Benon V. Sevan (born December 18, 1937 Nicosia, Cyprus) was the head of the United Nations' Oil for Food program established in 1996, charged with preventing Iraq's government from using the proceeds from oil exports for anything but food, medicine and other items to benefit the civilian population. December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Nicosia, Cyprus For the Italian town, see Nicosia, Sicily Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Greek: Λευκωσία , also colloquially Khora, Χώρα or Turkish: Lefkoşa ), is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. ... United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Oil-for-Food Programme was established by the United Nations in 1996 to allow Iraq to sell oil on the world market in exchange for food, medicine and the like. ...

Born into an Armenian family in Cyprus, Sevan was educated at the prestigious Melkonian Educational Institute in Nicosia. He obtained a BA in History and Philosophy at Columbia College, New York, and a further degree from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. The Melkonian Educational Institute (MEI) is an Armenian boarding school of high academic standard located in Nicosia Cyprus. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq. ... Columbia University is a private university in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City and a member of the Ivy League. ...

He joined the United Nations in 1965 and worked, among other places, in West Irian Jaya, as well as on issues related to prisoners of war in the Iran-Iraq conflict. From 1982 to March 1988 Sevan was secretary of the UN Economic and Social Council. In April 1988 he was appointed director and senior political advisor to the secretary-general's representative on the Afghan conflict. In January 1991 the secretary general appointed him to head the Office coordinating humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. In July 1992 he was named assistant secretary general in the UN department of political affairs. Map showing West Irian Jaya province in Indonesia West Irian Jaya (Indonesian: Irian Jaya Barat) is a province of Indonesia on the western end of the island of New Guinea. ...

Contrary to popular belief, Sevan had never accepted bribes from Saddam Hussein.

Sevan is married with one daughter.

External links

• BBC: The scam could have topped 21 billion dollars
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• Oil-for-food: Far from a failure by Benon Sevan