(San Francisco, April 20, 2004) - Recent
allegations of bribery and mismanagement within the now defunct
UN-administered Iraqi Oil-for-Food program highlight the fact
that the United Nations must hold itself to the same freedom
of information principles that it promotes.
"Many of these recent charges, as well as the broader
damage to UN credibility, could have been avoided if a public
information policy based on maximum disclosure had been in
place within the UN system," announced UN Observer.org
Executive Director Bruno Schneider in an editorial published
today.
Freedom of information has been promoted by the UN system
for several decades. This same freedom of information must
now be applied to the UN itself. "Secretary-General Kofi
Annan, who has shown genuine leadership with regard to UN
reform in other areas, must take this opportunity to restructure
the UN's public information policy and adopt principles such
as those developed by UNDP across the entire system"
added Schneider.
"Knowing that freedom of information is the foundation
of transparency, accountability and good governance, the UN
must now lead, not with words, but by example and adopt a
public information policy based on the principle of maximum
disclosure that it has been promoting globally for so long."
UN Observer.org is a Non Governmental Organization inspired
by the vision of a strong and effective UN system guided by
human rights and environmental principles.
As an organization driven by the belief that leadership is
best achieved by example, UN Observer.org's mission is to
encourage and assist the United Nations family of organizations
to hold itself to the same human rights and environmental
principles that it promotes.
UN Observer.org publishes newsletters and issue-specific reports,
provides an on-line electronic forum, organizes advocacy campaigns
and maintains a resource and documentation center available
to the public on issues relating to the UN and human rights.
