After Herfkens Exposed Taking Dutch & UN Money, On Bachelet & ILO Panel

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 27 -- For an Organization that preaches accountability, the UN system displays little of it. Three years after Eveline Herfkens of The Netherlands was exposed for violating UN system rules by accepting a substantial UN salary as well as $7,000 a month from her government -- allegedly as an entertainment budget -- and she was forced to step down, she had reappeared on the UN Advisory Group on social protection chaired by Michele Bachelet, convened by the International Labor Organization.

At a UN press conference Thursday, Inner City Press asked if Ms. Herfkens' past had been ignored in giving her this new UN system post. Ms. Herfkens was in attendance, in the front row, but did not answer. The ILO's Juan Somavia said yes, there was a "controversy," but Herfkens' "experience" was deemed to trump it. This answer, and the question, were omitted from the UN's purported summary of the press conference, click here to view.

So high officials in the UN can violate the rules but be quietly recycled back into UN system "advisory" jobs based on their experience.

This is only one example. After the deadly bombing of the UN compound in the Canal Hotel in Baghdad in 2003, then Secretary General Kofi Annan's spokesman said that Ramiro Lopes da Silva would be required to resign but could "return to his 'D-2' (Director) post in World Food Programme," emphasizing that "his future assignments will not include any responsibilities for security matters."

Two weeks ago, WFP staff contacted Inner City Press to complain that despite this history, Ramiro Lopes da Silva had been put in charge of WFP security by chief Josette Sheeran. On October 17 Inner City Press sought an explanation from four WFP official, including spokesman Greg Barrow and Ms. Sheeran herself:

"please respond to criticism of having put Ramiro Lopes da Silva in charge of security for WFP, given his role in Iraq in connection with the Canal Hotel bombing."

Only after a week had passed, and Inner City Press has published a first story, did WFP respond, through its spokesman Greg Barrow:

In response to your questions: DED Ramiro Lopes da Silva is one of WFP's most experienced senior managers, and we have the utmost confidence in him.

This did not in anyway respond to Ramiro Lopes da Silva's role in Iraq in connection with the Canal Hotel bombing, much less Kofi Annan's spokesman Fred Eckhard's statement that Ramiro Lopes da Silva's "future assignments will not include any responsibilities for security matters."

Inner City Press wrote back to Barrow, and wrote directly to Ramiro Lopes da Silva

"I have asked WFP without much substantive response the question below, now having found your contact information in fairness and hoping for a response I ask you: please respond to criticism of having put Ramiro Lopes da Silva in charge of security for WFP, given his role in Iraq in connection with the Canal Hotel bombing. Please respond - on deadline."

Ramiro Lopes da Silva not having responded, Inner City Press asked the spokesman of Ban Ki-moon, who has inissted that UN system staff security is important to him, whether he gave Ramiro Lopes da Silva a waiver from the action of Kofi Annan after the Canal Hotel bombing, or if there was simply no UN system follow through. Spokesman Martin Nesirky said on October 25 that he would answer. But two days later he has not. Watch this site.

Footnote: Herfkens' fall was in early 2008, before the global financial blow out later that year. On Thursday Inner City Press asked Michelle Bachelet about the place of privatization and, in essence, Wall Street in social protection plans. She said that the Report is for "all countries," but did not squarely address the privatization question. To be continued.

Obama's Head On a Starving African Child's Body is MDGs Promo, UN Questioned

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/obama1mdgsunpho091310.html

UNITED NATIONS, September 13 -- A composite photograph of US President Barack Obama's head atop the emaciated body of an African child, set in a limousine and used in a UN funded website called WeCanEndPoverty.eu, has drawn criticism both from African Ambassadors and Obama supporters.

Inner City Press is told by each camp that the photo is offensive. The wisdom of the UN Development Program -- and the propriety of it funding a dot EU website -- are being questioned in the run up to the Millennium Development Goals summit later this month in New York.

To see the photo, click here, then, placing cursor on the right side of the screen until an arrow appears, scroll three photos to the right.

The photo chosen by the UN: before it come off shine? Shame not shown

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the press on Monday that he will be meeting with Obama during the MDGs summit and after, about such issues as Sudan. Did Obama give his blessing to this photo composite?

Outgoing president of the General Assembly Ali Treki offered tepid praise for Obama later on Monday, questioning the US wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Treki then presided over a GA session in which, in turn, Venezuela, Iran and Cuba denounced the MDGs outcome document as going soft on capitalism, neo-liberalism and the IMF.

