By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 26 – With the UN system facing 40% budget cuts from the US, on January 25 UN Development Program chief Helen Clark confirmed she will leave on April 19.
While Inner City Press first reported the interest of France's Segolene Royal in replacing Clark, and the UK's David Miliband has also been mentioned.
And so on January 26 Inner City Press asked UK Ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft, video here, UK transcript:
Inner City Press: Does the UK support David Miliband to head UNDP?
Amb Rycroft: We look forward to working with Helen Clark in her final months in office and with her successor, and no further comment. [end]
Amb Rycroft: We look forward to working with Helen Clark in her final months in office and with her successor, and no further comment. [end]
Some UN sources have told Inner City Press this post, "like UNICEF and WFP, may go to an American." We'll see.
Of the candidates to replace the increasingly discredited Ban Ki-moon as UN Secretary General, Clark was the most active on social media.
She also, as Inner City Press exposed, had UNDP go after a UNDP staff who dared tweet criticism of her.
She was once getting a tobacco award but when exposed by Inner City Press, turned it down. There's more to be said but the news of the day is the impending budget cuts.
And why WAS France minister for development meeting with and lobbying Antonio Guterres on January 25? We'll have more on this.
