Douste-Blazy At Crans-Montana Forum in Western Sahara Got Award As UN Official, Forum Says

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 16 -- The UN's ambiguous position on Western Sahara is exemplified more than ever by UN adviser Philippe Douste-Blazy attending the Crans-Montana Forum in Dakhla, Western Sahara. 

  After the UN said Douste-Blazy was there in his "personal capacity," Inner City Press on March 16 asked if Douste-Blazy and UN advisers like him are under a responsibility to make clear when they are not representing the UN.

  It "behooves" them, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told Inner City Press, reiterated that while Douste-Blazy is UN adviser on "innovative financing," he was not there for the UN. Haq would not answer if Douste-Blazy had told the UN in advance, saying only that he is not required to.

  But now a press release about the event says:

"The annual session of Crans Montana Forum held from 12 to 14 March 2015 in the southern city of Dakhla under the Patronage of His Majesty Mohammed VI wrapped up, Saturday night, with an award ceremony that paid tribute to international figures from different backgrounds. The 2015 Foundation Award was awarded to former President of the Republic of Estonia (2001-2006), Arnold Ruutel, former Spanish Prime Minister (2004-2011), José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Philippe Douste Blazy, former French Minister of Ecology and Sustainable Development (2007-2010), Jean Luis Borloo."

The Forum itself says Douste Blazy got an asward as UN USG:
http://www.cmf.ch/news/current-news

 So apparently Douste-Blazy accepted an award there AS a UN official. Now what?

For days, Inner City Press had been asked to find out what Douste-Blazy was doing there. Inner City Press previously exposed Douste-Blazy's waste of funds through MassiveGood, here. Then this, from the UN Spokesperson's Office:

"We have noted press reports to the effect that the United Nations is participating in the Crans-Montana Forum currently being held in Dakhla, a city in that part of Western Sahara under Moroccan control.

"The Secretary-General was invited to this Forum, but informed its President that he could not attend.  He did not delegate Mr. Philippe Douste-Blazy or anyone else to represent him or the United Nations.  Mr. Douste-Blazy, who serves as a special adviser to the Secretary-General on innovative financing, is attending exclusively in his private capacity.

"While Dakhla is described in Forum materials as a city in Morocco, the definitive status of Western Sahara is the object of a negotiating process being conducted under the auspices of the Secretary-General in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions."

  Well there's that. And this, and before that, this. Douste-Blazy is, of course, a former French government official. But how much longer should he be a UN "adviser"?

  Earlier this year after Ban spoke by phone with the King of Morocco, on February 11 Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said:

"on the status of Christopher Ross, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara.  I can report that he arrived in Rabat today.  Mr. Ross will hold discussions with Morocco and the Frente Polisario and with the neighboring States during this mission."

  But will Ross, the Envoy FOR Western Sahara, actually visit Laayoune? Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: On Mr. Ross' visit, I wanted to know whether he in fact will go to Laayoune, the main city in Western Sahara.  Maybe I missed when you read it out.

Spokesman Dujarric:  I will get you… as I said, as we get details, we'll get them to you.

Inner City Press:  If he's not, can we find out why he's not?

Spokesman Dujarric:  Sure.  

  So far, seven hours later, nothing. This is the UN and Western Sahara. Back on November 21 asked the New York spokesman for High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid for

"an update on action on the leaked cables, related to Western Sahara, involving current OHCHR official Anders Kompass and one, previously head of OHCHR's office in NY, who's just left. What steps has OHCHR taken on the cables / issues?"

  Now two months and three weeks later there has been no answer on this from the OHCHR spokesperson in New York. But we published this response from OHCHR Geneva spokesperson Rupert Colville to similar questions:

From: Rupert Colville [at] ohchr.org
Date: Friday 12 December 2014
Subj: Investigation leaked cables Western Sahara and OHCHR

The investigation is being carried out, at our request, by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) in New York, which is an operationally independent office that assists the Secretary-General in fulfilling his internal oversight responsibilities. While the investigation is under way, there is nothing else I can say on the matter.