The UN Development Program's leadership on the MDGs has already been brought into question, for example by Millennium Project leader Eveline Herfkens taking $7,000 a month from the Dutch government on top of her $200,000 a year UN system salary. Ms. Herfkens said she couldn't live in New York and entertain on a mere $200,000 a year. After she was forced to step down, she remained as a consultant, getting paid on a “per diem” basis.

Who was responsible for the Obama head on top of a child's body?

It was selected in a competition in which the head of the UN's Department of Public Information Kiyotaka Akasaka was one of six members. The Partners include the UN and a slew of media companies; the .eu apparently means the UN Regional Information Center for Europe.

The group's “Friends” include Philippe Douste-Blazy, a former French diplomat who has yet to explain the scandal surrounding his “MassiveGood” MDG program, exposed in detail by Inner City Press here. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/obama1mdgsunpho091310.html

Dutch Government Also Paid Military Officials at UN, Reports Say, Like Herfkens and N. Korea, Litigation Needed

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press in Amsterdam
www.innercitypress.com/undp6herfkens060108.html

AMSTERDAM, June 1 -- While in New York the United Nations has been trying to bury the controversy of Eveline Herfkens, the Coordinator of its Millennium Campaign who simultaneously took $280,000 from the Dutch government, here in the Netherlands l'affaire Herfkens continues to gather steam and to expand. Raised in the Dutch press, contrary to UN denials on May 30, is that Dutch military officials ostensibly working for the UN may be having their salaries "topped off" to equate what they would make in NATO or in Holland. Meanwhile Ms. Herfkens herself has refused to return any of the money, saying that would be an admission of guilt. She has said, in essence, "sue me." If someone does, it is not known if the UN's immunity, or in this case impunity, could be a prevailing defense.

On May 30 at the UN's noon briefing in New York, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe

"This is in light of this issue of either housing subsidies or wage supplements. There is an article in NRC/Handelsblad in the Netherlands saying that, if these payments are prohibited, the Netherlands is going to have a hard time detaching senior military officials to work for the UN or, I guess, in peacekeeping missions... Do force commanders or senior military figures from Governments that work for the UN on peacekeeping missions, are they entirely paid by the UN, or are they allowed, despite or around the Charter, to receive wage supplements from their Governments?"

Deputy Spokesperson Okabe: No, they are not.

Inner City Press: They only are paid by the United Nations?

Deputy Spokesperson: Of course.

But following this exchange, the Dutch newspaper BN DeStem reported that the country's Ministry of Defense "Also Paid UN-ers," specifically colonels working to the UN. Click here for English translation.

As with the still-unanswered question of which other countries' UN official may have "pulled Herfkens," which other countries secretly pay extra to their military personnel supposedly answering only to the UN? Now that even the narrow Dutch issues have moved beyond the UN Development Program, which has specialized in blocking, delaying and controlling investigations into its activities, will the wider UN, or anyone else, conduct a credible investigation?

Footnote: well-placed sources said Friday that UNDP long-prepared whitewash of its retaliation against the exposure of irregularities in its North Korea programs was to be unfurled Monday and that, not surprisingly, the whistleblower is not protected. But even the Kemal Dervis-selected panelists admitted systemic breakdown of safeguards within UNDP. On Sunday night, the UN to the press that Dervis would brief, or brag, at 11 a.m. Monday (Inner City Press' UN Correspondent is in Africa, click here for first of many articles.) The UN Ethics Office, which backed down or was called off this case once already, now has another chance, on this, the Koumoin / Cote d'Ivoire case, and the Somalia / KPMG cases, along others. Watch this site.

Footnote: back on May 22, Inner City Press asked UNDP these two questions, which have yet to be answered:

Q: What ever happened to the promised investigation by OAPR of UNDP's award of no-bid contracts to a firm called PRO-FIT? At the time, UNDP promised its own investigation. did it ever happen? will UNDP make it public? So far not answered.

Undp claimed a couple months ago that internal investigations and a Kimberly Process investigation had cleared undp from any wrongdoing in Zimbabwe, concerning undp's support of diamond mining operations. but undp refuses to make public the investigations. what is the basis for undp not sharing copies of these investigation reports: Will UNDP release the reports? So far not answered.

Q: Beyond UNDP, what about the question of UN requiring letter from a media's country's mission for accreditation?

Answered thusly: " I have been advised that for regular accreditation missions do not get involved. However, they do get involved when a visiting senior official travels with a press corps. In those instances, the mission would sent the UN Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit a list of journalists who need to get a one or two day pass."

