UNITED
NATIONS, May 3
-- In the
spirit of the
May Day
protest by UN
staff
against
working
conditions and
"forced
relocations,"
Inner
City Press has
obtained and
is exclusively
publishing a
UN Department
of
Peacekeeping
Operations /
DFS memo
bragging about
"abolishing"
posts "in line
with the
reduction of
peacekeeping
activities in
the field."
This
line from the
February 12,
2013 DPKO memo
rings false,
as its chief
Herve Ladsous
pushing for a
mission in
former French
colony Mali,
and
for a build up
in the Eastern
Congo.
But
still DPKO
wants to cut
jobs, perhaps
to replace
them with
drones
like Ladsous
proposes with
the
peacekeepers
in Cote
d'Ivoire .
In
the memo, DPKO
/ DFS eschews
any review of
how it makes
the cuts,
writing that
"since most of
the posts were
unique in
functions
and levels it
was impossible
to use a
Comparative
Review
exercise."
Of
2012, DPKO /
DFS writes of
"23 posts
abolished in
New York and
established in
UNGSC. 16
staff members
affected, six
professionals
and 10 General
Service
staff." And
still more
cuts are
slated
for July 2013
-- even as
Ladsous moves
to staff up in
Mali.
As
we
reported, also
exclusively
("obsessively,"
Ladsous or
his spokesman
might allege)
earlier today,
the Department
of General
Assembly and
Conference
Management
under "Next
Steps" urged
to "be
prepared for
any possible
UNDT cases
(assemble good
records)."
DPKO / DFS
says to "be
prepared for
any possible
UNDT cases."
UNDT is
the UN Dispute
Tribunal. Did
DPKO / DFS
"assemble good
records" to
defend its
abolition of
posts?
Of
most concern
to DGACM,
according to
its memo, was
and is "staff
being
intimidated by
a small (?)
group of
outspoken
staff."
That
would be the
staff members
who proposed
the "no
confidence"
resolution as
to Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
leadership,
which
passed
overwhelmingly.
Rather
than learn any
lesson from
that vote --
for example,
don't in
response to a
Press question
call those who
work for you
"selfish,"
as Ban
characterized
those staff in
New York who
oppose his
mobility
proposal --
management
blames it on a
"small (?)
group of
outspoken
staff."
And
you know, on
World Press
Freedom Day,
the UN doesn't
like those who
are
"outspoken."
At the WPFD
event,
Ladsous'
spokesman
Kieran Dwyer
justified
Ladsous'
refusal to
answer any
questions
from
Inner City
Press, here.
But we will
continue
reporting -
persistently.
Watch this
site.
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