by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
UN GATE, Sept 12 – How corrupt is today's UN under Antonio Guterres? His staff tell Inner City Press things have hit a new low about which his spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming refuse all Press questions. This is about UNDP and Deputy SG Amina J. Mohammed:
Dear Matthew Similar to your circumstances, our below message and appeal to the SG has gone unanswered. Please use your platform to bring the below matters to the attention of your audience. For UNDP and its staff to fall prey to the incompetence of senior leadership is a tragedy that must not go unnoticed. Please redact our email address so it is not identified.
From: Date: On Fri, Sep 5, 2025 at 8:37 AM Subject: UNDP leadership transition
To: Guterres and Courtenay Rattray
Dear Secretary-General, We write about the outcome of the UNDP townhall meeting just held with the Deputy Secretary-General. During the exchange, the Deputy Secretary-General conveyed two points which have caused considerable shock and unease across the organization: first, that “there is no hurry” to select and appoint the next UNDP Administrator; and second, that the current pool of applicants and interviewees was described as “pitiful.”
With respect, these were problematic statements to make in such a forum. They have had an immediate and destabilizing impact on staff morale and confidence in leadership. The suggestion of an indefinite process has created a perception of drift at a time when clarity and certainty are essential. Likewise, the characterization of the candidate pool risks being read as diminishing the credibility of both the process and those who have put themselves forward for consideration. Within UNDP, these remarks have thrown the institution into a spin.
There is little trust in, or faith placed upon, the leadership of the current Acting Administrator, and the impression that a permanent appointment is not an urgent priority has exacerbated this vacuum. Staff are left questioning the direction of the organization...
So is the Press - and there are no answers.
And this, inequitable cuts at UN ESCAP in Thailand:
Dear Matthew Russell Lee,
The plan for abolishment from UN-ESCAP is directed only at GS staff, while senior positions—P-5, D-1, D-2, and USG—remain untouched. The salary of a single one of these officials is equivalent to that of fifty or more local staff members. If justice truly mattered, it would be these high-level posts under review—not the livelihoods of ordinary staff.
Many of these officials are beyond retirement age, largely inactive in their offices, while their administrative assistants act more like personal aides or cooks than contributors to the Organization’s actual work. This is not about fairness—it is about selfishness and corruption. Guterres and his team have revealed themselves as weak, wicked, and corrupt. They cling to their privileges while sacrificing the most vulnerable staff, simply because they hold the power to decide. It is therefore no surprise that more and more staff are coming to agree that the UN has become useless, especially under the failed leadership of Guterres.
Guterres, they say, should end censorship. Application was made on June 19, 2025. Watch this site.
***
Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.
Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
