UN
Guterres
Snubbed
#MeTooUN Club and
When Inner
City Press Asks
of Standard
Dodging Is Reply
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS,
June 29 – UN
Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres on
May 14 in
Vienna
told UN
staff that sexual exploitation
and abuse is
not relevant,
only sexual
harassment is.
This statement
was made amid
allegations
of physical
sexual abuse
by UNAIDS'
Luiz Loures,
and the
purchase of
sex by a D1 UN
official
in Somalia.
Are those cases
of harassment?
Inner City
Press asked
the UN to
explain
Guterres' statement,
below - and
then was
informed by
sources in
Vienna that
the #MeTooUN problem
there is wider
than
heretofor
reported. Now on
June 29, Inner
City Press
asked
Guterres'
spokesman Stephane
Dujarric about
the UN's
exposed
failures on
sexual
harassment, UN
transcript here: Inner
City Press: on
the issue of
sexual
harassment in
the UN,
seemingly
ineffective
investigation
mechanisms
about Jina
Moore’s story
in the New
York Times, basically,
there’s three
things about
it I want to
ask you
about.
One seems to
say that… that
when… here in
Headquarters,
when a person
went to
complain on
behalf of a
victim, they
were told that
they would
have to tell
everything
that they
knew, and that
their
identity, as
well as the
victim’s,
would be
turned over
to… to the
alleged
perpetrator.
I also wanted
to ask you
about a
comment… a
part of the
article where
it says that
it was said
that a
supervisor
saying they
“liked having
loose women
with sexy
clothes in the
office” wasn’t
considered
harassment.
This is a
direct quote
from the
article, so
I’m not… and
the other one
I guess… you
know, it has
to do with…
with
inconsistency
between UNFPA
and World Food
Programme
(WFP) in terms
of even the
standard of
proof they
apply to
complaints, so
what is the--
Spokesman:
Listen, I
think… I
can’t… I have
no doubt of
the veracity
of, of the
quotes in the
story.
I’m not going
to try to, I
have no reason
to doubt that
and I can’t
comment on
these, on
these
cases.
Obviously,
those kinds of
comments as
you made are
unacceptable
in this
workplace or
any other
workplace.
You know, at
the urging of
the
Secretary-General
over the last
few months, I
think OIOS
[Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services] has
clearly
upgraded the
way it handles
sexual
harassment
investigations
and puts a
priority on
them. It
is in the
process of
hiring a whole
batch of
investigators
that will be
specialized in
sexual
harassment
cases.
Overwhelmingly
we hope that
this new group
of
investigators
will be women
investigators.
The aim of
their, their
approach is
really a
victim-centred
approach to
conduct the
interviews in
a way that is
mindful of the
issue that is
being talked
about and
obviously,
considered
cultural and
community-based,
based
issues.
I think we’ve,
overall, there
is now a much
better system
to handle
these
complaints.
There is a,
there is a
hotline that
is fully
functioning.
We are in the
process of
populating a
system-wide
database of
people who
have been let
go for sexual
harassment
reasons or who
have left, who
have left the
Organization
prior to the
conclusion of
an
investigation
and that will
enable the
system to do
better
reference
checks to make
sure people
don’t get let
go, and leave
one part of
the UN system
to be hired,
to be hired by
another.
This is a, a
top priority
of the
Secretary-General
and as he’s
often said, he
also sees it
as a power
issue, as a
gender, gender
power issue,
and that’s why
he’s already
achieved more
than 50 per
cent gender
balance in
the, in the
senior
management
group, in the,
in the RCs
[Resident
Coordinator].
I think this
is something
that is very,
very close to,
to the heart
of the
Secretary-General.
Obviously,
part of the
work of the
CEB [Chief
Executives
Board] that
was done a
couple of
months ago is
the, the
harmonization
of policies
across the
system, to
make sure that
things are,
are dealt
with, inasmuch
as they can,
in the same
manner.
