Ban Ki-moon's UN Fetes Africa But Gave Sahel to Italy, W. Africa to EU, Maged in Defense

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 16 -- As the UN trumpeted its Africa Week on Tuesday, Inner City Press asked the UN's Special Advisor on Africa, Egypt's former Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz, to respond to criticism that for example the UN's top envoys in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote d'Ivoire and now the Sahel are all Europeans, that Tanzanian Asha Rose Migiro was replaced as Ban Ki-moon's Deputy by Jan Eliasson of Sweden, and USG Tibaijuka taken out. Video here, from Minute 23.

  Maged Abdelaziz, whose taking of the OSSA post also drew criticism from the UN African Group directly to Ban Ki-moon, offered an on-camera defense, initially of Eliasson.

  He said Eliasson has a "genuine passion for Africa," that he has traveled with Eliasson in Africa and will do so again in mid-November, to Addis Ababa. OK, but what about the West Africa envoys, and Romano Prodi for the Sahel, being paid as a full time Under Secretary General while working from his native Italy?

  Maged Abdelaziz said the UN is a "multicultural organization," and that it should not be expected that all its envoys to Africa would be Africans.

  He rattled off other posts held by Africans: UNFPA, UNAIDS -- whose chief, at least according to the UN, is from France -- and the threatened with merger mandates of children and armed conflict and sexual violence in conflict. 

  To list someone he didn't mention, there is Adam Dieng in the Genocide Prevention job (rather than DGACM, which has been given for now to a Belgian, holding the post for someone else in the future).

  OK, but why was Ian Martin given Libya, and then Prodi the Sahel? Or Bert Koenders given Cote d'Ivoire? To what end?

  Inner City Press also asked about Sudan and South Sudan, and NEPAD's Ibrahim Assane Mayaki replied that the government in Juba invited NEPAD to help design their development plan.

Footnote:   During the press conference, an 80 page "NEPAD Guide 2012" was distributed. There is a section on water -- praising Rio Tinto.

   There is a full page devoted to "General Electric in Africa." Both are listed as "Platinum Members" in the back; one of the Corporate Members is Citigroup, whose former chief of Africa (and Europe and the Middle East) Michael Corbat replaced Vikram Pandit on Tuesday. Multicultural, indeed...

At UN, Buzz of Holmes Leaving, Tibaijuka's Absence, Accountability on Intranet

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/ban2compacts021210.html

UNITED NATIONS, February 12 -- At UN's annual signing of "compacts" on Friday morning, the buzz from one Under Secretary General to another was that top UN Humanitarian John Holmes "is leaving to go back to the UK." Later another senior UN official, not present at the Compact signing ceremony, told Inner City Press this same thing.

Holmes was not present to sign his Compact, being in Haiti. Anna Tibaijuka, removed by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon inexplicably from running the UN's Nairobi office, was equally inexplicably not present, even by video conference. Her Nairobi chief successor Achim Steiner, handpicked by Mr. Ban, was present, with the image of a tree behind him.

Steiner signed two Compacts, as did Cheick Sidi Diarra, still moonlighting between Least Developed Countries, Landlocked and Small Island Developing States and the Special Adviser on Africa position, which some in the General Assembly say has become moribund under Mr. Ban. The Assembly has voted that the post must be filled, but it has yet to happen.

As in February 2009, Inner City Press was the only media organization there. Even for the photo op, only UN Television and UN Photo were there. Nevertheless, Mr. Ban in his prepared remarked said the UN was making these signings "as public as possible."

The documents, and reports on performance, will go only on the UN's intranet, not available to the public, to "we the peoples."

Many of the Under Secretaries General at the ceremony rarely if ever speak to the press. Chief UN lawyer Patricia O'Brien, in her few appearances, has stuck narrowing to issues of the Hariri Tribunal, refusing questions even on the UN's involvement in Cambodia's tribunal.

Inga-Britt Ahlenius, recently in the media for OIOS' alleged policy of not pursuing former UN employees or third party contractors, has not held a press conference in the Compact annual cycle.

New Safety and Security chief Gregory Starr has not spoken with the press, other than a single interview with the correspondent of the Washington Times (which recently closed its UN bureau by means of massive layoffs).

Starr is the only new UN senior office since last year. Now, a needed shakeup may be near.

