United Nations, Oct 11: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has said "ideally" he wanted a new resolution on Iraq passed before the donors' conference on that country, scheduled for later this month in Madrid. Asked if the conference should be postponed in the absence of a new resolution, Annan said, "There are discussions going on, and I myself am intensely involved in this. On the question of the conference, preparations are going ahead and as of today there are no decisions by the organisers to put it off."
"But obviously many people see the two as linked, the council resolution and the conference in Madrid, and ideally one would want to see the resolution before the conference, so let's see what happens," he said.
A resolution proposed by the us and co-sponsored by Spain and the UK is under discussion in the council. The Madrid conference is scheduled for October 23 and 24.
Asked about reports that the resolution might be withdrawn, Annan said, "I think the important thing is that member states are discussing these issues very, very seriously. It is a very complex and crucial issue. What is important is that we come up with a good resolution, not a quick resolution."
There are sharp differences on the resolution regarding the role of the UN and timing of giving all administrative authority to the Iraqis. Bureau Report