Special Envoy positions are largely sinecure positions. And the people who hold them have little power, authority, or responsibility. Asia has also not been blessed with good ones.
It has been a year and a half since Suu Kyi accepted the UN position of Global Advocate for Zero Discrimination. Time for a report on her accomplishments in the post. Where can we find one? To whom is she accountable?
Jamie
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UN Backs Down Over Conflict of Interest
—Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe was appointed Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa despite her senior government post—
May 5, 2014—The Office of the United Nations Secretary-General has confirmed that UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, has vacated her post following AIDS-Free World’s exposure of a high-level conflict of interest.
As Special Envoy at the level of Under Secretary-General, Wandira-Kazibwe reported directly to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. At the time of her UN appointment, she held the governmental post of Senior Advisor to Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni—a direct conflict of interest and contravention of the Standards of Conduct for the International Civil Service, which states that UN officials “must remain independent of any authority outside of their organization,” and that their conduct must reflect that neutrality.
While there has been no official announcement regarding her departure, senior UN officials have confirmed that Wandira-Kazibwe’s contract ended April 1, 2014—a mere three weeks after she was formally welcomed to the post by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The Secretary-General’s Office and UNAIDS have not issued any public statements announcing her departure or acknowledging their error.
On February 26, 2014, AIDS-Free World issued an open letter to Ban Ki-moon questioning Wandira-Kazibwe’s ability to be an impartial advocate while also serving as an advisor to the Ugandan government and lamenting her failure to speak out on crucial issues related to HIV/AIDS. After a lengthy exchange with the Secretary-General’s office and an appeal to the UN’s Office of Legal Affairs, AIDS-Free World was informed that Wandira-Kazibwe no longer holds the Special Envoy position. She continues to be employed by the Government of Uganda.
The United Nations, in choosing to appoint a representative with dual loyalties, compromised one of the fundamental pillars of the international civil service: independence. Wandira-Kazibwe’s long silence on matters of vital importance to the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa—including anti-gay legislation in Uganda and Nigeria, and Uganda’s proposed HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Bill—further illustrates that it was impossible for her to simultaneously occupy those conflicting roles.
As the international organization that embodies the highest aspirations of all member states, the United Nations must hold itself to a higher standard. When accountability in the hiring of senior UN officials is jeopardized, the integrity of the entire system is thrown into question. The UN’s failure to publicly acknowledge the error is a glaring example of poor transparency and shows a lack of accountability within the UN system. As long as the conflict of interest goes unacknowledged, there is no guarantee that a similar situation will not happen again.
For the third time in as many years, the post of UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa is vacant. It is time to appoint the uncompromised, passionate, and forceful HIV and AIDS advocate that Africa deserves.
http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=86708d9deb7fbd282b2aaab05&id=6de06b8299&e=92c1dfb13e
