COWS FEEDING FUND - part 2
Stanis?aw PIGO? ????????
Keep smiling attitude. Experienced consultant & trainer.
Fit for the future or fat for the future?? UNIDO 's budgetary dilemmas.
During its 51st session (Vienna, 3 - 6 July) UNIDO’s Industrial Development Board (IDB) https://www.unido.org/idb/51 is to make decisions on programmes, policies and budgets for the next biennium and beyond. Eventually, the budget will be voted at the 20th General Conference (GC) to be held at the end of November, 2023.
This LinkedIn article chronologically presents posts, comments, discussions around the approval of the next biennium UNIDO budgets. All-in-one.?
Part I has covered the period from publication of initial budget proposals until the Emergency (Resumed session) of the PBC on May 23rd.
The Industrial Development Board (IDB) comprises?53 members, elected for a four-year term on a rotational basis. After a final voting of all MS during GC, the budget becomes legally approved. However, in practice the budget is finally shaped by IDB. At the end of March 2023, 51 of 171 Member States have their voting rights suspended, as they have been not able to pay budgetary dues / assessed contributions since 2020 and earlier.
July 8th
#ProgressByInnovation : Would?UNIDO ?Member States, including 21 EU members, welcome?Huawei ?as the Organization's budget contributor??
1. On June 16th, Huawei?"strongly opposed and disagreed" with an?announcement?by the EU Commission to block the Chinese technology giant from EU research funding and contracts because it poses “materially higher risks than other 5G suppliers.” The EU cybersecurity experts?urged national governments?to restrict the role of Chinese 5G vendors Huawei and ZTE in Europe.
2. A day earlier, at the event in Hungary, Vice President of Huawei Europe informed that UNIDO and Huawei are jointly leveraging next-generation digital technologies like 5G and AI to address common challenges, to drive digital transformation, and generate significant social value.?
3. The EU 21 Member States collectively contribute 28% of the UNIDO’s regular budget (RB). The?European Union ?– the largest donor of UNIDO from governmental resources – supports 39 ongoing technical cooperation projects amounting to almost EUR 300 million, in addition to projects financed by individual countries.?
4. On January 1st 2024, China becomes the largest contributor to the UNIDO RB at maximum ceiling level of 22%. Amongst 11 countries that left UNIDO, thus contributing zero to RB presently, are some largest UN financing countries: the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and 6 EU states, including France.?
5. During the last decade Huawei has been repeatedly targeted by the US Government bans, restrictions and investigations because of "a security threat". This has also happened in many EU countries, amidst the company protests. For instance, Huawei has fought a ban on its 5G equipment in Sweden in court but?lost that challenge.?
6.??UNIDO ITPO Shanghai ?belongs to UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Network that comprises 10 ITP Offices globally, located in Bahrain, China (Shanghai and Beijing), Germany (Berlin and Bonn), Italy, Japan, Nigeria, Republic of Korea, and the Russian Federation. All are financed by respective countries’ governments as UNIDO technical cooperation projects.?
7. The latest budgetary provision in UNIDO allows accepting voluntary contributions also from private companies / donors, on a larger scale: up to EUR 15.8 million, equivalent to ca. 10% of RB in the next biennium.?
8. "In 2023, UNIDO AIM-Global benefits from generous support of several founding partners, including Huawei, Shanghai Municipal People’s Government and UNIDO ITPO Shanghai, committed to enhancing industrial competitiveness through AI." Neither the website article nor UNIDO's Open Data Platform reveal, if Huawei has transferred funds to UNIDO accounts or has financed/contributed to any technical cooperation project so far.
9. Strangely enough, neither of two photos in unido.org articles features UNIDO logo.
Photos sources:
July 5th
#ProgressByInnovation : UNIDO ’s illusory truths in #Müllerism era.
1.? The illusory truth effect is the tendency to believe in false information to be correct after repeated exposure. One of its most extreme abuses was the Nazi propaganda in Germany, before and during the #WWII , guided by its maker's rule: “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes a truth”.
2. At?the ongoing 51st?UNIDO Industrial Development Board (IDB), G-77 Vienna Chapter and #China in their statement commended UNIDO for "the 17% increase in the implementation of technical projects in 2022”.?False or true??The very same statement exposes in few points later that it is false, yet 17% has been joyfully repeated by other groups and UNIDO Member States.
3.??The UNIDO’s Technical delivery in 2022 was EUR 180.3 M (million), ca. 0.5% nominal growth year to year; given a soaring inflation it actually decreased. The outstanding / end of year value of portfolio was EUR 386.2 M, but the UNIDO propagandists prefer?EUR 621.9 M, the difference is between actual inflow and “programmable” resources or "a surplus of pledges". Confusion of Member States shows the #Müllerism propagandists might be quite successful.
