by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
UN GATE, Dec 24 – 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 Russell Lee - Help us to expose how bad the situation has become on OHCHR under Guterres’ crony Volker Turk. 350 fired this year and more lined up for 2016. “Small moments of clarity can be enough to transform stress into perspective” writes Volker Turk in X as he gets his meditation room in UN Geneva. Those are his priorities. Meditation as he sinks OHCHR confirm Volker Turk lacks touch with reality. His words are a ridiculous and cruel slap in the face to more than 350 junior (and mainly female P2 and P3 including soc and pregnant ones) fired in 2025. Meditation will be no consolation for them or for their families.
Perspective is useful to review his performance as High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2025: deficit doubled from 45 to 97 million dollars in one year, all cash reserves were spent in expensive units like his “Analític Hub” (the fact that it was established in the most expensive duty station, Geneva, same as with his questioned “Investigations Branch”, is testament of how money has been wasted), most field presences have lost capacity to pay for expenses in Geneva and in Colombia all field offices closed and 70% of the staff fired, globally OHCHR is irrelevant as the High Commissioner models after his master SG Guterres who has made the UN invisible.
Stress is what 350 young colleagues fired face. Perspective is, against the Controller’s instructions, not one single ASG, D2, D1 or P5 have been part of the mass dismissal in OHCHR. Stress is what 120 staff and their families face as they have been threatened “relocate or will be fired”. Perspective is the Cleptocracy headed by Volker Turk and his cronies including Nada al Nashif, Kim Taylor, Maarit Kohonen, Peggy Hicks, Mahamane Cisse Gouro, Michael Camilleri, Matthias Behnke, Francesco Motta, Dimiter Chalev, Abdul Aziz Thioye, Juliette de Rivero, Scott Campbell, Beatrix Balbin, Veronica Birga and those who run OHCHR like a family affair.
Earmarked money is routinely deviated to cover financial holes. Reprisals against whistleblowers are tolerated routinely. Do not forget, Volker Turk’s term ends in September 2026, watch out Master Guterres does not extend him as his farewell present. The UN needs a new High Commissioner for Human Rights before Volker Turk and his gang destroy the Office and deplete all the accounts."
Inner City Press re-applied to re-enter the UN on June 19, 2025 - no answer at all from Melissa Fleming, Tel Mekel, Stephane Dujarric. Today's UN is corrupt.
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