Internship in UN Sold for $26,000, Final Winner Perused Rolling Stone, Too, This Is For RFK Young Leaders

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 14 -- The sale at auction of a six-week internship in the UN has been completed; the bidding just closed. The winner, identified as "m.alam," bid $26,000 on May 3.

Inner City Press, before that, first exposed the sale of the internship in the UN, and asked the UN about it. At first the UN said that since it was IN but not FOR the UN, it was not problem.

Then the UN said that its Office of Legal Affairs was seeking out the Non-Governmental Organization at issue, then that the advertisement had been amended.

But it still showed the UN Headquarters and said that the winner would learn how the UN really works -- indeed -- and make invaluable connections.

Inner City Press asked the spokesperson for RFK Center, whose RFK Young Leaders is the beneficiary, with whom such connections were being sold -- without answer.

 But Inner City Press' coverage was picked up and credited in Talk Radio News Service and on AlJazeera.com, among other places.

The auction web site CharityBuzz listed the value of the internship at $10,000. How? Not only unpaid - an internship a person, or their parents, pays for.

Inner City Press' research finds that "m.alam" had bid on other internships, for example with Rolling Stone magazine. Where would the "connections" be better?

It has been implied to Inner City Press that the UN might ban the buyer (here, "m.alam" from entering the UN. We'll see. Watch this site.

On Internship in UN for Sale, Spokesperson Nesirky Said Modified, DPI Says "Hurts UN;" No More Questions?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 7 -- The auctioning of an internship in the UN for over $20,000 was exposed by Inner City Press on May 1 and asked about since then, for four days in a row. But UN spokesman Martin Nesikry on May 6 complained to Inner City Press he was answering "for the umpteenth time."

  Four days of questions is not "umpteenth," which by definition must be more than twelve.

  And on the fifth day, May 7, Nesirky ended the briefing abruptly, amid a question about Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Syria chemical weapons prober Ake Sellstrom, video here. 

  So Inner City Press could not answer an obvious follow up about the internship, which is still being auctioned, under photograph of UN Headquarters.

On May 6, Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: this internship at the UN question, just one follow-up. I have spoken this morning with a P5 member of the Security Council who suggested that the UN’s remedy may be to not allow someone who wins the internship for $26,000 to actually come in. I am not aware of that being something the UN could do. What’s the UN’s thinking? Is there any update? Can you respond to the suggestion by a mission to the UN that that’s what the UN either could or should do?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, just to repeat, for the umpteenth time, Matthew, that the internship being auctioned off on this website, charitybuzz.com, is not a United Nations internship. The details of the internship in question have been amended on the website to clarify that the internship is not with the United Nations. And, as we have said repeatedly — and I just said just now — internships at the United Nations are not for sale and they cannot be put up for auction.

Inner City Press: So, when it says a way to learn how the UN works and to get your foot in the door, does that mean a foot in the door with a particular NGO or with the UN system?

Spokesperson: As I have said, Matthew, internships at the United Nations are not up for sale and the details of the internship in question have been amended on the website.

  Inner City Press wrote about the scandal, again, on the evening of May 6 (it was another of Inner City Press' pieces that night with which Nesirky took issue on May 7, taking out a print out and reading from it, video here.)

  Then on the morning of May 7 the head of Outreach for the UN Department of Public Information Maher Nasser took out his own print out, of the auction ad as amended, and said "this hurts the UN." Video here, from Minute 2:05. He said it now "in the media."

  The ad says the auction benefits the RFK Young Leaders, a part of the RFK Center, whose press contact Meaghan E. Baron did not respond to detailed messages left by the Press on both of her listed numbers. 

  Nasser said the UN will not necessarily let in the person who wins the internship (currently m. alam for $26,000), "because we control the process" -- precisely what Inner City Press asked Nesirky about the day before.

  If Nesirky had not so abruptly ended the briefing, it might have been possible to get his gloss on what seems to be a split between DPI and the UN Office of Legal Affairs under Patricia O'Brien. They have had the case since May 1, but the image of the UN, and the language about "foot in the door," remain in the ad.

