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UN to vote on bigger Iraq mission UN approves expanded Iraq mission
(about 5 hours later)
The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on a resolution calling for a greater UN mandate in Iraq. The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution calling for a greater UN mandate in Iraq.
Sponsored by the US and the UK, it is expected to be adopted unanimously.
The UN withdrew most of its staff in 2003 after a bomb attack on its Baghdad headquarters killed its top envoy, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and 21 others.The UN withdrew most of its staff in 2003 after a bomb attack on its Baghdad headquarters killed its top envoy, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and 21 others.
The UN Staff Council has called on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to pull all UN personnel out of the country until security improves. But the UN Staff Council has called on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to pull all UN personnel out of the country until security improves.
The union can resist a further deployment of staff in Iraq.
The staff union believes UN personnel will not be properly protected by US-led forces in the country.The staff union believes UN personnel will not be properly protected by US-led forces in the country.
The union has the power to resist a new wave of deployment, if members do not get the reassurances they need.
Advisory roleAdvisory role
The resolution will extend the mandate of the UN mission in Iraq for a year and give the UN a more powerful advisory role in Iraq. The resolution extends the mandate of the UN mission in Iraq for a year and gives the UN a more powerful advisory role in Iraq.
It will pave the way for the UN special envoy in Iraq to support and assist the Iraqi government in political, economic, electoral, and constitutional matters, and help settle disputed internal boundariesIt will pave the way for the UN special envoy in Iraq to support and assist the Iraqi government in political, economic, electoral, and constitutional matters, and help settle disputed internal boundaries
The UN mission would also be asked to promote human rights and judicial and legal reforms and to assist the Iraqi government in planning for a national census.The UN mission would also be asked to promote human rights and judicial and legal reforms and to assist the Iraqi government in planning for a national census.
The number of UN staff in Iraq would be raised from 65 to 95.The number of UN staff in Iraq would be raised from 65 to 95.
But correspondents say there will be limits as to how much the UN can do on the ground.But correspondents say there will be limits as to how much the UN can do on the ground.
The US ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, has said that the UN could play a positive role in facilitating dialogue between rival factions in Iraq, especially those that refuse to talk directly to the US.The US ambassador to the UN, Zalmay Khalilzad, has said that the UN could play a positive role in facilitating dialogue between rival factions in Iraq, especially those that refuse to talk directly to the US.
"This is an effort to internationalise the effort to assist Iraqis overcome their internal difference, and to assist the neighbours by bringing them together to help Iraq rather than add to Iraq's problems," Mr Khalilzad told the Associated Press news agency."This is an effort to internationalise the effort to assist Iraqis overcome their internal difference, and to assist the neighbours by bringing them together to help Iraq rather than add to Iraq's problems," Mr Khalilzad told the Associated Press news agency.
Some observers have said that the expanded UN mission is a way for the Bush administration to get the international community to pick up the pieces in Iraq after years of chaos.Some observers have said that the expanded UN mission is a way for the Bush administration to get the international community to pick up the pieces in Iraq after years of chaos.
But supporters of the move, including at the UN, believe this may promote progress in Iraq and help break the political deadlock there.But supporters of the move, including at the UN, believe this may promote progress in Iraq and help break the political deadlock there.