By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 10 -- The UN refuses to accept criticism, even where as in Haiti it is faced with street protests telling it to leave, and critiques by high officials of the regional organizations the UN says it works with and respects.
Inner City Press asked Nigel Fisher, the UN Resident Coordination in Haiti, to respond to comments by former top Organization of American States envoy Ricardo Seitenfus, that the UN has spent too much on violent policing in Haiti. “Claptrap,” was Fisher's response. Audio here, from Minute 28:45.
Fisher derided Seitenfus for saying Haiti is being used as a “humanitarian laboratory.” While he claimed to only be involved in the UN's development side, Fisher defended the huge MINUSTAH Peacekeeping bills as being about strengthening the rule of law in Haiti.
But on the rule of law, Inner City Press asked Fisher about a documented incident in Camp Imakale in Cite Soleil in December, in which UN peacekeepers pepper sprayed protesters who say that the International Organization for Migration predicated aid on reducing public protest.
Fisher said he couldn't imagine IOM “conditioning assistance on stopping criticizing the government.” (In fact, it was criticism of IOM and of the UN which was allegedly being discouraged.)
Seitenfus put his job at risk in order to speak up for what he saw as mistreatment of Haitians. Fisher offers knee jerk responses. The UN's performance does not improve.
For weeks, Inner City Press has asked the UN how much former UN Spokesperson Michele Montas has been paid. At first, Martin Nesirky said he “would not comment.” Then he suggested to “ask MINUSTAH.” Finally this arrived:
Subject: Re: Your question regarding Special Advisor in Haiti
From: UN
Date: Wed, Jan 5, 2011 at 2:52 PM
To: Inner City Press
In response to your query with the Spokesperson of the Secretary General regarding Ms Montas's appointment to MINUSTAH, please find the answer below.
"Following the devastating earthquake of January 2010, which had a severe impact on the substantive sections of MINUSTAH, Ms Montas was engaged by the mission's senior leadership as the D-1 Special Advisor to the Head of Mission. Her contract will terminate on 30 June 2011, when the post itself will be eliminated, as part of the mission's post-surge readjustment."
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