4. Remarkably, while opening the 51st?IDB session DG said “?In 2022 we were able to mobilize 17% more funds for Technical Cooperation. In the next biennium we are on the way for a 25% increase.” In his budget proposals to make UNIDO as expensive as it gets he declares something else, namely, “to increase technical cooperation delivery by up to 25%." The propaganda illusory truth to impose is 25% increase, but of what?
5. There is no need to wait until the next biennium's 25% miracle, as there are so many red herrings in present portfolio. The notorious project UNIDO PWE in MENA ?SAP ID 170136,?that pledged in 2017 delivery of EUR 12.95 M in 4 years, has up to now managed to deliver ca. USD 1.7 M of mobilized ca. USD 2 M (net, without 13% support costs). Correcting/ switching entries as per new #Müllerism reporting rules would instantly increase the programmable portfolio by ca. EUR 10 million in 2023.
6. UNIDO DG just announced creating a?"Vision?of?UNIDO 2030" . We can begin to do “more with more” - he added. More delivery or more pledges?
7. Sooner or later every propaganda ends, as the history teaches.?The Nazi propaganda lost its grip when the foreign army raised its flag on the German Parliament's / Reichstag's ruined building in Berlin, in May 1945 to end the?WWII.?
8.???The moment of truth for the #Müllerism “birds in the bush 2023 ”?comes in April 2024, when the External Auditor publishes the report.?Including data about the most beautiful parrot in the #UNIDO_UK paradise: #A2DFacility / #CEIF project SAP ID 220201with its allegedly colourful feathers worth GBP 65 M, courtesy of the Ayrton Fund .
June 29th
#ProgressByInnovation : Is #Müllerism = #Multilateralism equation endorsed by all UNIDO Member States ?
During its 51st session (Vienna, 3 - 6 July) UNIDO’s Industrial Development Board (IDB) is to make decisions on programmes, policies and budgets for the next biennium and beyond. Eventually, the budget will be voted at the 20th General Conference (GC) to be held at the end of November, 2023.
June 29th
#ProgressByInnovation : Do two agreements between UNIDO and the Government of United Kingdom, signed on 2 and 8 November 2022, discriminate #UNIDO 's Member States ? ?#Müllerism ?versus #Multilateralism ?& #UNCoreValues .
UNIDO ANNUAL REPORT 2022 / APPENDIX G / Page 28 ??https://www.unido.org/sites/default/files/unido-publications/2023-04/annual-report-final-appendices-2022-en.pdf
June 24th
#ProgressByInnovation : Why did the United Kingdom leave UNIDO ? Any lessons to be learned by #Müllerism enthusiasts?
1. In 2011, the UK Government published the Policy Paper with a devastating assessment of UNIDO. The #UK left #UNIDO in 2012, in spite of diplomatic efforts and detailed response to the assessment by then-incumbent UNIDO DG. Both documents are available on gov.uk website.
2. In 2023, after rejection of the UNIDO DG's next biennium regular budget (RB) proposal, the assessed contributions to RB decreased to EUR 157.8 M , with the zero real growth rate (precisely 0.1%). As the UK assessors reported, the comparable nominal contributions' level for 2010-2011 biennium was EUR 179 M. The real rate of decrease, after 11 countries left the Organization, is sharper due to recosting in 6 bienniums. For instance, the next biennium 2024-2025 value was calculated with the recosting rate (inflation adjustments) of 5% annually.
3. These days, the UNIDO Propaganda Unit shouts to the heavens about successes of DG as a speaker at the LSE / Royal African Society conference: "Director General in London to push for African industrialization and build on a renewed partnership with the United Kingdom." Does it mean that DG has convinced the UK Prime Minister to spend his taxpayers money on re-assessment of UNIDO performance in #Müllerism era?
4. ?The recently agreed project ‘Accelerate-to-Demonstrate’ (A2D) Facility, with a pledged GBP 65 million funding by the Government of the UK, to be implemented in partnership with UNIDO, comes with unprecedented financial and operational burdens, and political subjection of UNIDO in a colonial style. The Organization commits services at preferential rates to a non-Member State until 2029, against UN #Multilateralism rules. Are short-term political gains of #Müllerism more importnat? ??https://lnkd.in/d-sY2DRm
5. What has happened with propaganda about otherwise a very promising #A2DFacility project is another #Müllerism "achievement" e.g., window dressing accounting. UNIDO Open Data Platform rules were adjusted, compromising once impeccable UNIDO’s accounting reputation. It has started to tell pledges and potentials, instead of facts and accounting entries, according to the Führerprinzip/Chiefdom ideology. Cooking fabulous news online isn't anything unlawful, but furnishing UN organization’s websites with misguiding financial data it may be. Let's see what UNIDO DG and Chief Financial Officer will report about the SAP ID 220 201 project in financial statements submitted to the External Auditor in March 2024.
