The United Nations’ Oil-For-Food Programme in Iraq: Good intentions that went awry?

• Main Authors: PORTELA, Clara, NAIR, Dileep
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2021
• Subjects: Government; Risk analysis; Risk management; Managing conflicts; War and conflicts; International and Area Studies; International Economics
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cases_coll_all/327; https://smu.sharepoint.com/sites/admin/CMP/cases/SMU-20-BATCH%20%5BPDF-Pic%5D/SMU-20-0045%20%5BUN%20Oil%20for%20Food%5D/SMU-20-0045%20%5BUN%20Oil%20for%20Food%5D.pdf?CT=1612326450992&OR=ItemsView
• Institution: Singapore Management University

After the Gulf War of 1991, the UN Security Council imposes economic sanctions on Iraq. To alleviate the crippling effects of the sanctions, the council establishes the Oil-for-Food Programme in 1995 - allowing Iraq to sell its oil and use the revenue to buy food, medicine and other humanitarian goods. Later, in 2000, Rahul Kumar is appointed head of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) at the UN. Kumar is responsible for auditing, investigating, evaluating and inspecting UN programmes. He seeks to review the work of OIOS in order to refocus department resources to areas of high risk. A cursory review of UN programmes identifies Oil-for-Food as a major risk in terms of the potential for operational failure and damage to the UN reputation. In the absence of adequate internal resources, Kumar aims to institute a full risk analysis of the programme with the help of external consultants. However, this initiative is blocked. This case study is intended for students of business, international politics and industrial organisational psychology. Through this case, students will identify the specific characteristics of international organisations as a working environment; determine the appropriateness of making a ‘business case’ for change; and understand the need to build coalitions to effect change by looking beyond traditional organisational boundaries for support.