The United Nations Scandal: The Way Forward
A recent investigation by the BBC has taken an in-depth look at those workers who have exposed corruption, abuse, and negligence within one of the world’s most reputable organisations, the United Nations. Spanning over multiple years, certain individuals have spoken out about the political, ethical, and sexual wrongdoing of high-ranking members of the institution, often at the expense of their professional and personal lives. It is hard not to notice the cruel irony which pervades this story: the very organisation which is purportedly a flagship of universal human rights has behaved in a retaliatory and abusive manner towards whistleblowers who have called out improper conduct.
Due to its unique geopolitical standing, malfeasance within the UN represents a problematic ‘grey area’. Senior staff have diplomatic immunity from all national laws unless removed by the UN if crimes have been proved to be personally committed. Yet due to a culture of complicity and silence, this free protective mechanism for staff never wavers. An internal body, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) was set up to monitor such complaints and allegations but has no strict legal authority. For such a complex issue, there are no easy solutions. However, what remains clear is this: the whistleblowing protection movement has never been more important. To begin with, WhistleblowersUK’s broader campaign to increase public understanding and respect for the vital role of whistleblowers is the key pathway to change within the UN. Only when the organisation receives sustained pressure in a way that affects the very reputation it tries at all costs to protect will they finally live up to the UN’s oft-stated insistence on ‘zero tolerance’ for such misconduct. In other words, once there is a strong global consensus on the protection which whistleblowers have been deprived of for far too long can we ensure that the institution with these unique powers does not abuse them in the future.
Furthermore, due to the lack of legal authority possessed by internal channels, a key area for improvement must be giving real teeth to the mechanisms which can punish officials who abuse their position. Whilst the Office of the Whistleblower is a body corporate of UK law, it is vital that such entities be created and strengthened if change is to be enacted within international organisations like the UN. If such an autonomous body can work alongside the OIOS to sanction wrongdoers, we can guarantee one less area of UN impunity. However, this alone will not suffice. This is why WhistleblowersUK are strongly dedicated to globalising the whistleblowing movement, with the aim of every country recognising stringent safeguards and complaint channels for whistleblowers in the future. As this case proves, misconduct often traverses national borders. In order to keep up, we believe it is important the whistleblowing protection movement does the same.
- Alfie Rowe, WhistleblowersUK Team
