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By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive Patreon
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UN GATE, Nov 25 – In the United Nations from which SG Antonio Guterres has banned Inner City Press 876 days, on the day before Thanksgiving a canned warning about gifts went out, which Inner City Press is publishing below.

 This comes as Guterres and his spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming refuse to answer on a blatant "gift" scandal at UNECE, in which a Kuwaiti businessman gave a diamond encrusted iPhone to UN staffer Robert Novak. Guterres and his UN are hypocrites, saying:

"Wednesday, 25 November 2020 | Worldwide | Ethics Office Holiday Season Gift Advisory from the Ethics Office The UN Staff Regulations and Rules generally do not allow us to receive gifts arising from our official positions or our performance of UN duties. The UN Staff Regulations and Rules generally do not allow us to receive gifts arising from our official positions or our performance of UN duties. As we move into the 2020 holiday season, it is again a time for celebration and exchanging gifts for many of us. We should be mindful of our independence and impartiality as international civil servants. The receipt of gifts in connection with our work can create, or appear to create, an obligation to the giver.  The UN Staff Regulations and Rules generally do not allow us to receive gifts arising from our official positions or our performance of UN duties. Attendance at governmental or other official functions such as meetings or diplomatic receptions is permitted and not considered a gift within the meaning of the Staff Regulations and Rules. Gifts from family and friends with no ties to our professional duties are permitted. The social exchange of nominal gifts among colleagues, if there is no expectation of any reciprocation through official acts, is allowed. Apart from these official or personal courtesies, gifts offered to us in our official capacity should be politely declined, with an explanation that our standards of conduct do not allow for the acceptance of gifts for the sake of our independence and impartiality as UN staff members. Gifts may come in various forms such as goods, cash, gift cards, entertainment, or hospitality, among other gifts. The UN has a zero-tolerance policy vis-a-vis gifts or hospitality from any individual or entity doing or seeking to do business with the UN.   In exceptional cases, we may request prior approval for accepting a gift from a non-governmental source. If refusing an unanticipated gift would cause embarrassment to the Organization, we may receive it on behalf of the UN and must promptly report it - normally to our Executive Office, or its equivalent in other duty stations (e.g. CMS/DMS or Chief /Director of Administration)...Wishing you and your family a happy holiday season!"

  Now one of them, through an underling, has threatened to sue the Press, for a story that UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has refused repeatedly to confirm or deny, and which Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq specifically deleted, or "left" on WhatsApp, without answering.

  But others within UNECE continue to provide information since the UN refuses it, now also named Robert Nowak and stating that Guterres' head of Human Resources imposed only a "slap on the wrist," covering up the corruption by corporations of Guterres' UN.

  Now Inner City Press has more. Nowak took the diamond iPhone and necklace -- and a first class trip to Kuwait -- from a road sign delegate, Adel al-Yousifi, then then tried to foist multi-millionaire al-Yousifi's second rate road signs on developing countries.

  Now with the scandal exposed, little to nothing has been done to Nowak. And al-Yousifi is still involved with UNECE, despite the bribing. There were murky trip(s) to Kuwait by other UNECE staff, such as Rebecca Huang and Lukasz Wyorwski.

  Impunity rules under Guterres.  And censorship -- like with Guterres' UNDT saying to destroy evidence of sexual harassment by staffer Andrea Padula, it was told to "remove" the UNECE stories by Jean Rodriguez  Chief, Information Unit  United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

  Well, no.  In fact, we'll have more, much more on this - including: what happened with the diamond iPhone? Was it sold, to supposedly benefit UN widowers? Sold to whom? Pedro Guterres? Watch this site.

   UNECE told Inner City Press to ask about OIOS, the Office of Internal Oversight Services. But Inner City Press has asked the UN Secretariat, in writing - and at 10 an on Monday, November 16, still no answer at all about OIOS. So, now this:

"[REDACTED VOLUNTARILY BY INNER CITY PRESS] is the whistleblower who contacted OIOS about Robert Nowak, a UNECE employee, receiving illegal gifts from a business and not declaring them.  The Head of UNECE investigated and asked the head of HR in New York to decide on the punishment for Robert Nowak.   [REDACTED - The Whistleblower] was told a slap on the wrist was all that happened to Robert Nowak."

And, a Sylver defender says "the OIOS investigation found that the staff member in the transport division received a gift that he did not declare in a timely manner... Since then the person and our Division Director Mr Yuwei Li have had a personal vendetta against Mr Sylver. I believe that either the Division Director or person involved has decided to send these lies to you."

  But Inner City Press has repeatedly asked the UN Spokesperson about this Yuwei or Yuewei Li, and the above named. And about what has happened with the diamond encrusted iPhone. Nothing - no answer at all.

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