UN General Assembly
2003

﻿The brutal attacks on the United Nations Mission in Baghdad are beyond comprehension. I condemn them in the strongest possible terms. The perpetrators of such crimes must be brought to justice. We must renew our efforts to bolster respect for humanitarian principles. It is unacceptable that United Nations personnel are unable to conduct humanitarian relief operations without risking their lives. It is unacceptable that United Nations personnel are denied access to people in distress. On behalf of the people of Norway, I wish to express my respect and admiration to all United Nations workers who are doing what they can to help in Iraq and other zones of conflict and danger. Unless the security needs in Iraq are met, valuable time on the road to political stability, democracy and economic and social development will be lost. Without a safe and secure environment, the United Nations is unable to help Iraq along that road. I deplore the political assassinations of religious and political leaders in Iraq. Now we must focus our attention on what is