UN
Master Plan Still Fuzzy On the Numbers, Dismissive of Skanska Scandal,
But May Save Trees
Byline:
Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS, March 6 -- The head of the
UN's Capital Master Plan, Michael Adlerstein, came Thursday to tell the
press that the project is within its $1.867 billion budget, and that a
new "swing space" has been leased at 380 Madison Avenue. The promise and
premise of the briefing was that Adlerstein is keeping the public
informed about all aspects of the project to, as he put it, avoid even
the appearance of impropriety. But Adlerstein refused to state how much
the UN will be paying in rent at 380 Madison; his office declined to
answer Inner City Press' question of how much in "associated funding,"
beyond the $1.867 billion, is being sought from the UN General
Assembly's Fifth Committee (Budgetary and Administrative), and whether
the swing space at 380 Madison is "MOSS compliant," a term much in use
at the UN following the bombing of the UN in Algiers in December.
Inner City Press asked
for an update on issues surrounding the general contractor Skanska,
including what in Argentina is routinely called the "Skanska
scandal," involving
bribery to get a gas-related contract. Adlerstein said he doesn't like
or agree with the
phrase
Skanska scandal. Video
here.
Inner City Press asked him to confirm he has written an ethics letter to
his staff. Adlerstein said yes, he did so on the topic of avoiding even
the appearance of impropriety. But to not answer basic budgetary
questions hardly appears proper. And his claim that the $1.867 billion
figure still stands and will stand will be put to the test by the Board
of Auditors, which previously exposed the CMP as $219 million over
budget.
Michael Adlerstein, ethics
letter not shown, but trees may be saved
In more positive news, it appears
that the UN is considering relocating some of its trees, including
gifts from the Japanese mission, to keep them safe during construction.
Inner City Press asked Capital Master Plan spokesman Werner Schmidt if
he could confirm that the Bronx-based NY Botanical Garden, where the
CMP's Michael Adlerstein used to work, is coming to check out and even
price relocation of the trees. "There are tree issues," Schmidt replied.
"We are talking to a number" of entities, "including the Botanical
Garden." Watch this site.
* * *
These reports are
usually also available through
Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click
here for a
Reuters
AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army.
Click
here
for an earlier
Reuters AlertNet
piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's
$200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.
Video
Analysis here
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