Fox News: UN's messy, billion-dollar peacekeeping air charter business hugely unfavorable to US

Click here to read this in full @: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/01/uns-messy-billion-dollar-peacekeeping-air-charter-business-hugely-unfavorable/

Four years after United Nations auditors declared that the U.N.’s  billion-dollar program for moving people and equipment on peacekeeping charter flights was a  mess, the world organization still spends too much to rent airplanes and helicopters, still favors a few suppliers of equipment over those who might want to bid for the work, and still doesn’t have the tools to keep track of its sprawling and overpriced system.

Moreover, an examination by Fox News of U.N. procurement records shows that the results of the deeply flawed air charter system are hugely unfavorable to the United States, which pays by far the largest chunk of the U.N.’s peacekeeping budget.

A follow-up audit to the one released in 2009 also shows that  U.N. agencies largely failed to do what the watchdogs recommended in order to fix the system, although the U.N. is apparently scrambling to straighten out some of the problems now. Result: many of the same bad practices are still occurring.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/01/uns-messy-billion-dollar-peacekeeping-air-charter-business-hugely-unfavorable/#ixzz2b0Yrct1X

After leaked memo on Angela Kane's involvement into potential scandal: - Ban Ki-moon requests that investigation go forward

Yesterday, after InnercityPress leaked an internal memo from OIOS, the office of Secretary-General (Ban Ki-moon) called for the investigation to go on!

Click here for the document @ InnercityPress: http://www.innercitypress.com/comvoios1icp.pdf

Click here for the document @ InnercityPress: http://www.innercitypress.com/comvoios1icp.pdf

InnerCityPress: Ban Ki-moon Crime Report Has Moonlighting, Pipe Attacks, Sex for Hire, Guns

By Matthew Russell Lee

Click here to read this @InnercityPress.com

 

UNITED NATIONS, August 22 -- Some say, with reason, that the UN was too weak in Srbrenica, in Rwanda and now with its observers fleeing Syria. 

  But Ban Ki-moon's report to the General Assembly on misconduct and criminal behavior paints a picture of violence and threats in the UN, with armrests torn off chairs, firings based on gun threats, physical assaults with pipes. Here are excerpts:

23. A staff member physically assaulted another staff member by detaching an armrest from an office chair and throwing it at the other staff member’s face, resulting in injury to the staff member’s right eye and forehead. Disposition: Dismissal. Appeal: None.

24. A staff member physically assaulted another staff member by hitting the other staff member in the head with a metal pipe, resulting in injuries to the staff member’s head. Disposition: Dismissal. Appeal: None.

26. A staff member on three occasions acted in a verbally disrespectful and disruptive manner by arguing with colleagues and supervisors; on one occasion the staff member destroyed property during an argument; on two occasions the staff member made threatening remarks about the use of guns in the workplace. The staff member admitted the conduct with regard to the first two incidents and apologized to the persons involved. Disposition: Separation from service with compensation in lieu of notice and with termination indemnity. Appeal: None.

  Having seen how the UN conducts its interviews, some of these admission may be dubious. But the descriptions continue, with sexual exploitation:

"A staff member attempted to obtain sexual favors from a job applicant, who was a beneficiary of assistance, in return for offering to provide assistance with the United Nations recruitment process. The staff member falsely suggested to the applicant that there was a problem with the application form, and invited the applicant to the staff member’s residence to review the application. In the context of the invitation to the applicant, the staff member made sexually suggestive remarks. Disposition: Separation from service, with compensation in lieu of notice, and without termination indemnity. Appeal: None."

  There were stolen laptops and hard drives, airplane tickets and even copper wire. Some were more sophisticated:

"A staff member created a false note verbale on official letterhead on their United Nations computer. The staff member forged the signature of another staff member, and sold the note verbale to another staff member in order for the latter to obtain a non-immigrant visa. Several false documents, such as fake diplomas, were found on the staff member’s United Nations computer."

  And now, we'll perform or try to perform some detective work. Ban Ki-moon reports:

"A staff member was employed by their government for one year while employed with the Organization, without the approval of the Secretary-General. A conflict of interest existed between the nature of the staff member’s outside activities and their status as a staff member. The time taken to conclude the investigation and subsequent disciplinary process were taken into account in determining the disciplinary measure. Disposition: Separation from service, with in lieu of notice and with termination indemnity. Appeal: Filed with the Dispute Tribunal, where the case remains under consideration."

