InnerCityPress Exclusive: On Silva, Ambassadors Meet With UN Peacekeeping, Rice Says Concerned, Immunity Letter from USUN Surfaces

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

@InnerCityPress

UNITED NATIONS, February 17, updated -- Three weeks ago Inner City Press began asking the UN and then the US Mission to the UN how they could accept as a UN "Senior Adviser on Peacekeeping Operations" General Shavendra Silva, whose Division 58 is repeatedly named in connection with war crimes in Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka.

On February 14, Bangledesh's Permanent Representative told Inner City Press he, India and Pakistan were telling Sri Lanka to "fix it."

On February 16, Pakistan's Permanent Representative confirmed this and said there was a meeting on February 17 on the topic. That meeting, of ambassadors with the two Under Secretaries General for peacekeeping, Inner City Press understands, took place Friday at 9:45 am.

At 10:30 am Friday, Inner City Press asked US Ambassador Susan Rice about a letter it found that that Russell F. Graham, Minister Counselor for Host Country Affairs at the US Mission to the UN, provided to Silva's lawyers to tell a US Federal Court that Silva, as Sri Lanka's Deputy Permanent Representative, has diplomatic immunity. On that basis, this case against Silva was dismissed.

Inner City Press is putting the letter online, here.

Ambassador Rice took the question, some from Inner City Press on Sudan, and said, "These are two different things. The State Department has to respond on immunity. He unfortunately or fortunately is an accredited diplomat."

Then, more generally on Silva, Rice told Inner City Press, "it's very concerning that someone with his background would be selected to serve on this advisory group. We have conveyed this to member states, as well as to the Secretariat. There are a lot of efforts underway to address [this], probably best not to be discussed publicly."

Moments later, another Security Council Permanent Representative approached Inner City Press and said, "on the Sri Lankan, you have done well." Inner City Press has sent questions to USGs Malcorra and Ladsous:

"Hello. Asking for an answer before noon: I understand that on the matter of Shavendra Silva, who is named in the S-G's Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka as in charge of Division 48 which is described engaged in war crimes, ambassadors met with UN Peacekeeping today. I am asking you directly to confirm this, and to state the status of Mr. Silva on the Senior Advisory Group, and at this stage, your view."

At Friday's noon briefing, Inner City Press asked again, and Ban Ki-moon's Deputy Spokesman Eduardo Del Buey said he had no information, to "ask DPKO's spokesman."

Update of 6:34 pm: DPKO's spokesman has written in to note that in response to the request for a confirmation before the noon briefing, he "visited" and sent a text message. Noted. But the request was clear: confirm, which could be done even in a 160 character text message. The problem here is substantive: a UN Secretary General and Under Secretaries General who "have nothing to say" about an alleged war criminal -- or a commander of a division accused of war crimes - advising them.

Inner City Press reiterated, it is a question for Ban and his spokespeople, including because Ban's own High Commissioner for Human Rights wrote him on this topic - as she told Inner City Press at the General Assembly stakeout on February 13 -- and because Silva is in Ban's own report. We are still awaiting an on the record response, which has been re-requested from Ban's office as well as from USG Malcorra and her spokesman.

Update of 2:20 pm, Feb 17: Inner City Press has been sent this by the DPKO spokesman:

"I can confirm that DPKO-DFS leadership today facilitated a meeting with some Member States. As the spokesperson's office has previously said, the selection for this position on the Special Advisory Group is for the Member States. Since the selection has become known to the Secretariat, we have actively facilitated Member States in their discussions to consider this matter. We have nothing to say at this stage on our views of the membership of the Special Advisory Group."

What does it say about Ban's UN that it "has nothing to say" about the nomination as a "Senior Adviser" on Peacekeeping of a military commander named in Ban's own Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka as engaged in the shelling of hospitals and presumptive execution of those seeking to surrender?

Prior to these developments, the Sri Lankan Mission's action was to send a letter of complaint to Inner City Press, sending a copy to Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky as well as to some in the UN press corps.

Inner City Press in less than 24 hours published and responded to the letter, citing only some of the many references to Silva's Division 58 in the report.

Watch this site.

UN Job Reductions Target Lower Levels, Kane Memo Says Can Cut Permanent

By Matthew Russell Lee @InnercityPress.com

UNITED NATIONS, October 17, updated Oct 18 -- As the UN reacts to calls to cut its budget, its "post reductions" are disproportionately directed as lower level staff, who accuse Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his administration of a lack of transparency and even honesty.

Inner City Press has obtained a copy of a member from Ban's top Management official Angela Kane which tells Departments to start preparing for cuts, even before the UN General Assembly considers them, and provides for the termination of staff with "permanent" contracts. Click here to view.

But in an October 17 response to questions Inner City Press asked back on October 7 about 41 planned post eliminations in the UN's Publishing Section, the UN statesthat

"The post reductions in the New York Printing Section are contained in the Secretary General’s proposed programme budget for the biennium 2012-2013. They are expected to be achieved through attrition and other management measures, i.e. without involuntary redundancies."

