"To receive or not
to receive."
That is the choice
the U.N. ethics office put before U.N. staff members as the organization
confronts another holiday season, and the awkward question of whether to accept
a gift from a U.N. diplomat or contractor doing business with the world body.
Like most things at the United Nations, there is no easy answer.
"The holiday season
and the New Year are around the corner!" the ethics office counseled in a
message posted on the U.N.'s intranet. "It is that time of the year when
exchanging gifts and showing hospitality is the order of the day for many
cultures and customs. As we revel in holiday cheer, let us take a moment to
reflect on our shared values and status as international civil servants."
"As UN staff
members, we may be offered gifts from governmental and non-governmental sources
alike," the note added. "While the values of the gifts can vary, and the
intentions behind them pure, we should be mindful that giving or receiving
gifts and hospitality can give rise to potential conflicts of interest.
Accepting or giving a gift can create on-going obligations which could
undermine our independence and impartiality."
Indeed, holiday giving at Turtle Bay can be a tricky business, particularly in
an organization where foreign delegates dispense crates of Russian vodka,
Scotch whisky, and wines from four corners of the Earth to U.N. officials. The
former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan thought one shouldn't turn down
a gift so lightly as it might offend the cultural sensitivities of a
well-meaning member state, where not giving on the holidays is considered bad
form.
But the U.N. ethics
office has remained something of a stickler. This year, it laid out some
guidelines to navigate the holiday season without creating a diplomatic
incident or compromising your integrity.
So, what is a U.N.
civil servant to do?
To start, the ethics
office counsels "You should not accept any honor, decoration, favor, gift or
remuneration from any governmental sources. You should not accept any gift or
favor from any source having or seeking to have any type of contractual
relationship with the UN."
Ok, that sounds
pretty straight-forward: Don't accept any gifts.
Except, it's ok to
accept an "honor, decoration, favor, gift or remuneration from any
non-governmental source" as long as you secure the approval of the U.N.
secretary general, through the head of your department.
I'm not sure why non-governmental
sources -- who frequently try to influence decision making at the United
Nations -- are any less likely to lavish gifts on U.N. officials to curry favor
than government officials or contractors.
But at least the
rules are clear: no gifts from governments and contractors, but it's ok to take
something from a non-governmental source -- whomever that may be -- so long you
get your boss to ask U.N. Secretary Ban Ki-moon to let you keep it, and he says
yes.
Well, not exactly.
Actually, "We may
accept on behalf of the Organization minor gifts of essentially nominal value
from non-governmental sources but we must report them to our Heads of Office.
We may also accept small gifts of food, chocolates or other sweets at the
holiday season but these items should be reported and shared within your office
or work unit."
Which begs the
question: Is a bottle of booze
-- the most common holiday gift at the U.N. -- considered a small gift, and if
so, do staffers now have to share it with their office mates?
The answer is
unclear, unless you happen to carry out U.N. "functions in sensitive areas such
as procurement and investment management." Those U.N. employees, "are subject
to higher standards," including a "zero tolerance policy regarding gifts and
hospitality." Meaning: hand over the Stoli. For any one who remembers the story of how
a corrupt executive underwrote a $6,000 night of drinking, strip clubs, and
prostitutes for two U.N. procurement officers at the W Hotel this will probably
seem like a sensible rule.
Oh yes, and one
other thing.
If you accept a
present, remember that "gifts are the property of the United Nations and should
be disposed of by following Administrative Instruction ST/AI/2010/1."
According to the
instruction, cash goes into a U.N. bank account, and gifts are to be turned
over to a U.N. property manager to donate, sell, or discard. The cash proceeds
of a gift sale -- minus administrative costs of selling it -- can be donated to
the U.N. Nobel Peace Prize Memorial Fund.
"The reputation of
the United Nations depends on the integrity of each of us. Let us continue to
carry on the good name of our Organization during this festive season,"
according to the guidelines. But "When in doubt, please consult with the Ethics
Office whose staff would be delighted to provide guidance."
Yes, please send me
their number.
Follow me on Twitter @columlynch.
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