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At
UNESCO, Azoulay Trades Jobs
and Human Rights For
Uninspiring Reforms, ICP
Sources
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Exclusive; Vine;
Video
here,
II
UNITED
NATIONS, April 18 -
The
just completed
UNESCO
Executive
Board, the
first for new
Director
General Audrey
Azoulay, did
not work out
well for her,
Inner City
Press' UNESCO
sources say.
Azoulay failed
to convince
the UNESCO
member state
on the Board
that the
proposed
strategic
transformation
is a
worthwhile
undertaking.
After the
surprisingly
adamant
opposition of
many member
states, due to
arm-twisting
by French
President
Macron and the
French
Ministry of
Foreign
Affairs, the
necessary
phone calls
were made to
the
recalcitrant
capitals so
that parts the
proposed
“reform” is
allowed to
move ahead
even though
significantly
amended.
As
an end result,
the reform
consists of
creating
working groups
composed of
close friends
of Azoulay
that will
reflect upon
the future of
UNESCO over
the next 2
years - which
means that
only one year
will be left
for Azoulay to
implement as
there is no
guarantee that
she will be
re-elected in
2021. Some 2
million
dollars will
be spent on
consultants,
first class
travel and per
diem as if she
does business
as in the last
century when
no online and
video-conferences
could have
been
organized. The
price paid by
Azoulay for
adopting the
mitigated
reform is
still is
extremely
high. This was
negotiated at
the cost of
agreeing to
close down the
human rights
related
aspects of the
Conventions
and
Recommendations
committee of
UNESCO. "This
is a serious
setback for
the
international
community and
shows the
little
interest of
the current
UNESCO
Administration
in the core
activities of
the
Organization
related to
human rights.
By accepting
the scandalous
decision to
proceed with
the review of
the working
modalities of
the CR, the
Director
General
secured the
crucial
support for
her reform of
potentate-led
countries like
Egypt,” as one
of Inner City
Press' inside
UNESCO sources
put it. At UN
Headquarters
in New York,
SG Antonio
Guterres and
his Global
Communicator
have purported
to transfer
Inner City
Press' long
time work
space to Egypt
state media
Akhbar al Yom,
whose
essentially
retired
correspondent
Sanaa Youssef
rarely comes
in and hasn't
asked the UN a
question in
ten years.
UNESCO, it
goes without
saying, has
done nothing
about
censorship
right in UN
headquarters.
Other
issues at
stake were
also totally
rejected by
the Board.
Proposals made
by Azoulay in
the framework
of the NGO
committee of
the Board were
found very
weak and were
also turned
down by the
member states.
The
Executive
Board sent a
number of very
clear message
to DG Azoulay
- the opinion
of Member
States is
prevailing and
is therefore
superseding
the views of
the French
technocrats in
her Cabinet;
there is
nothing such
as free lunch
with tax
payers money
and - above
all - that the
Director
General
Azoulay is
accountable to
Member States
and not to the
French
President
Macron, these
sources tell
Inner City
Press - they
also say
darkly that
the wife of
the
current
French
Socialist
Party leader
has been
appointed at
UNESCO by
Azoulay,
together with
more than six
other French
members of the
team of the
previous
President of
France
François
Hollande. Sems
UNESCO has
become the
garage for
former
Socialist
leaders that
have no job at
present. Sort
of like parts
of the UN
Headquarters.
We hope to
have more on
this. Watch
this site. UN
Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres says
he has a "zero
tolerance"
policy for
sexual
harassment,
and for
retaliation. But he
has failed
to do anything
about retaliation
at UNAIDS, and
has allowed
the scandal at
UNESCO to
continue after
the belated
ouster of
Frank La Rue.
Now Monday
April 16
will be a big
day for UNESCO
Director
General
Azoulay. The
Executive
Board will
continue
examining
item 31 of the
Agenda of the
Board, On
the "Strategic
Transformation"
of UNESCO. Member
states are
sharply
divided
between those
keen to give
Azoulay
a free hand
and allocate
millions for
the reform
without clear
indication of
how the
taxpayers'
funds will be
spent (France
and European
union states
mostly) and
those asking
for
accountability
(G77).
