Inner City Press -- Investigative Journalism from the United Nations

At the UN, Positions Are Up For the Grabbing, Sun's Silence on Censorship, Advisor Grabs for Gun

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN

UNITED NATIONS, November 3 -- As the UN's Kofi Annan decade enters its final two months, some bail out, some try to sneak in, and some dig in to fight. Some of this is public, some is begrudgingly semi-public, and most is off the radar.

Publicly, the Under-Secretaries-General for Management and for Humanitarian Affairs are both leaving, the former mid-November and the Egeland-er one month later. As Inner City Press has been reporting, Josette Sheeran Shiner is trying to get a five year term at the World Food Program on Kofi Annan's recommendation in his final two months. The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, Jean-Marie Guehenno, has said nothing about leaving.

Friday Inner City Press asked Kofi Annan's spokesman to confirm reports that the United States wants a U.S. general to get the UN peacekeeping post. The spokesman declined to answer. Video on UNTV. He also declined on-camera to speak of Washington's campaign to get Sheeran Shiner at WFP. This has reportedly involved reaching out to Ban Ki-Moon, a subject on which the spokesman declined another fine journalist's question.

As to why Ms. Sheeran Shiner is even being considered for a five year term at this time, the spokesman answered Inner City Press' question about Jim Morris' decision to leave. About six months ago, he said, Jim Morris told the UN he would not seek reappointment, and that he would prefer to leave at year's end, and not his full term to April 2007. That at least is the story.

While Amb. Sheeran Shiner was slated to take questions from the press on November 6, as she announces awards to three corporations, Inner City Press was told by the State Department on Friday that now Amb. Sheeran Shiner will not be taking questions at the events, which she will be leaving to attend a "very important meeting." Inner City Press asked if questions could be posed to Amb. Sheeran Shiner after the event (and the important meeting). The State Department assistant spokesman asked, "What would the question be?" Inner City Press declined to be screened in this way.

On the move, in Congo & at the UN

One intrigue around UN peacekeeping is that if the U.S. gets it, and Japan gets its desired post, Management, then the UK is left out in the cold. Giving the UK the Department of Political Affairs, held by Sir Kieran Prendergast before Ibrahim Gambari, wouldn't wash, with the U.S. holding peacekeeping. Some speculate the UK would the get the humanitarian post. The French, who got peacekeeping in exchange for putting Kofi Annan in, have less leverage now, as evidenced by this week's Ivory Coast resolution.

Another real-world peacekeeping intrigue involves the money being demanded by countries which make up the UNIFIL navy off Lebanon. Inner City Press has been told that some of these countries, including but not limited to Germany, are asking to be paid even depreciation costs for their ships. This would drive the cost of UNIFIL above that of the larger MONUC, the mission in the Congo. It may also explain UN Controller Warren Sach's cryptic comment this week to the GA's Fifth Committee about "the unwelcome likely increase in the Organization's outstanding obligations to Member States that contribute troops and equipment to peacekeeping operations." GA/AB/3767, Nov. 2. Inner City Press asked two UN spokespeople about this on Friday. Video on UNTV. The GA President's Spokeswoman is trying to track this down: increasing obligations for "contribution" of equipment by whom?

UN language that was more inaccurate than cryptic has been identified in the Secretariat's September 1 response to the U.S. Mission on the question of housing subsidies paid by governments to UN officials. The letter, signed by Kofi Annan's chef de cabinet Alicia Barcena, stated that

"as a general rule, no staff member shall accept any honor, decoration, favor, gift or remuneration from any Government. Nevertheless, our rules acknowledge the reality that in certain cases, housing is sometimes provide to United Nations staff by governments or institutions either free or charge or at rents substantially lower than the market rates. In such cases, the staff members concerned are required to disclose this to the Organization and are normally subject to payroll deductions from their salaries, unless an exception is granted by the Secretary-General in very rare instances."

