"Human rights in Iraq are being "severely undermined" by growing insecurity, violence and a "breakdown of law and order" caused by militias and criminal gangs, the U.N. mission here said Tuesday.
"Dr. Lee Jong-wook, who led the U.N. health agency's battles against SARS and bird flu, died Monday following surgery for a blood clot in the brain. He was 61.
Tributes praised Lee for his effectiveness in spurring the world to build its defenses against a potentially deadly flu pandemic during his tenure as director-general of the World Health Organization.
"Dr. Lee worked tirelessly to improve the health of millions of people, from combating tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS to his aggressive efforts to eradicate polio," President Bush said in a statement.
"The world has lost a great man today," said U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. "He tackled the most difficult problems head on, while upholding the highest principles."
A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary
Coalition for Darfur on Darfur's "fleeting moment"
Daily Kos's Navy Vet Terp on John Bolton at the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs
Paper Chase on the UN Committee Against Torture report
Peter Levine on political participation and economic success
PSD Blog on UNSG Kofi Annan and the announcement of the launch of new UN Principles of Responsible Investment
"United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and his senior envoy to Iraq today welcomed the announcement of the formation of the new Iraqi Government, and urged that the process be completed in order to consolidate stability.
AP: "The United States should close its prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and avoid using secret detention facilities in the war on terror, the U.N. panel that monitors compliance with the world's anti-torture treaty said Friday.
"From on-line banking to the benefits of telemedicine, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on the world community to enhance global security in cyberspace so as to realize the full potential of information and communication technologies (ICT) and accelerate the pace of development." [Full story]
WaPo: "The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a legally binding resolution Tuesday that instructs the United Nations to replace an underfinanced African Union peacekeeping mission that is struggling to halt the killing of civilians in the Darfur region of western Sudan. The council threatened sanctions against anyone who impedes peace efforts there.
The U.S.-sponsored resolution, which passed 15 to 0, is aimed at speeding the transition from an African force of about 7,000 troops to a much larger U.N. mission of as many as 20,000 international peacekeepers. The council demanded that Khartoum supply visas for U.N. and African Union military planners within a week to travel to Darfur and prepare for the transition."