--- SEARCH ---
WEATHER
CHINA
INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESS
CULTURE
GOVERNMENT
SCI-TECH
ENVIRONMENT
SPORTS
LIFE
PEOPLE
TRAVEL
WEEKLY REVIEW
Chinese Women
Film in China
War on Poverty
Learning Chinese
Learn to Cook Chinese Dishes
Exchange Rates
Hotel Service
China Calendar
Telephone and
Postal Codes
Hot Links
China Development Gateway
Chinese Embassies
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the UN
Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Annan Sees Vital UN Role in Post-war Iraq
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday named a special adviser to draw up a framework for UN involvement in post-war Iraq, and planned to pay a whirlwind visit to Europe on a potential UN role in Iraq this week.

Annan will travel to London, Berlin, Paris and Moscow on Wednesday to discuss Iraq with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Gehard Schroeder and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Eckhard told reporters.

"The four countries are actively engaged in the current debate on a UN role in Iraq and he (Annan) wanted to have discussions at a higher level," he explained.

On Wednesday morning, Annan held a closed-door meeting with members of the Security Council to inform them of the appointment of former UN Under-Secretary-General Rafeeuddin Ahmed as his special adviser on Iraq.

Ahmed, a Pakistani, has been assisting the UN system informally since February in thinking about possible UN involvement in a post-war Iraq.

According to Eckhard, given the pace of events in Iraq and the widespread discussions on a potential role for the UN in post-war Iraq, Ahmed will now act as the "focal" point in the UN system for discussions on the various scenarios for such a role.

"He will also advise the secretary-general on any role that the Security Council might eventually mandate the UN system to carry out once the current military campaign has come to an end," Eckhard said.

The 15-nation council welcomed the appointment and agreed with Annan that any role beyond the coordination of humanitarian activities in Iraq, and other activities mandated by existing UN resolutions, would first require a new mandate from the body, a statement from Eckhard's office said.

When arriving at the UN headquarters earlier in the day, Annan told reporters that he expected the United Nations to play an important role in post-conflict Iraq to bring "necessary legitimacy" to any new administration.

"I do expect the UN to play an important role and the UN has had a good experience in this area, whether it is an issue of political facilitation leading to the emergence of a new or interim administration," he said.

"There are lots of areas where the UN can play a role, but above all the UN involvement does bring legitimacy which is necessary, necessary for the country, for the region and for the peoples around the world," he stressed.

But Annan shunned giving a definite answer when asked whether he was resigned to the fact that the UN would not play as great a role as it had in East Timor or Kosovo.

"You have to be very careful here," he said. "Each crisis has its own peculiarities. Iraq is not East Timor and Iraq is not Kosovo."

(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2003)

UN Chief to Start Tours to Four European Nations on Iraqi Issue
UN Chief Appoints Special Adviser on Iraq
Latin American Parties Reaffirm UN Role in Solving Iraqi Conflict
France, Germany, Russia Call for UN Central Role in Postwar Iraq
Russian Deputy FM: UN Should Play Core Role in Iraq Issue
US, Europe Agree on UN Role in Iraq, but Split on Scope
UN Chief Meets with Arab Representatives for Talks on Iraq
Print This Page
|
Email This Page
About Us SiteMap Feedback
Copyright © China Internet Information Center. All Rights Reserved
E-mail: webmaster@china.org.cn Tel: 86-10-68326688