ADDIS ABABA, March 29 (Xinhuanet) -- The African Union (AU) said here Tuesday there will be no reforms at the United Nations without Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

    "You cannot tell us to choose between reforms or Kofi Annan," said AU Commission Chairperson Alpha Oumar Konare while launching the Interim General Assembly of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (AU-ECOSOCC).

    "We are saying it very clearly today that there are no reforms of the United Nations without Kofi Annan and we commend him a citizen of the world," Konare said, pledging the AU's solidarity with Annan.

    The UN is currently undertaking various reforms on its activities and its mandate where Africa is expected to have two countries' representation at the UN Security Council and make its voice heard more than ever before.

    "The reforms of the United Nations will help us in order to have greater democracy in the world and the voice of the people to be heard," Konare said.

    The independent inquiry panel led by former US Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker is scheduled to release a second interim report on its investigation into alleged corruption and fraud in the oil-for-food program.

    The report would reportedly criticize Annan for failing to pay enough attention to the "conflict of interests" involving his son, Kojo Annan, who was employed by the Swiss company, Cotecna, a contractor under the oil-for-food program.

    Kojo, who left Cotecna in 1998, was accused of helping the company gain a 60-million-dollar contract from the UN at the end of 1998. Both Kojo and Cotecna strongly denied the accusations.

    The AU chief also told the gathering that it is time to be committed to reducing conflicts in the continent, and to put forward the required development as well as a culture of peace. Enditem