March 01, 2008	Saturday	Safar 22, 1429

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 29: The United Nations flag once a symbol of peace and security is now becoming a target of disenchanted population worldwide, a UN panel’s findings acknowledged on Thursday.

“A lot of people are – some rightly, some not rightly – angry with the UN,” said Lakhdar Brahimi , the head of the UN panel tasked by Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to assess the safety and security of the world body’s staff worldwide.

He pointed out that some around the world are questioning the world body’s impartiality and independence.

Unveiling the composition of the six-member panel at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr Brahimi said the new body will take a “critical look at the existing situation” to determine how the UN and its member states can bolster the safety and security for Organization’s people and premises globally.

“We tried to assemble a number of people that have a mix of experience and expertise to see how we can understand what has happened and how we can make ‘doable’ recommendations,” he noted.

Aside from Mr Brahimi, the Independent Panel on Safety and Security of UN Personnel and Premises – which will begin its work next week – will comprise Elsayed Ibrahim Elsayed Mohamed Elhabbal of Egypt; Anil Kumar Gupta of India; Umit Pamir of Turkey; Thomas Boy Sibande of South Africa; and Margareta Wahlström of Sweden.

The new body will “take a close look at what happened in Algiers and see what immediate lessons there may be for us in that extremely shocking and sad happening,” Mr Brahimi said, referring to last December’s deadly bombing which claimed the lives of 17 UN staff members.