In
Corrupt UN of Guterres UNESCO Squid Game
to Replace Azoulay and then Guterres
By Matthew
Russell Lee &
sources,
Exclusive
UN
GATE, Feb 12
– UNESCO,
like the whole
UN system
under Antonio
Guterres was
been
falling apart
in corruption
and fraud.
Inner
City Press has
been reporting
on serious
malfeasance by
the French
Audrey Azoulay
administration
at UNESCO in
Paris, almost
as bad as
Antonio
Guterres'
corruption in
and of the UN
in New York. A
fish rots from
the head.
The
UNESCO
corruption
series is now
more than 125
stories long.
It has exposed
serious cases
of corruption
and abuse of
power. It has
also
contributed to
the dismissal
of several
senior UNESCO
officials,
including
program ADGs,
a human
resources
director and,
most recently,
the UK's ADG
for
(mis)management,
Nicholas
Jeffreys, who
had already
left UNESCO in
a hurry after
the budget
scandal
revealed by
Inner City
Press.
The one
and only
person
responsible
for this
administrative,
financial and
programmatic
mess is, of
course, French
DG Audrey
Azoulay.One of
the most
recent
scandals
concerns the
total inaction
of the
President of
the General
Conference,
Romanian
Ambassador
Simona-Mirela
Miculescu, in
the face of DG
Azoulay's
violation of
the
Constitution.
(here)
Ambassador
Simona-Mirela
Miculescu did
not take a
position or
seek
clarification
on the UNESCO
Director-General's
visit to Rabat
as part of
French
President
Macron's
official
delegation on
his bilateral
state visit to
Morocco.
It is
appalling that
the President
of the General
Conference has
not taken
institutional
action under
her leadership
to sanction
this violation
of UNESCO's
Constitution
by DG
Azoulay.
Ambassador
Miculescu did
not even
respond to
media
requests.
The
legitimate
question is
therefore why
Ms. Miculescu
has not taken
diplomatic
action in
accordance
with her
current
prerogatives,
but eventually
the US review
of UNESCO will
also provide
an answer to
this
question.
As a result of
the Executive
Order, all
funds provided
by the US to
UNESCO are to
be frozen and,
worse still
for DG
Azoulay,
possibly
reimbursed if
the findings
of the review
prove that
there has been
abuse and
corruption.
Although DG
Azoulay has
boasted in the
French press
that the
Organization
can easily
survive the
financial
withdrawal of
the USA,
UNESCO
diplomats are
openly worried
that the
chances of
obtaining
additional
funding from
Washington
after the
review are
slim when, at
the same time,
even countries
like
Switzerland
are announcing
a drastic
reduction in
their funding
to UNESCO.
This is
the end result
of the
mismanagement
and lack of
political
intelligence
of DG Azoulay
and her
team.
Audrey Azoulay
will be the
first DG to
leave UNESCO
in just a few
months,
without having
proven herself
at the high
political
level. Her
management
style will be
used in the
future as a
bad practice
to be avoided
at all
costs.
The field for
her
replacement in
October is
wide open. If
member states
are satisfied
with UNESCO's
current
status, they
can choose one
of the ADGs
who are
actively
preparing to
run for the
post of
DG. It's
the start of
the Squid Game
at UNESCO,
like the
famous
dystopian
survival-action
TV series.
One
of the ADGs
who really
wanted to
race, Mexico's
Gabriela
Ramos, has
already been
eliminated,
much to her
dismay.
Two other ADGs
are expected
to run. One is
DG Azoulay's
yes-man and
ADG for
External
Affairs and
Africa,
Vietnamese-Congolese
Firmin Matoko
(see
here
). The other
one is the
destroyer of
the of the
Culture Sector
of
UNESCO,
Ernesto Ottone
(see here
).
Inner
City Press has
widely exposed
the misdeeds
of both ADGs
and, normally,
no member
state should
take these
candidates
seriously.
However, as we
have written
above, for
those member
states wishing
to perpetuate
the Azoulay
regime and
further weaken
UNESCO, the
natural choice
would be one
of the two
ADGs.
In the
case of the
other two
internal
candidates,
the Egyptian
candidate will
only be able
to win if
there are more
Executive
Board members
prepared to
vote for
UNESCO's
rebirth than
those who wish
to bury it for
good. We'll be
keeping a
close eye on
this election
over the
coming weeks,
as the
deadline for
submitting
candidatures
for the post
of DG is set
for March 15,
a month from
now. For the
moment, the
Egyptian
candidate is
standing
alone.
In
the months
that remain,
DG Azoulay
will continue
to appoint
French
nationals to
wealthy
positions at
UNESCO, and
ensure that
members of her
Cabinet,
having spent
years
criticizing
UNESCO staff,
can continue
to be part of
it. It is
clear that she
will assist
France and
will strive to
maintain its
staff in
senior
positions in
order to
retain control
of the
organization.
It will be up
to the next DG
to decide
whether or not
this will
happen. Still,
all that's
left for
Azoulay to do
is to play the
lame duck
game, in the
full knowledge
that the
comfortable
days when she
felt
self-assured
and “yes” men
circled her in
the hope of
currying favor
are
over.
The scandals,
abuses of
power, public
controversies
and negative
media
surrounding
Audrey Azoulay
have led to
her feeling
alone in
disgrace.
This is
where UNESCO
stands today.
We will have
more on that.
Watch this
site.
***
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