At
UN, As Diplomat from Cameroon Is Rebuffed by UNDP, Ban Ki-moon Faces
African Challenge on Agency's Deputy
Post
By
Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS, November 19 -- The continental battle for
the number two
post at the UN Development Program, on which Inner City Press
reported
exclusively yesterday, heated up Wednesday night when the
Ambassador of Cameroon approached UNDP Administrator Helen Clark as
she left early from a reception about, ironically enough, Africa.
Ambassador
Michel Tommo
Monthe, whose country has put forward an economist for the Associate
Administrator post, later told Inner City Press that until now it has
been impossible for him to meet with Ms. Clark.
The African
Group, he
said, last week wrote a letter to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,
copied to Ms. Clark, demanding that the impending nomination of
Rebecca Grynspan of Costa Rica not be announced.
"They
are invoking gender, " Ambassador Monthe told Inner City Press.
"The initial deal, when the former Associate [Ad Melkert of the
Netherlands] went... the deal was an African should take the
position. Now that there are strong Africans ready, they waver. The
main activity of UNDP is on Africa, how do you not having someone at
the senior level?"
Monthe
said that
Cameroon has a strong candidate, a "doctor economique"
formerly the Permanent Observer of the African Union in Geneva, and
director of the economics department at the African Union.
"They
wanted
to announce this last Friday," Ambassador Monthe recounted Inner
City Press. ""We wrote a letter
to Ban Ki-moon, with a copy to Helen Clark. We said, we are not
going to accept it. The post
can't go to the Costa Rican."
UN's Ban and Cameroon's Monthe in 2008, rift on UNDP
in 2009 not shown
Ambassador Monthe continued, "I have been
trying to meet Ms. Clark for the last three months. She didn't
receive me. I said, this has to wait. I want to see you to discuss
that matter."
The
Ambassador of
Zambia, this month's chairman of the African Group, put it this way
to Inner City Press: "the duties of this person will have a lot
to do with Africa,and therefore it would be advantageous to have
someone from that perspective. Helen is around. [This is] absolutely
a good question."
But
in her months
at UNDP, Helen Clark has yet to
hold a press conference in UN
headquarters or take
questions from the Press.
Ms.
Clark, who had
been driven in a limousine that three blocks from UNDP's headquarters
to the Olympus-sponsored African environmental photography reception
held at the Japan Society, had to pass by Monthe and another sub
Saharan African Ambassador on her way out of the event. Now, what
will she do?
What will
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, already questioned by the African Group
for merging the UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa into another
office, do? Watch this
site.
* * *
In
UN, Africa Poised to Be Denied Deputy Post at UNDP, Ambassadors
Complain
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, November 17 -- A continental battle is underway in the UN
system, with Africa poised to once again lose out. When New Zealand's Helen Clark
was named Administrator of the UN Development Program, several
African ambassadors tell Inner City Press,
their
understanding was that the number two job in UNDP would go to the
developing world, specifically to Africa.
Now,
Ms. Clark and
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are said to be near naming a Costa
Rican, Rebecca Grynspan, as the UNDP Associate Administrator. "Africa
is being humiliated again," a well placed source told Inner City
Press on Tuesday, hearkening back to Mr. Ban's merger of the Office
of the Special Advisor on Africa with an unrelated small island and
landlocked states position.
Despite
repeated
protests from the African Group and the General Assembly, Mr. Ban has
yet to reinstitute a stand alone Office of the Special Advisor on
Africa. Now, in what's seen as a further insult to the continent
which makes up over half of the agenda of the Security Council and
most UN agencies, word is he is choosing a Latin American over, for
example, a candidate from Cameroon.
Several
African
Ambassador were scornful of Ms. Clark's accomplishments to date at
UNDP. "Name one thing that she has changed," a well placed
North African source asked, adding "she is seeking advancement,
even to be Secretary General if the change presents itself." Ms.
Clark appears
to use her UNDP post to promote herself in New Zealand.
Inner City Press has repeatedly
asked that Ms. Clark hold a question
and answer session with the Press, but instead Ms. Clark and her
long
time chief of staff Heather Simpson try to micro manage media
relations, even choosing which reporters they want from those wire
services granted interview rights.
UNDP
has still
failed to rule in its investigation of nepotism in the hiring of the
daughter of the UN's top Congo envoy, Alan Doss. UNDP has refused to
answer questions
about irregularities in its China office, and about
other hirings that internal UNDP whistleblowers call nepotism.
UN's Ban and Helen Clark, UNDP #2 post and Africa not shown
UNDP's
highest profile whistleblower, who the UN Ethics Office said should
be awarded back pay for due process violations, is still in limbo,
without compensation and with UNDP -- and the UN Office of Legal
Affairs -- arguing that the Ethics Office's recommendation is
irrelevant.
