UN Assembly's President Is Employed By Media Group, Refuses to Disclose Payments, Stepping To Reform

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
and see, www.innercitypress.com/un3pgafunding040308.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 3 -- The President of the UN General Assembly, Srgjan Kerim, is still under contract to his previous private sector employer, the WAZ media group, but the amount WAZ is paying him is called "confidential" by Kerim's spokesman. In mid-March, Inner City Press asked President Kerim about how he is paid. In response, Kerim called for a reform under which the Office of the President of the GA would be funded by the UN, since "it is the right of those who pay to ask favors." Kerim called this situation "unbearable."

In light of these statements, Inner City Press for two weeks has asked Kerim's spokesman Janos Tisovszky to with all due respect confirm or deny that Kerim is paid by WAZ, and how much. On April 3, Tisovszky wrote to Inner City Press that the government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia "has made an arrangement with Dr. Kerim’s employer the WAZ media group allowing for the one year release of Dr. Kerim to take up his duties as the GA President. This agreement allows for maintaining his contractual status with the media group. Dr. Kerim has a five year contract with WAZ and the details of that contract are confidential."

Even while awaiting a reform, which Kerim to his credit has said he will push for, to have the position of PGA funded by the UN itself, it seems clear that outside payments to the sitting President of the GA, particularly from private corporations, should be disclosed. In this case, it is a media company. It has been argued to Inner City Press that the only conflict of interest would be if this media company got "scoops" about the UN's work. But if this secrecy is accepted, why couldn't future funders be military contractors, oil companies, or even armed non-state parties? While some have pointed about that previous GA presidents received funding from outside the UN, it appears that in previous cases this was only from the president's own government, and not from private corporations, which raise separate conflict of interest questions of first impression.

Indonesia's Ambassador Marty Natalegawa has told Inner City Press that the proposed reform, that the PGA be paid by the UN, should not be quickly adopted without thinking of the ramification for other UN committees that he say have similar outside-funded presiding officers. But do these allow for outside funding for corporations? In amounts that are not disclosed?

To Mr. Tisovszky's credit, certain other of Inner City Press' questions were answered, for example that "no staff member is paid out of the $280,000 budget as this is specified for only to cover official travel, official hospitality, miscellaneous staff expenditures (e.g. temporary assistance, compensatory time off, overtime) and other expenditures, if applicable (e.g. phone charges, newspaper subscriptions, specialized computer software, etc)." French Ambassador Jean-Marie Lacroix had said that perhaps the $280,000 provided should be better used. But divided by 19 staff, it would mean less than $15,000 each.

Tisovszky also answered how many people work in the Office of the PGA -- nineteen -- and what countries they come from: "Brazil, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Rwanda and Slovenia as well as from the President’s own country." This last phrasing seems an attempt to avoid having to choose between the controversial "Macedonia" and the unwieldy "FYROM."

News analysis: Since this name dispute led to a Greek veto and a FYROM walk-out from this week's NATO meeting in Bucharest, circumlocution is understandable. What is not acceptable is for the self-described highest official in the UN to be receiving payments from a private corporation and to refuse to disclose their volume.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un3pgafunding040308.html

Rare Focus on UN General Assembly President's Finances Finds Dinners in Naples, Florida, Funding by Hosts, Forthcoming Latin America Mysteries

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1kerim021408.html

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 14, updated Feb. 17 -- Srgjan Kerim, president of the General Assembly, traveled to Naples last Friday on a diplomatic mission. The venue was a restaurant, the host a restaurant owner, and the Naples was not in Italy but Florida. The only media coverage, until Inner City Press asked about it, was in the metro section of the Naples News, whose lead was "a little bit of Eastern Europe is coming to Southwest Florida." The article went on to explain that "along with President Kerim, more than 125 people attended Friday's luncheon event at Vergina restaurant... Friday's events also marked the official recognition of Naples resident Lou Vlasho's appointment as Honorary Consul of the [Former Yugoslav] Republic of Macedonia," FYROM. Vlasho, as it turns out, is the owner of the restaurant where the celebration was held. One imagines a glad-handing photograph already up on the wall over the bar.

Inner City Press asked Kerim's tireless spokesman Janos Tisovszky who paid for the trip, and on February 11 was told that it was paid for by "the hosts." Would that be Vlasho? Or FYROM? The question has yet to be answered. On Thursday, after Tisovszky announced another Kerim trip, this one to Latin America, Inner City Press was compelled to ask about the financial arrangements for the tour. Tisovszky answered that "as I think I've mentioned to you at least on a one-on-one, that when it comes to official trips of the President, these are covered by the budget of the Office of the President, which is roughly about $280,000 per year... some of the costs may be covered by the host."

Inner City Press asked, for this particular trip, which hosts would pick up which costs. Video here, from Minute 33:31. Tisovszky bristled that "I will try to brief you on the substance because, to be quite honest from our point of view, that's a little bit more important than the actual cost. I understand that, from your point of view, you're looking for transparency. You want to see where every dime and nickel is spent. But I'll try to get that for you, both the substantive part, and also the cost part."

While we'll await and report on the substantive part of the trip -- for the record, Inner City Press was the only media outlet that remained outside the General Assembly chamber on the night of February 13 to ask Kerim about his two day climate change debate -- the question about costs seems eminently reasonable. The president of the General Assembly, often called the PGA, is at the pinnacle of the UN system, at least according to the Charter. But the office is accorded much less scrutiny and press coverage than the Secretary-General or the president or even elected members of the Security Council. Still, Inner City Press has covered Kerim's views on UN ethics, the budget, climate change and vows of transparency. Based on concerns raised by former staff members, who say Kerim's tenure reminds them of PGA Samir Shihabi, of financial demands from the PGA, Inner City Press asked Tisovszky to confirm or deny some of these demands. In context, the response was not denials but explanations:

"The existing practice is that the living costs of the GA President is covered by his/her own government -- so that's the case with President Kerim as well... As regards the credit card issue: no, the President has not requested a credit card, he inquired about how to facilitate access to the use of the budget available to his Office especially when away from Headquarters...The President prior to assuming his office inquired about his entitlements including also any entitlements and obligations covering family members. He has not made any request for car and security for his wife."

While the comprehensiveness of Tisovszky's answers stand out, some of the questions raised remained outstanding, for example, "to Srgjan Kerim's lodging in New York, reportedly in a hotel, is his government covering the cost?" Subsequently, it was confirmed that the FYROM government is paying, for an apartment, not a hotel room. The need to modernize and increase UN funding to the Office of the GA presidency was stressed, and going forward, will be assessed.

And what of the trip through five Latin American countries? As Tisovszky noted on Thursday, the next PGA will come from the so-called GRULAC Latin group. Who will Kerim meet with? For the Secretary-General, a list of meetings is issued - why not for the President of the General Assembly? As of Feb. 17, due to illness, the PGA has not left on trip, may do so Wednesday or postpone the Latin tour. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1kerim021408.html