New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters has revealed that New Zealand has not formally suspended funding to UNRWA despite a report by the Israel Institute of New Zealand (IINZ) that said that it had following a report that found “credible and corroborated” allegations of serious ethical abuses, including “sexual misconduct, nepotism, retaliation, discrimination and other abuses of authority, for personal gain, to suppress legitimate dissent, and to otherwise achieve their personal objectives.”
IINZ reported that New Zealand taxpayers have contributed more than $10 million to UNRWA over the past decade and that the country recently committed to giving “$3 million over the next year in a deal struck between New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and the UNRWA staff member at the center of the current allegations, Commissioner-General Pierre Krahenbuhl.”
An investigation in July found that the commissioner-general of UNRWA was allegedly centralizing management, exploiting its power to promote associates and neglecting his role in favor of extensive travel around the world.
MFAT said the country provides NZ $1 million in core funding to UNRWA each year and periodically makes additional one-off humanitarian contributions to UNRWA’s emergency appeals.
The response said that New Zealand contributed a total of $2.5 million to UNRWA between January and June 2019.
IINZ shared a letter it received from MFAT with the Post that indicated that the ministry would review the findings of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) report and, until then, “New Zealand will not make any further payments until we have reviewed the report’s findings and assessed UNRWA’s response to any recommendations.” […]
MFAT said New Zealand’s next payment to UNRWA is not scheduled until March 2020. Therefore, “the ministry will review the findings of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Service report once the investigation is complete and after that point provide advice to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on future funding.”
jpost.com/Middle-East/New-Zealand-suspends-funding-to-UNRWA-NGO-says-599719
Hillel Neuer the executive director of UN Watch has urged Winston Peters to “to stand by and publish their commitment… and not to backtrack in the face of pressure.” The Taxpayers Union have also called for our Foreign Affairs Minister to confirm that he is suspending funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
Taxpayers have forked out more than $10 million in the last decade for this agency, only to discover that an internal report alleges it is guilty of ‘nepotism, retaliation, discrimination and other abuses of authority.
With the agency now under investigation, suspending payments would be the obvious way to reassure taxpayers that our money isn’t used corruptly.
The next payment is scheduled for June, and we don’t know how long this investigation will take. Winston Peters needs to reassure New Zealanders that the agency won’t receive any taxpayer funds until the Agency can show it has tidied its act up.
New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams