L/3088
13 April 2005
Ad Hoc Committee on Safety of UN Personnel Elects Vice-Chair
NEW YORK, 12 April (UN Headquarters) -- The Ad Hoc Committee on the Scope of Legal Protection under the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel this morning elected Gaile Ramoutar of Trinidad and Tobago as Vice-Chairperson.
Ms. Ramoutar, nominated by the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, will replace Ricardo Bocalandro (Argentina). Yesterday, the Committee confirmed continuation of Mahmoud Hmoud (Jordan) and Metod Spacek (Slovakia) as Vice-Chairpersons and Mahmoud Samy (Egypt) as its Rapporteur.
The Ad Hoc Committee is tasked with the mandate of strengthening the existing legal regime for security of international staff. It was established by the General Assembly in its resolution 56/89 of December 2001 as an expression of its concern at the rising toll of casualties and increasing dangers faced by United Nations staff.
Adopted by the General Assembly in 1994, the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel entered into force on 15 January 1999. It prohibits any attack against United Nations and associated personnel, their equipment and premises, and imposes upon States parties the obligation to ensure the safety and security of such personnel.
(For more background information, see Press Release L/3087 of 11 April.)
The Ad Hoc Committee will meet again at a date and time to be announced.
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