Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09UNESCOPARISFR1651
2009-12-07 11:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Mission UNESCO
Cable title:
APPLICANT FOR DIRECTOR OF UN OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT
how-toVZCZCXYZ0015 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHFR #1651 3411151 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 071151Z DEC 09 FM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS FR TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000 INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
UNCLAS UNESCO PARIS FR 001651
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC PINR UNESCO
SUBJECT: APPLICANT FOR DIRECTOR OF UN OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT
REF: STATE 117720
UNCLAS UNESCO PARIS FR 001651
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC PINR UNESCO
SUBJECT: APPLICANT FOR DIRECTOR OF UN OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT
REF: STATE 117720
1. (SBU) Reftel requests post's assessment of UNESCO Comptroller
Getachew Engida who is among the applicants for director of the UN
Office of Internal Oversight. Post deals with Engida occasionally
on matters regarding payment of our assessed contributions and has
seen him in action when speaking for the Secretariat on financial
matters before the Executive Board's Finance and Administration
Commission and the General Conference's Administration Commission.
2. (SBU) Our experience of Engida has been positive. He is a
native of Ethiopia who lived many years in the United Kingdom where
he says he became a chartered accountant. While we are still
attempting to obtain his resume, we know that he has told us that he
has held several finance positions both in the private sector and
among other international organizations. In our dealings with him,
Engida has always been pleasant, responsive, and open. He has been
willing to admit to shortcomings and straightforward in explaining
disagreements within the UNESCO Secretariat when these occur.
3. (SBU) Engida has also handled himself well in meetings of
UNESCO's governing bodies. He was able to keep his cool while
responding to sometimes sharp questions from member states. In
doing so, his explanations were frank and largely jargon free.
(Note: He did a particularly good job in explaining the workings
and implications of the application of International Public Sector
Accounting Standards - IPSAS -- to member states. End note.)
4. (SBU) This Mission, however, is not well-placed to answer all of
the questions in reftel. From our perch outside of the UNESCO
Secretariat, we have not seen how Engida behaves when required to
deliver bad news to superiors. We have also not seen him in a
situation where he had to speak forthrightly in the face of strong
criticism from one or more member states. We must, therefore, rate
his political skills as largely unknown.
KILLION
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC PINR UNESCO
SUBJECT: APPLICANT FOR DIRECTOR OF UN OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT
REF: STATE 117720
1. (SBU) Reftel requests post's assessment of UNESCO Comptroller
Getachew Engida who is among the applicants for director of the UN
Office of Internal Oversight. Post deals with Engida occasionally
on matters regarding payment of our assessed contributions and has
seen him in action when speaking for the Secretariat on financial
matters before the Executive Board's Finance and Administration
Commission and the General Conference's Administration Commission.
2. (SBU) Our experience of Engida has been positive. He is a
native of Ethiopia who lived many years in the United Kingdom where
he says he became a chartered accountant. While we are still
attempting to obtain his resume, we know that he has told us that he
has held several finance positions both in the private sector and
among other international organizations. In our dealings with him,
Engida has always been pleasant, responsive, and open. He has been
willing to admit to shortcomings and straightforward in explaining
disagreements within the UNESCO Secretariat when these occur.
3. (SBU) Engida has also handled himself well in meetings of
UNESCO's governing bodies. He was able to keep his cool while
responding to sometimes sharp questions from member states. In
doing so, his explanations were frank and largely jargon free.
(Note: He did a particularly good job in explaining the workings
and implications of the application of International Public Sector
Accounting Standards - IPSAS -- to member states. End note.)
4. (SBU) This Mission, however, is not well-placed to answer all of
the questions in reftel. From our perch outside of the UNESCO
Secretariat, we have not seen how Engida behaves when required to
deliver bad news to superiors. We have also not seen him in a
situation where he had to speak forthrightly in the face of strong
criticism from one or more member states. We must, therefore, rate
his political skills as largely unknown.
KILLION