  We'll have more on the Office of Legal Affairs tomorrow. Watch this site.

On Internship in UN, UN Tells ICP "Details Amended on Web," But Foot Still In, RFK Center Still No Answer

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 6 -- On the internship at the UN being auctioned off, now for $26,000, Inner City Press asked again on May 6. UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky replied that "the details of the internship in question have been amended on the website."

  Inner City Press, have looked at the slightly amended ad, asked if the "foot in the door" still referred to meant only a foot in the door of the NGO, or of the UN system. 

  We await an answer to this question, which we have posed to the listed spokespeople for CharityBuzz.com, the RFK Young Leaders as well as the wider RFK Center, in which at least one Security Council mission may have an interest.

Inner City Press asked the French Mission to the UN to comment on the auction of an internship at the UN. Mission spokesman Guillaume Dabouis came out of the Security Council to say he had no comment. (Another question asked has not yet been responded to.)

It is understood, however and to France's credit, that it PAYS its interns, and only selects them through them a human resources process, not an auction. Others have been asked.

Here is the ad of what's being auctioned, as of noon and 4:30 pm in New York on May 6:

Lot Details

Take advantage of this exclusive opportunity for a 6-week internship in NYC working for Bruce Knotts, Chair of the UN-NGO Committee on Human Rights.

You will gain inside knowledge of just how the UN really operates and have tremendous opportunities to make invaluable connections. This truly is the ultimate internship opportunity for any college or graduate student looking to get their foot in the door!

Requirements for the internship:

An interest in Human Rights/Climate Change

Proficient in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint

Strong writing skills

Must be willing to take initiative and be pro-active

Able to provide a resume

Proceeds benefit RFK Young Leaders.

   Wag: What? Pay $26,000 and still have to provide a resume??

  It has been suggested the UN could not let in or otherwise vet the person on whose behalf $26,000 is paid. Nesirky did not yet answer this Inner City Press question.

    It seems strange, particularly in light of Buzz that the RFK Center may not be the true beneficiary of the auction, that so far the only response to multiple inquires to Sierra Ewert and then Meaghan E. Baron from the the RFK side has been this:

From: RFK Info info [at] rfkcenter.org
Date: Mon, May 6, 2013 at 3:04 PM
Re: [Second] Press Q on deadline for comment on the [modified?] auctioning off of an internship at the UN, thanks
To: Matthew Russell Lee [at] InnerCityPress [dot] com

Thank you for contacting the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. A representaive from the Center will contact you once he or she receives your inquiry. Thank you again and have a great day.

Watch this site.

As "Internship at UN" Is Offered for $22,000, UN Won't Contact NGO, Haiti Cholera Echo

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 2 -- How hard can it be for the UN to look into the online sale of an "internship at the UN"? Inner City Press wrote about just this on the morning of May 1 and asked about it at that day's noon briefing.

  Since then Inner City Press has reported that a bidder named "Aygul" is for now ahead, bidding $22,000. The RFK Center, for which the auction is being conducted, has notresponded with any explanation.

  And even 24 hours later, the UN purported it could not find out the details, then pushed back when Inner City Press said how they could easily do this. (TNRS coverage). From the UN's May 2 transcript:

UN Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: I think you had another question, Matthew? And then we’ll wrap up.

Inner City Press: yesterday I had asked you about this internship at the UN and I appreciate the answer that the UN is checking with Charity Buzz and that you don’t think that it is a UN internship. I was looking at the way it was advertised and, one, it is advertised as something that will teach you how the UN really works and get your foot in the door, and it’s not clear if that means with the RFK Center or the UN. But more than --

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well…

Inner City Press: can I just finish the question?

Spokesperson: Please do, please do.

Inner City Press: even if it’s a non-UN internship, if an NGO accredited here is part of an advertising scheme or, you know, set-up in which people are bidding $22,000 and it is being offered as sort of a way to get into the UN, is this a problem from either OLA’s [Office for Legal Affairs] point of view or the Secretary-General’s point of view that access seems to be being sold?

