Monday, August 15, 2011

Why USUN doesn't hold United Nations Development Programme to the same transparency standards applied by State Department and USAID?

Under the Obama administration and Secretary Hilton leadership the transparency at State Department and USAID has visibly increased. To this effect the USAID has made public its Headquarters and Field Credit Card Holders. (Click here for the link at USAID webpage).

While the above applaudable move is welcomed, seems that at United States Mission to the U.N. not interested to hold the U.N., and especially its operational branches UNDP and UNOPS, to the same standards the US Government has set for its own.

The failure of UNDP/UNOPS to publish the list of all UNDP/OPS Credit Cards holders, seem to be related to the list of individuals who otherwise would not be able to hold a credit card based on financial rules.

An informed source says that few of Credit Card holders are not even staff, they hold various temporary contractual status and thus, as per U.N. Financial Regulation should not be in position to neither authorize nor incur expenditures on behalf of the organization.

Consider that many of these expenses are "small", meaning less than $2,500, most if not all escape the internal controls under the so called "approval authority threshold".


What is the reason behind United Nations continuous denial to these basic transparency requirements which seem every other member states have already endorsed and is conforming to ?

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