UNHCR's Johnstone, Of Failing Anti-Africa Relocation, Decamps for USA at Half Pay

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un2hcrjohnstone032409.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 23 -- The UN's Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees L. Craig Johnstone, architect of a money-losing relocation of jobs to Budapest instead of Africa because, he said, UNHCR couldn't find qualified Africans, is now himself relocating to the West Coast of his native USA.

Earlier this month, UNHCR sources told Inner City Press Johnstone was trying to convince UNHCR boss Antonio Guterres that he should get full pay to work from the West Coast. Inner City Press, which had previously covered Johnstone's ill-fated shift of jobs to Budapest instead of Africa, made inquiries.

When word leaked out, Guterres counter proposed that Johnstone get only half the salary, and pay the extra travel costs on his own. To some, it's a rare partial victory for accountability within the UN system. Others wonder why Johnstone, who admitted his post is reserved for the United States, can still draw any pay at all.

The move Johnstone engineered, from Geneva to Budapest, has resulted money lost and not saved. At the time of the move, Inner City Press interviewed Johnstone who said, on the record, that qualified workers could not be found in Africa.

Inner City Press asked why Africa hadn't even been one of the four locations considered . (The others were Bucharest, Chennai and Kuala Lumpur.) "Is Africa the right place to establish a procurement center?" Johnstone asked. "A payroll center? What are the capability of the local people to carry out the functions?"

When Inner City Press reported this, Johnstone back pedaled, bad mouthing Inner City Press in the process.

Now, UNHCR whistleblowers have provided Inner City Press with an Excel spreadsheet showing the less than stellar performance of the Johnstone-designed move from Geneva. The sources say "Budapest in 2008 costs 17.8 million and 19.9 estimated for 2009 NOT the 7.9 million they are basing the savings on." Inner City Press asked Switzerland's Ambassador to the UN Peter Maurer for comments, and Ambassador Maurer said that often such moves do not result in the promised savings. In this case, UNHCR lost money.

Other intra-UNHCR scandals have included irregularities in Staff Union elections, reported failure to have insurance on UNHCR staff members in Algeria, where UNHCR and the UN were bombed in December 2008 (UNHCR began dodging questions at that point), and the trading of jobs for donations.

Additionally, UNHCR sources tell Inner City Press that former UNHCR controller, Colin Mitchell, an Australian who retired in May 2008, was reprimanded by UNHCR in April 2008 for reopening 2006 purchase orders to soak up excess funds so that it would not appear that UNHCR had not spent all its donor funding in 2007. He was then promoted after his reprimand by Guterres to grade D-2, retroactive to 1 January 2007, one week before his retirement -- a nice golden handshake in his pension package.

These sources say that at UNHCR, as in many other locations in the UN system, rewards are doled out in contravention of rules in order to buy silence and keep skeleton closets closed.

And now Antonio Gutteres, fresh from his recent visit to Myanmar where he talked some about the Rohingya but not sufficiently about the Karen people, described in the press today as being displaced and slaughtered by the army, on March 23 issued the following whitewash e-mail to his staff:

Sent: lundi 23 mars 2009 14:07
Subject: All Staff Message from the High Commissioner on the Deputy High Commissioner

Craig Johnstone joined UNHCR as Deputy High Commissioner in June 2007. In the ensuing almost two years he has discharged the duties of that office in an exemplary manner. I have relied on him to spearhead UNHCR’s structural reform to include introduction of results-based

management and, most recently, to introduce needs-based planning and budgeting (GNA) and to undertake fundamental human resources reform. He has also provided invaluable advice in responding to the current global financial crisis, so far allowing the organization to avoid capping exercises or other reductions in the resources available to our beneficiaries.

At the beginning of this year, Craig advised that for family reasons he would have to return to the United States and therefore, with regret, asked to resign. In view of his leadership of the ongoing reforms I was reluctant to accept his resignation. After consulting with the UN Secretary-General, I asked Craig to continue in the exercise of his Deputy High Commissioner functions on a half-time, half-pay basis until at least after the Executive Committee’s consideration of the new GNA-based budget in the fall of 2009, when we would review these arrangements.

In order to see through the successful conclusion of the reforms for which he is primarily responsible, Craig agreed to remain on this basis. Indeed, he offered to do so without any compensation whatsoever. I did not think that appropriate but I do wish to clarify that all expenses for travel between his family in the United States and Geneva will be borne entirely by Craig.

Prior to Craig’s final departure we will commence the process for the identification of his successor, relying on the methodology used for his own selection.

Antonio Guterres

Beyond the fact that Inner City Press has been told by well-placed sources that Johnstone tried to keep his whole salary, if as Guterres white washes it Johnstone now offers to forego compensation, like the executives of failed Wall Street banks, why pay him? Is Guterres performing his fiduciary duties? He was recently in New York at UN Headquarters, but made no press availability. Here's hope for one, soon. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un2hcrjohnstone032409.html

China Asks UN to "Desist from Harboring" North Koreas, Mbeki "Colors" Programs for Zimbabwe Refugees, UNHCR Deputy Says

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1refugees042208.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 22 -- China has asked "that we desist from harboring North Koreans," the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees L. Craig Johnstone told Inner City Press on Tuesday. "I would expect that the Chinese are ruing the day they ever went along with the Olympics. It's more of a political issue than they would have anticipated."

