In Other Media-eg NYLJ Fortune 2023, CJR, NY Mag, AJE, Georgia, CSM Click here to contact us     .

by Matthew Russell Lee Patreon Book Substack

UN Gate, Oct 3 – As the UN lurches toward picking a new Secretary General, as its last one Antonio Guterres fails on Ukraine, Gaza and basic transparency, this sent to Inner City Press from UN whistleblowers:

Staff members and observers have raised a number of serious concerns about the management and administration of the UN ECA Library under the leadership of its Chief. These concerns, in our view, warrant an independent and thorough investigation given their potential impact on UNECA staff, library services, institutional resources, and UN ECA's reputation.  The concerns raised include: Alleged malpractice and mismanagement. Management practices within the Library are reported to have negatively affected staff members and the effective delivery of library services. Alleged abuse of authority and misuse of institutional resources. Questions have been raised as to whether the authority of the Chief of the Library position has at times been exercised inappropriately — including decisions on library resources and institutional funds that may have served personal or other interests rather than the proper use of ECA resources. Recruitment and selection practices. Concerns persist over whether established UN/ECA recruitment procedures have been consistently followed, particularly in the engagement of staff and individual contractors. These matters merit review against the applicable rules. Expenditure on library projects. Significant funds are reportedly allocated annually to various library projects. A review of the planning, approval, procurement, implementation, monitoring, and financial accountability of these projects is needed to confirm resources have been used properly and effectively. Impact on staff development and working conditions. Certain management decisions are reported to have adversely affected the working conditions, professional development, and career opportunities of staff — particularly individual contractors — and deserve an impartial review grounded in documented cases and the applicable personnel rules. Impact on the Library as an institution. Taken together, these practices risk undermining the Library's effectiveness, professional standards, institutional reputation, and future development. A case in point We have documented information that 15 staff members with more than ten years of service each were dismissed from the Library, with budget shortfalls cited as the reason. Shortly afterward, new recruitments followed involving individuals understood to have close personal ties to the Chief of the Library. This pattern — long-serving staff dismissed for stated financial reasons, followed by new hires favoring personal connections — raises serious concerns of favoritism and potential corruption that warrant independent investigation.  What we are asking for Given the seriousness of these concerns, we respectfully call on the UNECA Administration to launch a thorough, impartial, confidential, and independent investigation — one that examines:  compliance with applicable UN and ECA administrative and personnel rules, including the dismissal of the 15 long-serving staff members who served more than ten years and the subsequent recruitment pattern; recruitment and selection procedures; procurement and contracting practices; expenditure and financial management relating to library projects; management and use of library resources; treatment of staff members and individual contractors; possible conflicts of interest or abuse of authority; and the overall management and performance of the Library. We further ask that staff members who come forward with information be fully protected from retaliation, and that the investigation proceed objectively and without prejudice to any individual concerned.  Why this matters This is not about unsupported personal accusations — it is a call for institutional oversight, transparency, and accountability. The UN ECA Library is a vital institutional service, and the resources entrusted to it should be managed transparently, professionally, and in full accordance with UN rules and principles.  We therefore appeal to the UN ECA Managment and the appropriate oversight authorities from New York   to take these concerns seriously and to conduct a comprehensive review — so that any wrongdoing, procedural violations, or financial irregularities can be identified, addressed, and corrected, and so that staff and the public can have confidence in the integrity of the Library's management going forward, and this rich knowledge center is protected.  Concerned UNECA staff members

 We'll see - see "United Nations Betrayals: From Election Stolen by Guterres to Bribes and Banning of the Press," by Matthew Russell Lee (who quickly discloses that he has been ousted and banned from the UN by Guterres, for his reporting). 

 A noted by New York Magazine on Lee's Maximum Maxwell book, at times here he uses the character Kurt Wheelock, who first appeared in his Predatory Bender.  

 The book begins with Guterres beating out female candidates for the UNSG post, after a murky year being paid by Lisbon-based Gulbenkian Foundation. The book digs into the bid by the China Energy Fund Committee, convicted of UN bribery, for Gulbenkian's oil company. Readers can draw their own conclusion, including on the need for SG campaign finance disclosure in 2026. 

  Part of the book in italics delves into the UN Correspondents Association and its efforts to throw Lee out. They appear again in the afterword / novella, "Whacking Qaddafi," which was first mentioned in the New Yorker magazine's Talk of the Town piece about Lee. It addresses more countries: from India to Pakistan, Guinea to Guinea Bissau. 

 The main text addresses UN failures in Sri Lanka - including the UNCA connection - Cameroon, Western Sahara, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, Gaza and elsewhere. UN Betrayals indeed - this should be the first of a series.

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
SDNY Press Room
500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA

Mail: Box 130222, Chinatown Station, NY NY 10013

Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

 Copyright 2006-2025 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com