WIPO whistleblowers beg UN for protection as probe into possible corruption starts

UN investigators have begun interviewing witnesses as part of their examination of possible corruption and mismanagement at the UN's domain name and patent body, WIPO, or the World Intellectual Property Organisation. Officials from OIOS (the Office of Internal Oversight Services) travelled to Geneva last week to talk to former …

[Ashton Black]

Power corrupts and a bureaucracy tends to evolve to protect itself rather than function efficiently.

There are exceptions, obviously. In this case, however, not so much.

[Mark 85]

Evils?

So which is worse... WIPO or ICANN? Seems some thing the domain name control should go to WIPO but they are just as or possibly even more corrupt and unaccountable than ICANN. Being part of the bureaucracy that is the UN is probably even worse.

[Terentillius]

Last Chance Saloon

1. Forget the DNA for now. Uncontested fact A: the Head of WIPO, expected to set an example to his 1000+ staff, interfered in a strictly regulated procurement procedure to award a contract to an "aquaintance". Now recall the big boss of OIOS on Anders Kompass, whistleblower in the CAR child-abuse case SACKED by the UN: "... unfortunately, in his case and at his level ignorance will not be an excuse. It was his duty to know and comply"

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/514a0127e4b04d7440e8045d/t/5575b894e4b0bcd4662f9b94/1433778324299/Email+chain+involving+Senior+UN+Management.pdf

2. Back to DNA: no one denies that it was stolen, from locked offices (senior directors have locks). No one denies that this was wrongdoing. So as the Head of an org. that MUST be and be seen to be squeaky clean (you SACK the President of the Staff Union for sharing a piece of public information) you'd call an investigation right away, right? Yeah, that's what Gurry SAID. Interviewed by John Kehoe he said " I welcome an independent evaluation of the allegations. They can do as many independent evaluations, ultimately investigations, as they like, it's fine by me."

http://www.afr.com/news/policy/foreign-affairs/the-diplomat-stolen-dna-and-the-fight-for-a-top-un-job-20140513-itusc

But actually, the opposite happened. Uncontested fact B: multiple investigations have been initiated, followed by coercion of the investigator or plain shutting down of the probe.

If Gurry is cleared in face of all this, it will be a dark day for the UN. The org. will finally have turned full circle, from postWW2 beacon of humanism to junior branch of organized crime.

OIOS, on your shoulders rests a heavy burden. Please do right.

[Will Godfrey]

Going down

All these scandals tend to remind me that many past civilisations were destroyed by internal corruption. Seems we're well on the way.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Going down

YEP, time to join a long list of declined and lost empires, Byzantine, Greek, Roman, British, Western, not much joy here.

But nothing from the UN surprises me anymore, it went from being the best of the best to the worst of the worst a long time ago. Would love to see a clear and impartial verdict from an internal auditing agency, but I am not holding my breath, despite the overwhelming stench.

"Potestas corrumpere solet et potestas absoluta corrumpit absolute"