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

As UN Breaks Ground, Cracks Develop in Swing Space Plan, City Records Show

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, May 5 -- It was a sunny morning Monday as UN officials and Ambassadors used shiny ceremonial shovels to break ground in front of the East River for a temporary conference building for some function to move to during a renovation of its headquarters. But storm clouds were gathered one block west, at the Albano Building to which 700 UN staff members are slated to move. A Partial Stop Work Order was glued to the glass front door of 311 East 46th Street, for unsafe work conditions.

Of even more concern was a stop work order for the construction site next door at 315 East 46th, where the Buildings Department notes a "violation served for cracks of non load-bearing wall at cellar level of adjacent building at 305-311 East 46 Street."  The Fire Department of New York has "requested structural stability check," which remains "due." The UN's prospective swing space is itself swinging, "building shaking / vibrating -- structural stability affected."

Even after this warning, of cracks in the building to which the UN wants to move its staff, work continued illegally at 315 East 46th Street. The Building Department notes "work contrary to Stop Work Order," specifically, "drilling."

            Inner City Press reported exclusively on Sunday about the violations at 311 East 46th Street. On Monday at the ceremony, Inner City Press raised the issue to Under Secretary General for Management Alicia Barcena, who said she would have more to say about it later.  We'll be here.  As the ground breaking celebration took place, the sound of drilling was heard from across First Avenue.

UN North Lawn on another perfect day, before the shaking swing space

            For now, these impressions on the sunny day on the North Lawn. Some Ambassadors had not been told they would be wielding shovels. The UK's John Sawers, for example, expressed surprise but then took his place.  Chief of staff Vijay Nambiar wore large dark sunglasses. There were Ambassadors everywhere, of Japan, Ghana, Cyprus, Morocco, and too many to count.  Assistant Secretary General Michael Adlerstein read out a list of corporations. Dollar-a-year Under Secretary General Joseph Verner Reed was said to be representing the Rockefeller family. Plus ca change.

Footnote: At the subsequent reception -- the UN Spokesperson's Office told Inner City Press on Friday the cost would be $30,000 to $50,000, depending on the weather, now resolved one would think on the lower side of the range -- Reed said he had worked for 17 years for the Rockefellers. Lapel pins were handed out, staff members sang, and much food was left over. Ms. Barcena spoke for BAN Ki-moon, who was headed to speak to the press. Inner City Press asked about the just-released (by whistle-blowers) reviews of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, and whether BAN thinks the UN should have a Freedom of Information Act so that such reports are routinely released to the press and public. The answers were not entirely clear; watch this site.

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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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