At UN, After Urging Page Limits to Cut Costs, US Opposes Them, As Torsella Succession, Whither Leslie Berger Kiernan?

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, February 4 -- The need for the UN to limit the number of pages or words in filings has been emphasized by countries of the European Union, Japan and the United States, particularly under previous US Ambassador for Reform Joe Torsella.

  In in a closed-door meeting at the UN on February 3, on which Inner City Press now exclusively reports, the US and others pushed back against proposals to put limits on the length of submissions to the UN human rights treaty bodies. Canada, for example, said that its political system requires longer submissions.

  The US recognized the contradiction between its or Torsella's cost-saving proposal and the position it took on February 3. It counter-proposed a limit by the number of words -- noting that India, too, would sometimes resort to a small font. 

  If the length limit mentions national human rights institutions and NGOs, it was argued, them they should be listed as "stakeholders" in the resolution.  Discussions are to continue on the afternoon of February 4.

   For the US Mission, it remains unclear who will replace Torsella. Back in November, we reported that the US Mission to the UN's ambassador for reform Joe Torsella will leave by the end of the year, then on November 21 that the Obama administration nominated to replace Torsella the lawyer Leslie Berger Kiernan.  

  On January 30, still without explanation despite stil pending requests in New York (including on other topics) and DC, her nomination was withdrawn, notified to the press by email after 6:25 pm:

WITHDRAWALS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Leslie Berger Kiernan, of Maryland, to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador, which was sent to the Senate on January 6, 2014.

  The administration's summary was that she has been with the Office of the White House Counsel since 2011 -- and from 1988 to 2011 with the firm Zuckerman Spaeder.

  There, her highest profile client at least from public records was Congressman Charles Rangel. This seemed noteworthy, given the nomination for the US Mission position trying to root out UN corruption. But a lawyer is not his or her client; Inner City Press  sought comment from the US Mission, as it has now, then from the White House, natch.

  We noted that Leslie Berger Kiernan authored a legal treatise chapter on "Political Patronage and the Revolving Door,"processes too prevalent in the UN.

Background: On November 15 the US Mission's Ambassador Samantha Power announced that Torsella would be leaving by the end of 2013.

  Inner City Press immediately tweeted it, along with the suggestion of 21 audit salute, since Torsella focused on the issue of releasing UN audits, pushing forward from where things were under his predecessor at the US Mission, Mark Wallace.

(Wallace went, notably, to United Against a Nuclear Iran which appears dis-united on the issue of new sanctions, with president saying no but spokesperson saying members say yes.)

  Torsella pushed for Fifth (Budget) Committee proceedings to be on UN Television. The Group of 77 responded that other committees like the Second on development and Fourth which included decolonization and work on the rights of Palestinians should also be filmed. 

  Both have happened -- improvements in technology are also involved -- and it's all to the good.

   Two weeks ago the G77 meeting at which Bolivia became as Inner City Press first reported the successor to Fiji was not initially televised; when Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access complained, the UN official in charge said it was belatedly on, check before asking.

   But it was UN staff which also complained, and this automatic defending of the UN is one of the things wrong, in the bigger picture for example on the UN bringing cholera to Haiti. Where does Torsella stand on that, before he leaves?

  Where does or would Leslie Berger Kiernan stand on it? And a newly arising issues, which Inner City Press reported on yesterday: should the US State Department support a UN bid for immunity for allegedly bringing cholera to Haiti? 

  We'll have more on that. For now, this on less reported parts of Torsella's legacy:

Torsella to his credit wasn't just about the money. The issue of lack of accountability in Sri Lanka got delegated to him, in part because military figure Shavendra Silva was cynically put on Ban's Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations.

  (Click here for longer form reporting on Sri Lanka and lastweekend's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.)

  In classic UN form, Ban stayed away telling Inner City Press it was a decision of the member states. Without saying more, Inner City Press can report Torsella worked on this. One reason more can't be said is that the US Mission so often puts things off the record, sometimes after the fact. 

  Even the farewell for Ambassador Susan Rice was said to be off the record. Inner City Press complied, but scribes more obsequious to the US uploaded selfies of themselves with Rice, and left them up, while attacking investigative journalism and free press at the UN. 

 This too is an issue in the purview of Torsella and whoever his successor will be. The US should do more on this -- with spying undermining privacy, claims of freedom of the press are one of the definitely US values. Let that be pushed at thelawless UN, not only in 2014 but by Torsella before he leaves. 

