Why USUN doesn't hold United Nations Development Programme to the same transparency standards applied by State Department and USAID?

Under the Obama administration and Secretary Hilton leadership the transparency at State Department and USAID has visibly increased. To this effect the USAID has made public its Headquarters and Field Credit Card Holders. (Click here for the link at USAID webpage).

While the above applaudable move is welcomed, seems that at United States Mission to the U.N. not interested to hold the U.N., and especially its operational branches UNDP and UNOPS, to the same standards the US Government has set for its own.

The failure of UNDP/UNOPS to publish the list of all UNDP/OPS Credit Cards holders, seem to be related to the list of individuals who otherwise would not be able to hold a credit card based on financial rules.

An informed source says that few of Credit Card holders are not even staff, they hold various temporary contractual status and thus, as per U.N. Financial Regulation should not be in position to neither authorize nor incur expenditures on behalf of the organization.

Consider that many of these expenses are "small", meaning less than $2,500, most if not all escape the internal controls under the so called "approval authority threshold".

Click here to see past UNDP Watch story on Credit Card usage.

What is the reason behind United Nations continuous denial to these basic transparency requirements which seem every other member states have already endorsed and is conforming to ?

UNDP SCANDAL: Official Credit Cards charges at UNDP reached $416 million at end of 2010

UNDP high level management, including Resident Representatives and Regional Directors whom have been given Corporate Credit Cards, have spent almost half a billion dollars in Credit Cards charges.

Internal communications at Office of Finance show that UNDP had major difficulties to closing its books for 2010 given the absence of satisfactory expenditure proof towards Credit Card charges by its high level managers thru-ought its the corporate organigrame. Many of these managers have claimed "approval thresholds rights" given to them by UNDP's Comptroller.

Many claimed representation expenses, office or travel related expenses, etc. But the fact is that much of the charges are not supported or substantiated by paper trail. 82% of the charges are less than $2,500 and thus very difficult to track.

One Finance staff said that many of the charges do not comply with UNDP's corporate regulations and instructions. The staff said that: "if UNDP would be asked by member states to provide a detailed expenditure breakdown of its Corporate Credit Cards usage it can only account for only about 16% of current half a billion accumulated bills".

The above credit card charges span in a period of two years. UNDP's Bureau of Management is refusing to publish a detailed expenditure list of Credit Cards thru out the organization, which means that Member states who fund the organization will never be able to scrutinize the usage of such "extra" expenditures by higher management at UNDP.

Would United Nations Member states ever know where all this money went?