UN/AP: Report cites U.N. election office problems (When it rains,it pours,,more salt on UN's wounds)

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 3/30/05 | Edith M. Lederer - AP

[NormsRevenge]

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - A report commissioned by the United Nations calls for a formal investigation into the operation of the widely praised U.N. office that helps organize elections around the world, citing staff allegations of sexual and professional harassment and the possible misuse of money to support travel for a favored group of staff members.

The report by a Swiss-based management consulting firm, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, focuses on the management of the Electoral Assistance Division by Carina Perelli, an Uruguayan whose work in helping organize elections in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Palestinian territories has received high marks both inside and outside the U.N. bureaucracy.

The report did not single out Perelli or anyone else in the office in specific allegations of sexual or professional harassment or alleged misuse of funds. It did, however, note widespread complaints from staffers in the office about the professional climate.

The consulting firm, Mannet S.A.R.L., reported that many staff members said they "have suffered emotionally as a result of the director's behavior in the office environment." Despite the interesting work, the report said, many staffers said their experiences have been "nothing short of devastating and that the work environment of the division is abusive."

Mannet carried out the management review at the request of Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast, who is in charge of the division. He made the request after a management retreat where staff members raised allegations about the work environment.

The report was leaked at a difficult time for the United Nations, which has endured fierce criticism over alleged corruption in the oil-for-food program in Iraq, allegations of sexual harassment by former U.N. refugee chief Ruud Lubbers, and claims of sex abuse by U.N. peacekeepers in Congo and elsewhere.

Perelli and Prendergast did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said Prendergast is conducting an initial investigation and would decide whether to launch a formal probe.

"This was a routine management exercise where consultants took members of the department out of town for a retreat and discussed management issues," Eckhard said. "In the course of those discussions, certain problem areas emerged."

Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said Perelli "served the U.N. outstandingly well and did a terrific job" on Iraq's elections.

"She has been, I think, a very good servant of the U.N.," he said. "So in whatever now happens ... I expect due process to be followed, especially for somebody who has stood so fairly for what the U.N. actually believes in."

Perelli was recently nominated for a U.N. award for manager of the year but didn't receive it. The report, however, is very critical of her management of the division.

Mannet said the review began on Jan. 5 during what it described as "a very public dispute" between Perelli and Prendergast, causing staff members to worry they would become embroiled in the fray. For that reason, the report said, staffers initially were apprehensive about the confidentiality of the review process.

It said that while Perelli is admired for her courage, knowledge and the support she gives to some staff, there were concerns of a "very clear 'inner' and 'outer' circle," with the favored group taking responsibility for projects, traveling frequently and socializing in the office.

The report said one staff member, who was not identified, received especially favorable treatment.

Current and former staffers called the work environment "offensive," the report said, adding that "those interviewed indicated that a constant sexual innuendo is part of the 'fabric' of the division," it said.

The Mannet report called for an investigation of sexual harassment allegations including the sexual innuendoes, "unwelcome advances" and "suggestive behaviors," as well as alleged references to the intimate lives of staff members, the unwelcome sharing of sexual experiences, and the frequent use of sexually explicit, coarse language.

It also called for an investigation of professional harassment including assigning much too challenging work to junior staff who allegedly were given no guidance. Some complaints from staff said they were subject to shouting and screaming by superiors and that their computers and e-mail accounts were examined.

Mannet said a major concern by staff was the perceived misuse of the division's money for travel, particularly for the favored group of workers.

The report called for an investigation of what some staffers believe to be unjustified travel, especially to Latin America, using money intended for work in one country for purposes unrelated to that country, and the alleged use of U.N. money to finance a university degree for one unidentified staff member.