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By Matthew Russell Lee & sources, Exclusive

UN GATE, Dec 14 – UNESCO, like the whole UN system under Antonio Guterres is falling apart into abyssal nonsense and corruption. Now from yet another UNESCO source of Inner City Press', this:

A newly appointed P4 in the Culture Sector is believed under investigation of unethical conduct in blatantly securing governmental support for his application, even at the cost of undermining his own national.   This Program Coordinator to be, currently a temporary appointment contract holder, was expected to bring a 16 million project and beyond to the team thanks to his dual status of ministry civil servant. Other shortlisted candidates of this post, including some far more qualified and experienced, doubt that his appointment is an exchange of financial and political support from the country, who is a vital stakeholder. The delegation has been giving pressure to the DG about the country's staff appointment, as a bargain to support her re-election. 

 Furthermore, a junior staff from the same country working on the same project with him is suffering from his abuse of authority. Equally supported by a previous high level officer of the national commission, the junior claims herself as a catspaw of retaliation amidst these two senior staff's personal and political confrontation. 

 According to their coworkers, this senior staff on the one hand asked this subordinate to do personal chores, on the other hand excluded her from professional engagement. The girl was often seen being called to his office with the door closed.    Out of distress due to his long term undermining and external rumors of them having affairs, the junior staff was diagnosed depression and forced to resign.  

The recent anonymous survey launched by the Ethics Office also revealed a worrying picture of the Culture Sector, in particular with regards to moral harassment and abuse of authority. The workshop and survey will also roll out to other Sectors at HQ, and might be tabled to the DG later. We'll have more on this.

Text of email of the STU President here:   From: STU President Sent: jeudi 10 décembre 2020 12:01 To: Liste.UNESCO-HQ Subject: STU - Malaise in the Security and Safety Service Importance: High     Dear colleagues,  Because no Sector is immune, we would like today to draw your attention to the current tense situation within the Security and Safety Service at Headquarters in our Organization.  Indeed, under the guise of the sanitary situation, a new work organization, presented as "exceptional", was put in place in November and December 2020. It worsens the working conditions of our colleagues, the security agents, and puts their health at risk, because there are more security agents at their posts at the same time. It also affects the balance between their private and professional life, to which the Administration purports to be committed.  The Administration's clear determination to perpetuate this work organization from 1st January 2021, without consultation of the staff associations and disregarding all the rules enacted by the Human Resources Manual and the Director-General's instructions, is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.  Furthermore, there is a noxious atmosphere within this Service, maintained by the disrespectful and contemptuous behavior of a superior appointed at the end of 2019, who also took the liberty to threaten the President of a representative association of the staff, accusing him of having the attitude of a member of a mafia structure. This person claims to have the endorsement of the Director-General, who would approve the reforms implemented. 

On November 12, we asked for an appointment with the Director-General to alert her on the matter. A month later, we are still waiting for a response. We hope not to have to wait a year and a half, like the last time we wanted to meet her.  Best regards, The President of STU.   

 As a result, instead of considering measure for taking to remedy the situation in the security service, the DG Azoulay usual puppies, Director HR Kazumi Ogawa and ADG for Management Nicholas Jeffreys, initiated few hours later, a totally illegal intimidating pressure over the members of the STU Council by emails and phone calls.  Those totalitarian style coercions by Ogawa and Jeffreys over the STU were undertaken in total violation of existing rights, practices and rules and procedures of the United Nations. Moreover, unions rights at the UN are guaranteed by decisions approved by member states themselves. 

The DG Azoulay and her poor and dishonest administration must be therefore sanctioned and recalled that the international civil servants of UNESCO and of the United Nations system have the same rights and freedoms that have been recognized for all human beings in the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the other international instruments concerning human rights, adopted under the auspices of the United Nations. They also enjoy the rights set out in international labor conventions adopted by the International Labor Organization. 

In light of those unusual attack against the staff unions prerogatives, Inner City Press contacted senior officials working in the security-related administration and obtained the following off the record clarifications: The person mentioned in the communiqué by the STU President is the French Police Commissaire Nicolas Hergot, appointed by Azoulay as Head of Security at UNESCO. Since his appointment, he regularly showed disrespect and even disdain to his security colleagues and especially those from non-European nationalities. He became Azoulay’s jack of all trades.

Recently, for instance, the Director of cabinet Kassianides requested him to investigate about the leak concerning his extra-matrimonial relation with his nice-looking subordinate set for promotion.    Also today, the executive board of UNESCO experienced its worst unproductive and unprecedently tense plenary closing session in its entire history. After a pointless debate about procedures and nothing about substance, the session, paid by taxpayers, instead of closing it, the work of the board was adjourned and will continue tomorrow morning. Shameful, but this is UNESCO today, gang-style management by the French clique facilitated by the eyes wide shut of accomplices representing European states and Nordic countries to the Agency.       A senior official at UNESCO added the following: “ The sour taste in the mouth after the assault on the STU and this catastrophic plenary session of the executive board in the same day are confirming that the whole UNESCO is eligible to be flushed out in the urinals”.     We will have more on that. Watch this site. 

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