With 40 United Nations staff members under arrest, detained or missing worldwide, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today highlighted the heightened risk to the world body posed by global terrorism.
Although the United Nations flag used to provide protection, it is now becoming a target, the head of an independent panel tasked by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to assess the safety and security of the world body's staff worldwide cautioned today.
An Austrian diplomat has been appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to a senior post in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), it was announced today.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has chosen veteran diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi to chair an independent panel on the safety and security of United Nations staff worldwide, set up in the wake of the December 2007 Algiers bombing which claimed the lives of 17 of the Organization’s staff.
United Nations senior managers signed individual compacts with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a ceremony in New York today, outlining their goals for reaching priorities set by Member States.
Peacekeeping, pre-emptive diplomacy, climate change and improving the lot of poor countries, as well as internal reform, will be high on the United Nations agenda for 2008, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.
At least 42 United Nations staff members – including 17 who died in the 11 December 2007 attack in Algiers – were killed on duty last year, making it one of the deadliest years for the Organization, according to its Staff Union.