We less sure of this last answer, as several journalists have been asked to get letters from their country's mission to the UN. Developing.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/undp6herfkens060108.html

As UNDP's Selective "For the Record" Omits Alberdi Flap, Scandals Proliferate

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/undp4208media042008.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 20 -- Alone among UN agencies, the UN Development Program has spent money and time to create a media "fast reaction team" to seek to ostensibly rebut and discredit reporting and reporters critical of UNDP and its high officials. When the coordinator of its Millennium Campaign Eveline Herfkens was accused of taking $7000 a month from the Dutch government while ostensibly working only for the UN system, UNDP's online "For the Record" leaped to her defense. Once the charges were proved, UNDP simply moved on to attack other media reports, stating for example that

On allegations about procurement irregularities in Burundi...In January 2007, UNDP's office in Burundi submitted a request for procurement of $2.3 million worth of medical supplies from Hospital Services (Burundi). After looking into the matter, the request was rejected by UNDP’s corporate procurement review due to a perceived non-transparent procurement process. Contrary to recent allegations, UNDP’s own internal controls identified the shortcomings and halted the procurement action.

UNDP's seeming rebuttals are selective: the gist of Inner City Press' reporting about UNDP in Burundi is that UNDP refused to give information about the contracting irregularity to representatives of two donor member states who asked -- and then arranged a job for one of the requesters. Despite a track record of refusing to show documents and audits even to its funders, UNDP has now claimed that it would be willing to show anything on its Intranet to interested reporters. But UNDP has delayed and finally declined in answer basic factual questions from Inner City Press, preferring to wait and respond selectively on its "For the Record" blog-like page. UNDP is clearly proud of the page. But what does it choose to respond to?

Earlier this month, the Associated Press ran articles severely critical of the award, by UNDP, of the top spot at UNIFEM to a Spanish national, over a more qualified candidate from India, in the shadow of Spain giving $700 million to UNDP. AP reported that "UNDP spokesman David Morrison refused to answer any questions about the selection process." There was no response from UNDP on its "For the Record" page, which is subheaded, "Official responses to inaccurate press reports." Either UNDP agrees that the post award was determined by money, or is afraid to critique what it considers a media outlet more mainstream not only than Inner City Press, but also than Fox News. So "For the Record" should be more accurately labeled, a response to media that UNDP is not afraid of. Or perhaps it is the range of NGO outrage at the selection process -- most recently, opposition has been expressed by, among others,

-the Fiji Women's Rights Movement (Pacific)

-International Women's Human Rights Law Clinic (USA)

-Popular Education Network of Women from Latin America and the Caribbean

-Women's Action for Change (Pacific)

-Women's Development Collective (South East Asia)

-Women in Development Europe

-Young Women Activists (Global)

UNDP also claims it shares the information on its Intranet with its "NGO partners." We'll see

Regarding UNDP's claims that it would happily show information from its intranet to reporters, and offer briefings on subjects needing clarification, not only have Kemal Dervis and Ad Melkert not taken questions in months, here after a week's delay was UNDP's response to two simple factual questions from Inner City Press:

In a message dated 4/2/2008 1:03:50 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, christina.lonigro [at] undp.org writes:

On your questions regarding compensation for the Algiers bombing, due to the ongoing processing of claims and the Brahimi investigation, I have no information to give you at this time.

On your question at the briefing regarding a Fox News story about an alleged "no bid contract" in Venezuela, I encourage you to look at our response posted on our website. http://www.undp.org/for-the-record/index.shtml The process for this contract was competitive and the article contained many mischaracterizations and inaccuracies.

Underlying the still-disputed Venezuela contract issue, and the Algiers insurance question which the UN Secretariat, unlike UNDP, realized it must answer, there are numerous questions to UNDP this year which the agency has chosen not to answer, after promising responses. Ironically, one of the questions involves which media outlets UNDP provides payments to. Now having patiently waited more than a month for responses to factual questions to UNDP, each will be reported in turn. Among many other things, there's lack of confidence in UNDP management in Bangladesh, plagiarism, and another contract controversy, in Trinidad.

UNDP also recently reached out to take issue with media reports in Malaysia, in a way that may reflect those its "media monitoring" is going --

"In a related development, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) clarified that UNDP national expert in Sarawak for the peat swamp project, Dr Alexander Sayok, is a staff of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) and not a staff of the UNDP and thus Dr Sayok's comments on the lack of enforcement against wildlife abuse in Sarawak was his personal view.