  On January 29, Carman Lapointe the head of OIOS wrote:

"Our operating policies do not allow OIOS to provide information on whether we are investigating any matter, and so you will need to continue to consult OHCHR on this topic.

"In general terms, however, I can say that when/if we receive allegations of leaked confidential documents, we would advise that investigations into leaks of confidential documents are very challenging for OIOS to substantiate.  As you may be aware, OIOS has authority to conduct only administrative investigations, and we have very limited (and no coercive) powers.  Unless staff members involved in leaks admit or confess, or the leaks are undertaken blatantly using United Nations assets that we can examine forensically (such as by an attachment to an email from a UN computer or other device) we would have no jurisdiction to pursue further. "

  Combined with this new scandal uncovered by Inner City Press, about the sale of posts in UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous, the above gives little confidence.

 Meanwhile on January 23 the UN issued this read out:

"The Secretary-General spoke with His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco on Thursday, January 22.  He expressed appreciation for Morocco’s valuable support of the activities of the United Nations, particularly in peacekeeping and in a number of critical issues in Africa and the Middle East.

"On Western Sahara, the Secretary-General acknowledged Morocco’s concerns about the UN-sponsored negotiations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Frente Polisario.  He confirmed that reports to the Council on this issue will remain objective and reflect facts.  He also reiterated that the UN Mission in Western Sahara, MINURSO, will continue to exercise its existing mandate as set forth by the Security Council.

"In response, His Majesty indicated that Morocco looks forward to moving ahead in collaboration with the United Nations and that Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations will be working with the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Christopher Ross, to arrange his next visit to Morocco as soon as possible, as well as with the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of MINURSO, Kim Bolduc, to facilitate her rapid deployment to the region."

  So how long will that take?

  The UN system often uses the pendency of an investigation as a way to wait for the “problem” to go away. As the publication Tel Quel, here, has noted, many in the media are not covering the leaks.

  Relatedly, the leaks are now being covered up or censored. Two recent uploads, about Morocco and the African Group at the UN, were put on “ filefactory.com” -- then taken down after, the site says, a complaint under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

  This is a new trend -- attempt to use copyright law to take down leaked documents. Reuters, for example, filed a “for the record” complaint with the UN trying to get Inner City Press thrown out - then, when the “for the record” complaint was leaked and published, conned Google into blocking it from Search, calling it copyrighted. Click here for that.

So that media uses or abuses copyright to censor its own “for the record” complaint filed with the UN, and does not cover these new leaks about Western Sahara, Morocco, and the UN. This is a new trend. Watch this site.

  In the above, the referenced former head of OHCHR's New York office is Senegal's Bacre Waly Ndiaye, noted Tijania Sufi. The cables reveal a deep scandal in the UN system. Now OHCHR in Geneva is saying it will not comment until an investigation, Inner City Press understands by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services, is complete. But there is no indication that will be publish. This is one of the ways the UN covers up.

 There other ways, beyond Western Sahara. On rapes in DR Congo by Army units the UN support, Ladsous refused to answer Press questions for months. Video here of then and now spokesman pulling microphone away from Inner City Press. These practices are being opposed by the new Free UN Coalition for Access.

 Now on UN Peacekeeping's November 9 press release covering up mass rape in Thabit in Darfur, Ladsous has not answered any questions; UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric on November 21 told Inner City Press the UN won't comment on leaks. The Western Sahara leaks are so extensive that despite a seeming media blackout by Western wire services, they will not go away. 

While Ladsous is not the only UN official exposed by the cables, his extraordinary campaign of refusing Press questions, to the point of physically blocking Press filming (Vine here), as well as a DPKO to OHCHR connection, make him key to the case. As to MINURSO, Ladsous is blamed for the non-deployment of Bolduc. 

  Back on November 14 Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq about Bolduc and an investigation of leaks in Geneva of which sources tell it. Video here.