Asked whether politics, specifically that of South Africa's president Thabo Mbeki, has influenced UNHCR's ruling that those fleeing Zimbabwe are not refugees, Johnstone said no. He said that UNHCR's programs are "colored" by the attitude to the problem by host governments like South Africa.

Inner City Press asked about UNHCR's current involvement in refugee protection controversies in Greece and Liberia. Johnstone reiterated that Greece has many improvements to make in how it handles asylum seekers, and that he does not see merit in their arguments. On Liberia, he said that most of those resisting to the country do so to boost their chances of resettlement in the United States. But only last week, the UN's envoy to Liberia spoke of systematic rape of under-aged girls. Would fleeing from that make one a refugee?

"If the situation in any country, if the internal violence, crosses the threshold, then we assume prima facie that those fleeing are refugees," Johnstone said. He gave Iraq as an example of a country with this status. Inner City Press asked him if the U.S. is doing enough to take in refugees from Iraq. No, he said. He praised the relatively meager goal of 12,000, but said that even that may not be reached, the U.S. is lagged behind the target. Inner City Press ask if UNHCR acknoweldges those fleeing Somalia, often in dangerous and deadly boats to Yemen, are refugees. "That would be a safe assumption," Johnstone answered. He declined the list the countries with this status. "Then you affect things," he said.

Johnstone noted that the UN Department of Safety and Security is "discrete" in its changes to threat levels for a country. This may explain the discrepancy between Yemeni press reports that the UN Development Program has closed or suspended some operations in Sana'a due to threats, and UNDP's denials. Inner City Press earlier on Tuesday asked UN Spokesperson Michele Montas, "can you confirm that in Yemen some change is taking place in UN operations?"

Ms. Montas responded, "I contacted UNDP about this and they said that, contrary to press reports, the UNDP office in Sana'a has not been closed and UNDP staff continue to go about their work. A security assessment is now under way and all UNDP programs in the country continue to operate and all UNDP project offices outside of Sana'a remain open."

Inner City Press asked, "Is the UNDP compound there MOSS compliant?" This is a required safety status, including such things as sufficient set-back from streets where car bombing is possible.

Ms Montas said, "I don't have that information. We would have to get the information from DSS who, as you know, will not really give specifics on security issues."

On the insurance inquiries that started the process leading to the interview, Johnstone said it would be fair to assume that the money paid out by UNHCR came from its operating budget. He promised to provide further information about the status and reasoning of UNHCR's non-participation in the rest of the UN system's Malicious Acts Insurance Policy. Click here for the more UNHCR-specific part of Tuesday's Johnstone interview, and watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1refugees042208.html

Donors Ask for UN Jobs, America Owns Some, UNHCR Deputy Johnstone Says

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1hcrjohnstone042208.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 22 -- Donor countries ask for jobs, the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees L. Craig Johnstone told Inner City Press on Tuesday. In the last week alone, he said, three countries have lobbied him for more representation based on the money they give. "I would cast an eye toward trying to help a country out," Johnstone said.

Following Inner City Press' reporting on UNHCR's agreement with the United States to aim to hire 13% of its professional staff from the U.S., UNHCR's spokesman stopped responding to questions, including about the agency's lack of insurance for those working for it in Algiers, impacted by the December 11, 2007 bombing there. Even without a stonewall from UNHCR, Inner City Press published that story, and one on staff dissatisfaction within the agency. Johnstone came for a 45 minute interview, to clear the air.

Johnstone's selection as Deputy High Commissioner is explained by some close observers as a deal in which the Europeans supported his candidacy in exchange for UNHCR directing its out-posting of jobs not to Asia but to Eastern Europe. Simultaneous with Johnstone beginning at the number two UNHCR post, the agency announced the awarding to Budapest of back-office jobs moved from Geneva.

Johnstone pointed out that the U.S. essentially owns the Deputy High Commissioner slot. He said that High Commissioner Gutteres reserved the right to go outside the selection process if he was not satisfied with the result. "To be perfectly frank," Johnstone told Inner City Press, "I got added to the list to make sure that wouldn't happen."

On a secondary theory, that PriceWaterhouseCoopers was given the job of choosing or recommending the out-posting city in exchange for contributions, Johnstone said, "Ask Wendy," Chamberlin, his predecessor.

Inner City Press asked why Africa hadn't even been one of the four locations considered . (The others were Bucharest, Chennai and Kuala Lumpur.) "Is Africa the right place to establish a procurement center?" Johnstone asked. "A payroll center? What are the capability of the local people to carry out the functions?"

