Annan welcomes US report on UN reform

Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed the release of the final report of the US Institute for Peace (USIP) task force on United Nations Reform and its conclusion that the United States has much to gain from a strong and effective UN.

"He supports many of the recommendations and believes that the taskforce's strong commitment to working with other Member States and the UN staff is the best basis on which to pursue and achieve lasting reform," UN spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters.

Mr. Eckhard said that the Secretary-General particularly appreciates the fact that the report recognizes the ongoing hard work within the Secretariat to tackle internal management reform and is encouraged that it supports and endorses many of his own key initiatives and proposals for wider institutional reform, including the creation of a Peace-building Commission, strengthening the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and other accountability mechanisms, and revitalizing the UN's human rights machinery .

"The Secretary-General also welcomes the report's focus on addressing the crisis in Darfur as a crucial test for both Member States and the United Nations," Mr. Eckhard said, referring to the troubled region in western Sudan, where for the past two years, rebels have been waging a war against the Government and its allied militias, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and forcing some 2 million people from their homes.