"When contacted, the UNDP Kuala Lumpur spokesman said that the UNDP did not have an office in Sarawak and thus it could not give any official comments on issues in this state. 'However, the coverage by The Star on this endangered animal's issue has been listed as among the top most important articles from among the news events in more than 100 countries monitored by the UNDP over the past few days,' she said."

So, not only does UNDP monitor "more than 100 countries" every few days -- its goal in doing do is to rebut its own lower-level employees and contractors comments that are critical of any government. That is, UNDP's media monitoring attacks not only reporting and reporters who question UNDP's actions, but its own employees who question any government's or UNDP's actions...

And see, www.innercitypress.com/undp4208media042008.html

UN Envoy Robert Serry Moving Now to Reimburse Free Housing from Dutch Government

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1subsidyserry030608.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 6, updated March 7 -- The UN's new envoy to the Middle East, Robert H. Serry, has run afoul of UN rules barring the receipt of housing subsidies from government. The Dutch government's continued provision of housing to Serry only came to light after UN Development Program official Eveline Herfkens was exposed as accepting $7000 a month from the Netherlands while drawing a salary to head the UN's Millennium Campaign. In the aftermath, it was revealed that at least one other Dutch staffer of an international organization had their housing subsidy suspended, while another was being reviewed as to the legality of the benefit received.

On February 26, Inner City Press asked the office of the UN spokesperson if this official being reviewed was Robert Serry, and if so what was being done about it. After Inner City Press made several follow-up inquiries, about Serry and another Dutch UN official, late on March 5 the Deputy Spokesperson of the UN Marie Okabe replied that

"Since Mr. Serry joined UNSCO on 1 January 2008 as Special Coordinator to the Middle East Peace Process, at the invitation of the Dutch government, Mr. Serry's family members have been residing in the Dutch Ambassador's residence in Ireland at no cost, since the building is being sold and is no longer earmarked for the incoming successor. However, an arrangement is being made to enable Mr. Serry to reimburse the Dutch government of the fair and reasonable monthly rent value for the period between 1 January through 30 June 2008."

It's notable that the arrangements for reimbursement are still being made more than two months into the situation, and only after scrutiny of Eveline Herfkens' improper receipt of free housing and the Dutch government's statement that it offered the benefit to Ms. Herfkens without her asking for it.

While this may be a case of better late than never, it raises questions whether other governments are improperly providing similar benefits, and are either hoping not to be found out, or are now scrabbling to "make arrangements" for reimbursement. On that, despite the fact that a low-income woman in Brooklyn was prosecuted and jailed for erroneous receipt and spending of UN money, Ms. Herfkens is not reimbursing any of the housing subsidy that she received. Click here for that story.

Footnote: on February 26, Inner City Press asked Mr. Serry if as UN Middle East envoy he thought it might be a conflict of interest for Quartet envoy Tony Blair to be receiving $1 million a year from JPMorgan Chase. "I will not comment on that," Serry said. If there is a comment on this, going forward, we will report it. Watch this site.

Update of March 7: beyond Tony Blair taking on yet another gig, we have received a follow-up on Mr. Serry, from the UN's Spokesperson's Office, which we'll run in full:

Subj: serry
From: Deputy Spokesperson [at] un.org
To: Inner City Press
CC: Spokesperson [at] un.org
Date: 3/7/2008 12:20:05 PM Eastern Standard Time

With the respect to the previous response provided to Inner City Press regarding a question about the UN Special Coordinator to the Middle East Peace Process, we would like to provide the following additional information that puts the situation in its proper perspective and clarifies that it was Mr. Serry himself who took the initiative to request guidance from the United Nations and to move to address the situation in a way that is consistent with UN regulations:

1) At the request of the Secretary-General, Mr. Serry agreed to take up his duties as the Special Coordinator shortly after his selection. Given the rapidity of his deployment, Mr. Serry agreed with his family that it was best for them to remain in Dublin while his son finished the school year and to transfer their household in an orderly fashion which they are now in the process of doing.

ii) Mr. Serry informed UNHQ of the decision to allow his son to finish the school year in Dublin and sought guidance vis a vis any requirements regarding his family's living arrangements in Dublin.

iii) Upon receiving guidance to pay rent for the Dublin accommodation, Mr. Serry informed the Dutch Government and has agreed to pay a reasonable and fair rent.

