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UNDP categorically denies suggestions in the 15 June edition of the NY Sun that its Associate Administrator in any way threatened “retaliation” against a State Department official.  The assertion that Ambassador Wallace of the U.S. Mission has presented UNDP with any documentation to back up recent U.S. allegations about UNDP’s former program in DPRK is also completely false. 

The facts are as follows:

- In a 6 June meeting with UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis, Ambassador Khalilzad accompanied by Ambassador Wallace of the U.S. Mission raised new allegations about UNDP’s former program in DPRK.  To follow up, Ambassador Wallace said that he would brief the Associate Administrator on this new information and provide him with the documentation.

- On 7 June, Ambassador Wallace met with the Associate Administrator and provided a letter detailing the new U.S. allegations.  He did not provide any substantiating documentation, but promised to do soon on the basis of a written request.

 - On 8 June, the Associate Administrator wrote a letter to Ambassador Khalilzad “emphasizing the crucial importance of the U.S. government providing us [UNDP] with documentation substantiating the claims in order to facilitate our [UNDP’s] immediate review” of them.  The Associate Administrator was “surprised to learn that apparently Members of Congress have been briefed on these issues before verification from UNDP was even sought.” The Associate Administrator also wrote to Ambassador Wallace on 8 June, responding in part to the latter’s letter of 7 June, and renewing his request for documentation to substantiate the U.S. allegations.

 - On 11 June, the Associate Administrator called Ambassador Wallace reminding the Ambassador to provide documentation to substantiate the allegations made in his letter of 7 June.  The Associate Administrator requested a meeting that same afternoon.  Ambassador Wallace responded that he had a pressing personal commitment and would be unable to meet until Wednesday.  There was agreement that a meeting would take place at 2.00 p.m. on Wednesday 13 June so that both UNDP and the U.S. could show relevant documentation to each other and identify any discrepancies.

- On or about 11 June, the U.S. State Department sent a communication to some of UNDP’s key donors with a summary of the new allegations, stating that the U.S. had “internal [UNDP] business records” to back them up.

- UNDP telephoned the U.S. Mission several times the morning of Wednesday 13 June to try to confirm the 2.00 p.m. meeting with Ambassador Wallace.  At 1.45 p.m. the U.S. mission called to say that “as Ambassador Wallace had not returned from his personal leave” the meeting would have to be canceled and rescheduled.

- On the morning of Thursday 14 June, the UNDP Administrator received a letter from Ambassador Khalilzad dated 13 June acknowledging that UNDP had requested documentation, but saying only that Ambassador Wallace had already provided “detailed and specific information to UNDP regarding our concerns”.  The same letter suggests that “UNDP should easily be able to access its electronic records” [emphasis added].  The letter went on to suggest U.S. Mission personnel “would be happy to sit down with your staff at a technical level to further discuss information that may assist you in accessing those electronic records”.

UNDP is deeply committed to addressing immediately all allegations about its former program in DPRK.  At the same time UNDP wishes to emphasize that at no time yet has the U.S. Mission provided any documentation to substantiate its most recent allegations. 

The “technical meeting” mentioned above is scheduled for later today.