Obviously, a
lot of the
organizations
have different
governing
bodies,
different
structures and
different
rules, but
this is a… the
issue of
sexual
harassment is
one that all
of the leaders
of the UN
system are
fully seized
of.
Inner
City Press:
Thanks
a lot.
When you say,
when you say
harmonization,
what is the
standard of
proof?
Is it beyond a
reasonable
doubt, or is
it clear and
convincing
evidence?
It seems to
like…
Spokesman:
I think… it’s
obviously one
of the issues
that, that
they’re trying
to, to look
at.
Inner
City Press:
And
on OIOS, I had
asked you
earlier in the
week, and you
had said, you
know, you
don’t keep
track of
people’s
leave, which
is a fine
answer, except
that Heidi
Mendoza is the
USG
[Under-Secretary-General],
so I, I felt
like, I
thought if the
USG goes on
leave for any
length of
time, there’s
an officer in
charge and I’m
asking because
there are
other issues
that are in
front of OIOS
in which
there’s been
no action, so
is she… is
there an
officer-in-charge
or not?
Spokesman:
There’s
always…
there’s always
an
officer-in-charge.
Inner
City Press:
Who is the
officer-in-charge?
Spokesman:
I don’t know
who the
officer-in-charge,
but there’s
already
somebody in
charge, and
right now, I’m
in charge." And
then as usual
he moved on. Back
on June
22, Inner City
Press
asked
Guterres'
Dujarric: Inner
City Press: On
sexual
harassment in
the UN system,
I'm sure
you've seen
there's
something… a
group called
the UN
Feminist
Network of
staff.
They've raised
some concerns
that the
Secretary-General's
CEB [Chief
Executives
Board] task
force is not
sufficiently
considering
victims, and
they've
specifically
asked him to
hold a
town-hall
meeting where
people can
share their
experience.
And I know
that in Vienna
this came
up. It
was a little
unclear… it
was in a
town-hall
meeting where
he was asked
to permit
it.
What's his
response to
the UN
Feminist
Network and
their…
Spokesman:
Look, I know
our colleagues
in the
Department of
Management
have been in
touch with
them.
It's very
important for
us to hear all
voices, and we
will continue
to listen."
But will
Guterres, who
turned down
the #MeToo
club, even
hold the
requested Town
Hall meeting?
An
abrupt
resignation at
the
International
Atomic Energy
Agency in
Vienna, of
Tero
Varjoranta, was
by
some like Reuters
linked
to
Trump's
pull out from
the Iran JPCOA
deal. But
Inner City
Press is exclusively
informed
it is more tied to
an incident witnessed
by many, and
inquired into
by press
pursuing the
impunity in
the UN system
for sexual harassament
and
abuse. Inner
City Press'
source,
understandably
afraid of
retaliation
in Guterres'
UN (which
continues to restrict
Inner City
Press) says,
"at a senior
management
retreat at the
start of the
year, the Deputy Director
General
was seen to
publicly 'kiss
a female
subordinate
long and hard'
and then was
seen retiring
to the bed
chamber with
the female
person.
Nonetheless,
Amano approved
a contract
extension for
the DDG
subsequently.
An
investigative
journalist
from [a]
magazine
pursuing the #MeToo syndrome
in the UN
system visited
Vienna and was
made aware of
this incident
along with
other previous
incidents
involving
safeguards
staff and
female
subordinates.