Mr. Shabaab Shabaan, while affable, has yet to hold a press conference, despite being in the news for a damning UN Dispute Tribunal decision about his management. Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky, who sat in the corner during the signing ceremony, announced only that Ban will appeal the UNDT decision, but refused Inner City Press' question for a statement of the basis of the appeal.

Some absences were more than understandable. Lynn Pascoe, along with Ban's closest advisor Kim Won-soo, was still on his North Korea trip. Mr. Ban told the Press that he spoke with Pascoe, who had not met with Kim Jong-Il to whom Ban sent a leather bound copy of the UN Charter in six languages.

Neither top peacekeepers, Alain Le Roy nor Susana Malcorra, was present. Inner City Press saw both of them less than an hour later going into the Security Council.

In the Council, another USG spoke: Alan Doss, whose six line e-mail urging UNDP to show him "leeway" and give his daughter a job is still being investigated by the UN some eight months later. Why does USGs like Doss sign Compacts, and abide by them? As with everything in this UN, it is a work in process, not necessarily in progress. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/ban2compacts021210.html

As UN Staffer Found With Child Porn, No Answers on Supervisors' Role, UNMIS or Cote d'Ivoire, Gun-slinger Retained in Nairobi

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un2porno042109.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 21 -- A long-time UN staff member was arrested for child pornography at Canadian customs on April 9. When Inner City Press asked the UN about it on April 21, Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe said that the UN's Mr. Jose Antonio "Ortega was on a personal trip and left on Thursday, 9 April, for Canada. He was expected to be back in the office on 13 April but did not show up."

As reported in the Canadian press, "portable memory devices found in his backpack contained more than 800 images of hard-core child pornography, some involving a girl who appeared to be about five years old. Mr. Ortega Osona expects to lose his job as a demographer with the UN's fertility division because of the convictions, defense lawyer Geoff Newton said. 'Any jail sentence he gets pales in comparison to the effects this will have on his life,' Mr. Newton said."

But if the UN's refusal to oust or reassign Alexander Barabanov, a Russian staff member at the UN in Nairobi who insulted local authorities and carried an unlicensed gun, or its reportedly kid-gloves treatment of higher officials involved in a pornography ring are any guide, Mr. Ortega will not necessary "lose his job."

At Tuesday noon briefing, Inner City Press also asked, video here

Inner City Press: In terms of seriousness, there is a report that the Head of Operations of the UN Centre in Nairobi, Alexander Barabanov, who was found by Kenya to have an illegal weapon, is still serving the UN. A series of letters has been sent to Angela Kane and OLA trying to get authority to discontinue his service to the UN, due to the illegal gun. Is he still in service, and if so, why?

Deputy Spokesperson: I don’t have any information on that. I have to look into that for you.

But twelve hours after that statement, no further information has been provided. Some now say that Anna Tibaijuka's demotion at the UN in Nairobi in favor of Achim Steiner may have been related to her persistence in trying to hold Mr. Barabanov accountable. We aim to have more on this.

Earlier in Tuesday's noon briefing, Ms. Okabe claimed that there was no substantive difference in having cancelled the previous days' Q&A session, because we "took your questions in our Office and we responded to your questions like we normally do." That is, responded only partially, and to some questions, not at all.

UN: blue passport, blue movies, carte blanche

Earlier in the afternoon on Tuesday, since Ms. Okabe limited questioning by saying, "only one more question" even though the previous day's briefing had been cancelled and there was no one else waiting for the room, Inner City Press submitted these questions in writing, none of which have been responded to ten hours later:

Subj: Re: your question on sri lanka - follow-up, incl. on Sudan, Nairobi (2), Cote d'Ivoire, pornography (2), thanks
From: Inner City Press
To: Deputy Spokesperson, Associate Spokesperson, Spokesperson for OCHA
Sent: 4/21/2009 2:05:11 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time

In a message dated 4/21/2009 1:19:19 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, unspokesperson-donotreply [at] un.org writes:
We have raised the issue of staff in IDP camps with the GoSL since at least February. --Stephanie Bunker

Hello. (1) Please comment on / respond to the following public statements by the GoSL:

"The Government has received a letter from the United Nations resident and humanitarian coordinator Neil Buhne requesting movement for UN staff in refugee camps in Vavuniya, Resettlement Minister Rishad Baduideen said yesterday. “We received the letter on Wednesday evening and it was from Neil Buhne,” Minister Baduideen said. .. Minister Baduideen said he had not received a letter from the UN and unless they receive a formal complaint that they cannot look into it, and as and when they do they will discuss it with the military officials. END
So are you saying that the UN's raising of the issue since Feb was informal? To whom was it raised, given the above? And what is the current status?