  Torsella said the US is opposed to "clean slates," without competition, in UN system elections. But in the recent elections for the Human Rights Council, there was no competition to France and the UK in the Western Europe and Other Group, of which the US is a member. There's more work to be done at and on the UN -- much more. 

  Here's one, in the spirit of reform and transparency: cost cutting proposals in the UN system, largely supported by the US Mission, would involve Americans losing their jobs to off-shoring. Is this the US being selfless? Or just hoping no one puts the contradiction together? 

  Click here for Inner City Press' exclusive coverage of UNDP's job off-shoring plans, including Accenture report.

  American Tony Lake at UNICEF is also doing it - but he can say he is an international civil servant. The US State Department and Mission - isn't their job to advance American (and Americans') interests at and in the UN? Watch this site.

   

For UN Reform Position at US Mission to UN, Obama Withdraws Nomination of Leslie Berger Kiernan, Repped Rangel

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 30 -- Back in November, we reported that the US Mission to the UN's ambassador for reform Joe Torsella will leave by the end of the year, then on November 21 that the Obama administration nominated to replace Torsella the lawyer Leslie Berger Kiernan.  

  Today, so far without explanation, her nomination was withdrawn:

WITHDRAWALS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Leslie Berger Kiernan, of Maryland, to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador, which was sent to the Senate on January 6, 2014.

  The administration's summary was that she has been with the Office of the White House Counsel since 2011 -- and from 1988 to 2011 with the firm Zuckerman Spaeder.

  There, her highest profile client at least from public records was Congressman Charles Rangel. This seemed noteworthy, given the nomination for the US Mission position trying to root out UN corruption. But a lawyer is not his or her client; Inner City Press  sought comment from the US Mission, as it has now, then from the White House, natch.

  We noted that Leslie Berger Kiernan authored a legal treatise chapter on "Political Patronage and the Revolving Door,"processes too prevalent in the UN.

Background: On November 15 the US Mission's Ambassador Samantha Power announced that Torsella would be leaving by the end of 2013.

  Inner City Press immediately tweeted it, along with the suggestion of 21 audit salute, since Torsella focused on the issue of releasing UN audits, pushing forward from where things were under his predecessor at the US Mission, Mark Wallace.

(Wallace went, notably, to United Against a Nuclear Iran which appears dis-united on the issue of new sanctions, with president saying no but spokesperson saying members say yes.)

  Torsella pushed for Fifth (Budget) Committee proceedings to be on UN Television. The Group of 77 responded that other committees like the Second on development and Fourth which included decolonization and work on the rights of Palestinians should also be filmed. 

  Both have happened -- improvements in technology are also involved -- and it's all to the good.

   Two weeks ago the G77 meeting at which Bolivia became as Inner City Press first reported the successor to Fiji was not initially televised; when Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access complained, the UN official in charge said it was belatedly on, check before asking.

   But it was UN staff which also complained, and this automatic defending of the UN is one of the things wrong, in the bigger picture for example on the UN bringing cholera to Haiti. Where does Torsella stand on that, before he leaves?

  Where does or would Leslie Berger Kiernan stand on it? And a newly arising issues, which Inner City Press reported on yesterday: should the US State Department support a UN bid for immunity for allegedly bringing cholera to Haiti? 

  We'll have more on that. For now, this on less reported parts of Torsella's legacy:

Torsella to his credit wasn't just about the money. The issue of lack of accountability in Sri Lanka got delegated to him, in part because military figure Shavendra Silva was cynically put on Ban's Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations.

  (Click here for longer form reporting on Sri Lanka and lastweekend's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.)

  In classic UN form, Ban stayed away telling Inner City Press it was a decision of the member states. Without saying more, Inner City Press can report Torsella worked on this. One reason more can't be said is that the US Mission so often puts things off the record, sometimes after the fact. 

  Even the farewell for Ambassador Susan Rice was said to be off the record. Inner City Press complied, but scribes more obsequious to the US uploaded selfies of themselves with Rice, and left them up, while attacking investigative journalism and free press at the UN. 

 This too is an issue in the purview of Torsella and whoever his successor will be. The US should do more on this -- with spying undermining privacy, claims of freedom of the press are one of the definitely US values. Let that be pushed at thelawless UN, not only in 2014 but by Torsella before he leaves. 

