The Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote that the United Nations made a “political choice” not to renew the contract of the Kenyan peacemaker Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the U.N. special adviser on the prevention of genocide since Nov. 10, 2020. “She is being dismissed because she has stood firm in her belief that Israel’s war with Hamas isn’t genocide,” the publication’s board wrote.
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for António Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general, insisted during a press briefing on Tuesday that Nderitu wasn’t penalized for refusing to call Israel genocidal.
“That’s false. Ms. Nderitu’s contract is coming to an end today, but she has now fulfilled her full term, and the secretary-general certainly appreciates the work that she did,” Haq said. “But regarding the definition of genocide, any idea that the secretary-general wanted her term to end because of that is just false.”
JNS asked the U.N. spokesman to explain what went into the decision not to renew Nderitu’s contract, given that the tenures of special advisers and other U.N. officials are sometimes extended.
“Many officials—it’s not unusual for many officials to serve for a term and then go past that,” Haq said. “I believe three of her four predecessors had a single term, and that’s true about many other special advisers or special representatives.”
“That’s par for the course,” he added.
JNS noted that it’s not rare for the global body to extend an adviser’s term and asked Haq, again, what the secretary-general’s reasoning was in lettering her term expire.
“What I’m saying is that this is part of the normal course of events. It happens all the time, and you can look across the board. Look, for example, at the number of terms that the high commissioners for human rights have. All of them have served for one term,” Haq said. “This is true about many senior appointments.”
‘Reason and moral clarity’
Jonathan Harounoff, Israel’s international spokesman to the United Nations, told JNS that it is “deeply concerning” that the United Nations didn’t renew Nderitu’s contract.
Nderitu is a “prominent voice of reason and moral clarity in stating unequivocally that Israel’s defensive war in Gaza doesn’t meet the definition of genocide,” Harounoff said, noting “her steadfast commitment to speaking out against hatred and antisemitism.”
Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, stated that the situation is “deeply troubling and reflects the growing antisemitism and moral decay within the United Nations system.”
“This action not only disregards Ms. Nderitu’s extraordinary commitment to combating hatred, including antisemitism, but it also sends a chilling message about the United Nations’ priorities and values,” Lauder stated.
“Ms. Nderitu’s distinguished career has been a testament to integrity. Her leadership has brought hope to victims of hatred worldwide, including the Jewish community,” he added. “Often, a partner of the WJC, her efforts to counter hate speech, promote Holocaust remembrance and protect the term genocide have been a vital defense against the resurgence of antisemitism impacting Jewish communities.”
Lauder called on Guterres and other top U.N. officials to “urgently reflect on the direction this institution is taking.”
“When individuals like Ms. Nderitu are removed from positions of influence, and when Israel remains a disproportionate target of condemnation while human-rights violators and antisemites are elevated, the United Nations risks losing its relevance as a defender of peace and justice,” he stated. “The World Jewish Congress will not remain silent in the face of this alarming trajectory. It is not too late for Secretary-General Guterres to correct course, but the time to act is now.”
The United Nations has yet to name Nderitu’s replacement.
