
weeks (assuming Rebecca’s ALD would come into force on the 14th May
at the latest). I have asked for some flexibility, which would allow
a very long serving and faithful UNDP staff member a little lee-way
before he rides off into the sunset.
Becky is very excited about the
prospect of going to work for you so I hope that it will work out.
With my warm regards and thanks,
Alan.
Alan
Doss
Special Representative of the Secretary-General United Nations Mission
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo"
Beyond
the open request for the bending or breaking of rules, for a UN
official as high placed as Alan Doss to write in this way about giving
a job to his daughter is inappropriate. Many in the UN express
amazement that there have as of yet been no repurcussions.
On
August 13, Inner
City Press directly asked UNDP's spokesman Stephane Dujarric -- as
well as Messrs. Doss and Dubois, and Adminstrator Helen Clark's chief
of staff -- to respond to what these UNDP sources are saying, and to
confirm or deny Dubois' role in the investigation as well as the
matters below. Ignoring the pointed questions, Dujarric twice
repeated boilerplate that the investigation is serious, and that Ms.
Clark
routinely speaks with the press.
Why then has
she still
not done a
press conference after 100 days in office, while UNDP reaches out
to
particular reporters they think will give her uncritical coverage?
The
UNDP sources,
disgusted by what they call a cover up, assert that UNDP seeks to
moot out the controversy by moving Rebecca Doss from the contested
position in New York within the Regional Bureau for Asia and the
Pacific to a job in Copenhagen. The sources say that the vacancy
announcement for this post, like the one the Dosses took a P-2
position, has mysteriously been taken offline by UNDP, to be used to
"solve the problem." Relatedly, to quell the other side of
the controversy, some point to a just withdrawn vacancy announcement
for a post within the Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS States
in Bratislava. "This is how things are done in the UN," a
source tells Inner City Press. "Especially at UNDP where there
is additional dirt not yet revealed."
UNDP's Clark and UN's Ban, nepotism and scandal(s)
not shown
While
each
Regional Bureau within UNDP has skeletons in its closet, RBAP has
covered and covered up programs in totalitarian countries like
Myanmar and North Korea, and war crime sites like Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka. In Myanmar, for example, sources describe to Inner City Press
how UNDP paid inflated prices to the government of General Than Shwe
for telephones and license plates, "essentially propping up the
regime," the sources say. Inner City Press has asked UNDP
directly, how much has it paid in Myanmar for phones and license
plates; UNDP's answer will be reported when provided.
In
Bangladesh, where UNDP has said it would help set up and advise on an
inquiry into actions by Pakistan in the early 1970s, such efforts
have reportedly slowed since
Helen Clark took the top job earlier
this year. She met with representatives of Pakistan, and now
progress
in setting up the inquiry into alleged Pakistani war crimes has
become less clear. Inner City Press has asked UNDP and Ms. Clark's
chief of staff to respond to UNDP sources statement that "Ms.
Clark met with Pakistan representative(s) and UNDP's commitment to
assisting in the investigating possible Pakistani war crimes has
since changed." The response, if and when received, will be
published on this site.
Perhaps
most
explosively, RBEP oversaw the closing and now reopening of
UNDP's
program in North Korea. Sources say that under the name of programs
on the books of UNDP in China, actions in North Korea continued even
during a supposed lull. One Napoleon Navarro was shifted from
covering North Korea to becoming one of four UNDP deputies in China.
The UNDP's top man in China, Khalid Malik, is reportedly
seeking to shift to the top post at the UN World Tourism Organization
based in Spain. Local UNDP staff in China have been complaining about
Malik's reign in Beijing.
Regarding
Alan Doss
himself, questions have arisen about his attempted use of UN
Volunteers posts for relatives while he was in Liberia, and about the
use of UN Mission resources while in the Congo. At the Augst 12 noon
briefing, Inner City Press asked Ms. Okabe to clarify whether the
Congo, including its capital Kinshasa, is or is not a "family
post" for UN purposes. Twenty eight hours later, no answer has
arrived. Watch this site.
Inner
City Press asked UNDP:
"please
confirm that investigation involved Francois Dubois, and that he is
an acquaintance and more of Mr. Alan Doss. I am cc-ing both
gentlemen. Also, I'm told a move is afoot to recalculate / use Mr.
Doss' leave time as a solution to the irregularity that has surfaced.
On Bangladesh, I am asking about the status of UNDP's previous
projection that it would help set up a war crimes inquiry. To help
you respond, I have been told by a UNDP source that Ms. Clark met
with Pakistan representative(s) and UNDP's commitment to assisting in
the investigating possible Pakistani war crimes has since changed.
Please comment on this [and] confirm or deny: Rebecca Doss is being
considered for a job in Copenhagen.. please state UNDP's jurisdiction
over the acts of Alan Doss, no longer with UNDP, and whether his acts
are being investigated by UNDP and could be acted on by UNDP."
UNDP's
spokesman,
for the second time refusing to confirm or deny this and other
matters, responded with boiler plate:
"Regarding
questions about Miss Doss and the investigation, I can tell you that
the allegations suggesting irregularities in the recruitment
procedures are serious and are being fully investigated by UNDP’s
Office of Audit and Investigations, in conjunction with OIOS. The
matter is being given top priority. On Bangladesh, I will revert. On
Miss Clark’s appearance, she speaks to journalists regularly and
looks forward to engaging with journalists in the UN press corps. On
Myanmar, I’m trying to see what can be found."
We're still
waiting. Watch this site.
, 