I have been told that a (South) Sudan paragraph was sent to me, but I have not found it. Please send. And (2) what is the UN's response to

"A report on the March attacks by a joint team of different U.N. agencies... called for UNMIS to increase patrols in the area and to increase support to local officials to try to improve the dire security situation."

(3) What is the UN's response to the Forces Nouvelle in Cote d'Ivoire saying they will withdraw from the peace process if elections are not held in 2009?

According to the UN, when will elections be held?

(4a) The name of the administrative officer in UN - Nairobi I asked about is Alexander Barabanov, director of administrative services.

(4b) on the UN Security officer killed in his home in Kenya, please state whether the UN has any inkling if it had anything to do with his service at/to the UN, or that is had nothing to do with it.

(5a) The child porn guilty plea, on which I am asking for updates on what the UN does, was by "Jose Antonio Ortega Osona, 40, a Spanish citizen who lives in New York, pleaded guilty Friday in Dartmouth provincial court to a Criminal Code charge of possessing child pornography and a Customs Act charge of smuggling prohibited goods."

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9011475.html

(5b) Finally, for now, a simple factual question best answered in this format / medium:

please confirm or deny that there are several senior DSS / SSS officers at UNHQ in NY who have received letters of reprimand for pornography, and explain any difference of treatment from that accorded on the same charges to a lower level staff member. To ensure your answer, I suggest you ask OHRM, OIOS and DSS.

The context of this last still-unanswered question is the UN's show of discipline against a lower level UN purveyor of pornography, while the underlying investigative report made it clear that many more people, at higher levels, were and are implicated. Click here for Inner City Press' exclusive December 18, 2008 report, " Suspended UN Pornographer Opposed Gays, Liked Dogs, As Higher Ups Escape."

Now, sources in the Department of Safety and Security complain more loudly of and name supervisors who have been informed they are under investigation or found to be involved in pornography, but nothing has happened to them. Several were part of the "scam promotions" imbroglio exposed by an intra-DSS memo leaked to and published by Inner City Press, click here for that. Some say a wave of disciplinary actions might soon begin. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un2porno042109.html

In Demoting Anna Tibaijuka, UN's Ban Did Not Consult His Gender Advisor, It Seems, UNIFEM and ECA Have No Comment

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un5unon030509.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 5 -- At the UN celebrated Women's Day and itself, questions continued to grow about its demotion of Tanzanian Anna Tibaijuka from the top post at the UN Office in Nairobi. Ban Ki-moon's Special Advisor on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Woman, Rachel Mayanja, was asked by Inner City Press if Ban consulted her before demoting one of his most senior female officials.

"I am not very familiar with this issue," Ms. Mayanja said. "I need to look into it and get properly informed before answering to you." Video here, from Minute 5:45. It seems clear that Ban did not consult his Special Adviser on Women's Advancement before demoting a top female UN official.

Nor has Ban complied with the UN General Assembly's call that he appoint an independent Special Adviser on Africa. It is known that Ambassadors, for example from Mozambique, have written in protest to Ban. His spokesman, however, said he remains "comfortable" with his decision.

Ban is calling on Sudan's al-Bashir to reconsider his decision to expel NGOs from Darfur. Ban has been asked to reconsider his demotion of Tibaijuka in favor of the German Achim Steiner. But on Thursday on the UN's intranet, the appointment of Steiner was formally announced.

No one at Headquarters seems to want to answer on this. Representatives of UNIFEM, the UN's women's agency and of ECA, Economic Commission for Africa, both declined comment when asked by Inner City Press. But the questions continue to grow. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un5unon030509.html

In UN, Protests to Nairobi Post Switch From Woman to Man, Gender Balance Comes Last

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un3unon030209.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 2 -- On a day the UN called for "greater gender equality and women's empowerment," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon replaced the female chief of the UN Office in Nairobi, Tanzanian Anna Tibaijuka, with a German man, Achim Steiner.

While Ban's Deputy Spokesperson, after two days of questioning from Inner City Press, still declined to confirm the switch, not only Steiner but later the UN's Under Secretary General for Management Angela Kane confirmed the switch. No rationale for the seeming hypocrisy -- "do as I saw, not as I do" -- has been offered. The local UN Staff Union has protested in writing, and now prepares an in-person protest.

