UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed the release of the final report of the US Institute for Peace task force on UN Reform and its conclusion that the United States has much to gain from a strong and effective United Nations, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said Wednesday.

In a statement released by the spokesman, Annan supported many of the recommendations and believed that "the task-force's strong commitment to working with other Member States and the UN staff is the best basis on which to pursue and achieve lasting reform."

Eckhard said that the Secretary-General particularly appreciated the fact that the report recognizes the ongoing hard work within the Secretariat to tackle internal management reform and is encouraged that it supports and endorses many of his own key initiatives and proposals for wider institutional reform, including the creation of a Peace-building Commission, strengthening the Office of Internal Oversight Services and other accountability mechanisms, and revitalizing the UN's human rights machinery.

"The Secretary-General also welcomes the report's focus on addressing the crisis in Darfur as a crucial test for both Member States and the United Nations," Eckhard noted.

Source: Xinhua