“Because I believe in leadership from the top, I have made complete, public disclosure of my assets -- in a way that no SG has done before. I have been loud and clear about honesty: our UN will not tolerate corruption or abuse of power.”
Secretary-General's remarks to UN Senior Officials at Turin Retreat, Italy (Friday, 31 August 2007)
With these words Ban Ki-moon addressed the CEB meeting on Aug 2007. By that he meant that: -
all staff members whose principal duties relate to the investment of the assets of the UN or of any accounts for which the UN has fiduciary or custodial responsibility have to complete and submit their confidential financial disclosure or declaration of interest statement on an annual basis (every March) in respect of the previous calendar year. (ST/SGB/2006/6)
Chief Finance Officer
Deputy-Assistant Secretary General
United Nations Development Programme
HAS NOT COMPLIED WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE RULES ON DISCLOSURE AND UNDP HAS FAILED TO MAKE PUBLIC THE ASSETS AND INTERESTS OF ITS CFO WHO MANAGES 16$ BILLION A YEAR
But in the interest of the public the UNDP-WATCH will make sure that the world-taxpayers have at least a glimpse of UNDP's
Chief Finance Officer's vast interests.
U.N. Couple Purchase Million Dollar Manhattan Condo
The Corinthian is a Manhattan high-rise building constructed in 1987 that is home to many luxurious condos. The average unit sales price in the building is currently $628,000.
Darshak Shah and Aruna Thanabalasingam have just purchased a two bedroom, two bathroom unit in the complex for $1.2 million. Shah has served as the finance director of the United Nations Development Program, while Thanabalasingam has served as the deputy director in the office of human resources.
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8 comments:
how can Darshak afford a million + apartment? only those working for United Nations (a non-for-profit) can afford such luxurious life stile. I haven't heard of anyone else working for a non-governmental + non-for-profit that can actually come close to this expensive lifestyle.
Darshak is not alone. He is married to Aruna Thanabalasingam who until mid 2008 was CIO of Human resources at UNDP. At that time Darshak was the Comptroller and Chief of Finance. So imagine for at least three years Darshak and Aruna controlled both money and human resources of the entire UNDP. The sky was the limit for them.
you should ask the question of how did Darshak Shah's wife managed to get to UNDP's Human resources, become OIC? who selected her? But most importantly how did she disappear from UNDP and surfaced at UNICEF without any proper selection process? Who did this from UNDP's 21st floor and what was behind that deal?
I have worked with Darshak, and for anyone who has a Master in finance like myself, is an insult to our intelligence and the years we invested in educating ourselves to have to work with a person like Darshak shah. He is totally ignorant of processes, basic accountings, and most importantly of aligning mandates and establishing controls. For him the only thing is establish bureaucratic layers of friends of his, mostly indians either from India or from south africa and Kenya. He doesn't reward knowledge, he only cares about obedience. I have not witnessed a single time him to be able to held a speech on real finance for more than 2 min, after which he disappears and other "experts" will take it from there and talk about.
No one has ever been able to interact with him. even when he comes here in Bangkok for trainings he is mostly mute. 10 words and walks away, hiding.
I saw Darshak CV - his only education he enlist is ACCA? That's not education !
Helen Clark should look around and ask what qualifications should a CFO of any comparable corporation or non-for-profit has. At the minimum a CFO should held a BA in Economics with minor in Accounting, plus a Master in Accounting and full CPA certification at least in USA or UK. Full certification in IPSAS.
Things that Darshak Shah doesn't have. How can he even make it this far?
If Jens Wandel would become Head of BoM, he should initiate a total CHANGE of Finance and Treasury functions in UNDP. He also should demand that at very minimum CFO and Treasurer should fully disclose all their assets, finances and interests and make them public on a UNDP website.
Shah is a crook. So what’s new?
And I have had the "pleasure" of meeting his wife, a Sri Lankan.
Other than trying to mimic the English with a pathetic English accent, it was hard to judge why she got that particular position.
I'd imagine that those in senior positions anywhere in the UN would be proud of their achievements, and would want, or like to post their bio, or resumes, on established business sites like Linkedin. This is a normal, acceptable practice in any profession. I mean, who doesn’t want to, or even desire to network with peers and colleagues? It’s a totally human thing to do.
Well, guess what. Shah doesn't figure on Linkedin, and his wife’s page proudly gives her current position, and nothing else. Go figure.
The upper-echelons of the UN is jam-packed with people with very average to below-average skills who consolidate power by recruiting others just like them. This is a fact.
The last viewer has summarized the upper crust of the United Nations. This not only applies to UNDP, but also the other specialized agencies. Having served as a young professional in a certain UN agency, i saw the same issues of dodgy backgrounds of senior staff, especially those at the HQ. It makes me sick. But there is nothing hardworking people in the system can do. I was purged as a whistleblower from WHO: the WHO mafia is more powerful then the individual.
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