Document here. A
question
is whether
France will
get the votes
to have this
amendment
rejected. Sources
tell Inner
City Press
that Audray
Azoulay is "mobilizing
over the last
few days
President
Macron and the
French foreign
Ministry Quai
d'Orsay in
order to
lobby, instead
of her, with
member states
of the
Executive
Board. The
independence
of the UN and
UNESCO is
dead. The
notion of
international
civil service
is dead. The
politicization
of the
organization
is continuing
like never
before in the
interest of
one member
State -
France. The
French
international
agenda is
becoming the
UNESCO agenda. The
French
President's
appeal to
promote French
language
worldwide was
duly
incorporated
in UNESCO's
activities.
Same with his
pledge for
supporting
artificial
intelligence -
immediately
imposed in
UNESCO by
Azoulay
as a top
priority. Some
international
civil servant. The
number of of
French Socialist
Party
members
currently
unemployed
that have been
appointed in
UNESCO since
Azoulay's
election last
November is
relentlessly
growing. Running
UNESCO as a
French
ministry is
creating
damage beyond
imagination
and provokes
strong
reactions in
many capitals
including
European
capitals." But
what will they
do on April 16?
Watch
this
site.
Whistleblowers
exclusively
inform Inner
City Press of
the alert by
the UNESCO
Staff Union
that was sent
last week to
all 195 member
states of
UNESCO showing
how the Legal
Affairs
service and
the Human
Resource
Office (under
Ban Ki-moon
plant Hong
Kwon) are
losing most of
the cases
submitted
before the
ILO's
Tribunal
in Geneva. A
review of these
cases
shows that
most cases
were lost
because of
lack of
competence of
the managers
at UNESCO and
of the HR
Office and the
Legal service,
but ultimately
by the lack
control over
the
contestation
process by the
Director-General
of UNESCO and
by her Deputy
Director-General.
The
whistleblowers
say this is
one of the
reasons for
re-examining
the efficiency
of the HR and
LA Offices at
the session of
the Executive
Board of
UNESCO that is
starting today
on April 9.
During its
private
meeitng the
termination of
the contracts
of the
Directors
Human
Resources and
Legal Affairs
will be
discussed.
Thanks to the
exclusive
reporting of
Inner City
Press, the
whistleblowers
say, the
decision to
terminate the
contract of
Rebecca Trott
the Ethics
Advisor has
already been
taken and her
contract will
not be
extended. The
question is
why not
terminating
the contract
immediately
after the
proved cover
up of the case
of La Rue.
Watch this
site.
De :
STU
Secretariat
<unesco.stu@unesco.org>
Date :
04/04/2018
15:59
(GMT+01:00)
À :
"Liste.UNESCO-HQ"
"Liste.IIEP",
"Liste.UNESCO-FIELD"
<Liste.UNESCO-FIELD@unesco.org>
Cc :
"Liste.DELEGATIONS",
"Liste.ONG"
Objet : STU
Flash : The
draining of
resources
continues!
STU/68th
Council/18/002
29 March 2018
Dear
colleagues,
The
International
Labor
Organization
Administrative
Tribunal
(ILOAT) held
its 125th
session from
23 October to
13 November
2017, whose
judgments are
now known. In
this session
alone, 9 cases
concerned
UNESCO, which
was
sanctioned… 7
times!
These
sanctions are
in addition to
those, already
numerous,
which have
costed the
Organization
since 2016
more than €
500,000! These
amounts could
be better
used, on
programme
implementation
or for the
benefit of the
staff,
especially in
these times of
financial
crisis, which
have affected
the staff.
Just think
about the
amount of
training that
cannot be
funded!
The
establishment
of a new
Administration
provides the
opportunity to
end the
practices that
have led to
this draining
of resources.
The last
session of the
Appeals Board
took place
from 20 to 23
March 2018,
and we urge
the
Director-General
to follow the
recommendations
that will be
made to her.
If not, the
Organization
shall again
risk heavy
sanctions.
