Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 73: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the recently published UN report on the oil for food programme scandal in Iraq. [33570/05]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The fifth and final report of the Independent Inquiry Committee, ICC, established by the UN Secretary General to examine irregularities in the operation of the Iraq oil for food programme, OFFP, was issued on 26 October in New York. The report focused on the manner in which the Saddam Hussein regime manipulated the programme to gain illegal income though the imposition of surcharges on purchases of oil, and through demanding illicit payments, "kickbacks", in return for the award of contracts for the supply of goods imported under the OFFP. It contains tables with lists of the companies involved in various ways with the programme, and details the extent of their payment of surcharges and kickbacks.

The UN Secretary General, in reacting to this report, said he hoped that national authorities would take action, where appropriate, against companies falling within their jurisdiction. The report has been drawn to the attention of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Any misuse of the UN oil for food programme, which was established for the purpose of relieving the humanitarian situation of the Iraq people, is to be deplored. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on individual cases listed in the report.

As I said in a press statement on the fourth report of the IIC, which looked at the management of the programme by the UN, this large and complex initiative achieved many vital humanitarian goals in Iraq. A full investigation was nonetheless necessary to identify the weaknesses in the programme's structure and implementation, and to ensure that the UN system addressed these. The committee made valuable recommendations for strengthening the management and accountability of the organisation.

I noted that while the committee ascribes deficiencies in management oversight to Secretary General Annan, it found unambiguously that no evidence exists that he sought to influence the procurement process for the programme. The committee also pointed out that responsibility for failures in oversight is widely shared, including by the members of the Security Council. During its membership of the Security Council in 2001-2002, Ireland worked hard to ensure that the programme was better adapted to alleviating the humanitarian situation of the Iraqi people. The recent UN World Summit supported the Secretary General in his ongoing efforts to strengthen the UN's secretariat and its management, and invited him to come forward with further proposals in this regard.