  This double employment, unless occurring more than once, sounds like a case Inner City Press has asked the UN about, that of Jeffery Armstrong. 

  Since the UN's ODS system has problems with direct links, Inner City Press is putting the report online through its Scribd, click here and watch this site.

GAP: UN Judge Asks Secretary-General to Reassure Whistleblowers

by Shelley Walden on July 19, 2012 ( The Whistleblogger / 2012 )

Last week, a United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT) judge issued another extraordinary decision that demonstrates the Tribunal’s respect for whistleblowers. Like last month’s Wasserstrom decision, this judgment shows that UNDT - the court of first instance of the two-tier internal justice system through which UN employees contest violations of their rights – is committed to ensuring that UN whistleblowers are protected.

In Dzuverovic v. Secretary-General of the United Nations, the applicant, a former United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) employee, contested the Office of Internal Oversight Services’ (OIOS) refusal to investigate her disclosure of recruitment and procurement irregularities in UN-HABITAT. OIOS failed to inform the applicant of this decision until 2010, fifteen years after she made her initial disclosure. In the meantime, she was subjected to retaliation, including decisions that “proved to be to the detriment of her career,” (para. 72) and ultimately separated from service.

Unfortunately, Judge Nkemdilim Izuako was compelled to find that the case was inadmissible at the Tribunal, as Dzuverovic missed the UN’s ridiculously short 60-day statute of limitations for contesting an administrative decision. But, although the Judge dismissed the case, she took the extraordinary step of “RECOMMEND[ing] it to the Secretary-General for sympathetic review with a view to bringing substantive justice and closure to it” and pleaded for him to take “a compassionate view.” (Paragraphs 74 and 61,original emphasis) This appears to be the first time that a UNDT judge has made such a recommendation in a whistleblower case, and the fact that it is emphasized in the text of the ruling suggests that the judge expects this recommendation to be taken seriously. The judge also wrote that:

This recommendation is made bearing in mind the special measures that have been put in place with regards to the protection of whistleblowers who risk their jobs, professional lives and livelihoods by courageously seeking to expose wrong-doings within the Organization. The United Nations, being the foremost international Organization for setting standards for governments and other organizations, needs to review the case of this Applicant as this will serve not only the ends of justice but also to reassure whistleblowers that they are indeed protected. (paragraphs 75 and 76).

Amen!

UN whistleblowers could certainly use the Secretary-General’s reassurance. The UN Ethics Office, which is charged with reviewing retaliation complaints and safeguarding the interests of UN whistleblowers, has only found retaliation and recommended relief in one of the approximately 297 retaliation complaints that it has received since its launch in 2006. And that outlier whistleblower has yet to be fully protected from retaliation. The Secretary-General should take action in that case – and Ms. Dzuverovic’s – to ensure that justice is done.

In addition, GAP recommends that the UN General Assembly revisit the deadline for submitting a request for Management Evaluation and an application to the Tribunal. The 60-day statute of limitations is a major flaw in the UN justice system. According to best practice whistleblower policies from around the world, six months is the minimum functional statute of limitations for whistleblowers to become aware of or act on their rights … and one-yearstatutes of limitations are consistent with common law rights and are preferable. Also, a review should be done of the propriety of OIOS’ decision not to investigate Dzuverovic’s disclosures due to “resource constraints” and, if any of the alleged wrongdoers remain employed by UN-HABITAT, an investigation should be opened.

Shelley Walden is International Officer for the Government Accountability Project, the nation's leadingwhistleblower protection and advocacy organization.

Liberia: UNMIL in Double Deal? (corruption scandal at United Nations)

CORRUPTION

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS STORY ON ALLAFRICA.COM 

The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) Procurement Section has been accused of running a corrupt syndicate where a total of US$95,000 reportedly changed hand to award a contract to a local firm FMT Construction company rather than the Universal Impex Inc., which is said to have won the bid.