We'll have more on all this.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1subsidyserry030608.html

UNDP Fudges Eveline Herfkens' Part-Time Work, Dodges on Lockheed Martin Connection to U.S. Committee for UNDP, Other Staff Files Withheld

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un38herfkens022508.html

UNITED NATIONS, February 25 -- In the wake of the UN Development Program's poverty czar Eveline Herfkens having been found to have accepted $7000 a month in rent from the Dutch government for years, in violation of UN rules, UNDP has continued to defend her. As Inner City Press reported, UNDP's Associate Administrator Ad Melkert has lobbied for Herfkens to not have to pay back the housing subsidy, on the theory that she did not know the rules. On Monday, UNDP placed online her contract, to claim that despite the housing subsidy windfall, her annual salary from 2002 to 2006 was $134,331 -- or, the contract says, 80% of that. Click here for the contract. There are two problem. In a January 9 online posting, UNDP said Herfkens was working 75% at the time. And while Herfkens claims ignorance of the rules as a defense, the contract says that the rules have been provided, and even talks about offset for UNDP housing allowance.

UNDP's online posting of Herfkens contract contradicts its crackdowns on whistle-blowing staff members and contractors. Apparently it is not the type of document made public that constitutes a problem, but rather who makes it public and why. If to expose corruption, it is a firing offense. But if to defend a politically-connected get-over, disclosure of contracts is fine. Melkert was to be found on Monday singing the praise of corporation, specifying UNDP's partnership with Cisco and Google, click here for video. Partnership with Google, indeed.

While UNDP issues defenses of Herfkens and Melkert, it leaves other questions unanswered. On Monday Inner City Press asked UNDP fewer than ten questions, none of which were answered by day's end. One of the questions was a matter Inner City Press has already written about, questioning the basis for the Africa business development for military contractor Lockheed Martin being on the board of directors of the US Committee for UNDP, and what safeguards are in place to make sure that no apparent conflicts of interest arise from Lockheed Martin's status as a major contractor to the UN, including a recent $250 million no-bid contract in Sudan. There is no answer, no answer at all.

Footnote: while UNDP self-servingly posts online Herfkens' contract, questions to the UN about the contract status of sadly high profile computer technician have been met with a stonewall, a response from the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General that "the United Nations does not disclose information of a personal nature relating to individual employees." UNDP's Hefkens upload puts a lie to that. Now what? Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un38herfkens022508.html

While UN's Dutch Poverty Czar Eveline Herfkes Is Allowed to Keep Illegal Money, Brooklyn Woman Was Jailed in Similar UN Case

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/undp28herfkens022408.html

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 24, updated Feb 25 -- The receipt of $7000 a month in free rent by the director of the UN Development Program's anti-poverty Millennium Campaign has been the subject of heated debate in the Dutch parliament. UNDP's Administrator Kemal Dervis, asked about it by Inner City Press, admitted that the payments were improper. So has the Office of the Spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. But now should Evelyn Herfkens, to whom the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs paid the housing subsidy in violation of UN rules, be required to pay the money back? Should there be any punishment at all?

After extensive lobbying on Ms. Herfkens behalf by UNDP's two top executives, and a senior advisor from the UN Secretariat, it is reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sees no reason to reclaim the money from Herfkens "as it is not clear if Herfkens knew she was not allowed to take the money and she never asked for it."

This is in stark contrast to a case earlier this decade in which a single mother in Brooklyn through a clerical error received hundreds of thousands of dollars into her Chase Bank account that had been intended for a UN Environment Program trust fund. Susan Madakor, who used the part to for example set up an education fund for her son, not only was required to make restitution of the money, under a legal theory of unjust enrichment -- she was also prosecuted and convicted of a crime. So why the kid's glove treatment for Ms. Herfkens?

In order words, why would the UN prosecute a low-income woman for the type of windfall that it allows, with impunity, for a politically-connected ex-diplomat who was already getting paid $225,000 a year by the UN for part-time work ostensibly for the poor?

Ms. Madakor, who found the money erroneously deposited in her account, said she thought she had won an international lottery. Nevertheless, then UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said that the UN would employ "all legal options available" because "this money does not belong to Ms Madakor." Eckhard's deputy Manoel de Almeida e Silva later told the press that "Susan Madakor, a Brooklyn resident who had received wire transfers mistakenly credited by Chase Manhattan Bank that were intended for the United Nations Environmental Program, was convicted of bank larceny and bank fraud. Last week she was sentenced to two years in prison. United States District Judge Shirley Kram ordered her to begin serving her sentence by May 16, and also ordered her to pay restitution to Chase."

