Guantanamo Bay must be shut down: Annan

His comments came after a report by UN Human Rights Commission said detention camp should be closed.

UN chief Kofi Annan has said that "sooner or later" the US Guantanamo Bay "war on terror" detention centre will have to be closed.

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Annan, however, did not agree with all parts of a new report on the camp.

"I think sooner or later there will be a need to close Guantanamo," Annan told reporters at the UN headquarters.

"It will be up to the US government to decide hopefully to do it as soon as possible."

His comments came on Thursday after a report by UN Human Rights Commission monitors said the detention camp in Cuba should be closed.

"There's a lot in the report and I cannot say I necessarily agree with everything," the UN Secretary General said.

The United States has angrily rejected the recommendations by the five independent experts acting as monitors for the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Commission.

Their report called for the immediate closure of Guantanamo and for the 500 inmates to be tried or freed.