For
UNICEF, Guterres Picks
US Fore
Over Songane, Bustreo &
Hoskins, ICP Asks of 1/2
Block Drive
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Exclusive series
UNITED NATIONS,
December 19 -- At the UN
Children's Fund UNICEF on the
evening of December 18, Inner
City Press both learned both
that outgoing Executive
Director Anthony Lake is
having his farewell party on
December 19 and finalized its
reporting on who have been the
candidates to replace Lake,
and who UN Secretary General
Antonio Guterres has selected
as the winner, over the
objection of some of his Under
Secretaries General: Henrietta
Fore. As her name circulated
in recent months, some pointed
with concern to her presence
on the boards of directors of
ExxonMobil and General Mills,
and compared her with other
short listed candidates. Inner
City Press now, prior to the
public announcement of
Guterres' selection if not
process, exclusively reports
on these candidates: former
Mozambique Health Minister
Francisco Songane, UN official
Flavia Bustreo, and Canadian
(Ontario) minister Eric
Hoskins. On December 19, Inner
City Press asked Guterres'
spokesman Stephane Dujarric to
confirm or deny, video here,
UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: I went
to cover that event at UNICEF
yesterday, and I think that
Anthony Lake is having his
farewell today. Many
people have been waiting for
this announcement of the new
head of UNICEF. Can you
confirm that it is, in fact,
Henrietta Fore and that there
was a shortlist of four,
including a former health
minister of Mozambique?
And I'm asking you, I guess,
in the spirit of kind of
transparency, like, did he
recruit names from countries
other than the United
States? And what's the
status of naming a new head?
Spokesman: I'm waiting
for an announcement,
hopefully, any day now.
As you know, I'm not able to
confirm it, because, frankly,
I don't know who was on the
short list, and I definitely
do not know who is going to be
named.
Inner City
Press: Is
there a process… my
understanding is that he's…
he's decided to… does he have
to check formally with a
board…? Spokesman: It's
done in consultation with the
Executive Board of UNICEF.
Inner City Press:
Okay. And this is… you
may not like this one, but I
just want to ask it because I
want to understand it
better. In going to
cover the event yesterday, on
my way over there, I noticed,
you know, two cars in front of
the building. And, when
I got there, I saw the
Secretary-General drive up in
the two cars, and it seems
like it's only half a block
away. Maybe he was going
somewhere else, but I just
want to be clear… given all
the statements from here about
climate change and various
things, what's the explanation
of two cars to go half a
block? Spokesman: I
don't know if he went half a
block. I'm not aware of
all the Secretary-General's
movements and will not speak
on security issues." It has,
it was pointed out to Inner
City Press at UNICEF's
December 18 event, which
Guterres was driven in two
cars one
block from just across
First Avenue to attend, been
an American job. But, more
than one UNICEF insider asked,
this American? Guterres spoke
including taking a swipe at
media gaining market share
with ideas he disagrees with
(unlike Robert Fico of
Slovakia, whom he met earlier
in the day) and left, quickly
followed by his unresponsive
Under Secretary General for
Global Communications Alison
Smale, who has yet to explain
why Inner City Press for its
reporting is still restricted
after 22 months, its long time
office sitting empty after
being assigned to no-show
Egyptian state media Akhbar al
Yom.
While Guterres
rushed past Smale, sources
tell Inner City Press that
among those chiming in to
Guterres about the UNICEF
raise were Virginia Gamba and
Mark Lowcock. We'll have more
on this.
***
Feedback:
Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
Past
(and future?) UN Office: S-303, UN, NY 10017 USA
For now: Box 20047,
Dag Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017
Reporter's mobile (and 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.
Copyright
2006-2017 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other
permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
for
|
,
