Another UN investigation is under way into a US$3.3-million UNOPS grant to the We Are the Oceans conservation project. The money went to Mr. Kendrick’s daughter, Daisy Kendrick, who at the time was a university student, and was used to develop an ocean-themed online game that no longer exists, UNOPS confirmed., UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres accepted Ms. Faremo’s resignation on May 8.
“Without knowing the full story, it happened on my watch. I acknowledge my responsibility and have decided to step down,” she wrote. “A shocking breach of trust hurts, and it has shaken the organization profoundly.” that she would be retiring, citing health reasons, and would be staying on until Sept. 30 to ensure a smooth transition. But as more details of the loans emerged, her position became untenable.
The London law firm Carter-Ruck, representing Mr. Kendrick and his daughter, released statements saying the pair had done nothing wrong and that details of the UNOPS loans were confidential. Mr. Kendrick’s SHS Holdings would “seek to mobilize resources from third-party investors to fund the initiative,” according to an announcement inBut UNOPS eventually wrote off at least US$38.18-million in “bad and doubtful debt,” most of it related to SHS Holdings, according to itsMr. Kendrick said via his lawyer that the pandemic had hampered the delivery of projects and that SHS Holdings was “currently in a restructuring process with UNOPS regarding its loans.