UN officials confirmed on Thursday that retiring UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan may get a pension of total 2 million dollars plus a yearly payment of about 250,000 dollars.

When Annan completed his career as a staff member of the Organization after over 30 years of service, he was eligible to receive his normal pension entitlements, the official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The UN chief intends to file a claim for 1 million dollars for back payments in addition to the 1 million dollars lump sum he already received on a same pension which is related to earlier duties at the United Nations when he served as assistant secretary-general and as under secretary-general.

"The General Assembly had earlier on established a pension for retiring secretary-general," the official told Xinhua. "When Annan retires as secretary-general on Jan. 1, 2007, he will receive the pension for of a retiring secretary-general as mandated by the General Assembly."

It is not unusual for individuals who have had double or multiple career tracks to receive benefits from such arrangements, the official added.

Actually, previous secretary-general coming from their governments received pension entitlements from those governments, as well as the pension authorized by the General Assembly.

Editor: Donald