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

After KFC's Photo Op with UN's Treki, No UN Action on KFC or Parent Yum! Brands

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 26 -- In a breakdown of security in UN headquarters, a man off the street impersonating fried chicken magnate Colonel Sanders on behalf of KFC had a photo op with UN General Assembly President Ali Treki on October 22, before as Inner City Press first reported going to the UN Security Council stakeout microphone where Council Ambassadors speak.

  The publicity stunt was carried out by KFC and its parent, Yum! Brands, which has a partnership with the UN World Food Program. On October 26, Inner City Press asked UN spokesperson Michele Montas what the UN system will do about being used by Yum! Brands. She said the Office of Legal Affairs is looking into it. But OLA chief Patricia O'Brien has refused to answer questions about past corporate uses of the UN and its name and logo, including in corporate press releases.

  While the UN is saying that "an NGO" signed him in, and a security officer erroneously escorted him around, mistaking the white suited imposter as a visiting dignitary, Ali Treki has his own security detail, paid by the UN. How could Colonel Sanders get in?

UN's Treki and Col. Sanders, per KFC

  Inner City Press on October 26 asked Treki's spokesman Jean Victor Nkolo:

Inner City Press: Jean Victor, I’m sorry this is one more on this whole “KFC-gate” situation. Is it… Can you, I mean, can you confirm that [inaudible] impersonator or advertising man actually met with the President of the General Assembly Treki and if so what does that say about his own security?

Spokesperson: I wouldn’t call that a meeting. There was no meeting, no appointment scheduled with the actor impersonating Colonel Sanders. But I can confirm that he, that Colonel Sanders was wandering about the second floor and there was a brief encounter with the President of the General Assembly. Yes. Any other question?

Inner City Press: On the Internet, there is a picture of the two of them shaking hands with the UN flag there, so have you seen this photo?

Spokesperson: I have seen these photos. I just cannot really add much on what Michele has already told you. The commercial exploitation of the UN emblem, and logos and flags is definitively unacceptable and, you know, the President of the General Assembly, somebody walked into his office and wanted to shake hands and he shook hands because he is a very polite man in a sense.

  As Inner City Press was also first to report, Treki when asked called homosexuality -- and by extension homosexuals -- "not acceptable." Some now joke: but a photo op with Colonel Sanders is acceptable?

  In terms of the UN standing up to corporations, at least those which openly abuse it, Inner City Press on October 26 asked UN Spokesperson Michele Montas:

Inner City Press: I’m wondering from, I mean, Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC is owned by something called Yum Brands, a conglomerate. It actually has a kind of a partnership deal with the World Food Programme and puts out press releases saying we work with the World Food Programme obviously trying to advertise itself. What’s the UN going to do on it, because KFC also wrote a letter supposedly to the Secretary-General. Are you aware, they’ve put on their website a letter they claim…

Spokesperson Montas: I can tell you that the Secretary-General never received that letter.

Inner City Press: Okay.

Spokesperson: And, at any rate, that letter is void to us. It has absolutely no meaning whatsoever. The UN cannot be involved in a commercial venture, period.

Inner City Press: But then, so what are the repercussions for Yum Brands or KFC for having kind of used the UN somewhat effectively to advertise themselves.

Spokesperson: Well this is being, being touched upon by our legal department.

  While under the previously UN administration, some fight back at corporations which used and abused the UN was undertaken and describe, now under OLA chief Patricia O'Brien, questions in this regard aren't taken or answered. Should KFC and Yum! Brands' taking things to the next level, openly making a mockery of the UN a la Ali G, be any surprise? Watch this site.