This not accurate. UN Staff Regulation 1.2(j) states unequivocally that "No staff member may accept any honor, decoration, favor, gift, or remuneration from any Government." Staff Regulation 1.2(L) prohibits acceptance of any "favor, gift or remuneration from any non-governmental source." Another less formal UN authority allows subsidies from non-governmental organization only if the Secretary-General grants an exception in writing. And in all of these NGO cases, payroll deductions must be made; there can be no waiver.

On final intrigue, in the nature of a blind item: in the quiet race to be the next S-G's chef de cabinet, which conceding candidate for S-G has his eye on the post?

In a lighter UN moment, on Friday Adolf Ogi, "Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on Sports for Development and Peace and former President of Switzerland," leapt to his feet at a press conference and demonstrated sports. He said repeatedly, we could take the seats out of this room and play soccer right here! Inner City Press asked him about government subsidies for stadiums -- a question he dodged -- and for his position on the proliferation of rifles in Switzerland, a question he didn't dodge at all. He declared, If you are asking if I think all Swiss men should keep their rifles, I do! Video on UNTV. One wondered if the NRA, which has come to the U.S. to lobby against the control of arms large and small, took note of this Special Adviser's exuberant embrace of his rifle.

At week's end we must report that Sun Microsystems, which the UN Office of Sports and Development so lavishly praised in connection with the recent Youth Summit, has yet to answer Inner City Press' written question to explain Sun's position on enabling Internet censorship and surveillance in China and elsewhere. The question was first asked of the UN, back on October 13, given Sun Microsystems' logo in the UN's press materials. Inner City Press was referred to Sun's spokeswoman, and there the matter stands, or sits...

In WFP Race, Josette Sheeran Shiner Praises Mega Corporations from Cornfield While State Spins

UNITED NATIONS, November 2 -- With the race to head the World Food Program entering at most its final fortnight, the official U.S. candidate Josette Sheeran Shiner has lauded praise on 12 global corporations from Chevron through Coca-Cola.

Those praised include APCO in China, Chevron in Indonesia, Coca-Cola in Mexico, Delta Construction in Vietnam, General Motors in Colombia, Goldman Sachs in Chile, Kerr McGee in Benin, McDonald's in Guatemala, Microsoft in Egypt, Motorola in Iraq, Pfizer in Pakistan, and Sambazon in Brazil.

These twelve companies are the finalists, whittled from 55 nominations, for the U.S. State Department's Award for Corporate Excellence. While all 12 finalists are named in a press release, the four finalists to head the WFP have not been. Whether the WFP race's lack of transparency to date ends up benefiting Ms. Sheeran Shiner is still not known.

On Monday November 6, Amb. Sheeran Shiner will name three winners and presumably take questions. Since it says "interactive," one assumes there'll be a link-up with the Foreign Press Center in New York, as for another Assistant Secretary of State, Jendayi Frazer. It is said that transparency and inter-activity are important.

Part of Ms. Sheeran Shiner's campaign to head WFP has been a four-page brochure, now online (though not inter-active). The first page shows a smiling Josette Sheeran, with a wide field behind here, evocative of the American Midwest. In food security circles, many question the U.S. strategy of placing surplus crops with WFP. Many European nations say it is better to give money. Many developing nations say that the inflow of U.S. crops destroys local production and markets, which the UN Food and Agriculture Organization is supposed to support. There is also the controversy about genetically-modified foods. These are all topics on which the four WFP finalists would face questions, and answer publicly, in a more transparent process.

As to why a five year term's being given, in Kofi Annan's last months, the spokesman on Wednesday said the current WFP head, Jim Morris, is leaving at the end of the year. Since Mr. Morris' term runs through April, Thursday Inner City Press asked when Mr. Morris made known his early departure. Despite a promise of a fast answer to this factual question, as of press time no answer was forthcoming.

