UN: UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan said yesterday the resignations of several senior officials gave him the chance to restructure his management team, under fire in the United States because of the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal.
UN officials said Mr Annan was expected to announce in a month or so additional personnel changes as well as further staff mandates on management responsibility, sexual harassment and whistle-blowers.
The first major change was making Briton Mr Mark Malloch Brown, the high-profile head of the UN Development Programme, his chief of staff after the retirement of Mr Iqbal Riza (70), of Pakistan.
Mr Malloch Brown is expected to help push through reforms on management accountability and respond quickly to criticism of the UN, especially on allegations of mismanagement of the oil-for-food programme, which Mr Annan has admitted has damaged the UN's image.
In the Middle East, Mr Peter Hanson, the head of the UN Relief and Works Agency that administers Palestinian refugee camps, will leave his post and Mr Terje Roed-Larsen, the co-ordinator of the peace process, has already resigned.
Others include Ms Catherine Bertini, the American undersecretary-general for management, who said she would resign in the spring and Mr Jean-Pierre Halbwachs, the UN controller, who retires in February.
Mr Kieran Prendergast, the British undersecretary-general for political affairs, is expected to be given another post.