The UN Security Council held consultations on Tuesday on a draft resolution circulated by the United States and Britain seeking an expanded UN role in Iraq.
During the meeting, the 15-member council heard a briefing on the work of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), whose current mandate expires on Friday, by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe, and discussed the draft that would extend UNAMI's mandate for another year.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Pascoe said that there is strong consensus within the council on the proposal to increase the UN's role in Iraq, but he also acknowledged the security restraints imposed by the continuing conflict in the country.
He stressed that physical security is a concern after the UN secretary-general's Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 others were killed in a bomb attack in Baghdad four years ago.
Since then, international UN staff in Iraq have been reduced to 65, although many more UN personnel work from Amman in neighboring Jordan.
He cited recent mortar and other attacks in the Green Zone in Baghdad but said the number of UN staff in the city should reach 95.
U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters that he expected the draft to be adopted on Thursday by the Security Council.
"The United Nations needs to play an enhanced role in helping Iraqis overcome the difficulties that they have at the present time," he said.
He said the world body, "given its comparative advantage," can help promote national reconciliation among Iraqis, facilitate dialogue and cooperation with Iraq's neighbors and address the country's humanitarian difficulties.
UNAMI, established by the Security Council through its resolution 1500 adopted on August 14, 2003, has mainly focused its work on organizing elections, promoting consensus-building on the drafting of a national constitution and offering humanitarian assistance.
Source: Xinhua
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