Annan begins UN re-shuffle

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan has begun a major shake-up of the senior management by announcing that Mark Malloch Brown would take over as his Chief of Staff.

Brown, a 51-year-old Briton, is a high profile head of the United Nations Development Agency and replaces 70-year-old Iqbal Riza of Pakistan. He would take over on January 19.

Riza, who was Annan's close adviser, is officially stated to have asked for retirement to which Annan agreed. However, diplomats note that the reshuffle comes after the Secretary General had reportedly met a group of Americans, who had urged him to undertake a major reshuffle to refurnish world body's image after some Conservative lawmakers had asked for his resignation.