Speaking to reporters after the Council's closed-door session, Benon Sevan, the Executive Director of the Office of the Iraq Programme, said the oil-for-food programme for Iraq has become much more complex since its inception. "We cannot go on applying similar procedures which were valid at the time when it was only food and medicine," he said, noting that the UN is now involved in the rehabilitation of Iraq's infrastructure.

The UN official said the committee set up by the Council to monitor the sanctions against Iraq should "review its procedures and make the necessary adjustments to assure that applications are approved more expeditiously so that supplies can arrive in Iraq on a timely basis."

Mr. Sevan also appealed to Council members to avoid politicizing the relief effort in Iraq, asking that they allow it to "maintain its distinct humanitarian identity."

Asked about the current differences between Baghdad and the UN on oil prices, Mr. Sevan said that as of 30 November, no oil had been lifted from Iraq. Discussions were ongoing to resolve the problem, he said, stressing the need for a flexible, step-by-step approach to the issue.

Meanwhile, the report of the Executive Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) for Iraq was released on Friday. According to the report, UNMOVIC "has increased its readiness to carry out its mandated activities." UNMOVIC was created just under a year ago to undertake the responsibilities of the former UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) which was charged with monitoring the elimination of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.