Report: Annan failed to fix Oil for Food program

Friday, September 9, 2005

After a year-long investigation, a committee has found that Kofi Annan, head of the United Nations, failed to halt corruption in the Oil for Food program, which was supposed to provide food to impoverished Iraqi citizens.

According to Paul Volcker, head of the Independent Inquiry Committee, "Our assignment has been to look for mis-or mal-administration in the oil-for-food program and for evidence of corruption within the UN organization and by contractors. Unhappily, we found both."

The report emphasized that Annan knowingly allowed Saddam Hussein to continue making huge unethical profits off of the program.

While Annan acknowledged that there was blame to pass around, he stated that "None of us -- member states, Secretariat, agencies, funds and programs -- can be proud of what it has found." Annan also says that he was at least partly at fault for the corruption; "The report is critical of me personally, and I accept its criticism."

On a lighter note, while the report is critical of Annan, it also says that the Oil for Food program did help get food to many Iraqis.

Related news

"UN inquiry finds mismanagement and failure of oversight" — Wikinews, September 8, 2005

Sources

Jim Bertel. "Volcker Oil for Food Report Urges Accelerated UN Reforms" — VOA News, September 9, 2005
World Bank. "Annan Failed to Curb Corruption in Iraq's Oil-for-Food Program, Investigators Report" — Noticias, September 9, 2005
"Annan shoulders Iraq oil-for-food rap" — Pakistan Tribune, September 8, 2005

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