L'affaire Shiner was raised in Washington at Wednesday's U.S. State Department press conference. From the transcript:

QUESTION: While we're up in New York, can you deal with (inaudible) with Josette Shiner seeking the World Food slot?
(Another question asked, discussed Iran�)

QUESTION: I'm not sure of the issues. No, they -- she wants the job. Another American is a candidate --

QUESTION: -- does the program in Asia? Yeah.
MR. MCCORMACK: Well, I think he has put himself forward as an independent candidate. Usually the way this happens for these kinds of jobs is that a state will back one candidate. And our candidate for the job, as the Secretary has said, and she has made phone calls in support of Josette's candidacy, is Josette Shereen Shiner. And we think she's the right person for the job. It's not our decision. Secretary General Annan as well as I think head of the World Food Organization has a say in this. So it's out of our hands as to who gets selected, but we very strongly support her candidacy. Tony's a very capable person, a very capable person. He actually was a colleague of mine over at the NSC over at the White House previously before he took this job as, I think, Asia -- Director for Asia in the World Food Program. But the United States Government is backing Josette for the job.

QUESTION: Is there anything peculiar about funding brochures and such or is that part of the support process?

MR. MCCORMACK: You know, this is very typical in the world of the UN and these kind of UN types of jobs. I think you will find that nominees, candidates for these jobs, will go around and do courtesy calls with every country that they possibly can, a variety of different people, and very often, very often times, more often than not, they'll leave a brochure because essentially it makes the case of this person's qualifications. We have done this before. It's certainly regular practice with us. And it's certainly standard practice within the confines of this UN process.

It should be noted that the UN advertised the WFP opening in The Economist magazine, trolling, it would seem, for "independent candidates." In such a process, one might expect experience, resume and education to prevail. On the latter, it has been pointed out that while for example Mr. Banbury has a graduate degree in international affairs from the Fletcher School of Diplomacy at Tufts and another from Geneva, Ms. Sheeran Shiner lists a B.A.. At WFP, a masters degree is required for any P-1 position.

Others argue that a major job of the head of WFP is fundraising. If so, a transparent process would allow for the question, how successful was Ms. Sheeran Shiner's fundraising at William Bennett's "Empower America" organization? Developing.

In Campaign to Head UN WFP, A Race to Precedents' Depths, A Murky Lame Duck Appointment

UNITED NATIONS, November 1 -- Both U.S. Ambassador John Bolton and Kofi Annan's spokesman faced questions Wednesday about the process to select a new executive director for the UN World Food Program. Each cited mixed precedents in defense of a process about which skepticism is growing.

Ambassador Bolton, in a stakeout interview Wednesday afternoon, was asked by Inner City Press why he and the U.S. are pushing to get a five year term for Josette Sheeran Shiner, when Amb. Bolton had previously said that Kofi Annan should not appoint any senior officials to terms beyond December 31, 2006, when Mr. Annan leaves. Video here, at Minute 4:43.

In response, Amb. Bolton stated that "the precedents have varied." After acknowledging that "there are examples to the contrary," he cited a precedent from late 1991, when Javier Perez de Cuellar gave his blessing to a five year term for Catherine Ann Bertini, then a U.S. Under-Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.

Rarely has Amb. Bolton taken prior UN precedent as proof that a decision is a good one. Inner City Press asked Amb. Bolton whether, as a matter of U.S. reform, he believed that the short list of candidates should be publicly disclosed.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kofi Annan's spokesman had refused numerous reporters' requests for the short list, which Inner City Press then summarized as "Sheeran Shiner, Banbury, Fowler and Fust," see Inner City Press' articles of September 29 and October 27.

Apparently referring to these, Amb. Bolton said, "I think the short list is already public." Video on UNTV, Minutes 6:30 though 7:40. But transparency of an institution is a choice, and should not be entirely dependent the fortuity of leaks and shoe-leather reporting. Amb. Bolton strode away from the stakeout, leaving many questions unanswered.

Among these questions are why Bush Administration officials are so insistent that Ms. Sheeran Shiner must be the one. They have reportedly told UN officials up to the level of Mark Malloch Brown that "President Bush wants this."

