ace=arial size=-1 color=black>Yahoo! is not affiliated with the authors of this page or responsible for its content.
Towards a Culture of Security and Accountability

Towards a Culture of Security and
Accountability








The Report of the Independent Panel on Safety and
Security of UN Personnel
and Premises Worldwide








9 June 2008
Report of the Independent Panel on Safety and Security
of UN Personnel and Premises Worldwide


2

Transmittal Letter from the Chairperson of the Panel

Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

I have the honour, on behalf of my colleagues, members of the Independent Panel on
Safety and Security of UN Personnel and Premises Worldwide, to submit to your
attention our report Towards a culture of security and accountability.

We would like, first of all, to express our appreciation for your confidence in entrusting
such an important and delicate mission to us.

May I also express my sincere gratitude to the Panel members - Colonel Paolo Coletta
of the Italian Carabinieri, Brigadier General Elsayed Ibrahim Elsayed Mohamed
ElHabbal of the Egyptian National Security Service, Mr. Anil Kumar Gupta of the Indian
Police Service (retired), Ambassador Ümit Pamir of the Turkish Diplomatic Service
(retired), Major Thomas Boy Sibande of the South African National Defence Force
(retired), and Ms. Margareta Wahlström of Sweden, former Assistant Secretary-General
for Humanitarian Affairs (also Secretary of the Panel) who shared their expertise
generously, worked hard and travelled widely to collect and analyse information, and
finalize this report. They were assisted by a very small and dedicated Secretariat whose
contribution was vital to our work.

The Panel visited over 20 headquarters and field duty stations. In New York, as
everywhere else, Permanent Representatives of Member States, Heads of Departments
in the Secretariat, Executive Heads of Agency, Funds and Programmes, and staff
members, national and international, were generous with their time and shared with us
their thoughts, their concerns and their documents. We are immensely grateful to all of
them.

We have approached our work guided by your advice and recommendations, including
your statement of 5 February, and have focused our attention on the strategic issues
vital to delivery and enhancement of the security of United Nations personnel and
premises and the changing threats and risks faced by it.

Total security has not been achieved anywhere by anyone in the past and will not be
achieved in the future. But security conditions can and must be constantly improved.
Thus, we see our modest contribution as being one stage in the long route that your
predecessors have travelled in the past, and you and your successors will continue to
travel to progressively improve security conditions for all members of the UN family as
they discharge their noble mission, often under very difficult conditions, in all corners of
the world.

Following the terrible tragedy of Baghdad, the UN system, starting with Member States
and the Secretary-General, but also including all Agencies, Funds and Programmes,
worked together and separately to address shortcomings and gaps that were revealed
by what happened on 19 August 2003. We believe that much was done and note in
particular that Member States have been receptive and generous in their response to
this tragedy.
Report of the Independent Panel on Safety and Security
of UN Personnel and Premises Worldwide


3
The establishment of the Department of Safety and Security (DSS) in January 2005 was
a significant step forward. Though the UN security management system, led by DSS,
has been addressing very challenging global and local threats, the 11 December 2007
attack in Algiers put the new security arrangements to the test. Most unfortunately, the
system as a whole and individuals who, both in the duty station itself and at
Headquarters, held direct responsibility for the UN presence in Algiers and the security
of its personnel and premises, have been found wanting.

The Panel, mandated to look at strategic issues and to identify the fundamental lessons
drawn from preceding reports on the subject up to and including the preliminary report of
the Department of Safety and Security of 11 January 2008 on the Algiers attack, did not
consider it could or should identify individual accountabilities. The Panels report,
however, finds ample evidence that several staff members up and down the hierarchy
may have failed to respond adequately to the Algiers attack, both before and after the
tragedy.

It is for this reason that the Panel considers that the attack on UN premises in Algiers of
11 December 2007 warrants a separate and independent audit and accountability
procedure. Such a procedure would review the responsibilities of the key individuals
and offices concerned and provide you with a basis for whatever actions you might
consider taking with respect to those individuals and offices. The Panel believes that
such an independent procedure would go a long way towards restoring the confidence
and the morale of the staff.

When you addressed the General Assembly upon taking the oath of office in December
2006, you identified a crucial issue for the Organization: the good name of the United
Nations is one of its most valuable assets, but also one of its most vulnerable. You
added that you would work to enhance morale, professionalism and accountability
among staff members, which in turn will help us serve Member States, and restore trust
in the Organization.

The Panels findings are consistent with your own vision. We identified in particular an
urgent need to restore trust in the Organization and its fundamental values of
impartiality and neutrality.

We very much hope that the Panels findings and recommendations will provide you with
additional elements to continue to galvanize support among Member States, Executive
Heads of Agencies, Funds and Programmes, staff associations and UN personnel in
general to address the issues you highlighted then and to reshape the Organizations
institutional culture into one that embraces security as a common and shared
responsibility.


Yours
sincerely,

(signed)
Lakhdar Brahimi







Chairman


Report of the Independent Panel on Safety and Security
of UN Personnel and Premises Worldwide


4

Acronyms

ACABQ

Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions
CEB

Chief Executives Board for Coordination
CSA
Chief
Security
Adviser
DFS
Department
of
Field
Support
DGP

Director General for Protocol (GoA)
DO
Designated
Official
DPA
Department
of
Political
Affairs
DPKO
Department
of
Peacekeeping
Operations
DRO

Division of Regional Operations (DSS)
DSS

Department of Safety and Security
DSSS

Division of Security and Safety (DSS)
IASMN

Inter-Agency Security Management Network
ICRC

International Committee of the Red Cross
FAO

Food and Agriculture Organization
FSCO

Field Security Coordination Officer
FSH

United Nations Field Security Handbook
GSPC

Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le Combat
GoA
Government
of
Algeria
HLCM

High Level Committee on Management
ILO
International
Labor
Organization
JMAC

Joint Mission Analysis Center
JOC
Joint
Operations
Center
MAIP

Malicious Acts Insurance Policy
MFA

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
MOSS

Minimum Operating Security Standards
MORSS

Minimum Operating Residential Security Standards
NGO
Nongovernmental
Organization
OCHA

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance
OECD

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
OIOS

Office of Internal Oversight Services
POSS
Peacekeeping
Operations Support Service (DSS)
RC
Resident
Coordinator
RR
Resident
Representative
(UNDP)
SA
Security
Adviser
SMT
Security
Management
Team
SRA
Security
Risk
Assessment
SRSG

Special Representative of the Secretary-General
SSS

Security and Safety Section (DSS)
TRU

Threat and Risk Assessment Unit (DSS)
TDS

Training and Development Section (DSS)
UNCT

United Nations Country Team
UNDG

United Nations Development Group
UNDP

United Nations Development Programme
UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
UNFPA

United Nations Population Fund
UNHCR

United Nations High Commission for Refugees
UNIC

United Nations Information Center
UNICEF

United Nations Childrens Fund Report of the Independent Panel on Safety and Security
of UN Personnel and Premises Worldwide


5
UNIDO

United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNRWA

United Nations Relief and Works Agency
UNSECOORD
United Nations Security Coordinator
USG
Under-Secretary-General
WFP
World
Food
Programme
WHO
World
Health
Organization Report of the Independent Panel on Safety and Security
of UN Personnel and Premises Worldwide


6

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ...................................................................................................