UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- U.N. political affairs officials said Iraq needs to focus on political dialogue to ensure the maintenance of recent security gains.
B. Lynn Pascoe, the U.N. undersecretary-general for political affairs, briefed the Security Council in New York, saying current gains on the security front could disintegrate if political progress is not made.
"Efforts must now focus on achieving the political gains necessary to build trust and confidence across community lines, and to improve the quality of life for all Iraqis, including the delivery of basic services and generating employment," he said.
The envoy said U.N. officials view political reconciliation, particularly regarding the status of the northern city of Kirkuk, and development of a framework for the future makeup of the country as ways to secure longstanding peace in the country, the U.N. News Center reported.
Pascoe said officials with the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq were engaged in negotiations with various Iraqi leaders to reach an agreement over the Kirkuk issue and the delayed provincial elections law.
He pointed to escalating unrest in Kirkuk as evidence of "how the lack of dialogue and compromise could easily lead to renewed violence" in Iraq.
