Senior UN Auditor launches attack on Secretary General
By Raj Gonsalkorale
In a BBC report, Barbara Plett, BBC UN correspondent has reported that senior UN Auditor Inga Britt Ahlenius has launched a blistering attack on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's leadership. Ms Ahlenius is the outgoing head of a body charged with combating corruption and misconduct within the organisation.
She accused Mr Ban of undermining her efforts and of leading the UN into an era of decline, and of attempting to undercut the independence of her "oversight" office. She claims he tried to establish a parallel investigation apparatus under his own authority, and blocked her ability to recruit senior staff.
Sounds familiar? Mr Moon launched his parallel enquiry, whatever his spokesperson likes to call it, to report on Sri Lanka when the government of Sri Lanka had already appointed its own independent enquiry, thus undermining the efforts of the Sri Lanka government to do their own independent investigation.
Ms Ahlenius claims that under Mr Ban's leadership the UN secretariat is in a process of decay, drifting in the absence of strategic guidance, and weakening the overall position of the United Nations.
These telling accusations finds ready resonance with the way Mr Moon has handled issues relating to Sri Lanka. Lack of a strategic focus is very clear in the way Mr Moon gave into pressure from some powerful Western nations and highly biased Human Rights organisations and even the UN’s own Human Rights Institution.
If Mr Moon had any idea about propriety in the way he should have handled a sensitive issue involving a sovereign nation that had just defeated the menace of terrorism, that a country like the USA and its allies are trying to do spending billions of dollars and brushing aside killing of innocent civilians as inevitable “collateral” damage, he should have allowed Sri Lanka’s own Commission of enquiry to complete its mandate. He could have appointed his panel if there were any ongoing and lingering doubts about the processes followed by this Commission and the credibility of outcomes of the enquiry.
Mr Moon’s failures in Myanmar where Aung Suu Kyi still languishes under house arrest for some 5381 days because she fought for democracy and human rights, in numerous hot spots in Africa, and Asia, as well as in parts of Europe, and South America, and in Palestine, shows Mr Moon’s total ineffectiveness. It is clear Mr Moon prefers easy pickings and bludgeoning small countries, while he conveniently stays away from where real troubles have festered for decades and more.
Ms Ahlenius is absolutely right in saying Mr Moon has weakened the overall position of the United Nations, and the authority of the office of Secretary General. He has squandered what was achieved by his predecessor Mr Kofi Annan, and he stands shorter than a dwarf next to Mr Annan.
- Asian Tribune -
Comments
Complaint by the Internal
Complaint by the Internal Auditor
The outgoing Chief Internal Auditor charged with combating corruption and misconduct within the UN organisation appears to be correct in her assessment of the UN Secretary General’s Leadership.
The absence of focus on Good Governance by the Member Nations is responsible for the situation where the head of the body charged with combating corruption and misconduct in UN is complaining of interference by the Chief Executive. In any Company, the Chief Internal Auditor reports to the Chairman of the Audit Committee and the non-executive Chairman of the Board.
The resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly at the 2005 World Summit is given in the following web page.
http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N05/487/60/PDF/N0548760.pdf?O...
The Secretary General appears to have failed to comply with the following sections of this resolution.
5. We rededicate ourselves to support all efforts to uphold the sovereign equality of all States, respect their Territorial integrity and political independence, to refrain in our international relations from the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations…
81. We strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes, as it constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.
88. We urge the international community, including the United Nations, to assist States in building national and regional capacity to combat terrorism. We invite the Secretary-General to submit proposals to the General Assembly and the Security Council, within their respective mandates, to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations system to assist States in combating terrorism and to enhance the coordination of United Nations activities in this regard.
97. Emphasizing the need for a coordinated, coherent and integrated approach to post-conflict peace-building and reconciliation with a view to achieving sustainable peace, recognizing the need for a dedicated institutional mechanism to address the special needs of countries emerging from conflict towards recovery, reintegration and reconstruction and to assist them in laying the foundation for sustainable development, and recognizing the vital role of the United Nations in that regard, we decide to establish a Peace-building Commission as an intergovernmental advisory body.
161. (b) Emphasize the importance of establishing effective and efficient mechanisms for responsibility and accountability of the Secretariat; (This appears to be the complaint of the UN auditor)
161. (c) Urge the Secretary-General to ensure that the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity shall be the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff, with due regard to the principle of equitable geographical distribution, in accordance with Article 101 of the Charter;
The appointment of Ms. Navaneethan Pillai, a Tamil of South African origin as the head of the Human Rights Division, when Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, a Tamil of Sri Lankan origin was already holding a senior position and when the Government of Sri Lanka was fighting Tamil Tiger Terrorism, is contrary to the spirit of section 161. (c).
The situation is worsened by the appointment of an associate of Ms. Pillai as a member of the controversial panel to advise a on accountability for possible rights violations during the Sri Lanka Conflict and the appointment of another associate to a key position in the relevant secretariat. The actions of Ms. Pillai on matters related to the Tamil Tiger issue should not have been permitted because of the conflict of interest with her ethnicity.
Post new comment