The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations says its attention has been drawn to a video that is making the rounds on social media by a former intern, Wynee Cummings Wilson, who claims to be an employee of the mission.
“The Ministry would like to refute the falsehood that Madam Wynee Cummings Wilson is spreading that she is an employee of the Permanent Mission and that she has been witch-hunted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia,” a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release said.
“The truth is, Madam Wynee Cummings Wilson was never an employee of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations (UN), as she might want the public to believe, but rather was accepted as an ‘apprentice’ since she pleaded with the mission to afford her the opportunity to learn more about the United Nations system, where she desires to seek a future career.
“However, on June 7, 2023, the ministry informed and reminded Madam Wilson to submit all relevant documents to enable the ministry to regularize her employment status at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations.
“The communication further informed Madam Wilson of the requirements of the host country, the United States of America, and the United Nations Protocol for registration and completion of the employment process, which includes the following: a green card or citizenship, work authorization, the most recent I-94 record, a valid passport, a visa to approve an employee’s registration at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, and to facilitate the issuance of an identification card, along with a complete registration with the UN Protocol and Liaison Service.”
According to documentation in the possession of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wilson has so far submitted only her work authorization for the period 2022–2023. Unfortunately, as of the stated deadline of June 30, 2023, she was unable to submit all the other documents required.
“Therefore, the Ministry is notifying you, Ms. Wynee Cummings Wilson, by this communication, that as of July 1, 2023 the Ministry would remove your name from the compensation of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations,” the ministry’s release disclosed.
The Ministry further intoned that at the Permanent Mission in New York, where Madam Wilson has been serving as an ‘apprentice’ since 2019, the Ministry received information that the mission has verbally held meetings with Wilson and repeatedly requested her to submit an application for the post she wished to occupy as well as all necessary immigration documentation in her possession since there is nothing in her file so as to regularize her status with the mission.
“The Permanent Mission, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is not in possession of a copy of any appointment letter addressed to Madam Wilson,” the foreign ministry continued, noting that she is the only person at the Permanent Mission without an identification card because she has refused to submit any documentation to the Permanent Mission but rather has informed the “Mission to instruct the Ministry to employ her and not play game with her”.
Meanwhile, similar actions are taken in other missions around the world where the host countries’ protocol call for time limit to stay in a country as a diplomat or staff, to include London, Washington, D.C., Addis Ababa and Abidjan, where affected staff have been very cooperative with administration.