By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/undp3deputy112009.html
UNITED NATIONS, November 20 -- The continental dispute about the UN Development Program's number two post, which triggered a letter from the African Group to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to hold off what they say was the impending nomination of Costa Rican Rebecca Grynspan, has taken a new turn.
After Mr. Ban's spokesperson Michele Montas on November 19 told Inner City Press that the decision has not been made yet, sources now indicate that rather than the candidate from Cameroon promoted by that country's Ambassador, the Secretariat is mulling giving the post to the Permanent Representative of a north African country, who is close with Ban's deputy chief of staff and closest advisor Kim Won-soo.
At the November 19 noon briefing, Inner City Press asked
Inner City Press: On the Secretary-General’s upcoming naming of an Associate Administrator for UNDP, can you confirm that a letter was received by the Secretariat from the African Group protesting the naming of a non-African, and also what Inner City Press has been told by a number of African ambassadors, that they feel that the post was promised to the African Group when Ms. [Helen] Clark was named and Mr. [Ad] Melkert left?
Spokesperson Michele Montas: I am not aware of this situation, and I am not aware of a letter received. Of course, I will try to get more information on it. And we haven’t had a public announcement of any appointments.
Question: Well, what of this idea that… What a number of them have said is that, given the amount of the UN’s and UNPD’s work that’s in Africa, it makes much sense to have that represented near the top of the… They have said that they think that a sort of a deal was made with them and they feel that it’s now being violated.
Spokesperson: Well, I understand their concerns, but as I said, it’s not violated yet, because we haven’t announced a person at that post yet.
The Ambassador of Cameroon told Inner City Press, on the record, that the announcement of Rebecca Grynspan to the post had been scheduled for last Friday, November 13. After the African Group's letter, this was called off.
What some call the Ban administration's "humiliation" of Africa began with the merger of the Office of the Special Advisor on Africa into another office, opposed by the African Group, and extended through the replacement as head of the UN Office in Nairobi of Anna Tibaijuka of Tanzania by Achim Steiner of Germany in an "I am in control" email that still triggers laughter inside the UN.
On the General Assembly's call that Ban re-fill the OSSA post, Inner City Press is told by source that the deputy chief of staff Kim Won-soo appeared in the budget committee and argued that the resolution was not clear, that the post did not have to be filled.
At the noon briefing on November 20, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesperson Michele Montas to confirm this. She confirmed that Mr. Kim went to the committee, but not what he said. Video here, from Minute 16:33. It seemed clear she would not confirm or deny that the Secretariat's eye has passed from Costa Rica to north Africa, bypassing Cameroon.
Meanwhile, the UNDP Associate Administrator post hangs in the balance, raising issues of regions and friendship and promises. Watch this site.
