Oil for Food in Perspective
Article from: OGEL 1 (2006), in Economic and Commercial Context for Oil, Gas and Energy Law
Introduction
Detractors of the UN have had a field day in the press with the Oil for Food program with allegations of kickbacks, payoffs, influence peddling, nepotism and a corrupted Director - a Frenchman no less.
The recently published Volker Report on the program is impressive in its breadth, depth and balance. It is a guide to improvement. It is not, however, much of a stick with which to beat the United Nations and Kofi Annan. After several years of lurid headlines the record of malfeasance is, frankly, underwhelming, if put in the proper perspective.