Secretary-General Kofi Annan reversed course Saturday and decided to fill out a newly minted U.N. financial disclosure form, just two days after his refusal became public, The Associated Press reported. U.N. officials said Thursday that Annan had rejected advice from his inner circle to fill out the form which they argued would send a good signal as the U.N. seeks to counter allegations that it is closed to public scrutiny. The U.N. unveiled new rules last year that tightened staff financial disclosure requirements in effect since 1999. Annan is not required to fill out the form because he is technically not a staff member. «The secretary-general has decided to fill out his financial disclosure form,» U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. «As you know, he had been given advice not to fill it out, as he was not required to since he was not a staff member. There was also an opinion that filling out the form might tie the hands of his successor.» «However, he has decided to fill out the form to avoid any embarrassment to the organization,» the U.N. spokesman said. Dujarric said «the secretary-general has nothing to hide,» as the examination of his financial records by former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker showed.
