By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 16 -- After Tony Blair announced he will become an adviser to South Sudan, Inner City Press asked United Nations spokesman Martin Nesirky if Blair checked with or will collaborate with the UN, which has a major peacekeeping mission in the new country.
Previously when Blair, who has a "quasi" UN post as Middle East Quartet envoy on Palestine, took a post with JPMorgan Chase, Inner City Press asked the UN about possible conflicts of interest, without answer.
The lack of safeguard appear to continue unabated. Nesirky on July 16 would not answer for the UN, insteading telling Inner City Press to asked Blair's office -- where? -- and adding that there is no such thing as a "quasi" UN post.
Really?
What about the Global Education post Ban Ki-moon just gave to Blair successor as UK prime minister Gordon Brown? Is that a full-time post? Will Brown file UN public financial disclosure, which Blair does not do?
Inner City Press prefaced its question about Blair by saying it has inter-related questions about UN posts, of which the Gordon Brown compensation was one. But Nesirky did not allow any follow ups, shifted back to the other side of the briefing room and announced that that would be the last question.
And so we are left without answers about the UN and conflicts of interest, which we will continue to pursue. Watch this site.
