UN Seeks Help Rehabilitating Najaf And Sadr City

Iraqi Officials Seek UN Help In Rehabilitating Najaf And Sadr City

Iraqi officials today sought United Nations help in rehabilitating urban areas hard-hit by recent clashes, including Najaf and Sadr city in Baghdad.

Iraq's Minister of Planning and Development, Mahdi al Hafez, relayed the request during a meeting with the Deputy UN Special Representative for Iraq, Ross Mountain, who arrived in Baghdad on Sunday evening.

Mr. al Hafez voiced appreciation for the level of coordination between the UN and Iraq, noting that many rehabilitation projects - focusing on water, electricity, education and health - are already receiving financial support from the UN Development Group Trust Fund for Iraq.

Mr. Mountain was later briefed on Iraq's electoral process by Carlos Valenzuela, the head of the UN Electoral Team in the country, who said he will soon accompany members of the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq to the north to discuss polling modalities for the election of the Kurdistan National Assembly.

In other meetings today, Human Rights Office Elio Tamburi discussed the promotion of the rule of law in the war-ravaged country with Bakhtiar Amin, the Minister of Human Rights, who said plans are underway for Iraq to ratify the Convention against Torture.

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