UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon reiterated on Tuesday a commitment to carry out management reforms on the world body.

At his first meeting with the UN staff since taking over from his predecessor, Kofi Annan of Ghana, the new UN chief said the Secretariat has come under "harsh and sometimes unfair criticism" over issues of inefficiency and accountability in the past few years.

"Not all of the criticisms are justified, but some of them warrant our urgent attention, and we must take bold steps to dispel them," Ban said.

He said the General Assembly has deliberated on Annan's recommendations for management reform, has provided "direction and guidance for further action in 2007 and beyond."

Ban said he will implement the reform on a number of fronts, by building a staff that is more mobile and multi-tasked and changing the working culture of the world body.

"To meet the demands of the 21st century, we have to change," Ban added. "We have to show the international community that we are ready and eager to change."

Source: Xinhua