Best regards,
STU Council
On UNAIDS,
when
Inner City
Press asked
Guterres' deputy
spokesman Farhan
Haq on March
15 about
Michel
Sidibé's reported
threats of retaliatory
investigations
against those
making
and offering
support to sexual
harassment
complaints at
UNAIDS, Haq said
this is entire
a matter for
UNAIDS. Earlier
Inner City
Press story here.
On March 29
when
Inner City
Press
audibly asked
Guterres, if
he had even
yet spoken to
Sidibe,
Guterres did
not answer.
Vine video here.
The unaddressed
rot is not
only at UNAIDS.
Inner City
Press has been
informed, and
now
exclusively
reports, that
there are also
sexual
exploitation
and abuse
allegations at
the UN Support Office
in Somalia
in Somalia
(UNSOS), whose
outgoing
director Hubert
Price Inner
City Press previously
questioned
about negligent
imposition of
sewage on Somalis. The UN
belatedly
confirmed the
investigation
on April 6,
when Inner
City Press
asked for the
second time.
Video here; from
the UN transcript:
Inner City
Press: I
had another
question about
the
UNSOS. I
had asked you
about a… a
sexual
exploitation
investigation
by OIOS
[Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services] that
I've heard is
taking place
there, against
a D1. I
know the name
of the
individual,
but I just…
I've been
wanting you to
respond, given
how seriously
this is being
taken in the
UN, will you
confirm or
deny this OIOS
investigation?
Spokesman:
My
understanding
that
allegations
were indeed
reported to
the UN Support
Office in
Somalia
November of
2017 and
subsequently
posted on the
conduct and
discipline
website.
The Support
Office is
currently
reviewing the
allegations of
exploitative
relationship,
which involves
an
international
civilian in
view of
collecting
sufficient
information to
conduct an
investigation
if warranted.
Inner
City Press:
And I just
want to
confirm… if
you could
confirm that
the alleged
victim here is
themselves a
UN…?
Spokesman:
No, I'm not
able to do
that." Why
not?
The
allegation is
of paying for
sex,
against the senior
level of UNSOS
just below
Price's now
Amadu Kamara's
post. It's
what Inner
City Press
called "blue
on blue," a
terms like so
many difavored
by today's UN
in denial. On
April
2, Inner City
Press asked
Guterres'
spokesman
Stephane Dujarric,
video here, UN
transcript
here: Inner
City Press: I
tried to ask
the
Secretary-General,
I guess it was
on Thursday,
about
allegations
that UNAIDS
have
retaliation by
staff.
And, since
then, as you
may know, the
victim or
stated…
self-described
victim of Luiz
Loures,
Martina
Brostrom, has
appeared on
CNN
International
and described
in great
detail both
what she says
happened
and… and
the very
flawed
investigation.
So, I wanted
to know,
presumably,
even in
Lisbon, this
is… CNN
International
is
available.
What does the
Secretary-General
— who so far,
at least to my
knowledge, has
said it's
entirely up to
UNAIDS — what
does he think
of this person
coming
forward?
But Dujarric
for four days
never
responded with
any answer. In
fact, he had one,
but apparently
hoped either
that
Inner City
Press would
not ask again, or that
he could again
throw Inner
City Press
out. But on
April 6 Inner
City Press
asked, saying
it knows the
name of the
alleged
perpetrator
(it does), and
then Dujarric
confirmed that an
investigation
has been
ongoing since
November. But
it's now
April.
Dujarric
declined to
confirm that
both sides
in the
allegations
are UN personnel:
blue on blue.
There
are also
allegations of
theft of fuel
and fraud in
rations -
we'll have
more on this.
Present
on March 29,
before
Guterres' unannounced
four day
junket to
Lisbon, was
Guterres'
Global
Communicator
Alison Smale,
who
orders UN
staff to
"speak with
one voice" -
hers - on
allegations of
sexual harassment.
She has
continued to
restrict Inner
City Press,
declining for
months to
even answer
what
the rules are.