  On November 5, Inner City Press reported on leaked cables showing among other things the UN's Ladsous undermining MINURSO on the issue of human rights, and improper service of Morocco by Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights staffers Anders Kompass and Bacre Waly Ndiaye.

    Since then, along with anonymous death threats, Inner City Press has received additional information including of a UN Office of Internal Oversight Services investigation of Anders Kompers and Bacre Waly Ndiaye.

  On November 14, Inner City Press asked the UN's Haq, per UN transcript:

Deputy Spokesman Haq:  You had a question on Western Sahara?

Inner City Press: It's a two-pronged question.  What Stéphane [Dujarric] said earlier in the week about Kim Bolduc, the new SRSG [Special Representative of the Secretary-General].  I wanted to just kind of confirm it.  In reading it, does that mean that she has never has been allowed in?  And, if so, where has she been since August?  What is the plan to resolve that?  And I also wanted to ask you about regarding the cables that I base the initial question on.  Can you confirm that OIOS [Office for Internal Oversight Services] is conducting an investigation at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on at least two staff members who apparently leaked this information to the Moroccan Government?

Deputy Spokesman Haq:  On that, I cannot confirm that.  As you know, the OIOS conducts its work independently.  At some point, once they have completed their work, they apprise us [inaudible].  But I wouldn't be aware of any work that is ongoing.  Beyond that, regarding Kim Bolduc, as you know, both Christopher Ross and Kim Bolduc briefed the Security Council on 27 October.  And at that point, the Security Council reiterated its desire, first of all, to see Ambassador Ross's facilitation resume and reiterated its desire to see Kim Bolduc be able to take up her duties at the helm of MINURSO [United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara] as soon as possible.  And we look forward to the resumption of Mr. Ross's visit to the region and also to the deployment of Kim Bolduc.

Inner City Press:  But is she currently, I mean, she is the SRSG?

Deputy Spokesman Haq:  She is the SRSG, but she has not been able to function with her MINURSO duties in-country.

  In-country, eh? We'll have more on this. And on this: Inner City Press is informed that while Ladsous claims to have performed as required in connection with the appointment of Bolduc, even on this he is accused of failing to do his duty, as on many other parts of his job. Video compilation here; recent Vine here.

   Document leaks from inside the UN have identified improper service of Morocco, on the question of Western Sahara, by a staffer at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Anders Kompass.

  Inner City Press has waited to report on them; the spokesperson for the High Commissioner has today said his office is aware the leaked cables, which contain the perspective of certain diplomats, and that the situation is being investigated to clarify the facts.”

  Whatever the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, now under Jordan's Prince Zeid, does about the content of the leaks, more will be required in the UN Secretariat in New York -- particularly at the top of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, which runs the MINURSO mission in Western Sahara.

  The cables show that Herve Ladsous, a long-time French diplomat now the boss of DPKO and thus of MINURSO, was flacking for Morocco on the supposed quality of its human rights mechanisms. This directly undercuts the MINURSO mission, for which Ladsous is supposed to be working.

  African Union members of the Security Council, from Uganda to South Africa to Nigeria, have demanded that MINURSO have the same type of human rights monitoring mechanism as the UN Peacekeeping missions in the DR Congo, Mali and Central African Republic. 

  Now Ladsous is exposed undermining extending this to Western Sahara -- the policy of his country, France, but undercutting DPKO.

  During General Assembly debate week in September 2014, Ladsous refused to answer Press questions and ended up blocking the Press' camera, Vine here.

  This is a scandal. And since Ladsous had refused to answer Press questions, about rapes by his mission's partners in the DRC, about DPKO bringing cholera to Haiti, about under-reporting attacks on civilians and even peacekeepers in Darfur and now Central African Republic, it is time for the question to be asked. 

Update: on November 6, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about this, video here.

  Immediately after the briefing, Inner City Press emailed Dujarric the cable it had asked about. Watch this site.

