At
UNICEF, Embattled Veneman Won't Run for Second Term, Here's Why
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, December 23 -- Past five p.m. on the day before Christmas
Eve, the UN released a comment on UNICEF chief Ann Veneman not
seeking a second term. The news was hardly shocking. As Inner City
Press analyzed less than a month ago, many child advocates did not
favor her remaining in the post. But one wondered if the UN Secretary
General jumped the gun with his press release. There was still no
public news of Ms. Veneman's decision. For now we offer last month's
analysis to explain today's development
In
UNICEF, Critique of Veneman Is Only Half Answered, Second
Term Questioned
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, November 27 -- As Ann Veneman's term as UNICEF Executive
Director comes to a close, whether she should get a second term is a
rising topic of discussion, particularly within the agency.
The
publication The Lancet, acknowledging that it "has good reason
to thank Ann Veneman," nevertheless recommended that "UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should announce that the next Executive
Director of UNICEF will be selected through a transparent,
merit-based appointment process. Candidates... should have to declare
themselves,
publish manifestos, and be available for public scrutiny and
questioning."
Since
the UN
increasing refuses to name short lists for its top posts, or as in
the case of the contested Associate Administrator position at the UN
Development Program, even who makes the decision, Inner City Press
has decided to do what it can in terms of making these processes
transparent to the public.
Whistleblowers
inside UNICEF forwarded Inner City Press a detailed critique of
Veneman's tenure. In fairness, Inner City Press asked, with partial
success, UNICEF's chief of media for the Executive
"Director's
responses to each of the following critiques from long time UNICEF
staff / whistleblowers, so that the responses can be included in the
article along with the critiques. Please provide Ms. Veneman's
responses asap the statements by UNICEF staff that 'more serious
charges can be leveled against Ms. Veneman on:
-
her continuing to use Bush administration "Secretary of
Agriculture" stationery even after becoming head of UNICEF;
-
but her total failure to do any effective policy-based lobbying or
even fund-raising with the U.S. Congess and U.S. administration;
-
her frequent, unannounced, mysterious trips to Washington, DC and
failure and unwillingness to visit even nearby Canada, a major donor;
-
her reluctance to cultivate other key donors, e.g. Japan;
-
but her strange willingness to go out of her way to cultivate San
Marino and Gucci
-
her failure to turn up and provide leadership during major
humanitarian emergencies - e.g. in Lebanon during the huge Israeli
attack and massive damage and destruction, in Myanmar / Burma during
Cyclone Nargis, in China during the massive earthquake, etc.
-
her early reluctance to travel to " hot and humid countries";
-
the totally useless, unnecessary, expensive and counter-productive
organizational review and attempt to reorganize UNICEF that had to be
largely abandoned later;
-
her lack of humility, and pretense of seemingly knowing many things,
dismissing the views of many truly knowledgeable and competent staff;
-
her lack of engagement and leadership with UNICEF national committees
in industrialized countries who are among UNICEF's greatest assets;
-
her neglect of major developing and emerging economy countries like
the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, China);
-
her total lack of engagement and imagination in dealing effectively
with middle income countries, e.g. in cee/cis
-
her glaring lack of support for the convention on the rights of the
child or for rights-based approach to development as such in the
early years of her tenure;
-
her opportunistic jumping into certain aspects of u.n. "reform"
agenda completely ignoring the considered views and advice of most of
her seasoned senior staff;
-
her failure to connect with field offices and staff to the point that
even after 4 years, many UNICEF staff in the field do not feel they
know who their leader is and what she really wants or stands for.
UNICEF's
chief of
media Chris de Bono answered some but not all of the questions. We
have decided to run his response in full, as well as the initial
questions, to highlight which questions were ignored.
UN's Ban and Ann Veneman, second term not shown
UNICEF's de
Bono wrote:
Subj:
Response
From:
[Chris de Bono at] unicef.org
To: Inner City Press
Sent:
11/24/2009 6:27:30 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
Matthew,
The statements are unsourced opinion and contain a number of factual
errors. Here is my response:
On
leadership in humanitarian crisis and travel to difficult regions:
UNICEF
stands by its excellent record of providing leadership during
humanitarian crises, including through visits by members of the
senior management team. The Executive Director herself travelled to
Sri Lanka almost soon after taking up her position to see first-hand
the Tsunami humanitarian relief operation. She was the first UN
agency head into the Philippines after the recent floods. In October
2005, she went to Pakistan soon after the earthquake. Earlier this
year, she was in Gaza and in Zimbabwe following the cholera outbreak.
She has also travelled to the DRC twice, Darfur and Northern Uganda.
Convention
on the Rights of the Child: The Executive Director regularly speaks
out on violations of children’s rights. The work of UNICEF is
anchored in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. As you know,
last week, UNICEF convened a major commemoration of the 20th
anniversary of the CRC with partner NGOs
(http://www.unicef.org/media/media_51843.html). UNICEF produced a
special edition of its flagship State of the World’s Children
report focused on the CRC – looking at achievements and challenges
of the child-rights agenda
(http://www.unicef.org/media/media_51803.html)
On
staff relations: Staff meetings and teleconferences with senior
staff in the field are held on a weekly basis. Staff surveys
conducted in 2008 and 2009 revealed that 93% say they are proud to
work for UNICEF. Eighty-four per cent said they are clear about the
goals that UNICEF is seeking to achieve. The Executive Director
always meets with UNICEF staff when she travels to programme
countries, and wherever possible also meets with the UN Country team.
On
the organizational review: It is the responsibility of every
organization to regularly reexamine its activities and to seek
continuous improvement. UNICEF’s organizational review was
initiated after meetings of senior management concluded that such a
process would help UNICEF adapt to the changing world in which it
operates. As a result, management changes are being implemented to
more efficiently deliver on our mission and mandate.
On
UN coherence: UNICEF has a longstanding commitment to improving the
efficiency and effectiveness of the UN system, as it is critical to
enhancing results for the most vulnerable.
On
visits to donor countries: Meetings with donors are a constant part
of the activities of the UNICEF Executive Director and senior
management. She recently returned from her fourth trip to Japan,
during which she was the first UN head of agency to meet with the
incoming Japanese government. She regularly meets with donor
governments in capitals, at UN headquarters and at conferences. This
includes Washington where the Executive Director meets with
Government officials, the World Bank and other key partners.
Relations
with National Committees: The Executive Director attends the global
meeting of annual National Committees every year. She has also
personally visited National Committees in 18 countries. National
Committees are very important to UNICEF and their chiefs play a key
role in UNICEF’s global leadership team meetings.
Emerging
economies and Middle Income Countries: Strengthening engagement with
middle income countries is an ongoing focus at all levels of the
organization and with UNICEF’s Executive Board. The Executive
Director has been to all the BRIC countries; Brazil, Russia, India
and China, as well as a number of other middle income countries.
While
we have run
the response in full, several of the questions remain unanswered. Ms.
Veneman, after months without appearing in UN briefing room 226 to
take questions, is scheduled to appear on November 30. At press time,
UN Secretariat sources say she will not appear, since Eric Goosby, US
Global AIDS Coordinator, is no longer coming, they say. Watch this
site.
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