Press Release.............................. UNESCAP News Services

20 August 2003
Press Release No: N/15/2003

UN staffers call for tighter security

UN Staff in Bangkok mourn the death of Iraq colleagues
(Wednesday, 20 August 2003)

Bangkok (UN Information Services)---United Nations staffers based in Bangkok observed a minute's silence today in memory of their colleagues who died in the UN's office in Iraq yesterday.

"Today is a sad day for the United Nations. This savage act of violence, a bomb explosion at the UN Office at Baghdad yesterday killed several of our colleagues including Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN Special Representative in Iraq. At last report, at least 100 staff and other civilians were injured," said Mr. Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of UNESCAP who led Heads of UN Agencies in Bangkok and staffers in observing a minute's silence. "As the Secretary-General Kofi Annan noted this is indeed '... a bitter blow for the United Nations.''"

"I had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Vieira de Mello personally and found him to be a most engaging, conscientious and dedicated UN civil servant. We mourn his passing as well as those of our colleagues. We can only express the hope that our dear friends and colleagues who perished in Baghdad did not die in vain and that stability will soon return to the Iraqi nation and its people," he said.

Mr. Ti Le-Huu, Chairman of UNESCAP Staff Council, expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of colleagues who lost their lives. He read the statement issued by the United Nations Staff Council's Standing Committee on the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service in New York: "The Committee is outraged by today's attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, which killed the top United Nations envoy in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and at least 14 other staff members. The Committee demands a full investigation to determine why adequate security was not in place to prevent such a horrifying act. The Committee calls on the Secretary-General to suspend all operations in Iraq and withdraw its staff until such time as measures are taken to improve security. This blatant attack once again serves as a tragic reminder of the innumerable risks undertaken daily by United Nations staff across the globe."

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