UNDP WATCH: Whistleblower Who Exposed Wrongdoing in UNDP Somalia Projects Vindicated

Monday, April 12, 2010

Whistleblower Who Exposed Wrongdoing in UNDP Somalia Projects Vindicated

by Dylan Blaylock on March 08, 2010 ( Press Releases / 2010 )

Retaliator was Country Director of Haiti During Aftermath of Earthquake

(Washington, D.C.) – The Government Accountability Project (GAP) applauds United Nations Ethics Committee Chairman Robert Benson and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark for protecting a UNDP whistleblower from retaliation.

In February, UNDP agreed to enforce a decision issued by the United Nations Ethics Committee on December 11, 2009. The decision stated that GAP client Ismail Ahmed, a former UNDP financial services program officer, suffered retaliation for making protected whistleblowing disclosures regarding wrongdoing in the UNDP Somalia Country Office. Dr. Ahmed alleged that fraud and corruption in the UNDP Somalia Remittances Programme threatened to jeopardize the ability of remittance companies to comply with international regulations addressing money laundering and terrorist financing. He also disclosed detailed information about corruption in the procurement process and support provided to a company suspected of links with terrorist organizations.

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Andrew Mitchell - says Helen Clark is up to no good!

1. UNDP’s partnership with the World Bank needs to be more effective, particularly in fragile and crisis-affected countries. 2. UNDP’s near universal mandate means its technical resources are spread very thinly. The Board does not provide strategic direction. HR management is weak. It has a weak results chain. 3. There is limited evidence of active senior management consideration of cost control. Country evidence points to mixed progress on demonstrating cost-efficiency. 4. The Executive Board is politicised and there is a lack of consensus on the key areas for reform. It is not clear that current plans for change will deliver the required depth and breadth of reform. 5. Evidence gathered at country level was highly critical of UNDP’s ability to deliver results. Its delivery can be undermined by staffing issues and bureaucratic processes. 6. Its performance in fragile states is mixed. It has reasonable training and a range of guidance and analytical tools but struggles to fill posts. 7. There is no evidence that the Climate Strategy was directly guiding resource allocation decisions

H.E. Dirk Niebel - German Development Minister

"I take the accusations made in the media concerning corruption and breach of fiduciary duty at the Global Fund very seriously and I am sure that the Fund will clarify the matter without delay. Germany is one of the biggest donors to the Global Fund. I have therefore seen to it that a special review will be held. I have frozen all further disbursements to the Fund until matters have been fully clarified, and I will ask a representative of the Fund to come to the BMZ to discuss the matter."

Share now information about illegal dealings at United Nations

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