At
UN, Dutch Talk On Child Labor But No Action on Haitian Slavery and Uzbek Cotton, No
Comment on Melkert to Iraq
Byline:
Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED
NATIONS, June 12 -- The Dutch Mission to the UN held a press
conference on June 12 about the scourge of child labor, but when
pressed had few answers. Inner City Press asked what the Netherlands
and the European Union are doing about the government of Uzbekistan's
use of school children to pick cotton, and in Haiti about what others
in the UN system have called the slavery of poor rural children
working in the homes of more affluent urban families.
Dutch
Deputy Permanent Representative Piet de Klerk criticized the UN
Mission in Haiti, MINUSTAH, saying its "paradigm is not right"
but acknowledging that his answer was "too general." Video
here,
from Minute 40:25.
Paul
Mikov of World Vision added, in response to Inner City Press'
question about the work on new UN envoy to Haiti Bill Clinton, that
"we would urge him to pay particular attention to children in
Haiti, child labor as well." Mikov later stressed to Inner City
Press that the global financial crisis can make child labor worse.
On
Uzbekistan, Inner City Press asked about Dutch and EU policy and IMF
lending. Video here,
from Minute 31:11. Peter de Ruiter, author of A World for Children:
Growing up without Child Labor, referred Inner City Press to page
154 of his book, a paragraph mentioning an employee of the Dutch
Ministry of Foreign Affairs who had taken an interesting in child
labor in Uzbekistan. But what are the Dutch doing?
DPR de
Klerk, polite but vague
answers on Haiti and Melkert
Ambassador de
Klerk said that the Netherlands has made a request to the European
Commission to analyze incentives and "other trade actions."
He said that on the economy and trade, there is a comment European
policy.
But
the EU has eased up on Uzbekistan, even after reports of political
opponents being killed. Sometimes the EU talks a good game, but does
far less than money is involved. Watch this site.
Footnote:
at the conclusion of the press conference, Inner City Press asked
Dutch Ambassador de Klerk to confirm or deny that Dutchman Ad Melkert
is being considered as the UN's envoy to Iraq, after twice losing out
for the top post at UNDP. De Klerk said that the UN is looking for
ways to keep Ad Melkert, but would not specify. Inner City Press
stands by its
story and will continue to inquire.
UN
Mulls Sending Melkert to Iraq, Local Staff in Pakistan Shortchanged,
Owondo's Service
Byline:
Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Muse
UNITED
NATIONS, June 11 -- Inside the UN system, staff were angry Thursday
night. First came indications that beyond the international staff
killed in the bombing in Peshawar, Pakistan, at least three national
staff were killed as well. Not only where they barely spoken of, but
the benefits package for them is slated to be a fraction of that
offered to the internationals. Also barely mentioned was the UN's
evacuation of some but not all staff from Peshawar to Islamabad.
The
UN Mission in Iraq, the staffers said, is slated to receive a new
manager from New York. Ad Melkert, the Associate Administrator of
UNDP who twice lost out in races for the top job, is reportedly being
sent to Baghdad. As such, he would be rewarded for publicly
disagreeing with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's call for public
financial disclosure, and for breaking away from the UN Secretariat's
Ethics Office and what whistleblower protections exist.
UN staffer Solecki returns home, local staff
and red flag not shown
UNDP's
staff union head Dmitry Samaras was present Thursday in the Church
Center across from the UN, at the funeral for former staff member
Joseph Owondo, who died in the crash of the Air France flight from
Brazil to Paris. Owondo's death is a loss: if the UN had more
whistleblowers like him, it would be a better place. Click here for
Inner City Press' previously story on Owondo.
Speaking at his funeral
were Emmanuel Goued, Regis Onanga Ndiaye and Raphael Mbadinga. Samaras
knows where many UNDP skeletons are buried, but what is the
interest in exposing them? From now on, do it for Owondo. The UN is
full of conflicts.
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