PRESS STATEMENT BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ON FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF BOMBING OF UN BAGHDAD OFFICE

PRESS STATEMENT BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ON FIRST ANNIVERSARY

OF BOMBING OF UN BAGHDAD OFFICE

Following is today’s press statement by Andrey Denisov (Russian Federation), President of the Security Council, on the first anniversary of the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad:

Members of the Council together with the entire United Nations system commemorated today one of the most tragic days in the history of the World Organization.  One year ago, on 19 August 2003, the United Nations family lost Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 UN staff members in the Organization’s headquarters in Baghdad.

Members of the Council consider their deaths as an irreparable loss for the United Nations and for the international community.  It came as a result of the terrorist attack aimed at breaking the will of the international community, which came to Iraq with no other mission than to help its people regain control of their own destiny and build a better future of peace, justice, sovereignty and full independence.  Those who killed the UN staff members have committed a crime, not only against the United Nations but also against Iraq itself.

Today Members of the Council paid tribute to Sergio Vieira de Mello and other UN staff members who lost their lives in the Canal Hotel in Baghdad on 19 August 2003.  They expressed their deeply felt condolences to the families of the deceased.

Members of the Council noted the continuing terrorist attacks on the representatives of the international community working in Iraq and strongly condemned them.

Members of the Council expressed their support to the UN personnel, working now in Iraq, in spite of all the difficulties and dangers.

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