   

On MDGs, UN's Ban Won't Comment on Debt, Tax Havens or Zapatero Dodging Kagame

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 22 -- With the Millennium Development Goals having been discussed at the UN for three days, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to respond to a critique that the MDGs look only at the symptom and not causes of poverty. UN transcript here and below.

Over $500 billion is owned by poor countries in foreign debt. Over $124 billion a year flow through offshore tax havens. Inner City Press asked Ban about both of these.

Ban said “those issues which you raised have been the subjects which have been discussed in the international community. I think it's not appropriate for me to discuss those matters here at this time.” If not now, during the MDG Summit, when?

Earlier on Wednesday, when it suddenly became clear that questions would be taken at the meeting of Ban's MDG Advocacy Group, Inner City Press ran from the UN correspondents' area over the library, through the garage and a metal detector check, through the General Assembly lobby and media room, only to be stopped by security. Armed with a floor pass, Inner City Press proceeded, reaching the ECOSOC chamber ten minutes before the Q&A session ended.

But Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky shook his head, running his finger across his throat, it's over. Nevertheless he called on Jeffrey Sachs to issue a duplicative answer to a question.

When Inner City Press wanted to asking, as well as about debt and money laundering, was the sudden departure of co-chair Zapatero of Spain. In the first Advocacy Group meeting in Madrid, Zapatero refused to meet with his co-chair Paul Kagame of Rwanda, who is being sued in Spain for war crimes.

This time, Zapatero left to return to business in Madrid. Nesirky did not allow the question during the Advocacy Group's media availability. At noon in the briefing room, he told Inner City Press to asked the Spanish Mission about Zapatero's departure.

But can Ban's and the UN's MDG Advocacy Group function with two co-chair who won't meet? Watch this space.

Footnote: Inner City Press asked Michelle Bachelet about the Advocacy Group, in which she served until being named head of UN Women. Bachelet dodged on the Zapatero Kagame relationship, as well as on Inner City Press' question if she would finally bring zero tolerance to sexual abuse and exploitation by UN peacekeepers. Watch this site.

From the UN's transcription of September 22:

Inner City Press: On the MDGs, there's a criticism made by the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Mr. [Olivier] de Schutter, where he says that the MDGs may be just treating the symptoms. He points to things like off-shore tax havens, and the ability of leaders to take money out of their countries, and he points to debt relief, the debt service by poor countries adding up to about $500 billions. So he says that there is danger of focussing on charity as opposed to structural things that hurt poor countries. I wanted to have your response to that, also, one thing I noticed this morning is that, of your two co-chairs, Mr. Zapatero left. I know that in Madrid, the two didn't meet because of sort of war crimes and other issues. Have those issues been resolved and could the two men work together to promote MDG Advocacy Group?

SG Ban: There should be no mix-up between development and politics. Prime Minister Zapatero explained to me two days ago that because of his very urgent domestic issues, he had to go back. That I understood. Because, every leader, they may have certain domestic issues on which they have to put priority. The MDG Advocacy Group meeting today was, I think, a great success. You have seen such a strong commitment among, not only MDG advocates, champions, but all other leaders participating in that. And for other matters, I think all those issues which you raised have been the subjects which have been discussed in the international community. I think it's not appropriate for me to discuss those matters here at this time.

As UN's Ban's Choice of Kagame Triggers Spanish Boycott, Role of UNDP's Clark; Rwandan to Get UN Women Post?

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/mdg1kagame071610.html

UNITED NATIONS, July 16 -- Naming Rwanda's Paul Kagame to co-chair a UN group of “super heros” for the Millennium Development Goals seemed like a good idea to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

But now the other co-chair, Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero, has boycotted the meeting with Kagame on human rights grounds. Meanwhile, Ban is considering a Rwandan government minister to head the new UN Women agency.

Sources in the UN's North Lawn building say Ban got some advice that Kagame, given recent developments in Rwanda, might not be the right choice; the sources infer UNDP and Helen Clark weighing in for Kagame, which has now "blown up in Ban's face," they say.

