Wednesday, November 9 2005 10:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: United Nations can facilitate contact between Indian authorities and the Volcker committee, its Under-Secretary Shashi Tharoor said yesterday (Nov 8,2005), but clarified that the UN per se does not have any documents (as regards the findings).

Speaking to PTI here, Tharoor also said that the UN was no one to reply to the Congress letter seeking details of documents and references used to make 'adverse references' in the Volcker Committee report about the party.

"We will pass this on to Mr Volcker," he said commenting on the letter reportedly sent by the Congress to the UN Secretary General seeking details.

When asked if the UN was bound to take any action on the Volcker Committee findings on the oil-for-food programme in Iraq, Tharoor replied in the negative.

"It is not for the UN to do so. The report is addressed to the member states and it is for them to take action if they deam so fit," he said.

Replying to a question on allegations that the Volcker Committee report was aimed to malign those who had opposed sanctions against Iraq, Tharoor said the Secretary General appointed the committee with the approval of the Security Council.

"He has expressed full faith in the integrity of the Committee. Each finding (of the Committee) needs to be investigated," Tharoor said.

Tharoor, who attended a presentation on 'development and impact of Indian film' with Bollywood stars Amisha Patel and Soni Razdan yesterday, upheld the inquiry ordered by the Government of India in the affair.

"The decision is fully consistent with the spirit of the Volcker Committee findings. It is in the interest of all concerned, including those named, to establish the truth of the matter," he said.

According to Tharoor, the committee was not a judicial proceeding or determination of guilt. "Its a finding which we as United Nations, invite national Governments to deal with as they deem appropriate," he further said.