In Corrupt UN of Guterres ICSC Bolshoi Junket Mirrors Mike Waltz July 4 UNHQ Rooftop Gig

In Corrupt UN of Guterres ICSC Bolshoi Junket Mirrors Mike Waltz July 4 UNHQ Rooftop Gig by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack UN GATE, May 31 – How corrupt is today's UN system in the final year of Antonio Guterres? The UN General Assembly raised the mandatory age of retirement in the UN to 65 years. In June 2024 Inner City Press reported thatthe ICSC staff members closed to the ICSC Chair, Larbi Djacta, were treated differently than other retiring UN staff, see below. It has been some time since we last updated on the exciting state of affairs at the ICSC and its remarkably “dynamic” approach to filling the vacant D-2 Executive Secretary position. And, unsurprisingly, nothing has changed. Absolutely nothing. More than two and a half years have passed since the sudden resignation of the former ICSC Executive Secretary, Regina Pawlik in October 2023, yet the position remains unfilled. Despite this prolonged vacancy, the ICSC continues to operate in a manner that many stakeholders — both internal and external, though notably not including USUN, most concerned with getting the UNHQ rooftop for 4th of July fireworks —have repeatedly characterized as inefficient and incompetent.  Under the UN80 Initiative, one might reasonably expect a long-vacant senior post to trigger a simple question: is the position still necessary? Instead, the situation has become a curious example of institutional inertia. If a role can remain unfilled for years without any visible impact on operations, it inevitably raises the question of why it existed in the first place. Yet rather than reassess the need for the position, ICSC continues to issue repeated vacancy announcements—each one apparently designed to reassure applicants that something is happening, while ensuring nothing actually does. In that respect, the approach is almost innovative: a position that remains vacant, recruitment exercises that never quite conclude, and a system that continues exactly as before. If there is an award for turning inactivity into a process, one might be tempted to say that ICSC has earned it. In the meantime, the ICSC Chair reportedly appointed Yuri Orlov, a senior member of the ICSC Secretariat, as Officer-in-Charge of the ICSC Secretariat under a Special Post Allowance arrangement in lieu of filling the D-2 position. What was initially presented as an interim measure has reportedly continued for several years, raising understandable questions about whether the arrangement remains temporary in anything other than name. The situation has also prompted discussion regarding the qualifications and selection criteria applied to senior leadership functions. Critics argue that prolonged acting appointments can create the appearance that normal recruitment standards and competitive selection processes are being bypassed. Whether those concerns are justified is a matter for appropriate oversight bodies to determine - yeah, right - but the absence of transparency surrounding the arrangement has done little to dispel questions about governance, accountability, and adherence to established personnel practices. Meanwhile, the travel pattern associated with senior leadership has drawn increasing scrutiny from both UN staff, organizations, and member states. The travel record of Yuri Orlov, documentation of which Inner City Press has on file, reads like a masterclass in mission creep. One is left to wonder how many “essential” official journeys are required before anyone asks whether they are actually, well, essential.  A growing number of official trips—many of which appear only loosely connected to the core mandate of ICSC—have been undertaken during a period of tightening UN budgets, funding constraints, and heightened demands for accountability across the UN system. One example cited involves a trip to Moscow organized by Yuri Orlov through bilateral coordination with the relevant country, using UN resources to facilitate what appeared to be a sightseeing program for the ICSC Chair.  The itinerary reportedly included cultural visits to the Bolshoi Theatre, Red Square, museums, and associated hospitality arrangements Naturally, this raises a series of necessary questions. To what extent were these trips required under the actual mandate of ICSC? Were these trips formally requested by UN staff or UN entities, or were they self-contained initiatives later justified as official business? Were any substantive negotiations actually conducted, and if so, where can the resulting reports, outcomes, or deliverables be found—assuming they exist outside internal folklore? How many similar excursions have quietly taken place without anyone maintaining the tedious but necessary tally? And perhaps most importantly, which body is responsible for tracking ICSC's compliance with UN financial and ethical rules—the General Assembly, the Fifth Committee, ACABQ, OIOS, the Office of the President of the General Assembly, or, as sometimes appears to be the case, no one in particular? These questions acquire additional significance against the backdrop of growing criticism of UN spending practices by major contributors.  The United States has loudly and largely ham handedly pressed for "financial discipline" within the UN system, an oxymoron if there ever was one.  So this is a test case for Mike "Knickerbocker" Waltz: examples of discretionary travel, unclear mandates, and weak oversight.  Questions about official travel, spending, procurement, reporting, and the interpretation of mandates are not minor administrative issues. Overall, the picture that emerges is one of weak oversight and unclear accountability, where discretionary travel and administrative ambiguity appear to coexist with claims of fiscal discipline. This is particularly concerning given ICSC's role within the UN system. As a body that promotes standards, accountability, and good governance, ICSC should lead by example. Its credibility depends on applying internally the same principles it encourages others to follow. Previously, the ICSC Chair, Mr. Larbi Djacta had been repeatedly extending his favorites beyond the mandatory retirement age and delaying years to replace them with new  staff with the necessary credentials, including advance degrees (Djacta's favorite senior staff lack any advanced degrees or credentials, then same as him). Some of those vacancies for these posts were announced early last year, but so far, no actions have been taken to select the candidates who applied for these posts numerous times due to reannouncements of those vacancies as a delay tactic.  [Last year Inner City Press exclusively reported: On January 26, 2022 contacted by UN whistleblowers, Inner City Press asked Guterres and his spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming questions including "On USG Larbi Djacta, ICSC chair, the resume states Masters Degree St John's University 1991-93. Please immediately state a Masters Degree IN WHAT."    23 months later, no answer at all. This is fraud. Here is the relevant information on one of those positions - Chief of Human Resources Policies at D-1 level in the ICSC  This is the case with Ms. Henrietta De Beer! Once again, Mr. Larbi Djacta has decided to extend her contract WELL BEYOND her mandatory retirement age of 65 years (see attached). The vacancy for the post has been announced two or three times over the last two years. Unfortunately, there was no action or news about that recruitment. So, the pertinent question that should be asked here for proper checks and balance is why Ms. De Beer cannot be replaced with a new talent! This kind of abuse of authority is one of the major hurdles in the UN towards rejuvenating the workforce. Opportunities for new and younger talent pipelines in the UN organizations are blocked at the top because of not letting go of the old and out-of-date talent in the UN organizations by the heads of organizations/entities just for their personal benefits or quid pro quo! 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 SDNY Press Room 480, front cubicle 500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA Mail: Box 20047, Dag Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017 Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.  Copyright 2006-2023 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com