  Torsella said the US is opposed to "clean slates," without competition, in UN system elections. But in the recent elections for the Human Rights Council, there was no competition to France and the UK in the Western Europe and Other Group, of which the US is a member. There's more work to be done at and on the UN -- much more. 

  Here's one, in the spirit of reform and transparency: cost cutting proposals in the UN system, largely supported by the US Mission, would involve Americans losing their jobs to off-shoring. Is this the US being selfless? Or just hoping no one puts the contradiction together? 

  Click here for Inner City Press' exclusive coverage of UNDP's job off-shoring plans, including Accenture report.

  American Tony Lake at UNICEF is also doing it - but he can say he is an international civil servant. The US State Department and Mission - isn't their job to advance American (and Americans') interests at and in the UN? Watch this site.

   

In DC, Sri Lanka Makes Impunity Pitch with Ex-Congressman Istook & ex CNN Anchor Randall, Waiting for State on FOIA: Atrocities Prevention Board

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 27 -- Amid talk of accountability in Syria, on January 28 lobbyists for Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa government will be making a pitch on Capitol Hill, in advance of the UN Human Rights Council session to be held in Geneva in March.

  Registered foreign agents Thompson Advisory Group has invited members of Congress and staffers to hear President Mahinda Rajapaska's chief of staff or Permanent Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal at an hour and a half lunch in the Members' Dining Room on January 28.

  Former Congressman from Oklahoma Ernest Istook will be helping them make the (impunity) pitch, along with anothergovernment video, "Sri Lanka: Rebuilding and Reconciling," narrated by a former CNN anchor, Gene Randall. Inner City Press obtained (or intercepted) the pitch and is putting it online here.

  At the US State Department's briefing on January 27, spokesperson Jen Psaki asked about the visit, and said she'd venture to send something around after the briefing:

MS. PSAKI: You had one on Sri Lanka?

QUESTION: I do, yeah. Apparently, there’s a delegation in town today, and they’re – one of the things I believe they’re talking about is a potential U.S. plan to sponsor a resolution in the UN Human Rights Council this March. I believe it has something to do with concerns about calls for an international inquiry into allegations of war crimes during their civil war. And so I’m wondering if the U.S. is planning some kind of resolution, and if the U.S. does support an inquiry for war crimes.

MS. PSAKI: I believe – I know I’ve seen that report. Let me see if I have anything on that in particular. And if not, I’m happy to get you all something on where we stand after the briefing....Unfortunately, I don’t have anything new on that here, but let us venture to send something all around to all of you.

  Inner City Press asked; a polite interim response was received. But as of 7 pm on January 27, no real answer. This comes after US Ambassador on international justice Charles Rapp visited Sri Lanka and faced government organized protests.

  At the UN, now-gone US Ambassador for reform and management Joe Torsella worked behind the scenes on the outrage of Sri Lankan military figure Shavendra Silva being accept by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous as an advisory on peacekeeping operations. Torsella is now gone, his replacement not yet in place.

  Inner City Press has submitted to the State Department a Freedom of Information Act request about the Administration's Atrocities Prevention Board -- expedited processing was denied, but responses and disclosures should be coming, surely, some day. Watch this site.

   

In UN Town Hall, Ban Ki-moon Described as "Heartbroken" At Layoffs His Spokespeople Denied, Amid Doubts on Merit

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 9 -- After UN spokespeople declined to confirm UN layoff letters which were handed out on January 6, at a Town Hall meeting on January 9 Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was described as "heartbroken" when he signed the order for then on December 31.

  That description came from Ban's chief of staff Susana Malcorra later in the meeting, after Ban had left. Before that, he was for example asked by the head of the staff union in Geneva to focus on merit and not nationality in appointing Under Secretaries General.

  Ban replied that merits is his focus, saying that in every case he interviews at least three finalists and picks only based on his judgment. But with France controlling the Department of Peacekeeping Operations four times in a row, and the US and UK controlling Political and Humanitarian Affairs twice in a row respectively, this is dubious.

  The meeting, which was closed door, began with technical snafus, as the Nairobi duty station could not be patched in, and master of ceremonies Yukio Takasu's voice echoed as through an Alpine valley.

