March 4, 2025

Dear UNIMA members, 

On February 14, the UNIMA Executive Committee (EC) agreed that an independent review committee should be set up to examine serious allegations against the General Secretary. This would also provide the General Secretary with the opportunity to respond. These allegations include repeated unacceptable behaviour towards staff and some of the EC members. On many occasions, the General Secretary has been warned of his inappropriate words, both verbal and written, against EC members. And despite a crisis meeting held in Bali in 2023 among the EC to discuss and resolve such concerns, these behaviours have continued. The EC’s other principal concern is the General Secretary’s absence from a number of critical EC meetings and many Board meetings.

Until the outcome of the proposed review committee, the duties of the General Secretary were put on hold. The EC was prepared to collectively take over the General Secretary’s tasks during the interim. Our principal concern is the ongoing preparations for the UNIMA Congress. It is essential that this important event will be successful. We must all ensure that the Congress will take place without friction or division. We owe this to our organization and to our hosts.

The General Secretary was informed of the EC’s concerns and the procedural details in a letter. As we refrained from making public accusations as we awaited the review committee results, the full details of our concerns were not shared with the Councillors.

On February 19, in response to the letter that the EC had sent to the General Secretary regarding these serious concerns, the General Secretary submitted his resignation from UNIMA, both as an international councillor and as a member, as well as from his position on the EC as General Secretary. His resignation was formally accepted in writing by the President and the Executive Committee.

Sincerely,

UNIMA Executive Committee

L’Union internationale de la Marionnette est soutenue par le Ministère de la Culture, la Région Grand-Est, le Département des Ardennes et la Ville de Charleville-Mézières et reconnue par l’UNESCO comme ONG.

Official Statement from the EC Regarding the General Secretary’s Resignation