The Liberia Scrap Association said UNMIL's purchasing department allegedly received US$30,000.00 during its first bidding process, while in the second and third processes, it received US$15,000 and US$50,000.00 respectively to award the bid to FMT Construction Company in contravention of the Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC) law.

But the Mission has denied any wrongdoing or manipulations in its procurement process. UNMIL said it deals even-handedly with all potential bidding companies. The Mission Chief of Public Information, Isabella Abric told this paper Tuesday in Monrovia that all bidding procedures to award contracts are in line with UN procurement regulations.

"UNMIL has insured that it procurement procedures in place are in line with the national laws. The Mission works with government and specific concerned ministries and agencies such as the Ministry of Land, Mines and Energy, and Environmental Protection Agency," she noted.

And this, she continued, "Is to make sure that all bidders have the proper documentation such as a valid environmental protection certificate and license." She said there were various requirements that a firm should fulfill to be awarded a contract, including the capacity to deliver the service being required.

UNMIL, Isabella said, "Nevertheless takes any allegation of possible wrongdoing very seriously. If there is any substantial case, based on evidence, it is investigated both by the Mission and New York Headquarters."

She indicated that specifically, the company offered the highest bid did not have a valid scrap dealer's license at the time of bidding, saying "The highest bidder does not always win the bid as the winner of the bid needs to be in full compliance with the bidding procedure and provide the appropriate documentation."

About the two previous cases, the Chief of Public Information said UNMIL discovered that some of the bidders did not have the proper documentation, and the process had to start again because the alleged winner was not in compliance with the bidding procedures.

She denied report that UNMIL Chief Procurement Officer, Josie Vallimin was sacked from her post in line with the alleged corruption syndicate. Isabella said her colleague (Josie) was transferred to another office not because of claims in the local media.

However, the Liberia Scrap Association has insisted that the winner of the bid, FMT Construction Company was never qualified by the technical team, noting that one Esia Esam, (then Head of UNMIL Environmental Unit), who unscrupulously and unilaterally submitted FMT Construction Company.

"This proves that there is a syndicate operation within UNMIL Procurement and Technical Units that award scrap contracts to those, who offered bribe, because why will FMT Construction be awarded a contract that it wasn't qualified for,?" the scrap dealers questioned.

In a written communication to the Minister of State for Legal Affairs Seaward Cooper, the Liberia Scrap Association said FMT Construction Company was never qualified by the technical team set up to screen the submissions, adding "One Esia Esam (then Environmental Unit Head-UNMIL), unscrupulously and unilaterally submitted FMT Construction Company as technically qualified, when he wasn't qualified."

The association said during the bidding processes, Universal Impex Inc. with license # SD-002-1100-12 emerged as winner of all three bids, but instead, UNMIL awarded the bid to FMT Construction Company.

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS STORY ON ALLAFRICA.COM 

UNJUSTICE.ORG: A Serbian retaliated for blowing the whistle at UN Habitat - Justice denied at United Nations.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS ARTICLE ON UNJUSTICE.ORG

UNJUST: WHEN AN OUTSTANDING FEMALE STAFFER LOSES HER JOB AND PENSION ENTITLEMENTS FOR BLOWING THE WHISTLE ON THE UNITED NATIONS

3 April 2012

UNJustice is gravely concerned with the information received regarding the situation of Vesna Dzuverovic, 62, of the Republic of Serbia, a fully qualified former UN-Habitat professional staffer whose contract was not renewed only five months short of qualifying for a UN pension, purportedly in retaliation for reporting a case of suspected misconduct.

In particular, UNJustice is concerned with the decision to transfer the woman the week immediately after she reported wrongdoings in recruitment and procurement within her Unit to the Office of Internal Oversight Service (OIOS). The transfers continued each year for four years until Ms. Dzuverovic's contract expired and they appear to have been decided by the same manager who is responsible for the non-renewal of her contract.

UNJustice is disturbed by the fact that the Chief of the Investigations Section at OIOS finally dismissed Ms. Dzuverovic's report on the irregularities in her Unit, citing arguments which strain credibility and logic, such as "financial restraints and limited resources".