Contrast this with Kane's internal memo, stating that

"I am writing regarding the abolition of posts proposed in your department/office for the biennium 2012-2013. As you know, the final decision on any abolition of post(s) rests with the General Assembly. In the event that the General Assembly does approve the Secretary-General's proposals, certain preparatory work should be undertaken by each department/office with regard to the staff that will be affected by the abolition of their respective posts... staff members who hold permanent appointments must be given three (3) months written notice of termination of their appointment."

The UN's response-after-ten-day is also inconsistent with even the UN's pro-management write up of the underlying meeting, which states that

"The Secretary-General's final budget proposal assumes that 37 TC posts and 4 GS posts will be abolished in the PS... processing of publications currently processed on offset machines will be outsourced... The 2012-2013 model implies that 81 posts need to be abolished."

One of the addressees, Narendra Nandoe, is said to be "sabotaging" the Publishing unit by refusing to order supplies or allow small errors to be fixed. So it goes at this UN.

Kane, SG & DSG, requested (c) UN Photo but caption analysis not shown. For now

The UN's response-after-ten-day begins with the UN's officially garbled transcription of Press questions, followed by a differently prepared transcription of the UN spokesman, with all "uhs" removed. (Some within the chain of command say that UN staff have been ordered to make it so.) So here is a "clean up" of the transcript of the October 7 noon briefing:

Inner City Press: yesterday, people working in UN publishing were told that 41 of those cuts will come from their department — 37 posts and 4 trades and crafts. I wanted you to confirm if that’s true, and they wonder, and I also in turn wonder, whether this idea of totally phasing out publication and laying those people off is something that’s been checked with Member States in terms of them using things like the Journal, and the various things that are printed by the UN, including reports. Is it true that 30 per cent of the cuts are in one division and why is that the case?

Spokesperson: I’d have to check on the details of what is a budget submission and a budget submission that goes to the Member States and is approved by Member States. If I have anything else further, then obviously we can let you know, but I think that’s an important factor here.

Inner City Press: I don’t know whether they are called lay-offs or post eliminations, will these, before they’re implemented, require the approval of the Fifth Committee?

Spokesperson: I need to check. But if it’s a budget submission, then a budget submission needs the approval of Member States.

Inner City Press: they were told, I don’t think it was said in either in the Fifth or ACABQ, I think it was said by the UN Secretariat to publishing people.

Spokesperson: As I say, I need to check.

Then for ten days, the UN did not provide a response. But documents came in. Watch this site.

Footnote: meanwhile the rest of "Kane's reign" bears marks of decline, down to the smallest and most simple things. Monday delegates groused that they couldn't even print, with the computer printer on the North Lawn's second floor left again without paper.

When the hours of the UN cafeteria were cut, they put potato chip and soda machines in the lobby for the other hours. Now these machines have been moved inside the cafeteria: locked up in the off-hours the machines were supposed to serve.

Likewise the small bar purportedly filling in for the closed-down Delegates' Lounge is rarely open. "Ban Ki-moon and Angela Kane have sucked," a well placed commadic UN staff source said, "the life out of the UN."

Update of Oct 18: while UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said he wouldn't comment on a "leaked memo" -- even if it contradicted the public answer he alluded to -- one of the problems reported above was acted on the UN the next day: the potato chip machine

(c) MRLee
Post publication, UN on Oct 18 moved soda and chips back to lobby. Thanks

As Libya Kills Protesters, Gadhafi Daughter is UN Ambassador, UNDP Silent

By Matthew Russell Lee

@InnercityPress.Com

UNITED NATIONS, February 20 -- As in Libya the forces, including mercenaries, of Colonel Moammar Gadhafi shoot and kill peaceful protesters, the UN has been nearly entirely silent.

On the morning of February 20, Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky:

In the wake of the gunning down of 46 democracy protesters in Libya’s second largest city, Benghazi, by security forces under the command of Colonel Gadafi, is the UN reassessing its relationship with Col Gadhafi’s daughter, Aicha, who the UN has designated a “Goodwill Ambassador?

Has the Secretary-General sought to use the UN’s special relationship with its Goodwill Ambassador Dr Aicha Gadhafi to persuade her father not to use such excessive force against peaceful demonstrators?

Nine hours later, no response at all from the UN. Inner City Press also asked Ban's spokesman Nesirky “in this context, the Secretary-General's planned trip to California to meet and greet 'the entertainment industry,' how much is this trip costing, and is it funded by the Regular Budget of the UN -- and if not, what is the funding source?” Again, no answer.

On February 17, Inner City Press had asked Nesirky

Inner City Press: Is there any thought of using the existing UN programs on the ground, whether it is UNDP or otherwise? There was some criticism of this training of police in Egypt prior to the — there was criticism by NGOs that it didn’t bring in human rights activists but rather Government people. Is there some thinking of how — the UNDP website about Libya hasn’t been updated now in several months, I guess — it seems to some, due to the turmoil. What about these UN…?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Who might that be? Who is it, these people who think it might be?

