Many states want UN umbrella for Iraq but new resolution not imminent, Annan says

Many countries feel the internationalization of overall operations in Iraq under a United Nations umbrella is important, but a new Security Council resolution giving the world body a broader mandate is not imminent, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today.

“Most of the governments are saying that they would want to see the effort internationalized, but not only with regard to political and economic reconstruction and institution building,” Mr. Annan told his semi-annual news conference at UN Headquarters in New York.

“They would also be prepared to consider expansion in the security area. If it were a United Nations-mandated force and there was an international effort to pacify Iraq, they would all feel more comfortable contributing to it,” he added.

Under the most recent resolution on Iraq, the UN is ascribed a wide-ranging role on political, economic and humanitarian matters, but the United States-led administration was recognized as the interim governing authority.

On the issue of contributing to Iraq’s reconstruction, Mr. Annan said some governments “would want to give it to a United Nations or other international body, and not necessarily pay into the United States-United Kingdom fund.”

But he added: “I am not sure we are anywhere near a second resolution yet. But the discussions are ongoing.”

A UN umbrella was important not only for Europe or India, he said, but also for Arab states in the region who would feel more comfortable contributing to stabilizing Iraq under an international banner.

“So, whatever we need to do to move forward, we should not hesitate to do it,” he declared. “If it does take a second resolution to get everyone to pull together to get it done, let us do it.”

Video of the news conference