---

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Answer

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what involvement the United Nations has in Iraq in respect of (a) delivery of humanitarian aid, (b) policing and other civilian security, (c) re-building works, (d) economic development and (e) establishment of new political institutions. [112283] Mr. Rammell: We believe that the UN has a vital role to play in Iraq. It is already delivering humanitarian aid under the Oil for Food Programme and co-ordinating the work of humanitarian NGOs. The UK, together with the US and Spain, has put forward a draft Security Council resolution providing for an influential and wide-ranging UN role. The draft resolution calls for the appointment of a UN Special Co-ordinator whose tasks would be: support for and co-ordination of humanitarian and reconstruction assistance by UN agencies and non- governmental organisations; support for the orderly and voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons; working with others to restore and establish national and local institutions for representative governance; facilitating the reconstruction of key infrastructure, in co- operation with other international organisations; promoting economic reconstruction and the conditions for sustainable development, including through co-ordination with national and regional organisations, as appropriate, civil society, donors and the international financial institutions; encouraging international efforts to contribute to basic civilian administration functions; promoting human rights; encouraging international efforts to rebuild the capacity of the Iraqi civilian police force; supporting international efforts to promote legal and judicial reform. We will be discussing the detail of this role with the UN and with Security Council partners.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

112283; 405 c288W;405 c287W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Buildings Development aid Civil defence Humanitarian aid Iraq Economic planning Police Politics and government United Nations Reconstruction

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk