Annan picks new chief of staff at U.N.
Move comes amid oil-for-food scandal, attempt to mend U.S. ties

January 3, 2005 
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/03/un.staff.reut/
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has chosen the head of the U.N. Development Program as his new chief of staff, who will be looked at to help push through reforms as the global body faces corruption allegations and strained relations with Washington.
Mark Malloch Brown, U.N. officials said Monday, would replace Iqbal Riza, 70, who announced his retirement as chief of staff two weeks ago, about the same time as two other top U.N. officials. The United Nations described the moves as coincidental year-end changes.
The openings give Annan an opportunity to put in place U.N. changes he has advocated and tackle the damage caused to the world body over the Iraqi oil-for-food program scandal.
The United Nations also is investigating peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on rape and prostitution allegations. The challenges come as the body is coordinating massive relief efforts to victims of the December 26 tsunami disaster and playing a key role in organizing January elections in Iraq.
Malloch Brown, a 51-year old Briton, whose official title is administrator of the development program, is credited with an overhaul of the agency, which has programs in 166 nations. He took office in 1999 after serving as a World Bank vice president in charge of external affairs and public relations.
The other two officials who have decided to leave are Catherine Bertini, an American undersecretary-general for management, and Jean-Pierre Halbwachs of Mauritius, the U.N. controller.
Bertini spent 10 years as executive director of the Rome, Italy-based U.N. World Food Program before coming to New York in January 2003. She is expected to leave in the spring and said she informed Annan in September she wanted to pursue other career opportunities.
Halbwachs had told his staff he wanted to take early retirement in February when he turns 55, after 32 years in the world body, U.N. spokesmen said.
Report: Meeting held to help shore up U.N. reputation
A group of friends outside of the United Nations met Annan on December 5 in the apartment of former U.N. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke to discuss ways of rescuing the world body and Annan's reputation after some Republicans in Congress kept up a barrage of criticism over the oil-for-food program, The New York Times reported.
They argued, according to participants, that Annan had to repair relations with Washington, where some in the Bush administration thought he and the United Nations had worked against President Bush's re-election, the newspaper said.
Participants also said Annan needed to tackle his bureaucracy, where staff union officials have said his office protected high officials from misconduct, the newspaper reported.
Among the most visible cases was the retention of Dutchman Ruud Lubbers, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, accused of sexual harassment and alleged to have intimidated witnesses against him. Another is U.N. watchdog Dileep Nair, alleged to be favoring Indian nationals and accused by the union of corrupt practices in his own office.
Annan was reported to have listened but has not made any comment.


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