On July 15, Inner City Press asked Ban's Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq:

Inner City Press: about this MDG Advocacy Group. There is a story in El Mundo today in Madrid saying that Ban Ki-moon initially asked Prime Minister [José Luis] Zapatero of Spain to be a co-chair and then later decided that Paul Kagame of Rwanda would be. And it says that Spain was uncomfortable with that on human rights grounds and urged Ban Ki-moon not to appoint Mr. Kagame. I wonder if, one, if you can comment on that and, two, whether, with the recent beheading of the vice-president of an opposition party in Rwanda, what the UN’s thoughts are of the developments in Rwanda and if a Rwandan Minister is being considered to head UN Women?

Associate Spokesperson Haq: First of all, the nominations for UN Women are continuing to come in, so I wouldn’t have any comment on any particular names on that.

Regarding the El Mundo article, yes, we are aware of that information. We did keep the various parties, including the Government of Spain, informed of the Secretary-General’s choice of President Kagame.

Regarding the selection of President Kagame of Rwanda, one of the points on this is that we believe that committed political leadership from both the North and the South is essential to build support for the global partnership embodied in the Millennium Development Goals. Rwanda has displayed extraordinary commitment to the MDGs and is among the few countries in Africa that have made the most progress towards the Goals. There have been commendable declines in both child and maternal mortality there. The country has also made remarkable progress in reducing the number of reported malaria cases and deaths and has the highest proportion of women parliamentarians in the world. So Rwanda’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals has been outstanding.

Regarding the allegations against President Kagame, it’s clear that the Secretary-General is against all violations of human rights and he strongly condemns any such violations of human rights.

At this point, however, President Kagame is the Head of State of Rwanda, and it is not for the Secretary-General to prejudge the outcome of any proceedings or accusations that have been initiated against him. So we would need to see what the results of those are.

Inner City Press: Does the UN believe, for example, this most recent killing of an opposition leader should be investigated, and by whom?

Associate Spokesperson Haq: At this stage, I believe the matter is with the local law enforcement. We’ll see where it goes from there and whether anything else needs to be done.

That was before Zapatero boycotted the UN meeting with Kagame. After that, on July 16, Inner City Press and EFE asked Haq why Ban had paired Kagame and Zapatero of Spain, where Kagame is defending human rights charges. Video here.

Among the answers not given by Haq: Helen Clark of UNDP. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/mdg1kagame071610.html

UN Base in Spain Still Is Not Approved, Despite Photo-Op of Castle Made of Sand

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN
www.innercitypress.com/ban2valencia073108.html

UNITED NATIONS, July 31 -- In Spain on November 17 of last year, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with the Spanish Vice-President "unveil[ed] a plaque at the site of the future United Nations Peacekeeping Logistics Base." To the Spanish media and people, it was implied that the approvals and funding were in place. The message in context was that President Zapatero's donations to and support of the UN were bearing fruit; "Bambi is bringing home the bacon," as one wag put it, using one of Zapatero's nicknames.

There is a problem, however: there had and has been no approval of the funding or location of this UN Peacekeeping Logistics Base. This week the UN confirmed that it was not approved in May, despite the "expectation" that it would be. Now it is envisioned it will be approved, if at all, in the next General Assembly session.

On April 7, Inner City Press e-mailed the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) "as asked at today's noon briefing, what are the specifics of the planned peacekeeping logistics base in Valencia, Spain, when was it proposed and has it been approved by the General Assembly? If so, was it approved before November 2007?"

DKPO's spokesman replied on April 9 that

"The Valencia site will be utilized to provide ICT services to UN peace operations. In conjunction with current operations in UNLB (Brindisi), the creation of this secondary active telecommunications facility will mitigate the single point of failure risk that exists in our current infrastructure and will ensure the safety of peace operations' information/data assets in the event of a catastrophic incident. It will also provide continuous voice, data and video services to field missions in case of short-term disruptions. The proposal to establish this facility is with the General Assembly and it is our expectation it will be taken up in the second resumed session."

