On
Haiti
Cholera,
Honore Defers
to UN Legal
Division,
O'Brien Still
Around
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 28 --
When the UN's
new envoy to
Haiti Sandra
Honore
came to take
questions on
Wednesday,
there was an
obvious one to
be
asked.
Inner City
Press asked
her about the
UN's dismissal
of claims
it brought
cholera to
Haiti and
whether this
undermined the
UN's
credibility in
the country
(and
elsewhere). Video
here, from
Minute
0:33.
Sandra
Honore was
prepared,
rattled off
statistics
about the
country's
three
year need for
$443 million,
47% of which
has been
pledged, but
then
added that she
was not in the
position to
add more, that
the issue is
being dealt
with in the
Legal Division
at UN
Headquarters
and that it
is not the
practice of
the UN to
discuss in
public such
claims.
Yes,
this
undermines the
UN's
credibility.
The UN
preaches about
accountability,
and
transparency.
Then when
accused of
bringing in a
disease,
negligently,
which has
killed over
8,000 people,
the UN said
it cannot
discuss the
claims in
public.
Since
the Office of
Legal Affairs
has already
dismissed the
claims, to say
they are being
dealt with
there might
imply the UN
knows it is
going
to be sued.
What will new
OLA chief from
Portugal do?
What will he
say?
Sources in OLA
tell Inner
City Press he
is taking on
many staff
from his
predecessor
Patricia
O'Brien.
There's talk
of a less than
transparent
extension for
Ms. O'Brien,
who most
thought had
left, and
some last
minute deals.
We'll have
more on this.
Inner
City Press
also asked
Sandra Honore
about the
delay, after
she was
nominated, in
being accepted
as UN Envoy by
the Martelly
government.
In responding
Sandra Honore
took the high
road, saying
she began on
July 15 and
has been
working hard.
In
terms of
process, there
may be hard
work in UN
Headquarters
but the
audio quality
and volume of
questions
asked at the
UN Security
Council, even
with a boom
microphone,
was
sub-standard,
not only for
Inner City
Press but for
the other
journalist who
asked
questions.
The
Free
UN Coalition
for Access,
@FUNCA_info,
has asked the
question
"why" to the
UN official in
charge,
Stephane
Dujarric, to
UN TV and to
Team People,
the
low-bidding UN
contractor. So
far, no
response. Ah,
accountability.
Watch this
site.
, 
