Thursday, September 8 2005 13:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is worried that the current negotiations between member states may fail to produce a meaningful document for the world leaders to adopt at the summit next week and expects more 'give and take' from the member states.

"I hope that they don't get watered down to the point where they become meaningless," Annan told reporters, minutes after several ambassadors in the Security Council called for substantive reforms to strengthen UN management following the finding of Volcker panel that probed corruption allegations connected to Iraqi oil-for-food programme.

For Annan, who has come under cloud after the independent panel faulted him for mismanagement, it is important he gets more substantive power to manage the world body but reforms of Secretariat too are mired in controversy and differing viewpoints.

"I think serious discussions and negotiations are going on and I'm still hopeful that we will have a document. I think some delegations have been engaged in tactical blocks. We are getting to the wire and I would expect more give and take between the next 24/48 hours for us to be able to have a competent document to place before the Heads of State and Government," he added

Member states conducting direct negotiations agree that there is need for reforms but then on every substantive issue from development to fighting terrorism, their viewpoints differ with all side sticking to their stands

Continuing differences on the document made General Assembly President Jean Ping of Gabon to set up a core group of some 30 nations, including India and Pakistan, but that has not borne fruit so far with sharp divisions continuing.

Diplomats said that a document for leaders to adopt would emerge ultimately but the UN officials say the rub lies in what exactly it contains.

The most recent version of the document, reflecting the current state of play on all issues, was presented yesterday (Sept 7, 2005) to serve as the basis for further negotiations. But it showed large areas of disagreement.

Ping has set seven sub groups of the Core Group to tackle the priority issues development, UN Secretariat reform, establishment of a Human Rights Council, creation of a Peace Building Commission, disarmament and non-proliferation, terrorism, and the responsibility to protect civilians underthreat of genocide, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

The Summit has been convened to discuss UN reform and the status of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that seek to cure of a host of global socio-economic ills by 2015, and is expected to be attended by some 180 leaders.

Annan had put forward in March a comprehensive plan for tackling poverty, security threats and human rights abuses while reforming the UN and has, since then, spoken of the unique opportunity offered by the Summit in this 60th anniversary year of the world body.

"I think this is a once in a generation opportunity that we have to do this," he told BBC in an interview early this week. "And if we fail, I don't know when the opportunity will come again."