Inner
City Press has
been receiving
detailed complaints
about mismanagement
and harassment
in UNAIDS, but
the UN refuses
to answer. So
below
are
some more
of the
complaints.
Tellingly, the
day after
Guterres
refused Inner
City Press'
question
about UNAIDS,
here
are Loures' victims
speaking publicly,
in their own
names:
Martina
Brostrom, a
policy advisor
at UNAIDS, said of
Loures at
a conference
in Bangkok,
Thailand in
2015: "I
was pleading
with him, and
I was just
bracing with
all that I
could just to
not leave the
elevator."
Guterres? No
answer -
and no action.
Where is
Guterres on
this? Where is
Guterres?
Malayah
Harper, who
used to run
UNAIDS'
programs in
Uganda and
Kenya, on
Loures
a year
earlier, also
at a hotel: "He
got into the
lift with me,
and then kind
of lunged
forward to --
you could call
it -- kiss me,
but I thought
a kiss had to
be
consensual."
We'll have more on
this, and on retaliation. Some
more of the
complaints
exclusively
published by
Inner City
Press: "Michel
Sidibé
has established
this 'boys
club'
culture where
qualified
women are made
to feel less
worthy, are
openly
ridiculed by
male
colleagues
except those
women who are
providing
favors to him
and his 'boys,' he
continues to
give perks
to his boys
who serve as
his connectors
to presidents,
prime
ministers etc
by appointing
them to
important
positions as
well as even
when they
retired
bridging them
back on
special
assignments
for them to
make easy
money. People
such as Fritz
Lherisson,
Georges Shaw
and more
recently
Abdoul Dieng."
There are the
Mali connections,
beyond
what Inner
City Press
reported about
Burundi on March
23, here:
"Ben
Wahab - A
Malian
recently
appointed as
UNAIDS Country
Director for
Burundi with
no country
level and no
management
experience. He
came in as a
P4 Adviser and
very quickly
in 3 years he
rose to his
present
position of
UNAIDS Country
Director.... Theresa
Poirier, a
Malian
Canadian,
UNAIDS Country
Director for
Malawi .Also a
relatively new
comer to
UNAIDS
appointed by
Michel as
Director in
Mali and now
serving in
Malawi as
UNAIDS Country
Director... Fode
Simanga a
Malian serving
as senior
adviser in
Geneva but
graded at
Director level... Dado
SY Kagnsssy a
Malian before
UNAIDS Country
Director for
Djibouti, very
little
experience,non
articulative
and a fairly
new comer to
UNAIDS who was
appointed to
this position
whilst many
longer serving
staff members
are over
looked and now
posted to
Guinea as
UNAIDS Country
Director.. Amakonde
Sande (moved
from
consultant to
P4 in short
order to
P5 as UNAIDS
Country
Director in
Malawi and
then sent to
Uganda a
D1 position
where she
stayed only
for 3 months
only to be
appointed to
China as
UNAIDS Country
Director... Bridgitte
Quenum
recently
appointed as
UNAIDS Country
Director but
she has no
leadership,
management
experience and
was appointed
over other
more
senior
persons. It is
reputed that
her family
is/was a great
friend of
Michel Sidibe
and that is
how she
entered UNAIDS
and now gained
this
distinguished
position." But
note - not
only has
Antonio
Guterres
bragged
recently that
now at the
UN "we have
some Portuguese
things" - he
also has his
own hiring and
traveling
patterns.
As to
UNAIDS and
Sidibe, there is
talk of mining
business; there
are harassment
complaints
and findings
that Sidibé
refuses to act
on. Of
Girmay Haile,
the current
UNAIDS country
director in
Zimbabwe, whistleblowers
tell Inner
City Press
that a recent
internal
investigation
came
unanimously to
the conclusion
of severe
bullying and
intimidation
just two weeks
ago - but Sidibé
has refused to
move him. This
followed a
previous
investigation
against
Girmay Haile Girmay
HaileGirmay
HaileGirmay
Hailein
Kenya;
Sidibe
refused the
recommendation
of the
internal team
and promoted
him to country
director
Ghana. Girmay
Haile
has reportedly
said
he knows too
much and if he
falls they all
fall. We shall
see.
