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[casi] "UN News Service" <UNNews@un.org>: REPRESENTATIVE IRAQI BODYVITAL FOR RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS - UN AID OFFICIAL



--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: "UN News Service" <UNNews@un.org>
To: <news11@list.un.org>
Subject: REPRESENTATIVE IRAQI BODY VITAL FOR RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS - UN
AID OFFICIAL
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 12:00:53 -0400
Message-ID: <000201c33a69$caf92ad0$720a960a@un.org>

REPRESENTATIVE IRAQI BODY VITAL FOR RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS - UN AID
OFFICIAL
New York, Jun 24 2003 12:00PM
The top United Nations aid official for Iraq made a strong plea today for
the establishment of a representative Iraqi interim administration,
without which he said the world body could not even begin to assess or
address the reconstruction needs of the war shattered country.

"Without an Iraqi entity being in place, we cannot even begin our task,"
the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, Ramiro Lopes da Silva, told an
informal meeting of UN relief agency officials and other interested
parties at UN Headquarters in New York.

Mr. Lopes da Silva, who also highlighted the adverse impact on UN
operations of the lack of security, which was producing "a siege like
mentality," said: "A fundamental precursor to any process is the
establishment of a representative Iraqi interim administration to lead
the re-construction process.

"The absence of a platform that permits the Iraqi people to express their
expectations is one of the main immediate constraints in the (UN)
planning process," he added.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative, Sergio Vieira de
Mello, who was consulting with all sectors of Iraqi society, defined the
major challenge facing the UN as being "to interpret the aspirations of
the Iraqi people and respond to these needs," Mr. Lopes da Silva
declared.

Turning to the security issue, he said that although the United
States-run Provisional Authority had taken determined steps to address
the general lack of law and order, criminals were increasingly organized,
armed resistance against the coalition continued, and "lack of security
continues to inhibit our action."

Referring to the general feeling of insecurity, he said: "Commercial
activity is restricted as people stay at home, children are not sent to
school, and a siege mentality is in evidence. Looting and re-looting of
rehabilitated infrastructures is creating a deep sense of frustration
among the population and the humanitarian community. Limitation of UN
staff movement affects assessment and delivery capacity."

The Provisional Authority was committed to improving the situation, he
added, but "given the magnitude of the task and the need to retrain the
Iraqi police, the agencies recognize that the situation is unlikely to
improve quickly."
 2003-06-24 00:00:00.000

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