UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- UN staff members from Algiers and New York gathered here Thursday to pay tribute to 17 of their colleagues, who were killed in the terrorist attacks in Algiers, on the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the UN Headquarters in the Algerian capital.
The UN staff members, who were from Algeria, Denmark, the Philippines and Senegal, were killed while working for various UN agencies to render humanitarian relief to the Algerian people in need.
"One year after the attack, we still feel the searing pain and irreplaceable loss of the lives cut short on that day," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message to observe the anniversary.
The Dec. 11, 2007 attacks against UN offices and its staff were a stark evidence of the trend that the security of humanitarian and United Nations personnel continues to deteriorate.
"Humanitarian and United Nations personnel were the largest of deliberate attacks by extremists, armed groups and disgruntled sections of populations in all areas humanitarian and United Nations operations," Ban said in his report issued on Oct. 1.
The primary threats against United Nations and humanitarian personnel remain armed conflict, terrorism, harassment, banditry and criminality in areas of armed conflict, as well as in countries with economic, political and social unrest.
"Abduction and hostage-taking, whether politically, economically or criminally motivated, remains the most disturbing feature of the humanitarian working environment," Ban said. "In areas where there were no direct attacks or targeting of humanitarian workers, harassment and intimidation have been a serious cause of concern."
DISTURBING INCIDENTS REPORTED
Between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008, 490 attacks were reported against UN offices, convoys, premises, with a 38 percent increase in deaths of UN staff, or 26 deaths compared to 16 in the previous year.
Most of the security incidents directed against UN staff took place in Africa. Of the 26 deaths, 17 occurred in Algeria, one each in Chad, Kenya and Ethiopia, one in Pakistan, and one in Lebanon, and three in the Palestinian territories.
Locally recruited humanitarian and United Nations personnel remained the most vulnerable and have accounted for the majority of casualties and arrests, detentions or harassments. For example, out of the total number of 26 deaths, 22 were locally recruited staff members.
The same period also saw 546 harassment and intimidation cases, 578 robberies, 263 physical assaults, 119 hijackers and 160 arrests, Ban said in his report.
Violent acts against United Nations and humanitarian personnel in conflict and post-conflict areas continue unabated.
In Sudan, 297 incidents were reported against UN staff members, including the killing of five drivers working for the World Food Program (WFP). In Chad, example of incidents against the United Nations included the killing of a driver employed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in December 2007 and attacks on two UNHCR convoys in March 2008.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), persistent attacks by armed groups targeting humanitarian convoys and personnel led to the suspension of humanitarian activities in certain areas in the eastern part of the African country.
In Somalia, the deteriorating security situation has led to growing number of incidents in which perpetrators have targeted, killed and abducted humanitarian and United Nations staff members. From April to July this year, numerous staff of UN and humanitarian agencies were abducted, including two contractors of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
In June 2008, insurgent militia raided the office United Nations Political Office for Somalia. There were a total of 40 attacks on premises and convoys of the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations.
The figures continued to rise with a total of 81 incidents against the United Nations, compared to 54 incidents in 2007.
In Haiti, there were 28 vehicle hijackings and seven kidnappings against the world body in the same period.
In Afghanistan, United Nations and humanitarian organizations continue to face direct targeted attacks. In early 2008, there were indications that a United Nations compound was the target of rocket attacks on two consecutive nights in March, and one in May.
"Another disturbing feature of the incidents has been the frequency of collateral damage to premises of the United Nations and NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) as a result of crossfire," Ban said.
In Iraq, United Nations staff and premises have been hit by attacks on the International Zone, including the March 27, 2008 attack in which one United Nations subcontractor was killed and two others injured.
UN EFFORTS FOR STAFF SAFETY AND SECURITY
The United Nations security management system is based on the principle that the primary responsibility for the security and protection of staff members, their dependents and the organization's property rests with the host governments, Ban said.
The UN Department of Safety and Security has pursued a joint strategy with the Office of Legal Affairs and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to promote the compliance by member states with the conventions on privileges and immunities for UN staff.
The UN department continues to take steps to enhance security consciousness, accountability and awareness of security procedures and policies.
These steps include comprehensive staff training, critical incident stress management, security information management, threat and risk analyses and crisis management.
The department continues to make progress in conducting security training programs, including a new mandatory two-day induction training for newly appointed designated officials, security management team training, a security certification program for new field security coordination officers and a refresher training program for serving security personnel.
To promote security awareness in all UN agencies, the department is revising the online CD-ROM training program entitled, "Basic security in the field," initially launched in 2003. The new version includes updated information on the United Nations security management structure, living and working in a new cultural environment, influenza pandemic preparedness and vehicle safety.
At the same time, critical incident stress management remains a central component of the UN security response.
"Terrorists have taken these noble individuals from us," Ban said in the message. "But they can never extinguish our hopes for global harmony nor our conviction that working together is the only path to a better world."
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