Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1sports032108.html
UNITED NATIONS, March 21 -- With much fanfare this week, the UN announced that Ban Ki-moon was appointing Wilfried Lemke of Germany as his "Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, serving on a $1 per year salary with the rank of Under-Secretary-General." Lemke quickly said he wanted to travel to China, and that if he wanted to go to Tibet, he could not imagine China objecting. Ban's spokesperson Michele Montas was asked, "do you know if he'll be visiting Tibet?" She answered, "Not that I know of."
Perhaps Lemke was distracted. At the UN's noon briefing on March 20, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesperson a simple question, if Lemke is "still going to be serving as an elected official in Bremen during his service. Is he full time or is he still an official of Bremen State in Germany?"
Ms. Montas replied, "As you know, he's a $1-a-year person... We'll find out for you. Or we'll put you in contact with his press people."
Thirty-four hours later, no answer had been provided, no even a contact to Lemke's (or the Bremen legislature's) press people. Frankly, it's a UN question: if and when UN envoys, particularly at the Under-Secretary General level, hold outside jobs, what safeguards are put in place to avoid conflicts of interest? The UN is getting more and more cavalier in refusing to answer this question. When Inner City Press asked about Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair's many outside jobs, including with JPMorgan Chase, Ms. Montas said to "ask Tony Blair." There has still been no answer on any safeguards. But it does not seem to much to ask that the UN be able to state if its Special Advisers hold other jobs, and where.
It has been reported that "Lemke, who is also a Bremen state politician, currently senator for internal affairs and sport in the northern city, succeeds Adolf Ogi of Switzerland." But the UN's press release says that "from 1999-2008, he served as Senator of Interior and Sport of the German State of Bremen, as well as Senator for Education and Science." Note the use of the past tense, "served." Which is it? We'll see.
Footnote: between Ogi and Nicolas Michel leaving as head of the UN Office of Legal Affairs, after admitting to receiving housing subsidies from the Swiss Government which are not disclosed on his public financial disclosure form for 2006, Switzerland is down two posts. With Germany getting sports, one wonders about those saying that Germany Joaquim Rucker, currently embroiled in Kosovo, might take over the Department of Management. When it rains, it pours...And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1sports032108.html
