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UN staff in Iraq demand ...Middle East Monitor
Summary:
The article reports on allegations of corruption within the UN Development Programme's (UNDP) $1.5 billion reconstruction program in Iraq. A Guardian investigation found that UNDP staff were allegedly taking bribes in exchange for helping contractors win lucrative deals.
In response, the UNDP is sending a team to Iraq to assess the corruption claims. The agency's administrator has commissioned a management review. Several donor countries are pressing for an external review to help restore credibility.
Iraq's prime minister has also ordered a separate investigation by the country's integrity commission. The UNDP says it previously referred 136 cases related to the Iraq program to its internal oversight office, with over half substantiated.
Additional UNDP employees have since come forward describing a "culture of fear" and impunity across UNDP's Middle East offices. They accuse managers of shielding wrongdoers and retaliating against whistleblowers. There are reports of wasteful spending and hundreds of thousands of dollars channeled to an organization run by a government official.
The UNDP resident representative in Iraq has written to staff calling the Guardian investigation "unfair and unjust," and asked employees not to comment publicly. The UNDP says retaliation allegations contradict its commitment to accountability and integrity. It welcomes more details to allow independent assessment of the claims.
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