6. In 2011, the UK governmental assessors concluded: Likelihood of Positive Change - Uncertain (2), on the score scale (1 - 4).
June 23rd
#ProgressByInnovation : Does?European Commission ?support #Multilateralism ?and?#Müllerism ?at the same time?
1. The theme of yesterday's consolation event "UNIDO : Membership Matters" seems like a copycat of another happy event theme that was held in Paris not long ago. The difference is that in Paris?UNESCO ?celebrated?#Multilateralism during press conference of its DG, informing that the US not only rejoins UNESCO but it will pay more than $600 million in back dues. "What’s happened over the last years meant that UNESCO matters,” she said.?
2. Over multilateral selection of canapés served on multilayer plates, at expense of EU and Austrian taxpayers, UNIDO DG reminded how good is a taste of?#Müllerism ?in the rich man's world. Especially, for fighting hunger through industrialization.
3. "I was delighted to give opening remarks at EU-Austria joint event "#UNIDO : Membership matters! Progress by Innovation" and elaborate on the benefits UNIDO membership equally brings to as well developing, middle-income countries & emerging markets as to industrialized countries" - tweeted H.E. EU Ambassador to UN in Vienna.?
4. Have representatives of 11 states (including the US, the UK and 5 EU members) that left the Organization and?#UNIDO 's 51 Member States without voting rights (for not being able to pay budgetary dues) participated in the event? Does their membership matter?
5. In ca. a week, the UNIDO Policymaking Organ e.g., Industrial Development Board (IDB) will vote revised budget proposals. The original UNIDO DG proposals (supported by EU) were rejected at the 39th Programme and Budget Committee earlier this month. A return to zero growth rate of regular budget was enforced along with downgrading of personnel structure.
6. The IDB 51st session's agenda does include voting on budget. Presently, the IDB comprises 52 representatives of Member States (1 place is vacant), including 14 EU member states.?
7. Seems like the yesterday's consolation meeting had also another goal; to close ranks and convince others by hailing: "Non habebis deos alienos coram me." (Latin from Bible Exodus 20:3, "Thou shalt have?no?other gods before?me.")
8.?#Müllerism ?is not seen on banners decorating a fabulous venue of the event. Have all UNIDO Member States already accepted it as a synonym to?#Multilateralism ??
June 21st
#ProgressByInnovation :?Is UNIDO 's Innovation and Transformation Fund (ITF) a remedy?
1. The ITF's nickname at UNIDO HQs and in Member States' (MS) Permanent Missions to UN in Vienna is "Cows Feeding Fund". Possibly inspired by a publicity stunt staged at the LDC5 Summit in Doha, but also because the Fund doubles travel budget at DG's discretion (topping regular budget RB allotment).
2. Financing problems of normative / core activities have persisted since late 1990’s when the US left UNIDO (all together 11 countries left up to now), declaring these activities irrelevant in development context. Yet, UNIDO has continued to deliver important, global public goods; for instance, its flagship industrial statistics reports.
3. In 2015, a financial vehicle/special account was introduced in RB, but it attracted minimal voluntary contributions by MS (only 71.3 K to be spent in present biennium). Now, DG has decided to experiment on a large scale. When MS enforced a return to the zero-growth rate of RB for the next biennium, the Fund ballooned overnight from EUR 5 to 15.9 M; for UNIDO to remain more expensive than ever.
4. Contrary to its name only 0.3% of proposed ITF will go to information and telecommunication technology, and related innovations. The largest part are staff costs of EUR 13.8 M. Who are they? All remunerations of 574 professional and general positions are already budgetary secured.
5. The most severe criticism by MS alleges that the Fund can be abused by private corporations that with strings attached will manipulate the Organization, while their experts and advisers infest UNIDO's pristine managerial structures. UNIDO may lose its UN-virginity and become FUN-IDO (the Former UN – Ind. Dev. Org.).
6. MS know about one of the biggest financial scandals in UN history that happened in UNOPS in recent years. Heavy millions disappeared, the Executive Director shamefully resigned, her deputy was fired. The most striking similarities with UNIDO's ITF are huge money left for experimenting with UN-private transactions and #CoreUNValues issue.