This "second resumed session" took place in May 2008. But why, then, did Ban jump the gun and along with Spanish Vice President Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega unveil a plaque in Valencia in November 2007, which the UN captioned as Ban and the Vice President "unveil a plaque at the site of the future United Nations Peacekeeping Logistics Base." How could he be so sure?

In fact, the proposal was not even approved at the May 2008 budget session.

To confirm, Inner City Press again asked DPKO to explain, and received this week in return a similar statement, but for the addition of a paragraph portraying the siting decision as having been competitive and adding at the end that DPKO again "envisions" that it will be approved -- in the next General Assembly session:

On the Valencia site:

The establishment of a secondary active telecommunications facility is being sought to provide additional and complementary capacity for the information and communication technology infrastructure currently in place in the United Nations Logistics Base (UNLB) in Brindisi, Italy. The proposed facility will be utilized to provide ICT services to UN peace operations and will operate in conjunction with current operations in UNLB to ensure the safety of UN' data assets in the event of a catastrophic incident. It will also serve to provide continuous voice, data and video services to UN missions in cases of short-term disruptions.

In July 2006, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) submitted requests to 43 Member states (located within a predefined geographical area translating into a satellite footprint) to submit proposals to the host the facility. Several Countries, including Spain, submitted firm proposals. Following an exhaustive selection process, the proposal submitted by the Government of Spain to establish the facility in Valencia was selected as meeting all of the selection criteria, while also representing the most advantageous offer to meet this requirement for the Organization.

The request to the General Assembly for approval to establish the facility is currently being reviewed by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) as part of a comprehensive review of the Secretariat's information and communications technology. It is envisaged that the proposal, along with the ACABQ’s recommendation, will be considered by the General Assembly during the main part of its Sixty-Third session.

So the Secretary-General apparently jumped the gun in November 2007; DKPO was incorrect in its "expectation" of approval in May 2008, but now "envisions" approval in the next session of the General Assembly.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/ban2valencia073108.html

In UNIFEM Spin, Alberdi Speaks Only to Spanish Media, India Calls Sen More Qualified, UNDP Silent

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1unifem041008.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 10 -- What carries more weight, in today's United Nations, $700 million or one billion people? The doling out of the top UNIFEM post this week to Ines Alberdi of Spain, which recently gave $700 million to the UN Development Program, over the official candidate of more-populous India, Gita Sen, implies that money still rules the UN.

On Thursday Inner City Press asked India's Ambassador to the UN, Nirupam Sen, what he thought of the selection. While remaining diplomatic, he said that the (unrelated) Gita Sen "was the more qualified candidates." Since UNDP made a point, 18 minutes after its selection of Alberdi over Sen, of issuing a press release granting the top spot for Asia in UNDP to another Indian, Ajay Chhibber, Inner City Press asked Ambassador Nirupam Sen if he thought that made things right, and if the two appointments were connected.

"I don't think so," Amb. Sen said. Chhibber was already "part of the system... he's not a person in India, coming to work for the UN," he said, noting the Chhibber already worked in the international system. " I don't think you can equate the two," Amb. Sen concluded. UNDP, of course, hasn't answered any of these charges, and Administrator Kemal Dervis has been nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, to try to quell the controversy, Ms. Alberdi held a press conference on Thursday at the Spanish mission -- but only for the Spanish press. Ms. Alberdi was asked if she thought that Spain's grants, of $700 million to UNDP and over $11million to UNIFEM, played a role in her selection; she reportedly replied that she couldn't deny there might be some connection. She also argued that President Zapatero's policies on women were be recognized via her appointment.
News analysis: but why then limit Ms. Alberdi's press availability to media from her own nation, which benefited from the transactions with the UN? In Spain, it may be popular to said, we got something back, for the money we are giving. But non-Spanish media would ask the inconvenient question, did you buy the post, and how does Spain and Zapatero feel about in some view stealing a post from a developing country? Watch this space.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1unifem041008.html