I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5375 

To provide for increased accountability and transparency in the United 

Nations. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 17, 2004 

Mr. HYDE (for himself and Mr. LANTOS) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

A BILL 

To provide for increased accountability and transparency in 

the United Nations. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United Nations Ac5 countability Act of 2004’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) There have been allegations of mismanage9 ment, fraud, and corruption in the United Nations 

10 Oil-for-Food program. 
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1 (2) The United Nations Office of Internal Over2 sight Services (OIOS) conducted audits of the 

3 United Nations Oil-for-Food program. 

4 (3) These OIOS audits identified mismanage5 ment and ‘‘uneconomical’’ arrangements in the con6 tract entered into by the United Nations for the pro7 vision of independent Oil-for-Food inspection agents 

8 in Iraq, and observed that the contractor providing 

9 inspection services in Iraq on behalf of the United 

10 Nations ‘‘had not fully performed its contractual du11 ties’’. 

12 (4) The ‘‘overall conclusion’’ of the OIOS audit 

13 was that ‘‘management of the Contract’’ had ‘‘not 

14 been adequate and certain provisions of the contract 

15 had not been adhered to’’. 

16 (5) Specifically, the OIOS audit concluded the 

17 contractor failed to maintain inspection agents at 

18 staffing levels required by the contract, overcharged 

19 the United Nations, engaged in ‘‘unprofessional con20 duct’’, and reported figures for goods as having ar21 rived that were vastly different than the figures re22 ported by the United Nations. 

23 (6) The OIOS concluded that the United Na24 tions Office of Iraq Programs needed ‘‘to strengthen 

25 its management of contracts’’, had failed to des-
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1 ignate anyone in Iraq to manage the contract, and 

2 that in the ‘‘absence of a contract manager’’, the 

3 United Nations Office of Iraq Programs had ‘‘no as4 surance that the services provided were in con5 sonance with the spirit and letter of the contract’’. 

6 (7) It has been and continues to be the policy 

7 and practice of the United Nations not to release 

8 OIOS audit reports to member states. 

9 (8) The United Nations has denied the United 

10 States access to OIOS audits of the Oil-for-Food 

11 Program both during and after the life of the pro12 gram, despite repeated requests by the United 

13 States for access to such audits. 

14 (9) The ability of member states to fulfill their 

15 responsibilities in connection with United Nations 

16 programs is undermined by the nondisclosure policy 

17 of the United Nations barring full and timely access 

18 by member states to OIOS audit reports. 

19 SEC. 3. ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY MEASURES 

20 FOR THE UNITED NATIONS. 

21 (a) ACCESS BY MEMBER STATES TO OIOS AU22 DITS.—Congress urges the President to instruct the Per23 manent Mission of the United States to the United Na24 tions to use the voice and vote of the United States to 

25 seek to ensure the United Nations has procedures in place 
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1 to ensure that all reports prepared by the OIOS are made 

2 available, in a timely fashion, fully and without modifica3 tion (except to the extent necessary to protect the privacy 

4 rights of individuals) to member states of the United Na5 tions. 

6 (b) REPORT ON FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REQUIRE7 MENTS OF UNITED NATIONS OFFICIALS.—Not later than 

8 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

9 Department of State shall submit to the appropriate con10 gressional committees a report assessing the adequacy of 

11 financial disclosure rules and practices for United Nations 

12 officials together with recommendations for any needed re13 forms identified in the course of the assessment. 

14 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

15 In this Act: 

16 (1) OIL-FOR-FOOD PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘oil17 for-food program’’ means the program established 

18 and administered pursuant to United Nations Secu19 rity Council Resolution 986 (April 14, 1995) and 

20 subsequent United Nations resolutions to permit the 

21 sale of petroleum products exported from Iraq and 

22 to use the revenue generated from such sale for hu23 manitarian assistance. 

24 (2) OFFICE OF INTERNAL OVERSIGHT SERV25 ICES.—The term ‘‘Office of Internal Oversight Serv-
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1 ices’’ means the United Nations office established by 

2 General Assembly resolution 48/218 B (July 29, 

3 1994), and charged with assisting in the internal 

4 oversight responsibilities of the Secretary General by 

5 monitoring program implementation and by con6 ducting management audits, reviews, and surveys. 

7 (3) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT8 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com9 mittees’’ means the Committee on International Re10 lations of the House of Representatives, the Com11 mittee on Government Reform of the House of Rep12 resentatives, the Committee on Foreign Relations of 

13 the Senate, and the Committee on Governmental Af14 fairs of the Senate. 

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