Note to Correspondents

Eighth Anniversary of Attack against United Nations Office in Baghdad

to Be Observed at New York Headquarters, 19 August

The eighth anniversary of the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad will be observed on Friday, 19 August, at a brief ceremony to be held at 10:15 a.m. in the public lobby of the General Assembly Building, in front of the memorial plaque located outside the Meditation Room.

On 19 August 2003, a truck bomb attack destroyed the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, taking the lives of 22 and wounding more than 150 others.  Among the victims was Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq.

A wreath-laying ceremony will pay tribute to the staff members killed and injured in that attack.  Colleagues who survived the attack have been invited to lay a wreath in front of the memorial plaque, followed by a moment of silence.

The event is organized by the United Nations Staff Union and its Committee on the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service.

As of 17 August, at least 17 United Nations personnel were killed in 2011 while carrying out their duties.  Since the first United Nations peacekeeping operation was established in 1948, 747 peacekeeping personnel have been killed in malicious acts, such as attacks, bombings and landmine explosions.

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For information media • not an official record