UN will implement recommendations of Iraq panel on security - Annan
The United Nations will implement the main recommendations of a panel that investigated the bombing of the UN
headquarters in Iraq and which called for reform of the organization's security systems, a spokesperson for
Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today.
The Secretary-General's spokesperson said the report "will be closely studied and steps taken to ensure early
implementation of its main recommendations."
The Secretary-General will also discuss staff security next week with the Chief Executives Board – comprising the heads
of the UN’s agencies, funds and programmes – and ask them to respect the guidelines and recommendations of the UN
Security Coordinator and the need to have more stringent minimum operating security standards, spokesperson Hua Jiang
added.
An independent panel investigating the bombing of the UN mission in Baghdad 19 August today said it found UN security
systems "dysfunctional." The report by Martti Ahtisaari, a former president of Finland, recommended worldwide reform.
"The security of the staff has been the constant concern of the Secretary-General and the Organization," said a
statement issued by a spokesperson for Mr. Annan. "There have been many previous evaluations of the United Nations
Security Coordination System but following the attacks on UN staff on 19 August, the Secretary-General decided that
there should be an independent investigation and asked Mr. Martti Ahtisaari to head it. The reports of three earlier
internal investigations were made available to his team."
The statement noted that while Mr. Ahtisaari's report focused on the attack of 19 August and security conditions in
Iraq, it "has concluded with findings and recommendations regarding security in the wider UN system. The report will be
closely studied and steps taken to ensure early implementation of its main recommendations."
The statement added that the Secretary-General "is very grateful to Mr. Ahtisaari for having accepted this assignment
despite other demands on his time."