UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Monday that he would make more changes to the top UN management team after an independent panel criticized the management over the Iraqi oil-for-food program.

The team, led by former US Federal Reserves Chairman Paul Volcker, released the UN's internal audits of the oil-for-food program earlier this month. In assessments of the audits, it said there had been lapses of oversight and management.

The panel was appointed by Annan early last summer to investigate alleged corruption in the oil-for-food program. It is expected to issue a preliminary investigation report late in January.

"I saw Mr. Volcker's comments on the audit reports which indicate that we have work to do in the management area and we need clearer transparence which I intend to work on," Annan told reporters.

"I will be making some proposals and taking some action very shortly. I have made some changes and more are on the way," he added.

Meanwhile, Annan said retirements of some senior UN officials also gave him an opportunity to shake up the senior management.

"Several people were going to leave anyway and that opportunity was offered and so I decided to take a look at the whole team," he noted.

The first step Annan took to remake the team was accept the request to retire by his chief of staff, Iqbal Riza, who had served on the post since 1997.

Mark Malloch Brown, the administrator of the UN Development Program, was named to be Riza's successor.

According to Annan, Peter Hansen, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency, will also leave after his term expires at the end of February. Last month, UN special envoy for the Middle East Terje Roed-Larsen retired and became head of the International Peace Academy, a New York-based think tank.

Source: Xinhua