Statement by United Nations Foundation President
Timothy E. Wirth on
the Release of the United Nations Oil-for-Food
Program Report
WASHINGTON, D.C.—
“Mr. Volcker's interim report on the
Oil-For-Food Program will bring us a step
closer to identifying the problems in the
program and will give the UN a blueprint
to fix them. The Secretary-General took
responsibility to ensure the investigation
is independent, thorough and public. The
Secretary-General has also stated he will
hold any wrong-doers fully accountable,
and to fix the problems identified by Mr.
Volcker as quickly as possible. And, he
already has begun to make the necessary
changes. As 70 Nobel Laureates recently
stated, ‘Kofi Annan has never failed
to take a critical look at the UN to examine
its weaknesses and recommended improvements.’
”
For more information
on the Oil-for-Food Program please visit
www.oilforfoodfacts.org. For more information
about the Independent Inquiry Committee’s
investigation into the UN Oil-for-Food Program
led by Paul Volcker visit www.iic-offp.org.
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The
United Nations Foundation was created in
1998 with businessman and philanthropist
Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift
to support UN causes. The UN Foundation
promotes a more peaceful, prosperous, and
just world through the support of the United
Nations and its Charter. Through its grantmaking
and by building new and innovative public-private
partnerships, the United Nations Foundation
acts to meet the most pressing health, humanitarian,
socioeconomic, and environmental challenges
of the 21st century.
