NEW YORK - The UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, called yesterday for staff and budget cuts and the merging of some UN departments under his control as the first step in his promised programme to reform the United Nations.
Mr Annan, in a statement to a UN committee, revealed his so called "track one" initiatives which could be enacted immediately. They are to be followed by another, fuller report in July.
He announced a reduction of 1,000 staff posts for the secretariat or core UN staff which has about 9,000 employees based primarily in New York, Geneva and Nairobi. He also announced $123 million in budget cuts for 1998-1999.