Staff revolt gathers pace at UN [View All]

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Times
James Bone in New York reports
Protest against top management is an embarrassment for Kofi Annan

KOFI ANNAN’s top managers at the United Nations are facing a staff revolt that has gathered pace since the bombing of the UN office in Baghdad.

Staff representatives adopted a resolution yesterday criticising senior management after a string of clashes during the past year with their bosses at UN headquarters. The rebellion is an embarrassment for Mr Annan, and comes as he faces intense criticism for corruption in the UN’s “Oil-for-Food” programme in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.

The UN chief suffered another blow yesterday when he was forced to admit that civilian and peacekeeping personnel on UN duty in Congo had committed acts of gross misconduct.

Officials plan to make public on Monday the lurid results of their investigation into UN officials having sex with under-age local girls. Responding to staff complaints yesterday, the UN managers offered to hold talks next week with the elected president of the UN staff union, which represents thousands of UN workers and around the world.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,175-1366745,00.html