So what legal options are being considered given Ms. Herfkens improper receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars in housing subsidy from a government while ostensibly working for the UN? None, apparently. Rather, senior UNDP and UN officials have put their credibility on the line to insist that Ms. Herfkens never knew that the housing subsidy was against the rules.

This is questionable: records show that Herfkens was intimately knowledgeable about UNDP's rules for such things as the authorization to fly business class rather than coach. She asked to be allowed to fly business class even after she shifted to part-time contractor status in order to appear eligible for a U.S. green card. Significantly, the prohibition on receiving housing subsidy or benefits from a government is included in employment contract she signed.

Inner City Press is also told that UNDP Associate Administrator Ad Melkert attended numerous social events in Herfkens' posh Dag Hammarskjold Towers apartment. Apparently it never occurred to him to wonder, or ask, how this apartment was being paid for.

[Update of Feb. 25: UNDP spokesman David Morrison writes to state that "Mr. Melkert never set foot in the apartment," and deny any "impropriety or negligence" by Melkert. Duly noted. Apparently, UNDP does not contest that Melkert (and Kemal Dervis) lobbied Dutch officials to reach a finding the Eveline Herfkens didn't know she was breaking UN rules, and UNDP sees no need (or no way) to explain the disparity of low-income Brooklynite Susan Madakor being prosecuted and jailed for inadvertently receiving funds, as well as being required to make restitution, while UNDP's Director of the Millennium Campaign faces no prosecution and, apparently at UNDP's lobbying, is not required to pay back a single cent. We will continue to follow this.]

Once exposed for receiving the subsidy, Herfkens told the press that she needed a nice apartment. Note to Herfkens, from / in the spirit of Susan Madakor: they are cheaper in Brooklyn, to say nothing of The Bronx.

While UNDP has loudly claimed that Melkert never received housing subsidy from the Dutch government while employed by UNDP, or even before that at the World Bank, testimony in the Dutch parliament raises questions about other improper payments to UN officials by the Dutch government. It has been acknowledged that Dutch government payments were also made, as employer, into Herfkens' ongoing Dutch pension, even while she was employed by UNDP. Such payments also violate UN rules and the Charter. As with housing subsidy, and particularly in light of the asserted defense that Ms. Herfkens never asked for the payments, there is no reason to believe that she was the only Dutch UN official improperly receiving governmental benefits.

Three weeks ago, Inner City Press approached former Dutch diplomat Peter van Walsum, who is employed by the UN as its envoy on Western Sahara. A staffer cut off access to van Walsum, who is known to avoid the press. Inner City Press asked, are you his spokesperson? No, he doesn't have one, was the response. Inner City Press asked if van Walsum received any benefit from the Dutch government, and was quickly (and in a whisper) told that he doesn't live in New York, making housing subsidy unlikely. His public financial disclosure form, for the record, lists no outside activities or payments. But what about pension or other benefits?

Inner City Press was directed to ask a specific person in the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, who was said to know whom to call on van Walsum's staff to get the answer. Inner City Press immediately made the request and was told that inquiry would be made. Three weeks later, nothing. There is also a Dutch Assistant Secretary General employed by the UN's anti-avian flu unit, and numerous Dutch D-1s and D-2s. Will senior UNDP and UN officials lobby for all of them? Will Eveline Herfkens ultimately face anything like Brooklynite Susan Madakor? Will Herfkens face justice in court? Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/undp28herfkens022408.html

UNDP Admits Improper Housing Subsidy of Eveline Herfkens, Contracting with Corimec, Vendor Barred for Bribery

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un18dervis011608.html

UNITED NATIONS, January 16 -- The poverty czar of the UN Development Program, Eveline Herfkens, never sought or received permission to take $7000 a month in rent from the Dutch government, UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis admitted on Wednesday. Inner City Press asked what Dervis plans to do about the $280,000 Ms. Herfkens improperly accepted. Dervis did not spell out any action, saying that Ms. Herfkens "is now in Maryland," and while wanting to continue working on the Millennium Development Goals, is not interested in a salary. For the record, she was getting paid $225,000 a year to work, part-time, from her new home in Maryland. The housing subsidy was "definitely against the rules," he said, adding that others, too, have attempted to take housing subsidies from governments, both in the UN Secretariat and at Dervis' former employer, the World Bank. As to the UN, he said that "exceptions, actually quite a few" had been made, and are now being reviewed by the UN's Department of Management. Video here, from Minute 22:27. Inner City Press previously covered the Department of Management's answers on this issue, and will now revive that inquiry.

