Probe into UN activities confirms need for parliamentary body

Reacting to UN-Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's order for a system wide external inquiry into the activities of UN funds and programmes, the Committee for a Democratic UN has reiterated its call for a UN Parliamentary Assembly. The pending probe into UN activities once again confirms the need for a standing independent body able to scrutinize UN operations and to verify allegations such as those now in the air, says the Committee. U.S. officials had alleged that the UNDP's North Korea operation had been run in violation of UN rules for years.