Although we lump them all together as the UN, the United Nations system has 37 bodies and numerous other programmes, each with its own purpose, tasks and, of course, acronym. You could be forgiven if you have never heard of one of them: Unops, the United Nations Office for Project Services.
This is the workhorse of the UN system ― providing just about any service in any sector ― albeit for a hefty fee. That includes backroom project administration, procurement, personnel recruitment, payroll handling, financial management, logistics and infrastructure. Unops is a big business, with gross assets approaching $4 billion, operating in 80 countries through 12,000 personnel.
But it made headlines this month, for all the wrong reasons, when UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres forced the resignation of Unops executive director Grete Faremo. This also embarrassed Norway, a major UN funder, because Ms Faremo is a former Norwegian politician and cabinet minister, and her ignominious departure echoes the 2018 downfall of another senior Norwegian, Erik Solheim, who headed the UN Environment Programme.
Ms Faremo’s transgressions include questions about her Sustainable Investments in Infrastructure and Innovation (S3i) initiative. It appears, according to the results of a UN audit, that Unops leaders discarded their own ethical and transparent business rulebook to bestow millions of dollars on a single business partner, a holding company called Sustainable Housing Solutions (SHS), chosen without the competition, diligence and safeguards that are mandatory under UN procedures.
The UnopsS partnership with SHS was supposed to build a million affordable houses for poor people in six places: India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea and the Caribbean. Not a single house has yet been built, while $22 million of the nearly $60m investment has been written off. It is doubtful the rest will be recouped any time soon.
Over the years, misconduct, mismanagement, fraud and corruption have been uncovered in several UN agencies. However, the Unops case is unique because what happened there is alleged to have occurred with the careless connivance of its top leadership. For those familiar with the UN’s history, it evokes a parallel with the notorious UN Oil-for-Food Programme in Iraq, which hastened the end of former secretary general Kofi Anan’s tenure.
The Unops problem emerged only because a whistleblower had the courage to complain. Their reward, they say, was harassment and intimidation, an experience that the organisation’s staff have attested is not uncommon at Unops. Beyond this case, however, wider questions about multilateral principles, integrity, accountability, oversight and governance arise.
The UN’s ideals are outlined in its poetic founding charter, which simmers with idealism and brings hope for the downtrodden everywhere. The UN is there to bring succour without personal benefit. Obviously, its work must be paid for somehow, but it is not supposed to profit from human misery, or turn its programmes into profit-making opportunities. And yet, that is exactly what Unops did, by overcharging other UN agencies for its services, which allowed it to accumulate huge reserves of about $286m. Of that sum, about $100m was then put aside for gambling, through shaky business investments such as S3i.
Over the years, misconduct, mismanagement, fraud and corruption were uncovered in several UN agencies
The development marketplace is very crowded, with many agencies. It is unsurprising they compete with diverse business models to advance their specific niches. This is a perverse consequence of a plethora of poorly funded organisations and donors’ ramshackle funding policies. Reform of the UN system’s financing is long overdue, but don’t hold your breath.
This is because of a distortion of incentives arising from the way the UN is managed. UN agencies have governing boards composed of member states. They set policy, endorse strategy, approve budgets, supervise the achievement of results and hold executives accountable. But with a revolving door that allows the governors and governed to exchange places, it is better not to ask too many awkward questions from the agency you may join one day. Joining one of these agencies, moreover, allows one to benefit from large, untaxed UN salaries and associated immunities and privileges. This can be a subtly corrupting form of conflict of interest that can erode integrity, especially for those from governments that do not pay their staff at the same level.
Besides, in today’s multibillion-dollar agencies, governance oversight requires highly developed subject-matter knowledge as well as organisational development skills. With exceptions, these are too often lacking in the diplomats who attend executive boards; they have rarely built their careers working in the kinds of programmes they are now meant to oversee. It is often not difficult for persuasive agency directors to bamboozle them into endorsing all sorts of pet schemes.
One might think twice before investing personal funds in the stock of an unprofessionally run company that may lack proper risk controls and accountability-and-compliance mechanisms. And yet, that is the risk governments sometimes take when they finance multibillion-dollar UN agencies that are later found to have had such faults. The evidence suggests that this may have been the case at Unops: its oversight body was asleep on the job.
When the risks result in disaster, the system is not geared in a way to avoid repeating its mistakes. UN personnel enjoy privileges which mean they cannot be pursued by national law enforcement authorities for wrongdoing occurring on their territory, unless the UN secretary general waives their immunity. But that very rarely happens, because it is often easier and more face-saving for the UN if personnel who have done wrong leave quietly. It remains to be seen whether those responsible for the malign practices at Unops will be held accountable beyond resignation. That may change, but thus far, nothing has been said by the UN leadership to suggest this will be the case.
Moreover, even when the UN investigates its own, it tends to be a closed, internal affair in which it is the prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner, all in one. And its supreme investigations authority, the Office of Internal Oversight Services, rarely publishes its full reports. This makes public accountability even more difficult.
If the UN, of all places, becomes a space where accountability is difficult, then serious self reflection is needed for the world that came together to found it. The UN system is an undoubted global public good that came out of the horrors and sorrows of the Second World War. The world needs it more than ever today, because the many crises it faces from conflicts and disasters will only increase with climate change and other environmental and social stresses. Because no nation can tackle these on their own, the world needs ever more multilateral co-operation, at the core of which is the UN.
But we get what we deserve and, ultimately, the UN is only as strong as the nations that comprise it, as well as the sincerity of their resolve to make it an engine for collective good. The Unops debacle is much more than a story of egregious misdeeds within the agency. It gives pause for reflection that, too often, we take the UN for granted or we allow it to be neglected, abused or misused for narrow self interests.
Continuing to do that is perilous, and ultimately a tragedy for our global commons.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
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'Champions'
Director: Manuel Calvo
Stars: Yassir Al Saggaf and Fatima Al Banawi
Rating: 2/5
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If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
Juliet, Naked
Dir: Jesse Peretz
Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke
Two stars
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Scoreline
Bournemouth 2
Wilson 70', Ibe 74'
Arsenal 1
Bellerin 52'
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jawan
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Results
5.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Al Battar, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer).
6.05pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Good Fighter, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
6.40pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Way Of Wisdom, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
7.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m; Winner: Immortalised, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
7.50pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Franz Kafka, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.
8.25pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Mayadeen, Connor Beasley, Doug Watson.
9pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Chiefdom, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
The Limehouse Golem
Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars