G20 Summit: UN Corruption A Bludgeon Blow!

Once again the G20 Summit managed to accomplish nothing more than a ‘commitment’.  Empty words without action that somehow makes the members feel all cozy.  Fair and Sustainable Development with a focus on people.  WOW!   Wouldn’t that equate to the same protocol each and every year wherein the members go home and release statements to their people about what they hope to accomplish by 2030 and 2050 when they are dead and gone…

Agenda 2014:   discuss coordinated growth strategies as well as finalizing agreements on core financial reforms, and actions on tax and anti-corruption.

Agenda 2015:   discuss the world’s biggest political and security crises, including Syria and the mass migration of refugees

Agenda 2016:   discuss climate change, pollution in China, combating nationalist attacks against globalization, tax evasion, support of refugees, international trade, and economic growth

Agenda 2017:  discuss, international trade, financial regulation, women’s empowerment, migration, digitization, occupation, health and the US withdrawal from the Paris Accord.

Sounds hefty!

But what has changed?

2014 – nothing.

2015 – nothing until Trump and Russia put an end to ISIS in 2017

2016 – climate change? Germany’s footprint – greater, China’s footprint – greater, money spent?  Africa where there is no footprint.   Tax Evasion? Nothing.  Refugees?  Crime.

In essence, these meetings are held to give the impression that the UN has some actual authority and change is being made under their auspices when in fact they continue to be a burgeoning bloated waste of money without successes, mired in sex scandals, and wholly non-transparent in financial and asset statements.

The US contributes an amount equal to the total contributions of:  Italy, Canada, Germany, UK, and France.

For 2017, the Board of Auditors for the UN identified an unidentified misappropriation in the amount of $1.5 million.  They noted over $24 million of goods and services that were not delivered as stated.  “The creation of outstanding commitments where they are not warranted results in overstatement of reported expenditure and inadequate provision for unencumbered balances for the biennium…”

In laymen’s terms this means they were fudging/playing with the books.

The Board of Auditors noted that:

‘Gift collections’ were not recorded because physical verification was not allowed, the system that tabulated was no longer working, and internal controls were lacking and/or weak.   The Board noted that the UN was using temp employees to fill high level leadership positions, and noted shortlistings of unsuitable and unavailable candidates. The Board noted a lack of reporting and oversight mechanisms in delegation of procurement authority.  36% of system contracts were extended beyond the rule of 5 years.  There were delays in disbursement of 21% of funds, and noted that their ‘anti-corruption and anti-fraud’ departments were basically not implemented at all.  And finally, the UN’s safety and Security Department did not monitor or implement required system policies…

Their computer systems are so outdated that the Audit Board is required to manually make financial adjustments to their record keeping, a process that is ridiculously expensive, tedious, and subject to error.

Ta-Da!

In other words, this ‘very successful’ organization that is supposed to promote peace, women’s rights, economic growth, etc.., etc… runs a bookkeeping system worthy of Vinnie and Co., while spending billions of dollars on their salaries and pensions, immersed in massive accounts of rape and sexual abuse, mired in corruption within their cash flows, missing millions of dollars, – this organization wants to tell all the countries of the world how to manage their country…

The report is 276 pages, the first 81 are dedicated to ‘recommendations’ as a direct result of mismanagement, errors, corruption, and missing money.

The report goes on and on ad nauseum identifying malfunctions within their self health insurance plan that had not been updated since 2000. Funds that are deposited in the wrong account. And admonishing because the Geneva staffing is bursting at the seams with useless staff and desperately is in need of massive streamlining.

This is what happens when politicians run the finances of the world.  It ain’t pretty.  And I want a refund.

 

The United Nations Headquarters and all additional ‘Palaces’ are considered sovereign (that nationalist word that is taboo)and not subject to the local laws – that means they pay no tax.  The Headquarters located in opulent downtown Manhattan is comprised of 18 acres of land hosting palatial buildings and guarded by roughly 1500 security guards who are equipped with weapons and handcuffs…  Like Vatican City.  In addition, the UN has three subsidiary headquarters located in Geneva, Kenya and Vienna.  In 2007, a refurbishment began at the Manhattan office with estimates for the construction topping $3 billion. Land in Manhattan runs approximately $7 million per acre.

The weaponry that a UN Peacekeeping Soldier must carry is not unlike a soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq.   However, the gear is considered “Light Equipment” and despite tactical gear has resulted in death, stress, and mental issues due to the constant guerrilla attacks… in their successful peaceful accords.   According to the UN, they need heavy equipment!

In the end, this agency is rife in fraud, ensconced in corruption, riddled with mismanagement, and impregnated with a budget that is about nefarious individuals who line their pockets while telling the world how to line theirs so they won’t look so bad…