Seventh member appointed to new UN security review panel

An Italian police colonel has been appointed as the seventh member of the independent panel tasked by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to assess the safety and security of United Nations staff worldwide, it was announced today.

Paolo Coletta will join the Independent Panel on Safety and Security of UN Personnel and Premises, led by veteran diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi.

Colonel Coletta currently works in Rome as the Head of the Logistics Department at the Carabinieri Headquarters. He has also served as a civilian police officer with the UN and other international organizations.

The other members of the panel, who were announced by Mr. Brahimi last week, are: Elsayed Ibrahim Elsayed Mohamed Elhabbal of Egypt; Anil Kumar Gupta of India; Umit Pamir of Turkey; Thomas Boy Sibande of South Africa; and Margareta Wahlström of Sweden.

This new body aims to “take a close look at what happened in Algiers and see what immediate lessons there may be for us in that extremely shocking and sad happening,” Mr. Brahimi told reporters, referring to last December’s deadly bombing which claimed the lives of 17 UN staff members.

“The Panel is also expected to take a wider view of the implications of these new problems that are facing the Organization in terms of threats and challenges,” he added.

In January, the Secretary-General, who has characterized the Algiers attack as a “savage loss,” announced his decision to appoint the team, voicing hope that its findings will impact the UN system worldwide.