By Matthew Russell Lee, Video here
UNITED NATIONS, February 14 – The abuse of Haiti after the 2010 earthquake was not limited to the UN, which killed 10,000 plus by negligently introducing cholera and lying about it - now the UK based charity Oxfam is being exposed for sexual abuse. The scandal extends to Chad and South Sudan. Inner City Press on February 14 asked the UK's Deputy Ambassador Jonathan Allen about it, video here.
Allen's answer involved the UK scrutinizing the UN's also law practices. But what about Oxfam?
Meanwhile the UK continues to delay responding on a months-old Freedom of Information Act request concerning its policies in not only Yemen but also Cameroon, the former British Southern Cameroons. As Inner City Press pursues these questions at the UN, it remains restricted to minders by the head of the UN Department of Public Information Alison Smale, who it is noted is British - and functionally a censor. A retaliator, too? Smale has not explained why Inner City Press' long time work space is assigned to no-show, no-question Egyptian state media Akhbar al Youm.
While an Oxfam official has resigned, when was the last time that a UN official took responsibility for anything and resigned?
On February 12 Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here, UN transcript here: Inner City Press:
I'm sure you've seen or the UN has seen the reporting about Oxfam in Haiti, where the UN has had a long mission, saying basically there was a history of the use of prostitutes, including underage prostitutes. And at least one of the Guardian stories quotes a former UN staffer about how even UN people that tried to raise it faced retaliation. The quote is, "If you blow the whistle when you're out in the field, you may never be hired again. It makes you very vulnerable." I wanted to know, what does… what does the UN, with its presence in Haiti, think about these allegations? What does it think of the call by some that the UN establish kind of a register of even non-UN, you know, international humanitarians who have been charged with these things so they're not just moved from one field of operation to another? And what do you say about this [inaudible]… Spokesman: I think the allegations as reported are extremely troubling. It is, again, the abuse of the most vulnerable. It is an abuse of power. They're extremely troubling. From our standpoint, I think what the Secretary-General and his senior managers have really pushed forward and especially in the last year is to ensure that there is a climate in which people feel free to come forward without any fear of retaliation. I think that this is a message that has been made repeatedly to staff throughout the UN system. We are trying and are improving, I would say, our recruiting… our way of doing background checks on people who are recruited, either between agencies or within the UN system, so as to avoid cases of people who've had allegations made against them finding employment within the UN system." UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says he has a "zero tolerance" policy for sexual harassment. But his chief of "Global Communications" Alison Smale argued that all UN staff including victims should "speak with one voice" which several staff told Inner City Press they took to mean, Don't make the UN look bad. Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it, despite getting cut off (Vine here), UN transcript here and below, longer tweeted video here.
I'm sure you've seen or the UN has seen the reporting about Oxfam in Haiti, where the UN has had a long mission, saying basically there was a history of the use of prostitutes, including underage prostitutes. And at least one of the Guardian stories quotes a former UN staffer about how even UN people that tried to raise it faced retaliation. The quote is, "If you blow the whistle when you're out in the field, you may never be hired again. It makes you very vulnerable." I wanted to know, what does… what does the UN, with its presence in Haiti, think about these allegations? What does it think of the call by some that the UN establish kind of a register of even non-UN, you know, international humanitarians who have been charged with these things so they're not just moved from one field of operation to another? And what do you say about this [inaudible]… Spokesman: I think the allegations as reported are extremely troubling. It is, again, the abuse of the most vulnerable. It is an abuse of power. They're extremely troubling. From our standpoint, I think what the Secretary-General and his senior managers have really pushed forward and especially in the last year is to ensure that there is a climate in which people feel free to come forward without any fear of retaliation. I think that this is a message that has been made repeatedly to staff throughout the UN system. We are trying and are improving, I would say, our recruiting… our way of doing background checks on people who are recruited, either between agencies or within the UN system, so as to avoid cases of people who've had allegations made against them finding employment within the UN system." UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says he has a "zero tolerance" policy for sexual harassment. But his chief of "Global Communications" Alison Smale argued that all UN staff including victims should "speak with one voice" which several staff told Inner City Press they took to mean, Don't make the UN look bad. Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it, despite getting cut off (Vine here), UN transcript here and below, longer tweeted video here.