Monday night in UN Headquarters, Inner City Press asked Ines Alberdi, the chief of the UN's women's agency UNIFEM, for her views on the switch from Anna Tibaijuka to Achim Steiner. "I can't answer you," Ms. Alberdi said. "I am not aware." (No estoy al tanto.) Inner City Press, after commenting on the irony to Alberdi as to the woman she'd replaced at UNIFEM, asked Alberdi about Anna Tibaijuka. She replied, "I don't know her." (No la conozco.) Ms. Alberdi promised to look into it, and Inner City Press will publish her response when it is received.

[Alberdi spoke Monday night at the launch of a Gender Equality Fund, "housed" at the UN but with the Government of Spain making funding decisions, along with UNIFEM. Spain gave $67 million for the Fund, as it had given other monies in the run-up to Alberdi being appointed. To some it appears that the UN's hierarchy is Money, Nationality and only then, Gender Balance.]

Obtaining answers from the UN is becoming more and more difficult. Monday, hours after Achim Steiner in an Al Haig moment had announced he had taken over from Ms. Tibaijuka, Ban's Deputy Spokesperson still declined at the noon briefing to confirm it. Inner City Press posed the question, and three others, to the USG for Management, Angela Kane, saying that while not wanting to bother her, no answer was given at the noon briefing. Ms. Kane responded:

Subj: Re: Hi, Press questions re UN Office in Nairobi, ICC/Satyam, thnx
From: Angela Kane
To: Inner City Press
CC: Marie Okabe [Deputy Spokesperson]
Sent: 3/2/2009 6:17:15 P.M. Eastern Standard Time

[Q: who is in charge at UNON right now?]

Mr. Achim Steiner was designated Director-General of UNON, effective 1 March.

[Q: Does the International Computing Centre, for any of its work for the UN Secretariat, use services from Satyam?]

Re ICC, you will have to ask them directly.

[Q: Also, how many individuals within the Department of Management have you authorized to be extended beyond their retirement age? What offices do these individuals work in? And what are the reasons that you have authorized these individuals to be retained on the payroll beyond their maximum retirement age?]

Re individuals beyond retirement in DM, I have asked for the precise information, as I have only my own recollection which is anecdotal. I wish we had the ERP system already in place - it would be easier to get the data.

[Q: Finally (for now), about the UN's arrangements with Aramark, did they provide for price increases even as commodity prices decline? Is the UN's contract with Aramark public, can it be viewed? If not, with all due respect, why not?]

Re Aramark ( or any other restaurant/coffee shop operation), I have yet to see the decline in commodity prices reflected in customer pricing. We always try to hold the line on increases, as I am sure you are well aware. And finally, could you please ask your other questions at the noon briefing? - I just cannot respond to individual queries in view of the heavy demands on my time.

While these same-day answers were appreciated, it was remembered that Ban's Special Advisor urged "write positively about Angela Kane," and Ms. Kane herself later said, "write positively about the Organization." Partial written answers, and no answers at all at many recent UN noon briefing, make writing positively about the UN more difficult. Inner City Press followed up:

Thank you for these answers. While henceforth all DM questions will be asked at the noon briefing, just to follow-up on these, does the response mean that all of the UN's contract with Aramark is withheld from the press and public? Will you or the OSSG provide the retiree figures? And re UN Office in Nairobi, is Mr. Steiner physically in charge (is there no OIC) and are you aware of the staff protest(s) to this change?

Marie, please consider the question whether Satyam does business with or for the UN system through the International Computing Center a question for the Secretariat's Spokesperson's Office, even for ICT/Mr. Choi.

And so it goes at the UN. We will have more on these matters, including as responses are received.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un3unon030209.html

UN's Ban Hands Nairobi Office to German, Union Protests, Pemba Sidelined

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/ban2unon030209.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 2 -- Handing management of the UN's African hub from a Tanzanian to a German, the UN's Ban Ki-moon has quietly named Achim Steiner to the top post at the UN Office in Nairobi, Steiner confirmed in an e-mail on March 2. In New York, Ban's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe dodged the issue on February 27, and on March 2, after Steiner's confirmation, told Inner City Press her Office "has nothing" on the topic.

