By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, May 6 -- When UN Under Secretary General for Management Yukio Takasu came for his semi-annual press conference on May 6, Inner City Press asked him about the UN's shift of hundreds of 4 by 4's from Darfur to West Africa, about not paying Troop Contributing Countries a risk premium for deployment in the Central African Republic, about the Staff Union, Pension Fund and even the impending closure of the UN Cafeteria. Video here.
Takasu said that some APC - armored personnel carrier - were moved to the UN's Ebola mission UNMEER, but would be returned. Inner City Press repeated the question, about unarmored 4 by 4 vehicles withdrawn from Darfur, and Takasu said he would check, as he did on the CAR risk premium.
On the Staff Union, Takasu said the goal was new election. But as Inner City Press asked, the old (44th) team was allowed to speak at the recent Town Hall meeting about irregularities in the Pension Fund, and the newer, elected (45th) team was not. On the Pension Fund, Takasu said that the Office of Internal Oversight Services is looking into it to decide how to proceed.
On the cafeteria, Takasu confirmed Inner City Press' scoop, that it is slated to close due to concerns about vehicle bombs on the FDR Drive off-ramp, which New York City has been unwilling to close. Takasu acknowledged that the planned replacement space on the fourth floor is much smaller. And so it goes.
