Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the United Nations to Wall Street to the Inner City

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 5 -- Back in January 2012, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, “I have already asked my senior staff, who are completing five-year terms to find other positions or leave the organization.” He added that this “ five-year rule is my own initiative.”

   But is this “rule” being complied with?

On August 5, Inner City Press asked Ban's Associate Spokesperson Vannina Maestracci about a few sample “hold-over” officials in their UN posts for more than five years. Maestracci said some people are irreplaceable, or hard to replace.

Inner City Press asked if there is any process for Ban to waive this five year rule. No process, Maestracci replied.

So Inner City Press asked if Ban's Spokesperson's office, which has refused for weeks Inner City Press' request for a list of Ban's ten, or even five, last trips on private jets not paid for from the UN's general budget, could at least provide a list of UN officials who have been allowed to stay on past five years, despite Ban's stated rule.

   Inner City Press has begun to compile a list, but one would think the UN would have one.

  If you have the list, just publish it, Maestracci said. To this has the UN descended. Instead of providing any answer, Ban's spokesperson's office says, go ahead and keep asking (on travel). Or, go ahead and publish, on this.

  Robert Serry said on television his been in his post six years. But he is leaving, on PNG-ed, this Fall.

  But what about Matthew Nimetz, UN envoy on the "name issue" of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia -- in place since 1999, that is, FIFTEEN years? Click for his date of appointment.

What about Peter Sutherland on Migration, since 2006?

What about Philippe Douste-Blazy, UN envoy on Innovative Financing, since February 2008, about whom Inner City Press have previously asked questions, here and then here? It is better to answer questions, when public positions and member states' money is at stake. We'll have more on this. Watch this site.