Dervis left until the end of his press conference any comment on the documentary proof that UNDP continued issuing contracts to a vendor, Corimec, which was barred from business with the UN Secretariat due to bribery. This had the effect of precluding any follow-up to what Dervis said on the topic. "It was a judgment call," Dervis said. "My judgment call would probably have been different," he said, adding that he could see both side. Apparently the pro-bribery side is that Corimec had already sold UNDP one batch of tents, and that second batch could, if one squinted enough, be viewed as all part of one project, hence one procurement, pre-dating Corimec being barred from business due to bribery. This is an argument that violators of sanctions regimes all around the world may want to adopt, now that UNDP's Dervis has.

Dervis had much to say attempting to deflect blame about the Algiers bombing on December 11, saying that Algeria was asked to help block off the street but did not respond, and that it was the Department of Safety and Security which is responsible for raising the threat levels in the field. In fact, UNDP's Marc de Bernis had the authority to raise the level from one to at least three, and did not, despite requests. Dervis also mentioned, but did not provide the names of, six countries in which UN employees are told to work for home. Apparently the U.S., or at least the state of Maryland, is one -- just ask Eveline Herfkens. She's been working from home for two years, only she's been getting paid $225,000 a year. We'll have more on these stories. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un18dervis011608.html

UNDP Notes but Ignores UN's Barring of Contractors for Bribery, Says Was Misquoted by World Bank in Kenya, High-Rent Poverty Czar Update

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/corimecundp011408.html

UNITED NATIONS, January 14 -- At the UN, what does it mean to take note of corruption? Back on March 16, 2007 a UN contractor named Corimec was suspended for having bribed Procurement Services official Alexander Yakovlev. On that day, UN spokesperson Michele Montas said "the UN has decided to suspend the register vendors Corimec Italia SPA, Volga-Dnepr Airlines and its subsidiary Volga-Dnepr ( Ireland) Ltd. in the vendor database in light of alleged inappropriate relationships between the above-mentioned companies and a former United Nations official. We have asked the Chief of Procurement to be here in the room today. He is right here. And Mr. Paul Buades will answer your questions more specifically on this."

Notice of disbarment was e-mailed out to all UN agencies, funds and programs. But the following month, the UN Development Program chose to ignore the bribery and suspension, and awarded Corimec an additional $2 million contract. Monday at the UN, Inner City Press asked the spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "whether the Secretariat expects, once they've e-mailed out the name of a banned company, funds and programs obey and take note of it and not do business with it." The spokesperson answered that "the Secretary-General does expect the rest of the system to take note of it, yes." So what does it mean to take note?

Monday afternoon, Inner City Press asked UNDP's Office of Communication if there are other contractors, barred by the Secretariat, still doing business with UNDP. No answer was received by press time. Nor was there any response on these issues on UNDP's new "for the record" webpage, where UNDP has fought back against, most recently, reports about UNDP briefing the World Bank in Kenya about the recent election, on which UNDP consulted and after which some 700 people have died in violence, and about Millennium Campaign czar Eveline Herfkens and her $7,000 housing subsidy from the Dutch government. On the latter, UNDP first put up a statement that "UNDP deeply appreciates the leadership and performance of Eveline Herfkens as the Executive Co-coordinator of the United Nations Millennium Campaign...UNDP is not aware of ANY rules Ms. Herfkens has knowingly broken to further her own interests."

This was followed by an addition some days later, "Subsequent to issuing this statement, the UNDP Spokesperson became aware of the details of the housing subsidy received by Ms. Herfkens. UNDP is looking into this issue, including whether receipt of the subsidy violated the applicable UNDP staff rules, and whether Ms. Herfkens was aware of the rules. UNDP is also looking into Ms. Herfkens's U.S. green card application, the applicable rules, and whether she was aware of them."

This last implies that it makes a difference if Ms. Herfkens claims she was not aware of the rules. In fact, she has since been quoted that she was "too busy;" meanwhile, there is a call growing in Holland that she return all $280,000 in rent subsidy received. On Kenya, UNDP is apparently claiming it was misquoted by the World Bank. And on the Algiers bombing, no response has been received from UNDP to a January 8 request for UNDP's Office of Communications to "describe the role in security in Algeria of UNDP's Marc de Stanne de Bernis, including confirming or denying that he ever received requests to raise the threat level, or phase, in Algeria." The request was reiterated to UNDP on Monday, but still without response. One day, perhaps, UNDP will respond "for the record." Watch that site, and this one.

