By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, December 1 -- When UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon unveiled his management shakeup on Thursday, it was said that "the five year rule will be applied across the board."
But when Inner City Press asked if it applied to chief of staff Vijay Nambiar, who read out Ban's announcement, the question was not answered. Video here.
In fact, Nambiar refused to answer any questions. When he finished his reading, with its references to transparency, Inner City Press asked him if short lists of candidates will be made public. Nambiar replied that he had been told not to answer questions.
Ban's deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey minutes later declined to answer Inner City Press' question of whether the five year rule -- not staying in a senior post for more then five years, at least the same post -- applied to Ban's five year deputy secretary general, Asha Rose Migiro. Inner City Press is informed that Ms. Migiro has been lobbying for a second term. What will Ban do?
The night before Nambiar's unscheduled appearance to read a statement but take no questions, Inner City Press was informed by sources that the head of the Department of Public Information Kiyotaka Akasaka would be leaving.
Since his is one of the few high posts for Japan in the UN system, and Japan recently lost the UN Controller spot, would a Japanese replacement at DPI be enough?
It has been suggested that Japan might want the Department of Management. But the post filled by Angela Kane was not on Nambiar's list (even as Inner City Press is told by sources that Kane is being encourage to apply for the empty Lebanon / Resolution 1701 spot, along with Ban ally Y.J. Choi and Spain's former foreign minister).
Also leaving, according to Wednesday's announcement, is the head of DGACM, the Egyptian Shaban Shaban, who lost a major UN internal justice case. The Chinese head of DESA is on the list, but seems to be given an extension for Rio + 20.
That the affable Lynn Pascoe is done at head of the Department of Political Affairs has been widely known; while the UK had an interest, it looks to stay in US hands.
To say that the Economic Commission on Europe is open is old news: chief Jan Kubis has already been reassigned to the UN Mission in Afghanistan. Maybe that's the model: just move people around.
Mr Duarte is ready to retire from Disarmament; the Special Adviser on Africa post, listed by Nambiar, has been sitting empty, or filled by a moonlighter who, Inner City Press is multiply informed, is slated to takeover the Economic Commission on Africa from Mr. Janneh -- who is set to meet with DSG Migiro at 3 pm on Thursday. To break the news, or to commiserate? Watch this site.
