Mohammed Al-Hassan: The United Nations will continue to work with the Iraqi government even after its mandate ends.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Mohammed Al-Hassan, affirmed on Tuesday that the United Nations will continue to work with the Iraqi government. In his speech during the memorial service for the victims of the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in the Canal Area in Baghdad, Al-Hassan said, “On this afternoon twenty-two years ago, the Canal Hotel was pulsing with the rhythm of daily work. In an instant, that ordinary day ended with a single explosion that turned routine into tragedy.” He pointed out that “the United Nations lost 22 employees, including the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Sergio Vieira de Mello, in addition to wounding more than 150 people.”
He added, “That day was a turning point in the history of the United Nations. It was a deliberate, large-scale attack on the organization and Iraq, and a wound to the humanitarian community and the Iraqi people.”
He continued, “The work of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) will end at the end of this year,” stressing that “the United Nations will continue to work side by side with the people and government of Iraq.”
Burathanews.com