UNDP
preaches
about the rule of law, but several African ambassadors who approached
Inner City Press say they are being cheated. Watch this site.
* * *
As Blair Lobbies for
Wataniya, Do Kuwait and JPM Chase's Arranger Role Spell UN Conflict of
Interest?
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, November 13 -- When Tony Blair does business, who does he
work for? He represents the Quartet, and thus the UN, on development
in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. He has
been paid by JPMorgan
Chase as a consultant, and presumably works for them. When he acts
in
the West Bank for the Wataniya cell phone company, who is he
working
for?
The
UN has
repeatedly claimed that there would and could be no conflict of
interest between Blair's paid position for JPMorgan Chase and his
work in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. When Inner City Press
asked Blair, after a meeting of the Quarter in the Conference Room 4
in UN Headquarters, about any safeguards in place for his UN and
JPMorgan Chase roles, he scoffed. A Blair staffer confirmed that he
continued in JPM Chase's employ.
This
week, Tony
Blair attended a press conference announcing the finalization of
Wataniya's deal, which Blair "negotiated." At the UN noon
briefing on November 11, Inner City Press asked about this last:
Inner
City Press: yesterday, Tony
Blair was in Ramallah, and he’s
described as having negotiated on behalf of a cell phone company with
the Israeli Government. There’s a whole press conference also that
noted his role for the Quartet and for the UN. So I’m wondering,
did he do this on behalf of the Quartet and the UN and what is the
UN’s knowledge, do they have any knowledge on this business
negotiating activity?
Deputy
Spokesperson Marie Okabe: I have no knowledge of that.
Even
forty six
hours later, no answer has been provided. But even cursory research
reveals that Blair's employer JPMorgan Chase served as a "mandated
lead arranger" for the acquisition of Wataniya. Click here
for
the document.
So
again, what
safeguards are in place? Who is Tony Blair working for?
Tony
Blair
Associates has as a client Kuwait, and by implication its royal
family, while Blair has met with the finance minister of Kuwait while
representing JPMorgan Chase. Wataniya Palestine is substantially
(57%) owned by investors from Qatar and... Kuwait. For the former,
it's Qatar Telecom. But for the later, it's the Kuwait
Investment
Authority, which operates on behalf of the State of Kuwait
-- Tony Blair Associates' client. So when Blair lobbies for
Wataniya, who is he
representing?
Tony Blair and UN's Ban, JPM Chase safeguards not
shown
While
awaiting the
UN's answers, we note that in June 2009, "Wataniya Palestine CEO
Alan Richardson recently called on Middle East envoy and former
British prime minister Tony Blair to intervene on behalf of Wataniya
to get the frequency released. Richardson previously has been
involved in controversial cell phone projects in Iraq, with Orascom
and Iraqna, contracts
which the U.S. Pentagon urged the Coalition Provisional Authority to
cancel.
So
to the degree
Tony Blair is working for Richardson, this too is problematic. But
beyond the UN and Quarter, is Blair working for Kuwait? With JPMorgan
Chase's documented mandate lead arranger role for the acquisition of
Wataniya, there is a conflict which, it would seem, will require
action. Blair is dismissive, and the UN appears cowed. Watch this
site.
* * *
Were
Galbraith's Oil Interests As Undisclosed at UN as at Opinion Pages He
Wrote For?
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, November 12, updated Nov. 13
-- Following reports that former UN Deputy
Special Representative to Afghanistan Peter Galbraith's oil
investments are worth up to $100 million, Inner City Press on
November 12 asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe if Galbraith
disclosed this interest in his financial disclosure form.
Ms.
Okabe stated
that such forms are filled out when a person joins the UN at the
level Mr. Galbraith did, and are "vetted by a professional
firm," namely PriceWaterhouseCoopers. But did Galbraith make the
disclosure which it's now clear was required?
Ms.
Okabe refused to
answer, instead referring the question to UN Ethics Officer Robert
Benson, who oversees the financial disclosure regime. Inner City
Press asked Mr. Benson by both e-mail and telephone, early and late
on the afternoon of November 12, but received no answer by the
evening.
Update: on November 13, UN Ethics
Officer Robert Benson wrote to Inner City Press that "The
Ethics Office can confirm that although Mr. Galbraith is
no longer with the United Nations, he was a participant in the United
Nations Financial Disclosure program following his appointment;
however, as provided for in GA Resolution A/RES/60/238, the
information disclosed remains confidential."
Inner
City Press
is informed that Galbraith is now being barred from the op-ed pages
of major American media based on his failure to accurate disclose his
financial interests. The New York
Times confirmed this on November 13. Galbraith is arguing that
he didn't read the
form, a strange argument for a diplomat who argued that the U.S.
didn't have to comply with UN Security Council resolutions regarding
the Balkans as long as they were under Chapter VI and not VII of the
UN Charter.
Earlier,
just
after Galbraith was fired by Ban Ki-moon, Ban's deputy chief of
peacekeeping Edmond Mulet told the Press that Galbraith had some
ulterior motive which would soon become clear. On November 12, Inner
City Press asked an involved UN official if Mulet had meant the oil
investments, or that he might want to run for lieutenant government
of Vermont. "The latter," the official said. Only at the
UN.
Galbraith and Scott Ritter, disclosure of
$100 million oil investment not shown
From
the
November 12 transcript:
Inner
City Press: ...about Peter Galbraith, former Deputy UNAMA
representative and his interest in oil contracts in northern Iraq. I
wanted to know when he became a Deputy Special Representative, did he
fill out the financial disclosure forms, and I’d also like to know
whether this investment was disclosed in those forms.
Deputy
Spokesperson Marie Okabe: As you know, the financial disclosure
forms are something that the Secretary-General has instituted, it’s
part of his UN reform, and all staff, once they’ve joined the
Organization as senior staff and those in positions that require
financial disclosure, are required to fill that form out upon entry
into the Organization. So it’s a requirement.
Inner
City Press: [inaudible] It seems, this article would make it
important to know whether this, they say the investment is worth up
to $100 million, whether that was disclosed in the form and if it
wasn’t, what were the reasons…?
Deputy
Spokesperson Okabe: As you know, these forms are vetted by a
professional firm and if they see fit that they need to follow up on
any questions that they have, that is done. I think Robert Benson,
when he was here last time, gave you a briefing on how that procedure
works. And just because they are not made public, it does not mean
that they have not been vetted, and the firm that goes through it
does the vetting and if they have any questions, they do get back to
the staff member and do the follow-up on that.
Inner
City Press: [inaudible] is it possible to just, and I don’t expect
you to do it right this moment, but to get a yes or no answer,
whether that investment was disclosed in the forms. Is that going to
be possible?
Deputy
Spokesperson Okabe: You know, you can ask that to Robert Benson, but
that’s his call.
But
Benson has yet
to return a call, nor an e-mail asking the above and the following
questions, below.
Update
of November 13, 2009 -- the following was received:
Subj:
Re: Press questions,Galbraith, whisteblowers etc, thanks in advance
From:
Robert Benson [at] un.org
To:
Inner City Press
Sent:
11/13/2009 9:23:56 A.M. Eastern Standard Time
Dear
Mr Lee:
Responses
provided:
Hi.
At today's noon press briefing, I asked if Peter Galbraith (until
recently Deputy SRSG in Afghanistan) had filled out a UN financial
disclosure form, and separately if he had disclosed the oil interests
in Iraq reported in today's NY Times.
Marie
Okabe
referred me to you on both questions.
A1
-- "The Ethics Office can confirm that although Mr. Galbraith is
no longer with the United Nations, he was a participant in the United
Nations Financial Disclosure program following his appointment;
however, as provided for in GA Resolution A/RES/60/238, the
information disclosed remains confidential."
Q2
-- I have also been told that in a recent UN Dispute Tribunal
hearing, about the UNDP - North Korea whistleblower case, that OLA
said they would not "allow" you to testify in the case. Are
you aware of this? What do you think of UNDP's failure to follow your
recommendation?
A2
-- "Since this is a matter that is before the UN Dispute
Tribunal, I prefer not to make any comment regarding the matter."
Q3
- How many whistleblowers deserving protection have you certified /
found in the past two years? Based on how many applications /
approaches?
A3
- "The detailed information regarding the number of requests for
protection against retaliation received by the Ethics Office and
their disposition can be found in the Office’s Annual Reports for
the previous two (2) years; that is, paragraphs 59-66 of A/64/316 and
paragraphs 47-53 of A/63/301."
Q4
- Finally, does your Office cover local staff of UN Peacekeeping
Missions? There is a recent case of a former MONUC local staffer,
alleging MONUC involvement in / knowledge of diversion of jet fuel
among other things, who has told me he feels retaliated against.
Would your Office have jurisdiction?
A4
- "Yes, our Office would cover a request for protection against
retaliation by local staff member from a UN Peacekeeping Mission. May
I suggest that you have the individual contact our Office, in that
way we would be able to advise the him/her directly."
Q5
- How long more do you remain in Office?
A5-
"My three (3) year appointment as the Director of the Ethics
Office will end on 30 April 2010, following which I will retire.
During my tenure as the United Nations first Director of Ethics, I
have indicated on numerous occasions that I considered it important,
particularly in relation to the independence of the Office, that I
serve for a fixed term and that I leave at the conclusion of that
term. The Secretary-General has been informed and has accepted my
plans to retire."
While
the answers,
even the next day, are appreciated, one wonders in light of Q&A
2, above, who would want this job after the retirement announced in
A5 takes place. Watch this site.
, 
