General Assembly decides to follow-up on recommendations by Oil-for-Food probe

The General Assembly today decided to consider follow up to the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry Committee (IIC) into the scandal-ridden United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme.

To date, the IIC, which is headed by former United States Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker, has reported to the Security Council, which endorsed the panel immediately after it was created by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in April 2004.

The decision by the Assembly’s General Committee came in response to a request by Costa Rica. In a letter to the Assembly President, the country’s Ambassador, Bruno Stagno, explained that key IIC recommendations on administrative management and oversight “should be considered and analysed by the General Assembly.”

These recommendations include calls by the IIC for the UN to create the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO), strengthen independence of oversight and auditing, reform and improve management performance and expand conflict-of-interest and financial disclosure requirements.