Spokesperson: We have said very clearly that no UN internships can be sold. That’s not how we operate. We also said very clearly to you and to others who have asked that we are in touch with this website to try to understand what is going on exactly, because we do not know. We are trying to find out. So, we can’t really comment further until we know the background on this. But, I think it is clear, we said very clearly, that UN internships are not for sale. Simple; end of story.

Inner City Press: I appreciate that. It seems like the internship is being offered with an NGO that’s accredited here, so there seems like another way to probably find this out --

Spokesperson: Well, as I say, Matthew, thank you for telling the Legal Affairs Office how to do their job. I can assure you they are looking into it. All right. Thanks very much. Have a good afternoon. Thank you.

This is the same UN Office of Legal Affairs which after 15 months of delay tersely ruled that all claims about the UN bringing cholera to Haiti were "not receivable." So, no, we do not have confidence in them cleaning this up. Watch this site.

After ICP Exposes Sale of UN Internship at UN for $20,000, UN Contacts CharityBuzz

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, May 1 -- What does the UN do when it is shown that an internship at the UN is being sold, online, for more than $20,000?

  First it jests, then it asks. But the position remains for sale, with bids open until May 14, here.

  On the morning of May 1, Inner City Press exposed a "bid over $20,000 for an unpaid six week 'internship at the UN in New York City working for the UN-NGO Committee on Human Rights'... This UN has put up with many conflicts of interest, for example envoy Tony Blair being paid $11 million by Kazakhstan. By given the first question only to UN Correspondents Association who pay $70 dues, the UN has allowed a 'pay to question' system. But this?"

  After publishing this article, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky at the May 1 noon briefing (video here, from Minute 13:42)

Inner City Press: there is a UN internship that’s being auctioned off online. I am not assuming that you’d know of this, but I have seen it, I have written an article about it --

Spokesperson Nesirky : Well, you want it? You want it or something?

Inner City Press: No, no, not at all, I wanted to know if it is legal. They are saying that people should pay $22,000 to work in the UN, it’s for the UN NGO Committee on Human Rights, for six weeks. They are auctioning it off openly to benefit something called the RFK Young Leaders Foundation. But, it seems to smack of… it says, you’ll learn how the UN really works. I am wondering if the UN is comfortable with positions inside the building being sold for money online.

Spokesperson Nesirky: I’ll have to look into that; I am not aware of that particular unusual story, Matthew. But, I am happy to look into it.

Inner City Press: Thank you.

  Throughout the afternoon, Inner City Press received responses from all over. But from the UN Spokesperson, nothing until after 7:30 pm:

Subject: Re: Your question today
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Wed, May 1, 2013 at 7:53 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

Internships at the United Nations are not for sale and cannot be put up for auction. We are trying to find out the details of how this came about and have contacted 'charitybuzz.com'

  Well, that's something. But RFK's Michael Sandel was asked; later, Inner City Press asked the RFK Center's Sierra Ewert:

"I am a journalist who covers the UN; this morning I wrote a story, then asked the UN a question, about the RFK Center's RFK Young Leaders role in the auctioning off of a "UN internship" for over $20,000 on CharityBuzz.com. I want to ask you, on deadline, what the RFK Center's knowledge of, involvement in, and position on this auctioning off of an internship at the UN is. Please respond ASAP."

  Watch this site.

Internship at the UN Being Auctioned For Over $20,000 Online, Is Pay to Play OK with Ban Ki-moon, as Pay to Question, through UNCA, Is?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 1 -- They say a sucker is born every minute, but this takes the cake. Someone has bid over $20,000 for an unpaid six week "internship at the UN in New York City working for the UN-NGO Committee on Human Rights." Click here.

What will the UN say about a position in its "august" hall being auctioned off? This UN has put up with many conflicts of interest, for example envoy Tony Blair being paid $11 million by Kazakhstan. 

By giving the first question only to UN Correspondents Association who pay $70 dues, the UN has allowed a "pay to question" system. But this?

It's on the website "CharityBuzz," to raise funds for the "RFK Young Leaders." It is a new low. Bids close May 14. Even if it is an accredited NGO selling access to the UN to the highest bidder, the UN must answer. Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky about it at the May 1 noon briefing.

Watch this site.