Why the DG
asked for the
resignation
now remains a
mystery. In my
view the DG
also should
resign for his
cover up -
but he is
laying the
ground for a
fourth term
citing DPRK
denuclearization." If
the Director
General urged
the exit in
order to cover
up, is he
little more
than another
Michel Sidebe,
the UNAIDS
director whose
resignation
is being
sought? And
what does
Guterres
support of Sidibe,
and oblivious
or worse junket
through this
UN killing
field say
about him? Guterres'
statement
was made at a staff Town
Hall meeting
for which he
was 45 minutes
late. After he
said it, a
staff member
complained
that her application
to set up a
#MeToo club
had been denied and
would Guterres
help? He did not
say yes. So on
May 15 in New
York, Inner City
Press asked
Guterres'
deputy
spokesman
Farhan Haq, UN
transcript here: Inner
City Press: At
yesterday's
town-hall
meeting in
Vienna, one of
the questions
from the floor
was from a
self-described
victim of
sexual
harassment
within the UN
system, and
she asked
Secretary-General
whether he
supported the
idea of a "me
too" club, I
guess, within
the UN in
Vienna.
He didn't seem
to say
yes. He
seemed to say,
well, if I
understand it
better.
She said, do
you support
it, and they
just moved
on. Can
you say now
does the
Secretary-General
support the
idea?
She was
apparently
rejected by
the UN in
Vienna to set
up this, such
a club.
Does he
support that
idea, and will
he follow up
with the staff
member who
asked him this
explicitly in
the town-hall
meeting?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, first,
we are trying
to get input
from all staff
about what
needs to
happen in
order to deal
more
effectively
with sexual
harassment,
including
through a
survey of
staff, and so
we will try to
evaluate what
staff broadly
say and see
what steps
need to be
taken." Oh. Guterres
also on May 14
said his
attempted
reform of the
UN development
system had
"passed
silence," with
but without
assessed
contributions.
On May
15 Inner City
Press also
asked Haq: He
also seemed to
say that, I
don't know if
that the
assessed
contributions,
that the
reform of the
development
system had
passed through
silence
procedure; it
still has not
been voted on,
but he seemed
to say that
it's passed,
but without
the Resident
Coordinator
system being
funded through
assessed
contributions.
What is his
plan, given
that it seems
like that he
thinks that
now it's going
to be approved
by the General
Assembly,
hasn’t passed
through, what
is the plan to
actually fund
these resident
coordinators?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, first,
we will see
what the final
results are
once the
Member States
agree on
it. We
hope in the
coming days we
will be able
to provide
some details
about what the
development
reform is
about. " Back
on May 14 in
New York at
the UN noon
briefing Inner
City Press
asked
Guterres' deputy spokesman
Farhan Haq if
Guteres doesn't
think the
Loures cases
is about
sexual abuse,
beyond harassment.
Haq
seemed to say
Guterres uses
these terms
based on the
identify of
the victim, not the
use of force
or economic
pressure.
#MeTooUN?
Days
after first
banning the
Press from his
photo ops with
Al
Sharpton
and new
Political
Affairs chief
Rosemary
DiCarlo then
prohibiting
Inner City
Press'
livestreaming
of a photo op
with Finland's
foreign
minister even
though UN
Television
shot video
and audio
there, the UN
in Vienna is
promoting
this, with no
mention if
Periscope is
allowed or
not:
1.
Photo opportunity
with the
Secretary-General
and the Austrian
Chancellor Sebastian
Kurz
Date: Monday 14 May
2018
Time: 12.55 p.m.
please arrive by
12:30 p.m.
Venue: Austrian
Chancellery,
Marmoreksalon,
Chancellery
2. Joint press
stakeout with the
Secretary-General
and the Austrian
Chancellor Sebastian
Kurz
Date: Monday 14 May
2018
Time: 2.15 p.m.
Venue: Austrian
Chancellery, Grauer
Ecksalon,
Chancellery
3. Photo opportunity
with the
Secretary-General
and the Austrian
President Alexander
Van der Bellen
Date: Monday 14 May
2018
Time: 2.35 p.m.
Venue: Hofburg,
Ballhausplatz, 1010,
Vienna
4. Joint press
stakeout with the
Secretary-General
and the Austrian
President Alexander
Van der Bellen
Date: Monday 14 May
2018
Time: 3.10 p.m.