He said that Hungary gave a building free of change. "Did that help? Of course." But is this who the UN should do business, if the result if the exclusion of Africa?

A former UN envoy to the DR Congo, William Lacy Swing, is the U.S. candidate to take over as head of the International Organization on Migration. Johnstone asked, Has his battle with Brunson McKinley been resolved? He said, "to be perfectly frank," that those casting secret ballot in the IOM election need to "think carefully" about not having an American head up an agency of which the U.S. is the major funder. And so we've come full circle.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1hcrjohnstone042208.html

At UN Refugee Agency, Labor Power Plays and No Comment on Safety or Zoe's Ark Pardons

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
and see, www.innercitypress.com/un2unhcr040108.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 1 -- The work of the UN's refugee agency threatens to be undermined by the doling out of jobs and contracts, staff dissention and management retaliation, as reflected by a recent letter of resignation of those assigned to conduct an agency staff union election. In a March 28 letter to agency chief Antonio Gutteres, the members of the UNHCR Polling Board expressed "serious concern" about Mr. Gutteres' office's attempts to influence the ostensibly free and independent election of staff representatives. Gutteres' deputy, Craig Johnstone, is said to have responded to Staff Council testimony March 17 at a High Level Committee on Management meeting in Rome about UNHCR's doling out of contracts and senior posts by, on March 18, backing an alternative slate of four, who are currently representing the Management on one or more of the joint staff-management bodies and now seeking tardy entry into the Staff Council elections.

While the UN espouses workers' rights to organize under the International Labor Organization's principles, at UNHCR senior management attempts to impact the results of elections, to retaliate against its own critics. How this impacts the refugees the agency is supposed to serve remains to be seen. What is so far known is that UNHCR, which did not timely answer questions about the underlying jobs and contracting complaint, has now for more than a week declined to answer simple questions on safety. The wider UN has for the two days since Chadian president Deby pardoned the staff of Zoe's Ark who kidnapped over 100 children declined comment twice, including on impunity. As is often said, rot starts at the head, and impunity begins at home: the aforementioned Craig Johnstone is not listed as participating in any way in the UN's public financial disclosure program.

UNHCR sources tell Inner City Press that it has been too obvious especially during the past four months that Deputy High Commissioner Johnstone was trying to dislodge the current Staff Council at any cost. Preparations were therefore made by Johnstone to mobilize certain staff to stand for election to the new Staff Council. On 15 January 2008, the Polling Board announced that the deadline for applications was close-of-business on 28 February 2008, allowing six weeks to apply. The election date at Headquarters was supposed to be mid April. Johnstone managed during those six weeks to mobilize about nine or ten people. But when the applications were opened at the closing date at the end of the work day on February 28, it became apparent that there are about ten other people who had applied and who are not necessarily Management-oriented, thus making a total of 20 candidates standing for election to the Council's 11 posts. The proposed "Management / Johnstone team" was not assured of victory.

After the closing date for application had expired, four more staff members submitted applications but were eventually rejected as being too late. There were two or three others staff members whose applications were also rejected for the same or other reasons. But this group-of-four late applicants pushed the Polling Board, composed of seven elected Polling Officers, to accept their late applications. The Polling Board reconsidered its decision and was divided on the issue. It eventually decided by a vote, 4 against 3, not to make an exception to the deadline and the four candidates were so advised, around March 4.

Johnstone was in Rome on March 17 and 18 to participate in the High Level Committee on Management. On March 17, he heard a speech which singled out UNHCR for violation of the UN Charter by committing percentages of jobs and contracts to donor countries. The very next day, Johnstone's Executive Assistant Ms. Preeta Law said that Johnstone had given his authorization for the group of four late applicants to send a personal message to all 6400 staff members through UNHCR official distribution system, contrary to UNHCR's written policy on mass distribution of messages through the "UNHCR Broadcast" e-mail system. The distribution of the message was followed by an orchestrated campaign involving senior Officers and Deputy Directors who asked staff to send messages urging the Polling Board to change their position about the deadline and to allow late applications. Some 80 of the UNHCR's 6400 staff members reportedly sent such messages. On March 20, the Polling Board announced that it was prepared to accept late application received up to midnight on 28 February, instead of close of business, but not those received on 29 February 29 or after. The Polling Board also said that they were given to understand that the distribution of the message was authorized by "the Executive Office," meaning High Commissioner Gutteres.

Gutteres, it seems, was being questioned about whether he had authorized the mass distribution of the message of March 18. Gutteres has reportedly denied involvement and claimed that he would not take action that would interfere with the work of the Polling Board. When the Polling Board heard this, on March 28, they submitted their resignations.

Sources predict it will take a few weeks for the situation to fully unfold. In principle, if a new UNHCR Staff Council is not elected according to Chapter 8 of UN Staff Rules, the joint staff - management bodies including those responsible for making recommendations on appointments and promotions cannot be constituted after the tenures of the current ones expire, thus leaving in limbo UNHCR, its staff and most importantly the refugees who are supposed to be served.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un2unhcr040108.html