Thursday, November 3 2005 13:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has named an American Indian and former managing director from a management-consulting firm as a special adviser to help with efforts to reform the world body, a UN spokesman said.

Rajat Kumar Gupta, a US citizen of Indian heritage who was managing director worldwide of McKinsey and Co, will advise Annan on reform projects designed to make the UN's administration more effective and transparent, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Annan has vowed to make reform his top priority after a series of embarrassing revelations and following an agreement on reform signed by world leaders in September.

An independent inquiry into the UN's tainted 'oil-for-food' programme in Iraq, which released its final report last week, found UN management sorely lacking and pointed to a failure to police potential conflict of interests.

The inquiry committee has urged the UN Security Council to create an oversight board that would audit the UN as well as a new management position that would be responsible for UN administration.

On October 18, the UN published a series of recommendations to improve financial transparency, including a requirement for senior staff to declare their financial interests. According to the newly appointed UN Undersecretary General for Management, Christopher Burnham, one of the most needed reforms would protect whistle-blowers on the UN staff who identify irregularities.