Inga-Britt Ahlenius, a Swedish native and former auditor-general of Kosovo and Sweden, assumed her new post at OIOS this week, replacing Dileep Nair, who left under a cloud of suspicion following allegations of favoritism in recruiting and promoting employees. The United Nations launched an investigation into his conduct last month.

"I'm very happy to be in the United Nations at a moment where change is on its way," said Ahlenius, adding "this very important institution will also be subject to reform to better fit the interests of member states and every human being in this world."

OIOS is set to play a significant role in the reform of the United Nations, a process that has been under way since Secretary-General Kofi Annan took office in 1997, but has gained particular traction with revelations of corruption in the oil-for-food scandal and reports of sexual misconduct by U.N. peacekeepers.

In June, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to withhold American dues if the organization failed to undertake specific changes to its budgetary, administrative and oversight procedures. The bill must still pass the Senate and be signed by the president before it becomes operative.

In a sign of Washington's seriousness about the issue, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns was at U.N. World Headquarters in New York Tuesday for meetings with various U.N. delegations. Burns reiterated the administration's support for U.N. reform as well as its opposition to congressional efforts to withhold U.S. financial support for the organization.

"We do not support any calls in the Congress that would withhold, in a mandatory way, U.S. funds from the U.N.," said Burns. "We think the United States should pay its dues, be a responsible member, and be helping to lead the debate up here."

Among the major reforms under discussion are the dissolution of the Human Rights Commission, replacing it with a more Security Council-style panel made of members with solid human rights records; greater transparency and oversight in the conduct of U.N. agencies; and -- most contentiously -- expansion of the Security Council.

Brazil, Germany, India and Japan -- known collectively as the G4 -- have joined forces in a bid to acquire permanent seats on an expanded council.

The G4 has proposed an expansion of 10 additional members -- four non-permanent (or elected) and six permanent, without the right to veto currently enjoyed by the original five permanent members. A competing proposal by the African Union seeks 11 new seats -- six permanent and five non-permanent -- however, the AU is calling for both equitable geographic distribution among new members as well as veto power.

Representatives of the G4 and the AU met Sunday at the Indian mission to the United Nations in an attempt to iron out differences between competing resolutions with an eye to delivering the accord in time for a meeting of their foreign ministers in Geneva next Monday. A vote has not been scheduled in the 191-member assembly for either draft resolution.

The United States has indicated it would support only Japan as a new council member and that other reforms to the United Nations should get priority over Security Council expansion.

"We are open to expansion, and in fact we put forth our own ideas for enlargement of the Security Council," said Burns. "But we actually think that we can't put the cart before the horse, that the institution here is badly in need of reforms, that those reforms should be considered first and a Security Council expansion vote would be taken later."

Perhaps feeling the heat from U.S. legislators and other critics, the United Nations has taken steps to reform its practices where it can without the express mandate of its members.

In introducing Ahlenius to reporters at U.N. Headquarters, Mark Malloch Brown, chief of staff to the secretary-general, stressed the appointment is further evidence the organization is taking the initiative in reforming itself. Malloch Brown pointed to new financial disclosure arrangements implemented last week and a new clause in the contracts of senior officials making it easier for the secretary-general to dismiss them.

"This function of oversight needs to be strengthened," said Malloch Brown. "It needs more resources, it needs more independence, there needs to be real transparency and accountability for what happens in this area."

In September, world leaders are scheduled to attend a summit in New York timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the United Nations' founding. Leaders are expected to sign on to a detailed program to reform the organization.

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