Despite the fact that, as a matter of UN reform, short lists of final candidates were made public in the selection processes for UNHCR, UNDP and even the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services, Kofi Annan's spokesman on Wednesday insisted the list will not be publicly confirmed in this case, "because this doesn't go in front of the G[eneral] A[ssembly]," he said. Video on UNTV. Following Inner City Press, correspondents from the Washington Post, the New York Sun and the Times of London all followed up, asking the spokesman to explain the difference and then remaining unconvinced.

Back in April 1999, the prior UN spokesman was quoted about UNDP that "we expect to make a decision in a week or two," but as refusing to comment about the selection process. Under this veil, Mark Malloch-Brown was selected, over Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Poul Nielson, the nominee of the European Union.

In this WFP case, most observers give the Swiss finalist Walter Fust very little chance. Canada's Robert Fowler, it is said, has credit with Kofi Annan for Canada's help in making and keeping him Secretary-General. Still, it is still widely assumed that given the Bush Administration's insistence, Josette Shiner Sheeran is the favorite for the post, over fellow American (but Democrat) Tony Banbury.

Returning to Amb. Bolton's 1991 precedent, open source research finds Ms. Bertini's biography on the UN web site, which misstates that she was appointed in 1992, and lists a pre-selection vita more extensive then Ms. Sheeran Shiner's, which pointedly does not mention her at least 20-year association with Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church. Further research finds that in February 2006, Ms. Bertini appeared at the U.S. Institute of Peace to speak about North Korea.

In 1992, Josette Sheeran Shiner wrote a generally laudatory article about North Korea's Great Leader, Kim Il Sung, which appeared on April 15 front page of the Moon-owned Washington Times. Excepts from Ms. Sheeran Shiner's article, available through the Washington Times web site, but only for $2.95 --

PYONGYANG, North Korea -- ... President Kim, appearing relaxed and jovial in a 2 1/2-hour interview, followed by a private luncheon of roast goose and quail-egg soup. He seemed to be in vigorous health on the eve of his 80th birthday, presenting the image of a self-confident, reflective elder statesman... His robust appearance contradicts persistent reports in the West that his health is failing, and he discussed with zest and ease a range of topics, from nuclear weapons and the reunification of Korea to his recent visit with American evangelist Billy Graham, his enthusiasm for tiger hunting and his formula for a long life. The interview, at the Presidential Palace, was granted after a delegation of editors and reporters of The Times, led by Wesley Pruden, the newspaper's Managing Editor and editor-in-chief, had spent 11 days here interviewing highest-ranking government, military and Workers Party officials... "In my country now everybody has housing, nobody is sleeping outside. There are no beggars. There are no opium addicts. There's no unemployment, not a single person is without food and every child has 11 years' compulsory education. Plus we have free medical care and no taxation. I think these are the good points in my country"... "This is my philosophy: Even if the sky is falling down upon us, there will always be a hole for me to rise up through," he said. "When we were fighting against the Japanese imperialists I never felt pessimistic. If one feels optimistic there is nothing that can't be solved."

It was this last that Ms. Sheeran Shiner later referred to, in a "Unification Speech and Talk," as "this wonderful thing that I published in the newspaper." Whether it is consistent with current U.S. foreign policy is another wonderful question.

Viewing the above functions, it is reported that "when the Seoul-based Joon Ang Daily would wonder how Moon�s Pyeonghwa Motor Corporation had won a $55 million exclusive deal to manufacture vehicles for the regime. The Seoul paper quoted Hwang Sun-Jo, a Uniﬁcation Church leader and head of Moon�s Tongil industrial conglomerate, who revealed that their good fortune became possible after Moon 'sent a Washington Times reporter to the North and made the country known to the West with a better image... Since then the North has conﬁded in the church.'"

Does this counter-intuitively provide support for Ms. Sheeran Shiner being anointed head of the UN World Food Program? Developing.

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