by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
UN GATE, Aug 8 – How corrupt and decrepit has the UN system become under Antonio Guterres, in this case due to Guterres? Today's example is again from the Office of the High Commission for Human Rights, to which Guterres appointed his unqualified crony Volker Turk more than two years ago.
From OHCHR staff: "Dear Matthew Lee, Today Guterres’ crony, Volker Turk announced the replacement of hid deputy Nada Al Nashif and ASG Ilze Brands Kehris. This is nothing more than a masked dismissal. Although Volker Turk is ultimately responsible for the disastrous situation of the UN Human Rights Office, Nada Al Nashif has been the real manager of daily affairs for the last six years. For six years she has run a click of power with highly questionable appointments.
She has favored compatriots in clear conflict of interest. She has promoted unqualified candidates, like notorious incompetent and liar, like Kim Taylor, with no experience in finance and administration (who lied in her PHP and favoured the recruitment of her boyfriend). Nada Al Nashif also promoted her compatriot Mohamed Al Ansour, who raised from P3 to D1 without human rights experience. Nada Al Nashif also promoted to D2, Maarit Sherif Kohonen, who enabled her husband to raise from P1 to P4 under her supervision and allows a power-click with Turk’s protégés Matthias and Azra Behnke.
Nada Al Nashif also recruited an invisible D1 and unable P5 for fundraising and a P5 absent diversity adviser aggravating the financial crisis in OHCHR. Nada Al Nashif is responsible for the reprisals against staff representatives and whistleblowers, like Emma Reilly and others. For years staff has been asking Volker Turk for a replacement of Nada Al Nashf. But she was a convenient henchman for Turk. She has also been responsible for selective application of rules, always in her favor and for mismanagement of funds which have led to a 60 million USD deficit. Nada Al Nashif, Kim Taylor and Maarit Kohonen are responsible for a dubious “cost recovery” practice by which monies allocated to field programmes are used to pay positions in Geneva, something hidden to donors.
Over 15 million USD from field programmes will be deviated to HQ in 2025 in clear fraud to donors. Nada Al Nashif has been responsible for eroding the office in Brussels and also opposed the establishment of an OHCHR office in Vienna (which in spite of the concerns about conflict of interest has been a fixed idea for Volker Turk).
Many member states have also expressed concerns about Nada Al Nashif’s manners and lack of expertise on human rights. Nada Al Nashif has led the (mis) management of OHCHR crisis, including firing most young colleagues hired on TJOs, favoring more expensive and less productive long term staff and the forcible relocation of staff (mainly P3 and P4s) to non existent regional offices. Volker Turk knows all this. He has allowed it for 3 years.
He is ultimately responsible for the dismal state of OHCHR but he is concern that this legacy will haunt his future. Her departure is an opportunity for member states to oversee a transparent process to prevent another crony from being appointed and also to demand access to all accounts (Kim Taylor is an expert in hiding financial information from member states). Hopefully, after Nada Al Nashif, others will also go, although staff suspect that Turk will appoint another crony." This is the UN of Guterres. The above was emailed by Inner City Press to Guterres, his spokespeople and inner circle asking for response on deadline - nothing.
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