UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will not resign over the alleged corruption scandal relating to a former UN-run Iraqi humanitarian program as called for by a US senator, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday.

Fred Eckhard told reporters that no UN member state demands Annan's departure and nearly 3,000 UN staff members had signed a letter expressing their support for the embattled UN leader.

Sen. Norm Coleman, chairman of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, urged Annan to step down in an article in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal, saying "the most extensive fraud in the history of the UN occurred on his watch."

Coleman is leading a US congressional investigation into the scandal surrounding the Iraqi oil-for-food program, which he said enabled former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein reap some 21.3 billion US dollars because of the UN's mismanagement.

Annan "must be held accountable for the UN's utter failure to detect or stop Saddam's abuses," he argued.

Asked about the article, Eckhard said: "A few voices doesn't constitute a chorus."

"He has heard no calls for resignation from any member states. If there's some agitation on this issue on the sidelines, that's fine. That's healthy debate. But he is intent on continuing his substantive work for the remaining two years and one month of his term." he noted.

"His substantive agenda is strong. He is committed to it," the spokesman stressed.

In reaction to Coleman's accusation that Annan refused to help with US congressional investigations, Eckhard said the UN chief has turned over all documents about the oil-for-food program, and made available all staff, to an independent inquiry committee headed by US Federal Reserve ex-Chairman Paul Volcker.

"We have no reason to think it (Volcker's probe) will not be a full, fair and thorough investigation," he said.

Eckhard also read out a letter of support signed by UN staff and circulated in recent days through the UN's internal e-mail system.

"More than ever, we support the secretary-general in his balanced, fair and substantive approach," read a letter.

"We also express our determination to continue to improve the workings and effectiveness of this organization. We can make the case for the UN and be resolute, while remaining true to our mission around the world -- dedication to peace and development," it said.

The letter is the latest expression of support by UN workers for Annan, coming on the heels of resolutions adopted by UN union leaders in Geneva, New York and Vienna voicing "full confidence" in him.

Source: Xinhua