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by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack

UN GATE, Jan 30 – How corrupt is today's UN under Antonio Guterres? Now with Guterres bloviating without live stream in Japan after a long vacation, his staff tell Inner City Press things have hit a new low about which his spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming refuse all Press questions. Inner City Press has asked them, and others, about the newest sex abuse case against the UN. This, from a UN whistleblower sent to Inner City Press:

Dear Matthew Russell Lee, 

The judgment [cited below] gives the impression that the Applicant’s vulnerable position within the management hierarchy was not fully appreciated. She was raising concerns against senior officials while remaining under their authority, yet the Tribunal largely accepted management’s explanations without rigorous scrutiny. Below is a brief summary of concerns arising from the judgment, particularly paragraph 51 and the broader judicial approach: 

The Tribunal accepted the Note stating that misconduct was “unlikely” without examining whether the Section 5.5 criteria were meaningfully applied. The reasoning provided was conclusory rather than analytical.  The correct preliminary threshold is whether an investigation may reveal sufficient evidence—not whether misconduct is already likely proven. This distinction was not properly examined.  The reasons were provided only after Tribunal intervention. The judgment does not address whether this reflects contemporaneous reasoning or post-hoc justification.  The shift to managerial action instead of investigation was accepted without assessing whether bypassing investigation in a harassment context was proportionate. 

The judgment shows strong deference to management discretion, focusing on formal legality rather than substantive scrutiny of decision-making.  Importantly, limited attention was given to the Applicant’s position within the management hierarchy. When allegations are raised against senior officials, the inherent power imbalance warrants careful judicial scrutiny. The judgment’s approach may give the appearance of alignment with management explanations rather than independent testing of them.  These observations raise broader questions about the depth of review applied in cases involving senior-level authority and harassment complaints.

   Unofficial Job Descriptions( OIOS, ASG/OHR and USG DMSPC)  OIOS Receives complaints and immediately files them under: “Under Review (Forever)”  Protects confidentiality by ensuring no accountability leaks out  Measures success by how many files can be moved without moving the truth  ASG/OHR Runs “preliminary assessments” designed to reach a “preliminary conclusion”  Translates staff pain into administrative language: “Noted. Managed. Closed.”  Special skill: turning “investigate” into “monitor” and “fix” into “process”  USG DMSPC  Approves managerial action as the universal solution to every serious allegation  Maintains institutional calm by keeping difficult matters “handled” but not “answered”  Guarantees consistency: the outcome is decided first; the paperwork follows

This concerns:

 UNITED NATIONS DISPUTE TRIBUNAL

Case No.: UNDT/NBI/2025/004
Judgment No.: UNDT/2026/005
Date: 30 January 2026

Before: Judge Sean Wallace
Registry: Nairobi
Registrar: Wanda L. Carter

EL-SIBAII
v.
SECRETARY-GENERAL
OF THE UNITED NATIONS

   Martha Helena Lopez, the Secretary-General’s senior advisor on human resources, has become emblematic of this “don’t care” policy. Observers note she looks fatigued, more focused on retirement than on strengthening governance. Rather than engaging with tribunal rulings, she and her team have defaulted to what staff now mockingly call “phone-call directives,” issuing guidance over the phone without regard to established precedent or proper review.  In New York, staff have started referring to her and her legal colleagues as “phone-call officers and advisors” because of their casual approach to matters of grave consequence.

 Guterres, they say, should end censorship. Application was made on June 19, 2025 and denied without explanation on January 12, 2026. Watch this site.

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