In fact, Ban's chief of staff Vijay Nambiar if not Ban himself is aware of strong opposition to the shift to Steiner from the UNON Staff Union. In a February 26 letter to Ban, UNON union president Rhoda Atana protested the upcoming shift away from Tanzanian Anna Tibaikuka as, among other things, "against the principles of gender balance you have been promoting."

Inner City Press has exclusively obtained a copy of the letter and places it online here.

Ms. Atana wrote that she was advised, rather than confront Ban during his stop at the UN-affiliated International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, to deliver the letter to Vijay Nambiar. Days later in New York, Ban's deputy spokesperson said she "ha[d] nothing" on either the switch to Steiner or the Staff Union letter protesting it.

As Inner City Press reported exclusively on February 28, previously "the [UNON wa]s headed by a Director-General, at the Under-Secretary-General level, who is the most senior Under-Secretary-General among the Heads of the United Nations Programmes headquartered at the duty station, namely, UNEP and UN-Habitat."

Thus, the Director-General of UNON was Anna Tibaijuka. She wrote the UN's report on Robert Mugabe's "Operation Take Out the Trash" in Zimbabwe, and finessed questions about the UN taking sides in the contested election in Kenya between Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki.

Now, under the Bulletin Ban quietly put out and that went into effect on March 1, "the Office is headed by a Director-General, at the Under-Secretary-General level, designated by the Secretary-General from among the heads of United Nations programmes headquartered at the duty station, namely, UNEP and UN-Habitat."

Inner City Press noted that following the recent ceremony in which Ban's Under Secretaries General signed "compacts" with him, Tibaijuka did not sign a compact to remain as head of UNON. Others note that Ban's USG for Management Angela Kane is German, as is Achim Steiner, who has been placed above Tibaijuka in Nairobi.

All this takes place against a backdrop in which Ban sought to eliminate the post of Special Advisor on Africa, a move opposed by the Group of 77 and China and the Africa Group. In the budget debate in December 2008, the General Assembly directed Ban to henceforth appoint a new Special Advisor on Africa, which he has yet to do. Ban's team has not explained either that move, nor this one. Some call it, diplomatically, tone-deaf, or surmise that Ban is badly advised.

At the UN's noon briefing on February 27 Inner City Press asked Ban's Deputy Spokeswoman Marie Okabe

Inner City Press: in yesterday’s Journal there was an announcement in a new Secretary-General Bulletin about how the UN Office in Nairobi is organized. And it is my understanding that it actually would result in currently the most senior of HABITAT or UNEP is running the Office in Nairobi, and that the new policy the Secretary-General would get to choose between the two. Is that accurate and is it his intention to switch Nairobi from Ms. Tibaijuka to Mr. Achim Steiner?

Deputy Spokesperson Okabe: If the Secretary-General’s Bulletin is what you read that’s all I have for you right now.

Inner City Press: Well, what’s the rationale of changing the existing policy under which an African official runs the Africa office of the UN to a policy that would have it the other way?

Deputy Spokesperson: I have nothing beyond what you read in the Bulletin.

Then on March 2, after Steiner sent out an e-mail, below, that he has the job, Ms. Okabe still said she "has nothing" on the switch, or the Staff Union letter. Steiner wrote, Monday afternoon in Nairobi but hours before the UN's noon briefing in New York, that

The Secretary-General has issued a new Secretary-General's Bulletin on UNON effective 1st March 2009 and has designated me as Director General of UNON.

Every transition inevitably creates a certain sense of anxiety and expectation - and I am writing first to bring to your attention the Secretary-General's decision... I believe in continuity while reforming and enhancing our capacity to deliver effectively and efficiently on our mandates... We have learnt many lessons and I intend to build on and further develop the reforms initiated by Ms. Tibaijuka.

In fact, a memo accompanying the Staff Union letter to Ban says that by removing Ms. Tibaijuka from the top post, he is sending the message that "impunity reigns at the Nairobi duty station." Impunity is not limited to Africa.

Footnote: As the UN's Ban Ki-moon traveled through Tanzania last week, elders from the island of Pemba advocating succession wanted to present him with a petition to that effect. The Tanzanian foreign ministry announced it had discovered and disrupted the "plot."

On February 25, Inner City Press asked Ban's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe about "this report that a threat was found against the Secretary-General, not a threat but a... to disrupt his visit to Tanzania by these Pemba elders. One, is that something that the UN can confirm? And two, what history does the UN system or Secretariat have with this Pemba issue in Tanzania?"

