Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un4gucci020408.html
UNITED NATIONS, February 4 -- Less than forty-eight hours before the Gucci-sponsored event on the UN's North Lawn, held in the name of UNICEF and of Madonna's organization Raising Malawi, Vijay Nambiar, chief of staff to Ban Ki-moon, told Inner City Press that "I don't know how such things happen... Gucci went a little too far." Inner City Press had asked him the same question earlier asked of Under Secretary General for Management Alicia Barcena: what about Gucci's press release saying that the UN event would "celebrate" the opening of a Gucci flagship store on Fifth Avenue? Mr. Nambiar shook his head, saying that Ban Ki-moon had been "planning to go, but now... he is getting himself a little worried about it." He said, "how you build it up is most important, there always a danger," this last presumably referring to over-commercialization. "Ultimately we'll have to see with UNICEF," he said, "the way they built it up."
To his credit, Mr. Nambiar cut through the haze thrown up earlier in the day by UNICEF and the Spokesperson's Office, that it was not UNICEF which had to answer, but rather the US Fund for UNICEF. Nambiar did not mention this outside organization once. And inside the still under-construction tent, the logos of Gucci and UNICEF are interspersed, not US Fund for UNICEF. This use of logo is also irregular, and has given rise to questions about whose logo should be removed, particularly if Ms. Veneman still intends to attend the event. Security sources told Inner City Press on Monday night that the proponents intend to bring their own guards, calling them event planners.
"I would have thought they would have been more careful," Nambair said on Monday night. While referring to Gucci, it applies equally to UNICEF. Sources tell Inner City Press that UNICEF director Ann Veneman was pitched on the idea and approved it without consulting with others from UNICEF or the wider UN. This is contrary to UNICEF's previously claims to Inner City Press that there is no "back-channel" to Ann Veneman. In fact, Ms. Veneman through a spokesperson has defiantly proclaimed, now despite the doubts expressed by Under Secretaries-General Alicia Barcena and Vijay Nambiar, that she will attend. But will she answer any questions?
