UNITED NATIONS, April 27 -- "I have my private life," Alexander Downer told the Press on Tuesday." It's mine and it's private." Video here, at Minute 36.
Inner City Press had asked Downer, the part time chief of the UN's Good Offices role for Cyprus, whether the fact that his employer Bespoke Approach represents Chinese technology firm Huawei, which does business in Turkey, showed a need for UN rules against the appearance of conflict of interest.
"With the greatest respect," Downer said, "I might know more about this that you... Ipso facto -- it's my business."
Previously, Downer has told Inner City Press that there can be no conflict of interest because Bespoke Approach's clients don't do business in Cyprus or, by implication, Turkey or Greece, which have direct interests in Mr. Downer's UN work.
Now that Downer has confirmed that Bespoke Approach represents Huawei, which itself brags on its website about its Turkey business, the question is squarely raised: why doesn't the UN prohibit or have rules about this?
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has promised transparency, and has urged his senior officials -- although apparently not part time officials like Downer -- to publicly disclose their financial holdings.
But on Tuesday, Mr. Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky tried to cut off the question by saying, "Matthew, the Secretary General chose Mr. Downer [based on] his demonstrated integrity. I don't think one needs to say more than that." Video here, from 37:52.
But what about having generally applicable rules? If confidence in particular individuals' integrity was enough, Mr. Ban wouldn't have urged public disclosure of financial holdings to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest.
While Inner City Press asked two questions about the Cyprus process, Downer sought to not answer them, saying to Inner City Press, "You're not really interested in Cyprus."
One of the questions concerned Cypriot president Demetris Christofias' request to Qatar's Emir Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani that Qatar get involved in the Cyprus process. How did Downer think this would dovetail, or not, with his work?
Downer said, This is a UN process, Mr. Christofias and Mr. [Dervis] Eroglu are aware of that.
Only at the end of his press conference did Downer, once reminded, consent to answer Inner City Press' other question, about the relation of his work with that of Mr. Ban's current representative to Cyprus, Taye-Brook Zerihoun. He runs UNFICYP and I run the Good Offices, Downer said. He is my deputy on the Good Offices. "You are very interested in this.. I am only part time, Mr. Zerihoun has filled in" for me and comes to meetings even when I am there.
Inner City Press had, during Nesirky's briefing while Downer waited to speak, asked what something it heard and reported yesterday, that Zerihoun is being recalled to UN Headquarters to replace Haile Menkerios, now in South Sudan, in the Africa Division of the UN Department of Political Affairs. When Inner City Press asked if Nesirky could confirm, he said "Not at the moment, but I'll find out." Video here, from Minute 17:03.
When Inner City Press asked Downer if he was aware of Zerihoun, which whom Downer said he plays golf, leaving the Cyprus post as early as May 1, Downer said that was for the S-G and his spokesman to answer. Video here, from Minute 46:22. Nesirky said, "I've already answered that." Inner City Press replied, no, you said you didn't know, you'd find out.
Ironically, not only Ambassadors and people in the Department of Political Affairs were speaking about Zerihoun's getting the job, so was another spokesperson at the UN. Watch this site.