  The question from Nairobi concerned translators flying to Takasu's native Japan, for twenty seven hours, then having to report for duty four hours after they got there, under rules that went into effect in August 2013. (These are dubbed the "Torsella Rules" for the just-departed US Ambassador for Management and Reform Joe Torsella, whose farewell was held on January 6.) 

   Ban replied, as he did on layoffs, that it was the General Assembly's decision. Many staff members have since contacted Inner City Press dubious of this spin, asking if it wasn't Ban's budget, and his push. Takasu for now does not recognize any UN staff union in New York - which, an opinion goes, only benefits the Ban administration. 

   From many of the questions at the January 9 Town Hall, and other contacts, there are UN staff that mean extremely well and could do much better, under better middle- and upper-level leadership.

   The UN handed out lay-off letters to staff on the morning of Monday, January 6, as exclusively reported by Inner City Press. 

  But on January 7, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq refused to confirm that the UN had given out the "notices of termination," either at the noon briefing when Inner City Press asked about them -- video here and embedded below -- or in at least the twenty four hours that followed.

 (When Inner City Press asked again at the January 8 noon briefing, Haq had a prepared statement to read-out about Ban Ki-moon's move to a "digital" UN. Why wasn't this sent to Inner City Press after it asked the question on January 7? We'll have more on this.)

   On January 7, Haq said that the initial move would be "Town Hall" meetings with staff, including one involving Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Here's from the UN's January 7 transcript:

Inner City Press: there were people who work in the Publishing Section here at the UN, received letters yesterday that seemed to talk about separation from service, notices of termination. I wanted to know, is that accurate? Since the budget was adopted in late December, have there been, essentially, lay-off letters issued, and, if so, how many?

Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: I don’t… the budget was only just agreed to. I believe that there’s a series of Town Hall meetings being conducted with staff to reflect on what the results of the budget mean. So I’ll wait for those town hall meetings to proceed and then let’s see whether we can say anything further after that.

Inner City Press: I’m specifically asking about a DGACM [Department for General Assembly and Conference Management] meeting that was held yesterday at 11:15, at which letters were handed out, called formal termination, notice of termination and separation of service letters. I just want your confirmation that, prior to the town hall and anything else, that these letters did go out.

Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: I’m not aware of anything like that. I can check with them, but ultimately the initial result of the last few weeks’ developments on a budget is that we’ll be able to discuss with staff through town hall meetings. I believe one of them was happening today with the Deputy Secretary-General and the Chef de Cabinet. I believe the Secretary-General will also have town hall meetings with staff.

  Well, prior to this "Town Hall meeting," which Inner City Press will also cover, the letter DID go out. Inner City Press had on January 6 published the e-mail inviting those to be laid-off to the meeting to get the letter, and now publishes, with consent, one of the lay-off letters, here.

 The letters were dated December 31, 2013 and were handed out on January 6, 2013. But see January 7 noon briefing

  Why would the UN not confirm what it did? In seven hours after they were asked, and the Department and even (sub) Section at issue was specified? 

  The UN wants to be perceived in one way, and to operate in another. 

  This is true with regard to freedom of the press and of association, too, as combated by the new Free UN Coalition for Access - for example, theUN on January 7 met with Google's "Head of Free Expression" afterGoogle banned from its Search a leaked anti-Press email to the UN from the bureau chief of Reuters based on a bad faith complaint under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Now, legal questions exist about these notices of termination. We'll have more on this. Watch this site.

   

In UN Budget Fight at 3 AM on December 24, Of 2.9% Cuts, Corporate Orr, Re-Costing & Ban Ki-moon's Mobility, No Answers

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 24, updated -- With the UN budget fight going surreal at 3 am on December 24, Inner City Press was told by a Permanent Representative that "they... the West" proposed to cut the Department of General Assembly and Conference Services and the Department of Public Information by 2.9%.  

  He counter-proposed, "why don't they cut Ban Ki-moon's travel, and consultants?" Why, indeed.  

  Another budget insider told Inner City Press, as of 2 am, that the UN Pension Fund items were agreed, but "re-costing is still in play."  

  On the second floor of the UN's North Lawn building, from which Inner City Press reported on the proceedings, diplomats sat in the half-light. Aluminum trays of Latin food got told -- blood sausage, rice and beans -- while on the first floor some got sleep on couches.

  A UN staffer emerged from hours of waiting in a Conference Room where, he was told, the President of the General Assembly would reconvene a meeting to "hash things out." As of 3 am, it hadn't happened. 