7. Recently, the UNIDO’s Evaluation and Internal Oversight structures became toothless after cuts of funds, and waiving of compulsory independent evaluations of projects.?Findings of the Independent Oversight Advisory Committee are devastating.
8. When UNOPS corruption scandal had broken, its Board of Directors members shook their heads in disbelief: "We didn't know".
9. Obviously, this won't be possible for 53 Members of UNIDO Industrial Development Board (IDB) and Chairs of Regional Groups (such as G77, GRULAC, EU etc.) in April 2025. Then, the External Auditor publishes its report, for all to see how many cows were well-fed at discretion of UNIDO DG, with non-earmarked funds discreetly solicited from individual states and/or private entities.
June 18th
#ProgressByInnovation : Will the UK rejoin or (re)colonize UNIDO ?
1.?#Brexit from #UNIDO happened in 2012. If the UK was a Member State, it would contribute its 7.42% assessed annual share to the Organization’s regular budget (RB) in the next biennium, amounting to EUR 35.1 M (million) until the end of 2029, at zero growth rate of RB, current prices and present membership structure.
2.?When many Member States (MS) rejected DG's budget proposals, he went to the UK Mission in Vienna to launch a?joint UNIDO – UK A2D Facility, with a fabulous budget of?GBP 65 M, to be implemented until the end of 2029.
3.??According to UNIDO Open Data Portal, the UK has so far contributed only USD 1.38 M for preparatory assistance,??excluding UNIDO project support costs.
4.??The UK Ambassador has all the reasons to be happy. UNIDO has voluntarily subjected to the Gov. of UK (former MS), under terms comparable with trade deals from the so - called British India times. Two agreements were signed in November 2022.
5.??Apart from not paying at least EUR 35.1 M to RB, the Government of UK will enjoy a special colonial style tribute: instead of being charged 13% project support costs as donors from Member States are, UK will pay only 7%, with a handsome discount of ca. EUR 4 million. UNIDO had to allow establishment of the Secretariat inside the Organization, a contemporary version of the colonial Governor office.
6.??UNIDO staff (Directors, P5 senior officers etc.) have rushed to social media declaring they are also play a part in this fabulous story. However, they didn’t explain what they declared in their timesheets, while indicating which project (or budget line) should be charged for provision of their services to the Crown.
7.??Economic devastation the British colonialism inflicted on people of then-India (presently 3 independent countries) can be only estimated.
8.??In the so-called British India farmers were forced to cultivate indigo, getting few pennies for every quid of value added. Pennies received were insufficient to feed their families, subsistence farming eliminated ... . The rest is history, millions of people perished of hunger. Would it be too vexatious comparing UNIDO Member States (who pay and maintain “UNIDO farm” to fight hunger, support SDGs … ) with those indigo farmers?
9.??The UNIDO Management could evaluate potential devastation and long-term depletion of resources, applying its own ECBA (Economic Costs Benefit Analysis) tools. Some costs : EUR 35.1 M plus EUR 4 M, services of staff and consultants charged to RB and other projects, goodwill and intangibles offered for free, subcontracts to British companies and experts…. On benefits side: intangible value of the UNIDO DG's and staff self-promotion, 7% of USD 1.38 million … Keep counting.
#FinancialTransparency ?#UNIDO2023 ?#UNIDO51IDB ?#PictureOfChange #SDG9 ?#Innovation ?#Development ?#Management ?#Multilateralism #Müllerism
Selected links:
Tags: ?UNIDO IAP ?UNIDO Environment ?UNIDO Egypt ?UNIDO Jordan ?UNIDO Statistics ?LKDF - Learning and Knowledge Development Facility ?UNIDO's Industrial Decarbonization Accelerator ?UNIDO WACOMP ?UNIDO ITPO Germany ?UNIDO ITPO Italy ?UNIDO ITPO Nigeria ?UNIDO ITPO Shanghai ? UNIDO Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP) ?United Nations Industrial Development Organization - Philippine Office (UNIDO) ?ONUDI Maroc ?ONUDI Cono Sur ?ONUDI Guinée ?ONUDI Maroc ?West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) ?West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP)-Ghana ?UNIDO South Africa ?UNIDO ITPO Bahrain ?The Global Programme for Hydrogen in Industry ?Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH ?Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) ?Ausw?rtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) Germany ?UNODC ?International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ?World Food Programme ?IOM - UN Migration UNESCO ?UNICEF ?African Union ?G-77 Vienna Chapter Ayrton Fund PFAN Advisor Networking Group ARISE IIP Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK (CPA UK) LSE Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa Royal African Society Department for International Development (DFID) British Embassy Vienna Department for Energy Security and Net Zero