Back
on March 15 when
Inner City
Press asked
about the UN
Secretariat's
own investigation
of
whistleblowers,
for the second
day in a row,
Haq again
defended it,
as somehow
benefiting
member states.
From the UN transcript:
Inner City
Press: I'm
sure you've
seen the
article in The
Guardian
quoting Michel
Sibidé [sic]
of UNAIDS
[Joint United
Nations
Programme
against
HIV/AIDS].
What I wanted
to ask you is,
he seems to be
attacking
those who came
forward in the
sexual
harassment
case against
Luiz
Loures.
He's attacked
them.
He's said that
Loures is a…
is… made a
courageous
decision.
And, of his
detractors, he
says, we know
these people
are taking
their golden
shan…
handshakes
from us here
and knowing
they have a
job and then
attacking
us. We
know all about
that. We
know every
single
thing.
Time will come
for
everything.
When I hear
anything about
abuse of our
assets, I ask
for an
investigation.
Maybe these
investigations
are going
on. And
so, many staff
and many
people in the…
in the
“#MeToo”
movement see
this as a
direct threat
against those
who came
forward.
And I wonder,
what does
António
Guterres… who
I'm… I… I
would assume
is a reader of
The Guardian,
what does he
think of these
comments?
Deputy
Spokesman:
We're aware of
this
article.
Obviously,
it's for
UNAIDS and
Mr.
Sidibé to
explain what
the comments
attributed to
him are.
At
UNESCO in Paris
there are cover-ups
and retaliation in
the wake of the
two-step firing of
Assistant Director
General Frank La Rue
for sexual
harassment.
But
when Inner City
Press on March 20
asked Guy Berger,
the grandly titled
Director of Freedom
of Expression and
Media Development at
the United Nations
Educational,
Scientific and
Cultural
Organization, if he
thought reporting on
l'affaire La
Rue, which has
included Inner City
Press' exclusive
report that after
his suspension he
was still getting
paid and now
questions about
UNESCO Ethics
Adviser Rebecca
Trott, Berger said
he was unaware of
the specifics of the
case and to ask
UNESCO's press
officer.
Since Inner City
Press published the
video
of the Q&A, it
has heard from
UNESCO staff in New
York that Berger
"lied - he was among
the best friends of
La Rue, defended him
at every turn, while
also trying to take
his job." This is
how the UN works -
work with
collaborators like
Berger's former
student, to cover up
abuse, while seeking
mutual advancement.
It is disgusting. So
too on Rebecca
Trott, UNESCO's
"Ethics" adviser. As
question mount about
cover up, it will be
interesting to know
who is still
protecting her
within the
organization. We'll
have more on this.
Likewise,
after Berger has
spoken and joked
with a former
student (given the
first question)
about the importance
of independent media
and even holding
power in check, when
Inner City Press
asked about the UN's
FAO and WIPO going
after the press, he
said he was unaware
but implied it might
be justified.
When
Inner City Press
asked about the UN
Department of Public
Information's
continuing lack of
content neutral
media access rules,
despite Inner City
Press' repeated
requests to DPI boss
Alison Smale, both
his student and the
UN moderate looked
surprised, as if
they didn't
understand.
OK:
Inner City Press was
evicted from its UN
work space for
pursuing the Ng Lap
Seng UN bribery case
in the UN Press
Briefing Room - an
event of the group
headed by Berger's
student - and has
been a non-resident
correspondent
requiring DPI
“minders” to cover
the UN General
Assembly and its
President. Meanwhile
its office was given
to a no-show
Egyptian state
media, Akhbar al
Yom's Sanaa Youssef,
who has not ask the
UN a question in ten
years.
Media
that rarely come in
and ask anything
have arrived since
Inner City Press'
eviction and have
been given UN office
space. Inner City
Press has been told
it is not even on
the list, and Smale
has not answer a
single email. No
rules. We'll have
more on this
(charade) - and on
UNESCO. Watch this
site.
***
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