UNJustice is also alarmed that, since her contract expired in 1999, Ms. Dzuverovic, who has more then ten years of experience working with the United Nations, has been trying for years to find another post with the Organization. However, she has been unable to obtain any work in a UN position, including posts in hardship places or posts for which she is over-qualified.

During her time working at UN-Habitat, Ms. Dzuverovic doubled the delivery rate of her Unit. A native speaker of Serbo-Croat, she has passed the UN Language Proficiency Examinations in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Prior to joining the Organization as a UN staffer, she worked as an economist, journalist, diplomat and as a UN Volunteer for about five years.

As a UN official has warned Ms. Dzuverovic, she may have been illegally "blacklisted" in the UN System for reporting the misconduct and for exercising her right to bring her grievance before the formal system of administration of justice of the United Nations.

UNJustice deeply regrets learning that the strong ethical elements of Ms. Dzuverovic's case have also repeatedly been brought to the attention of the Panel on Discrimination and Other Grievances, the Staff Committee, the Ombudsman's Office, the Ethics Office, Office of Staff Legal Assistance, the Management Evaluation Unit and the Administrative Tribunal of the United Nations. However, they have been unable to ensure that Ms. Dzuverovic obtains any meaningful redress and the case is now pending before the UN Dispute Tribunal.

Unfortunately, an appeal in favour of Ms. Dzuverovic, sent by the Government Accountability Project (GAP) to the UN Administration in May 2011, also seems to have gone unheard.

The improper treatment of Ms. Dzuverovic's case has put her health at risk, destroyed her career and damaged her livelihood, pushing her into a struggle for survival with the Organization.

"The wrongdoings in my office were serious, like granting subcontracts to some anonymous firms without the bidding procedure and then asking me to approve it with my signature, or buying the most expensive air-ticket (instead of the most economical one) for a consultant because he thought it would be great to combine a mission with a visit to his wife who lived in a neighbouring country.... and then asking me to sign for it.

However, the worst part of this whole ordeal, as far as I am concerned personally, regarded my father. He was with me at the duty station in Kenya. He had a stroke and was in a wheelchair; he was 82. Because of my conflict with my boss, who turned my two-year contract into countless one-month contracts, my father could not be treated as my dependant although he was completely dependent on me. When I lost my UN job, I could not take him home to Belgrade because of bombardments there and the war; the airports were closed. I had to stay in Nairobi where I was, and nobody wanted to give me any UN job whatsoever; everybody was afraid of my opponent, he was so powerful. Can one highly-positioned manager overrule the recommendations of a panel on discrimination, gender unit, staff association...?

A woman who lost her employment with the UN in her fifties and is trying to find a new one in the UN in her sixties as an external candidate, with the reputation of a whistleblower - could never find a new post in the UN without the assistance of an internal ombudsman or some other body in charge. Such a person in that age group cannot get any employment anywhere; hence the UN's obligation to take responsibility for the fate of such a former staff member if it was the UN to put that person in that difficult situation, as in my case.

This is an old story which I cannot let go of because I feel that the UN owes me something and because my future depends on it. However, I truly believe that it is the UN that has a bigger problem here than I have. I wish somebody at the UN would analyse this case and draw the conclusions.... ", says Vesna Dzuverovic.

We can't but note that this case raises serious issues about effective whistleblowing protection at the United Nations, with very complex and far-reaching legal and humanitarian implications. No-one with a modicum of sensitivity can remain indifferent to Ms. Dzuverovic's situation and we hope that the UN Administration will treat this case, and other similar cases, with the fairness they deserve.

Please take action to demand justice and effective protection for whistleblowers at the United Nations.

Related information:

Chief, Investigations Section, OIOS, to Ms.Vesna Dzuverovic -letter, 28 August 1996-

Joe Torsella of USUN fails in his attempt to have internal audits published for the public (nice try Joe...you'll do better next time....in 2 years)

Joe Torsella ‏ @USJoe_UN

• · Open

And, in a blow to #transparency and common sense, #UN fails to approve plan to post #OIOS reports. I thought April Fools Day was yesterday.

undpwatch ‏ @undpwatch

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@USJoe_UN it's nice 2 dream big, its just won't happen @UN only way out is @roslehtinen proposal 2 cut budget. @secgen #G77 gets it hard way