United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan
has said the Iraqi crisis has highlighted the significance people around
the world place in the United Nations, and he pledged that UN humanitarian
aid would flow back into Iraq as soon as practicable.
A major point of interest about the
crisis was the fact that the peoples around the world joined in, pleading
for a peaceful settlement, insisting on the role of the UN, Mr. Annan told
a delegation of visiting Palestinian journalists yesterday at UN Headquarters
in New York.
"To have this many people out there demonstrating for peace. . .and the attention they focused on the UN is an indication that, for governments and peoples around the world, what happens in the Security Council is important, and they expect a lot of the Council, which also puts quite a lot of challenge on us," he said.
The Secretary-General repeated his position that the responsibility for the welfare of the people in times of war remains with the belligerents. "But we, the UN and the international system, will do our best, to assist the people," he added. "I think the Iraqi people, who have gone through so many crises in the past, so many wars, need our help."
He said he had no alternative but to withdraw UN staff in Iraq when it became clear that hostilities were about to break out "but let me assure you, they will go back as soon as it is practicable."
Turning to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Mr. Annan said he was pleased that both the United States and the United Kingdom agreed on the need to push ahead with the so-called Road Map plan drawn up by the Quartet - the United Nations, United States, European Union and the Russian Federation. The plan calls for the Israelis and Palestinians to take a series of parallel steps over the next three years towards realizing the vision of two sovereign states, living side-by-side in peace and security.
"I am particularly happy that the Quartet is determined to move ahead with the plan, and I hope that we can work with your government, and also with the Israelis," he said.