WHO staff accuse top boss of racism and abuse at Manila HQ
- Complaints describe a ‘toxic atmosphere’ with ‘a culture of systemic bullying and public ridiculing’ at Western Pacific headquarters in Manila, led by Dr Kasai
- Kasai is accused of making derogatory comments about staff based on nationality, and of improperly sharing vaccine information with his home country, Japan
Staffers have accused the top director of the World Health Organization in the Western Pacific of racist, unethical and abusive behaviour that has undermined the UN health agency’s efforts to curb the coronavirus pandemic.
The allegations were laid out in an internal complaint filed in October and in an email last week sent by unidentified staff to WHO’s senior leadership and its executive board. Two of the authors said more than 30 current and former WHO officials were involved in writing the email.
The internal complaint and email describe a “toxic atmosphere” with “a culture of systemic bullying and public ridiculing” at WHO’s Western Pacific headquarters in Manila, led by Dr Takeshi Kasai, director of a vast region that includes China and Japan. There are also recorded snippets of meetings where Kasai is heard making derogatory comments about staff based on nationality. Eleven former or current WHO staffers who worked for Kasai said he frequently used racist language.
The complaint and message also accused Kasai of improperly sharing potentially sensitive vaccine information with his home country, Japan. In an email to the AP, Kasai denied allegations of racism and unethical behaviour.
“I ask a lot of myself, and our staff,” he said. “This has particularly been the case during the Covid-19 response. But it should not result in people feeling disrespected.”
Kasai said he was committed to making changes that would ensure “a positive work environment.” However, an internal WHO message seen by the AP shows that in a meeting last week, Kasai ordered all his senior directors to “reject” the accusations in the email and to “totally support” him.
The internal complaint filed to WHO alleges that Kasai once aggressively questioned a Filipino staffer during a coronavirus meeting, saying: “How many people in the Pacific have you killed so far and how many more do you want to kill further?” The complaint said he then asked “if she was incapable of delivering good presentations because she was Filipina.”