  There again was Peter Wilson of the UK and Alexis Lamek of France, and their counterparts from Russia and from the EU, Ionnis Vrailas. There was US Joe Torsella, on his last night of UN budget duty one assumes.

  And amid calls for cuts, including layoffs for some UN Security officers on January 2, why is the UN moving to send 500 blue helmeted guards to Central African Republic with mandates limited to offering protection to a smaller number of UN staff? Click here for that Inner City Press story.

In the UN budget process, disputes include the referenced $160 million of "re-costing" -- adding back to the budget after Secretary General Ban Ki-moon claimed cuts -- and the mobility plan of Mister Ban.

  Ban's Controller was present along with other staffers. Apparently there were no UN Spokespeople working -- Inner City Press' questions from Saturday morning about the crisis in South Sudan went entirely unanswered for SIXTY hours and counting.

 And Ban's Spokesperson's office won't even hold a noon briefing on December 24, after diplomats worked all night on Ban's budget and supposed reform proposals, and amid the South Sudan crisis. The Free UN Coalition for Access@FUNCA_info has protested.

  When Inner City Press spoke with diplomats working on the budget, there were many critical comments about Ban's "corporate partnerships" proposal, some calling it an attempt to get a promotion for longtime UN official Robert Orr, said to be very close with Ban.  

 At 1 am a source told Inner City Press "they might get some posts, but not the structure."

Notably absent from budget negotiations on December 23-24, even on the sidelines, were the Staff Union, whose incumbent is battling to stay in control or block the recognition of Ticket 1, and those ostensibly covering the UN. Updated here.

  Finland's Deputy Permanent Representative Janne Taalas, the chair of the Budget Committee, joked to about the sunrise; on December 21 he'd joked to Inner City Press that it should get done then since "this is the longest night of the year." Once again, down to the wire. Watch this site.

   

UN Budget Fight Starts Up, Mobility With Ban Ki-moon Away, Of Stealth Mali Payments, Re-Costing & Union Lock-out

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 20 -- As the UN Fifth (Budget) Committee enters the weekend before Christmas, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is out of town and US Ambassador Joe Torsella has barely been seen. The big issues, sources tell Inner City Press, concern for example Ban's "mobility" proposal, re-costing in the budget, and the perennial "Common System."

  Inner City Press checked with Ban's chief of staff Susanna Malcorra -- she is on call -- and this year's Fifth Committee chief the Deputy Permanent Representative of Finland, Janne Taalas, who told Inner City Press to get ready for a long weekend and hopefully no long knives.

  Other sources predicted it extending, "as usual," right to Christmas Eve. On Friday evening, a break meant to go to 6:30 was extended to 7:30; people were settling in.

 Earlier in the day they heard of the budget for the UN's mission in Mali, MINUSMA. Inner City Press has been looking into just how much France is getting paid, under a non-public Letter of Assist, for airfield services to MINUSMA in Kidal. French Ambassador Gerard Araud has refused to say.

  At the day's noon briefing, Inner City Press asked UN acting deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq about Ban's proposal to begin paying Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions officials with UN money, while others including Security officers face lay-off on December 31. This was the response, on ACABQ:

Subject: your question on the ACABQ
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 1:57 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

The Secretary-General has expressed the view that the General Assembly may wish to give consideration to the service of the members of the Advisory Committee becoming available full time.

Given the volume and complexity of the issues before it, consideration could be given as to whether the present working arrangements of the Advisory Committee are any longer optimal to enable the Committee to maximize its utilization of the expertise of its members in support of the requirements of the General Assembly and other governing bodies.

However, the decision is a matter for the General Assembly.

  Is Ban coming back? What will happen on his mobility plan, now that the staff union is in chaos with the incumbent trying to stay in and Ticket Two threatening to simply occupy the union office on January 2?

  Inner City Press asked Haq on Friday who the UN now considered the Staff Union. Haq said the UN would not get involved -- even as it props up a correspondents group which represents less than ten percent of the journalists accredited to cover the UN, and erases even the name of the new Free UN Coalition for Access  @FUNCA_info from its transcripts, for example from that of Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson's December 19 briefing on UN's post Sri Lanka failure Rights Up Front plan.

 But where, as the budget fight started, were Ban's supposed journalist-partners? All noon briefings were canceled for next week. Call it Banning or blacking out the UN Budget. Watch this site.