No progress on use of oil-for-food funds for Iraqi goods: UN report
11 September -- The Government of Iraq is refusing to discuss arrangements for using funds within the United Nations-administered "oil-for-food" programme to purchase Iraqi goods and services, according to the latest report by Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Iraqi authorities have also indicated that they do not intend to cooperate with, or provide visas to, the independent experts appointed by the UN to report on the country's humanitarian situation, Mr. Annan writes in his report, which was released today at UN Headquarters in New York.
Drawing attention to the "grave problems" that persist in Iraq and expressing serious concern over the economic and social welfare of the Iraqi people, the Secretary-General writes that the UN's relief programme had never been intended to meet all of the country's humanitarian needs or to substitute for normal economic activity.
More positively, the International Telecommunication Union has opened offices in Baghdad and Erbil, in anticipation of the start of activities in the telecommunications sector. Similarly, two senior housing consultants visited Iraq in July in preparation for the implementation of the housing sector, according to the report, which covers the programme's work since 9 June.
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