Ms. Okabe replied, "I have seen the press reports, and I have not heard anything in what I've read that would be affecting his travel plans."

Since the UN's Deputy Secretary General Asha Rose Migiro was previously Tanzania's foreign minister, it seemed that unlike Ban's deputy spokesperson, she might have some knowledge or a comment. Ms. Migiro was slated to speak with the Francophonie organization. Inner City Press sought information about the meeting but was told it would take place outside of the UN, with no press. Inner City Press asked a senior Migiro staff to please get a comment, even a formal no-comment, from her about Pemba. Days later, none has been provided. Nor when Inner City Press asked at the UN noon briefing, for response by Ban or Migiro, was any response given.

On February 26, Inner City Press asked a follow-up

Question: On the Secretary-General’s trip in Tanzania, the Foreign Ministry there had said that the Pemba elders were going to try to give him a petition. And now it’s reported that Fernandez-Taranco, the country representative, has met with the elders. Was the Secretary-General made aware of the issues that the people from this Pemba Island were trying to raise and did he or Deputy Secretary-General Migiro have any comment or knowledge of what was…?

Deputy Spokesperson Okabe: I am sure that he, like you, reads press reports on various issues. I have nothing on that. There is nothing on his schedule today.

The UN's country representative met with the elders, then claimed there was no relation to their desire to confront Ban, and that the Tanzanian government has everything under control. Among the elders' gripes are a lack of water and of electrical power -- and political power. We will have more on all this.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/ban2unon030209.html

UN's Ban Moves to Switch Top Nairobi Post from Tanzanian Tibaijuka to German Steiner

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/ban1unon022809.html

UNITED NATIONS, February 27 -- The UN's Ban Ki-moon, just as he travels through Africa, has quietly changed a rule allowing the removal of Tanzanian Anna Tibaijuka as head of the UN's Office in Nairobi and her replacement by a German, Achim Steiner. Secretary-General's Bulletin 2009/3, which was published on February 26 and which Inner City Press asked Ban's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe about on February 27, changes a previous rule.

Until now, "the Office [wa]s headed by a Director-General, at the Under-Secretary-General level, who is the most senior Under-Secretary-General among the Heads of the United Nations Programmes headquartered at the duty station, namely, UNEP and UN-Habitat."

Thus, the Director-General of UNON was Anna Tibaijuka. She wrote the UN's report on Robert Mugabe's "Operation Take Out the Trash" in Zimbabwe, and finessed questions about the UN taking sides in the contested election in Kenya between Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki. She has strong support from the UN staff who work in the Nairobi duty station.

Now, under the Bulletin Ban has just put out and that goes into effect on March 1, "the Office is headed by a Director-General, at the Under-Secretary-General level, designated by the Secretary-General from among the heads of United Nations programmes headquartered at the duty station, namely, UNEP and UN-Habitat."

It is noted that following the recent ceremony in which Ban's Under Secretaries General signed "compacts" with him, Tibaijuka does not appear to have signed a compact to remain as head of UNON. Others note that Ban's USG for Management Angela Kane is German, as is Achim Steiner, who is privileged by Ban's quiet switch.

This takes place against a backdrop in which Ban sought to eliminate the post of Special Advisor on Africa, a move opposed by the Group of 77 and China and the Africa Group. In the budget debate in December 2008, the General Assembly directed Ban to henceforth appoint a new Special Advisor on Africa, which he has yet to do. Ban's team has not explained either that move, nor this one. Some call it, diplomatically, tone-deaf, or surmise that Ban is badly advised.

At the UN's noon briefing on February 27 Inner City Press asked Ban's Deputy Spokeswoman Marie Okabe

Inner City Press: in yesterday’s Journal there was an announcement in a new Secretary-General Bulletin about how the UN Office in Nairobi is organized. And it is my understanding that it actually would result in currently the most senior of HABITAT or UNEP is running the Office in Nairobi, and that the new policy the Secretary-General would get to choose between the two. Is that accurate and is it his intention to switch Nairobi from Ms. Tibaijuka to Mr. Achim Steiner?

Deputy Spokesperson Okabe: If the Secretary-General’s Bulletin is what you read that’s all I have for you right now.

Inner City Press: Well, what’s the rationale of changing the existing policy under which an African official runs the Africa office of the UN to a policy that would have it the other way?

Deputy Spokesperson: I have nothing beyond what you read in the Bulletin.

Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/ban1unon022809.html