Thursday , June 8 2023

UN envoy under fire, Erik Solheim, resigns



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UN Report on the OIOS Environment

UN Report on the OIOS Environment

Erik Solheim, a former Norwegian government and leader of the Socialist Left Party (SV), admitted he had made mistakes in trying to save the climate while traveling business. Newspaper Aftenposten reported late Tuesday afternoon that the head of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has now chosen to resign after spending about half a million US dollars on the trip during the first 22 months of work.

Erik Solheim was also accused of dictatorship and abuse United Nations resources that forced them to pay some of their money in a different way.

Guterres said he is grateful for Solheim's service and acknowledges that he has been the leader in attracting the world's attention to critical environmental challenges.

Solheim's Solicitor, Joyce Msuya from Tanzania, will be appointed interim chief of UNEP, while the secretary general is trying to find a successor in Solheim, the spokesman said.

In a report, The New York Times said that the UN Bureau's official travel audit quotes "the non-economic routing of flight itineraries, opting for more expensive airlines, the implementation of distance arrangements that were outside the existing flexible working arrangements" .

The Guardian also showed that Solheim had to recreate in September his professional relationship with his wife and a Norwegian company who hired her shortly after signing an agreement with Unep in April. Some countries said they have retained funds from the body because they were dissatisfied with his behavior, risking to undermine his finances.

Reports reported that Solheim was criticized for his extensive travels and leadership style that has prompted a few Scandinavian countries and other countries to retain contributions to donor-funded UNEPs until the criticism has been answered.

Another concern for staff was the $ 500,000 sponsorship of Solheim to offer the Volvo Ocean Race despite the fact that it was not mentioned on the VOR sponsors' website or announced by Unep.

United Nations Chief of Environment Erik Solheim has resigned as a result of widespread criticism of its excessive spending on official travel worldwide. "Doing things differently is never easy and I will go away knowing that I have never spent any time in my effort to implement this vision and leave the UN environment more capable and more impressive."

When the OIOS auditors asked to count the 76 days spent in Oslo (Norway) and Paris (France), Erik Solheim e-mail: "We can not accept this question during the holiday in the service … we no longer live in the industrial age and must not treat me anymore as if I were a factory worker from 07 to 16 … the other side of this currency is that it must give up this stupid question. " The resignation will take effect on 22 November. He sent staff personally on Monday: "We agreed and are engaged in a set of principles [to] to guide the way we work and interact with each other. "

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