UN makes no comment on Wikileak revelations

Fav Tag: Wikileaks UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations said Sunday that it relies on member states to respect immunities granted to the world body, in its first statement on leaked documents which told how US officials were ordered its officials to spy on the UN leadership.

"The UN is not in a position to comment on the authenticity of the document purporting to request information-gathering activities on UN officials and activities," a UN spokesman said in a statement, after a first batch of documents released by the Wikileaks website were reported by newspapers.

Britain's Guardian newspaper said a State Department directive sent in July sought intelligence on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's "management and decision-making style".

The government also asked for credit card numbers, email addresses, phone, fax and pager numbers and even frequent-flyer account numbers for UN officials, the daily added.

"The UN is by its very nature a transparent organization that makes a great deal of information about its activities available to the public and member states," the UN spokesman said in the statement.

"UN officials regularly meet representatives of member states to brief them on UN activities."

The statement said the UN Charter, an agreement under which the 
headquarters was based in New York and the 1946 United Nations Convention guarantee "the privileges and immunities of the organization.

"The UN relies on the adherence by member states to these various undertakings," said the statement which did not mention the United States by name.