Inner City Press: People that look at it and have seen that it was updated all the way, until suddenly there was turmoil in the country and then it is not updated any more.

UN's Ban and Gadhafi, Goodwill Ambassador daughter not shown

Inner City Press: What’s the role, according to the Secretary-General, of the existing UN programmes in countries like Libya and Yemen, where Helen Clark visited and didn’t say anything about democracy?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, there are lots of, as you know, across the region, there is a UN presence in different constellations; country teams with different components, whether it is UNDP or other UN agencies, funds and programmes. Of course, given that they are already on the ground, given that they have been working there in different capacities on different projects, they are well placed to be further involved. But this is part of a bigger picture, and it is being very carefully coordinated.

Inner City Press: Is there any change of policy? I guess I am saying, given that the announcement today that the UN is sort of taking cognizance of all this, is there, is that…?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, Matthew, it’s hardly an announcement today. This is something that has been said consistently for a number of weeks now. And indeed, further back, as you know, the Human Development Reports on the Arab world have been saying this for the best part of a decade. So, okay, thank you very much.

But what had the UN been doing about Libya? Watch this site.

U.N. Is Faulted as Lacking Coordination of Aid and Security in Haiti

Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Women in camps for displaced people in Haiti have reported an increase in sexual violence.

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

Published: March 2, 2010

UNITED NATIONS — Humanitarian efforts by the United Nations inHaiti have lacked sufficient coordination with local organizations in delivering aid and establishing security, according to an independent assessment released on Tuesday.

One consequence was a surge in the sexual abuse of women and girls living in camps for the displaced, with some young girls trading sex for shelter, said Emilie Parry, an aid consultant who helped write the evaluation of the United Nations’ effort for Refugees International, a nonprofit organization that advocates on behalf of refugees.

“Women reported to us that there has been a lot of violence and sexual abuse at nighttime,” Ms. Parry said, noting that there is no system of nighttime patrols in the makeshift camps where many displaced people have been living.

“By all accounts, the leadership of the humanitarian country team is ineffectual,” said the report, based on 10 days of evaluations in February. The report, titled “Haiti: From the Ground Up,” also acknowledged that the scale of the disaster made the response a singular challenge.

Closer work with Haitian organizations, as well as better knowledge about conditions, would also enhance the ability of local groups to deal with problems long after the international groups left, Ms. Parry said.

The report suggests a number of ways to improve the delivery of aid, including allowing more participation by Haitian organizations whose leaders are now living among as many as several million displaced earthquake victims.

While the United Nations does not actively discriminate against such groups, it effectively bars them through a lack of advertising and the system of passes that are needed to attend meetings, Ms. Parry said. Appointing liaison officers dedicated to such groups would help, the report suggests.

It also recommended that the United Nations appoint one person responsible for leading the team distributing humanitarian aid in the country, rather than have the responsibility be among many tasks taken on by senior management.

Finally, it suggested that the United Nations’ assessments had not delved adequately into the heart of all the temporary camps, where hundreds of thousands of people still lack shelter and other basic needs. The report recommends that the United States government beef up its budget for disaster assistance and that it, too, should coordinate more with local groups.

“There is too much of a gap, too many people are being left out of the response,” Ms. Parry said.

Human Rights Watch issued a similar report two weeks ago, noting the lack of adequate shelter and saying that it had documented three rapes connected to poor security. Asked about the reports then, Anthony Banbury, a senior United Nations official in Haiti, was criticized for saying that the number of rapes “almost elates me.”

Mr. Banbury issued a statement later saying that he had not meant to minimize the seriousness of the three rapes, but to suggest that efforts to maintain some security were working because the number was relatively low.

The United Nations has given shelter materials to more than 523,000 people, or 40 percent of those in need, said Martin Nesirky, the spokesman for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, with 232,000 additional tarpaulins and 22,000 tents en route. The World Food Program and partner organizations have delivered food assistance to 4.3 million people, Mr. Nesirky said.

Catherine Bragg, the deputy humanitarian coordinator, said the scale of the destruction in Haiti, as well as the death of 100 United Nations staff members, including the most senior officials, had initially hampered relief efforts.

“It is the most complex humanitarian response we have ever had to deal with,” said Ms. Bragg, adding that the United Nations had brought some order to utter chaos. “It would be very easy to make negative comments about how things are coordinated.”

John Holmes, the departing United Nations humanitarian coordinator, has said publicly that the organization’s response was uneven. He demanded that United Nations staff members do a better job of coordinating relief efforts.

The United Nations has tried not to discriminate between Haitian and international organizations, with local groups accounting for about 15 percent of the groups participating in the effort in Haiti, said Stephanie Bunker, the spokeswoman for the humanitarian aid office. “We would like to increase the balance,” she said.