Lawyers Committee Condemns Attack on UN Personnel and Civilians in Baghdad and Mourns the Death of Colleagues, including UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights condemns the attack on civilians at the UN headquarters in Baghdad today and extends its deep sympathy to the families of all those harmed in the bombing.

“We condemn this attack on civilians and on the UN itself. In this case, it causes great personal distress because among the victims were our colleagues in the international human rights movement,” said Michael Posner, Executive Director of the Lawyers Committee. “An attack on these colleagues is an attack on the values we are dedicated to defending.”

Sergio Vieira de Mello died in the blast. Mr. de Mello was appointed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2002. He came to the post after decades of service to the United Nations, including leading UN operations in Kosovo and East Timor. He was widely admired for his diplomatic skills and the contributions he had made to rebuilding societies devastated by conflict.

In May 2003, Mr. de Mello was appointed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as his Special Representative in Iraq, a post he was due to leave to return to his duties as High Commissioner for Human Rights. He was playing a vital role in the international efforts to reconstruct Iraq. His death, and the targeting of the UN operation in Iraq for brutal attack, is a devastating setback for all who hoped for progress towards peace and stability in Iraq.