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At UN, Union Demands Investigation of Deadly
Ambulance Delay, Departure of UN Security Chief
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of
Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS,
March 19 -- While the UN
Administration refuses to provide answers about its delay of ambulance
responding to the fatal
stroke of UN staff member Jesmel Navoa on March 5 in
the Organization's basement printing plant, Thursday the UN Staff Union
adopted
a resolution relating Mr. Navoa's death to the management
of the UN Department
of Safety and Security.
In a
closed-door meeting Thursday afternoon, union Unit
leaders decried that David Veness, the DSS chief who ostensibly
resigned more
than a year ago after the deadly bombing of the UN in Algiers, remains
in
place, adding to "uncertainty." Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was
called to do more to ensure safety, including access by emergency
services.
Concerned
rank and file security staff intend to meet with Ban's Deputy Asha Rose
Migiro
following Veness' refusal to implement a previous Staff Union
resolution which
called for an independent, external investigation of promotion and
placement
irregularities they said was documented by a leaked
internal e-mail published
by Inner City Press on February 6. Migiro will be asked to start
the investigation. At Thursday's Staff Union meeting,
the call was for an investigation of the circumstances of Mr. Navoa's
death by
the Office of Internal Oversight Services. Staff members linked the
death of Mr. Navoa to one a year
ago on the journalist's floor for of the UN, also reported on by Inner
City Press, here.
Senior UN official in basement printing plant, ambulance access not
shown
On the
evening of March 5, Mr. Navoa had a stroke in the printing plant in the
UN's
third sub-basement. According to his colleagues present on the scene,
there was
a near hour-long delay in an ambulance being let it. The next day, Mr.
Navoa
died in the hospital. Inner City Press ran an exclusive report
and then on
March 9 asked UN Deputy Spokesman Marie Okabe
Inner City Press: Thursday of
last week...there was a death that took place in the building in the
third
subbasement and they have expressed concern that the ambulance wasn’t
allowed
in for an hour. I am wondering if you’re
aware of that and what is the protocol for that?
Deputy Spokesperson: I am
not aware of that, but I will look into
that and we will get you something.
Ten days
later, no information has been provided. Now questioning is expanding.
When
will answers be provided? Watch this site.
Click here for Inner City
Press March 12 UN debate
Click here for Inner City
Press' Feb 26 UN debate
Click
here
for Feb.
12 debate on Sri Lanka http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/17772?in=11:33&out=32:56
Click here for Inner City Press' Jan.
16, 2009 debate about Gaza
Click here for Inner City Press'
review-of-2008 UN Top Ten debate
Click here for Inner
City Press' December 24 debate on UN budget, Niger
Click here from Inner City Press'
December 12 debate on UN double standards
Click here for Inner
City Press' November 25 debate on Somalia, politics
and this October 17 debate, on
Security Council and Obama and the UN.
* * *
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
Feedback: Editorial
[at] innercitypress.com
UN
Office: S-453A, UN, NY 10017
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Tel: 212-963-1439
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weekends):
718-716-3540
Other,
earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available
in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.
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2006-08 Inner City Press, Inc. To request
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