Footnote: Regarding Alexander Yakovlev, a persistent UN correspondent continues to insist that Yakovlev was seen in UN Headquarters last month, with an ground pass from a mission (and not the one you'd think). The correspondent, however, says that official sources have uniformily denied that Yakovlev was given a pass, and the mission at issues says they know nothing about it. Mysteries, mysteries...

And see, www.innercitypress.com/corimecundp011408.html

Poverty Czar at UNDP Herfkens Said to Accept $7000 a Month Rent Subsidy from Holland, Audits Cannot Be Copied, Somalia Answer on Funding of TFG Police

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/undp18herfkens011008.html

UNITED NATIONS, January 10 -- A Dutch Labor Party former minister was paid $225,000 a year by the UN Development Program for part-time work for the poor, but still reportedly received a $7,000 a month housing subsidy from the Dutch government. Since the UN Charter prohibits accepting such payments from governments, Inner City Press asked UNDP to confirm or deny their knowledge of the housing subsidy to UN Millennium Campaign coordinator Eveline Herfkens. On January 9 UNDP's Cassandra Waldon answered, "We are looking into the issue of Ms. Herfkens's housing subsidy, including whether she sought or received any necessary authorizations."

UN Staff Regulation 1.2(j) states that "no staff member shall accept any honor, decoration, favor, gift or remuneration from any government," and does not refer to any "authorization" to work around this conflict-of-interest rule. On January 10, Inner City Press asked the UN spokesperson if the policy is that UN-affiliated officials or staff receiving money or housing subsidy from governments is always prohibited. "Definitely," the UN spokesperson said. Transcript here; video here, from Minute 11:45.

As reported, for at least four years Ms. Herfkens received the $7,000 a month rent subsidy by the Dutch government, for an apartment in the Hammarskjold Tower, and the Dutch government offered to pay her moving costs into the apartment, and for a 2006 move to Maryland. What will be the follow-up on this? Watch UNDP's and this site.

Meanwhile, UNDP in a quiet December 18 announcement tried to bury the conflict, and previous promises, about making its audits available to member states. After saying this would take place, the new UNDP policy is that while member states may look at some reports, they may not make copies, and have to "maintain confidentiality with respect to issues that might affect staff, third parties or a country government/administration" -- that is, always. The policy is online here; see especially paragraphs 73-75. Even at the UN Secretariat, member states get copies, as bragged about Thursday by OIOS' Inga-Britt Ahlenius. Can OIOS investigate and act on Herfkens accepting of housing subsidy from Holland? Can Ms. Herfkens come and answer questions at a briefing in New York? While for now she cannot charge to UNDP airfare in business class, we're sure she still has enough money left for bus fare from Maryland...

As summarized Friday by the UN, NRC Handelsblad has reported that "the supplement is against the internal code of conduct of the UNDP, which was not informed about the Dutch contribution, spokesman David Morrison said.

Late on January 11, UNDP's Morrison provided an answer to Inner City Press' question about UNDP funding the police force of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, which has been accused of rights violations:

"The info on Somalia you had requested is below.

"UNDP Somalia's Law Enforcement project is part of UNDP Rule of Law and Security program and aims at re-establishing an efficient and adequately equipped and housed professional civilian police force that restores peace while gaining trust of the community. With a clear focus on respect for human rights, the project has supported:

"training of nearly 3000 police personnel in 2006-7 construction/rehabilitation of major police training academies construction and rehabilitation of police stations in key locations setting up of Women and Children desks for the professional investigation of sexual offences and domestic violence

"An Internal Police Control Unit specialized training on criminal investigation equipment and materials to police strategic development plan for the Somali Police Force setting up of police advisory committees (PAC) to oversee the operation of the Police Stations, the PAC being the first step in the introduction of civilian oversight of policing issues. The project is funded by EC, UK Dfid, Norway, Sweden and Denmark."

Certain other questions were also posed to UNDP on the afternoon of January 9, and by the end of January 11 had not been answered, including about Sweden's reported cut of $10 million in funding to UNDP due to its non-inclusion of human rights, and for a description of the role in security in Algeria of UNDP's Marc de Stanne de Bernis, including confirming or denying that he ever received requests to raise the threat level, or phase, in Algeria. Developing.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/undp18herfkens011008.html