Venue: Hofburg,
Ballhausplatz, 1010,
Vienna
5. Photo opportunity
with the
Secretary-General
and the Austrian
Foreign Minister
Karin Kneissl
Date: Monday 14 May
2018
Time: 3.30 p.m.,
please arrive by 3
p.m.
Venue: Austrian
Foreign Ministry,
Minoritenplatz 8,
1010 Vienna
6. Photo opportunity
for the arrival of
the
Secretary-General at
the Vienna
International Centre
Date: Monday 14 May
2018
Time: 4.10 p.m.,
please arrive by
3.45 p.m.
Venue: Plaza, Vienna
International Centre
Guterres'
lead spokesman
(speechwriter?)
Stephane
Dujarric
appeared to be
with him,
kissing cheeks
in Vienna. And
what of the
growing
#MeTooUN
issues while
he is in
Vienna? Is
Guterres going to take
his absurd
restrictions on and
censorship of the
Press on the road? Or
create a double
standard where the
restrictions apply
only inside UN
headquarters? How long
will he continue his
rote expressions of
support for UNAIDS'
Michel Sidibe, who
threatened staff with
retaliation for
speaking about against
Luiz Loures? And given
the statements, when
will Guterres have to
start recusing
himself? Watch this
site. Last month
Guterres slightly
delayed his trip to
Saudi Arabia, but not
by much. After
accepting a $930
million check from the
Saudi Crown Prince and
in remarks not
mentioning the
civilians deaths
caused by Saudi
bombing of Yemen, now
Guterres has delivered
again, remarks
praising Saudi
Arabia's counter
terrorism work. Some
find it ironic; some
call this trip "Blood
Money II." But duty
called. Before he
left, Guterres who
refused actually
pointed Press
questions with
dismissive wave of the
hand, delivered a 20
minute interview to
Saudi aligned media.
Now there, he is
quoted with more
praise of Saudi, by
the Saudi Press Agency
(to which his UN has
given office space and
full access while evicting
and
restricting the
independent Press).
The UN has yet to send
out a transcript of
Guterres' craven
remarks quoted by the
Saudi Press Agency,
sending so far only a
speech beginning "Your
Excellency, Foreign
Minister al-Jubeir,
Your Excellency,
Ambassador
Al-Mouallimi, I want
to express my deep
gratitude to the
Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia for its
generous support to
the United Nations
Counter-Terrorism
Centre, a support
without which the
Centre, would probably
never have been able
to be born. And I
thank Ambassador Al
Mouallimi for his able
chairmanship of this
Advisory Board... I
recently launched the
United Nations Global
Counter-Terrorism
Compact, which I
signed with the heads
of 36 UN entities, the
INTERPOL and the World
Customs Organization."
INTERPOL, of course,
is used by some
governments to arrest
or travel ban their
opponents. We'll have
more on this. Only a
week before as
Guterres took off on
his trip to China,
Inner City Press which
has pursued the UN
bribery scandals of Ng
Lap Seng and now the
China Energy Fund
Committee asked
Guterres' spokesman
Stephane Dujarric on
April 6 if Guterres
will address any of
these issues during
his five days in the
country. Dujarric was
dismissive, and ended
the briefing. Video here;
UN transcript
here and below.
This cutting off of
public quesitons
happened after
Guterres gave a
private (self)
promotional interview
to China's state media
Xinhua, touting the
trip and China as
"absolutely essential"
on the North Korea
nuclear issue.
Dujarric race off the
podium made it
impossible to ask him
for Guterres' opinion
on if the gifts given
to Kim Jong Un on his
recent train trip to
China violated the
UN's 1718 sanctions.
Then again, the UN's
own World Intellectual
Property Organization
helped on North
Korea's cyanide
patents without
telling the 1718
Committee, and
Guterres has been as
hands-off with WIPO's
Gurry as he has been
with UNAIDS' Michel
Sidibe on the sexual
harassment and
retaliation scandal.
We'll have more on
this.
***
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