NEW YORK — The official responsible for the safety of U.N. field staff resigned Tuesday after an internal U.N. panel found widespread violations of U.N. security procedures.
Sir David Veness, the head of the Department of Safety and Security, joined the United Nations from London’s police force in 2005, and has overseen the dramatic expansion of the division.
Nonetheless, on Dec. 11, an al Qaeda affiliate destroyed the U.N. headquarters in Algeria, killing 17 U.N. staffers.
Critics said that U.N. security officials had advance warning but did not act to protect the compound.
“I am grateful to Sir David Veness for his high sense of devotion to duty and strong professional motivation,” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said after Mr. Veness submitted his resignation.
“As the first head of the department, he has provided it strong leadership at a critical period in building a safety and security structure for the United Nations that has significantly improved its security management system in a whole range of areas.”
Mr. Veness will stay on until his successor can be found.
Mr. Veness previously served as assistant commissioner at London’s Metropolitan Police Service, where he had run the counterterrorism and hostage negotiation teams.
He also served with Britain’s Royalty and Diplomatic Protection.
Under his leadership, staff at the U.N. security office more than doubled.
The Algiers bombing followed increasingly desperate messages to New York headquarters from the local chief of U.N. security, Babocar Ndiaye.
A 20-page report, available here on the Algerian attack said, “The hostile intent against the U.N. in Algeria was present and well-known before the attack.”
Six months before the attack, the report said, “the media branch for [al Qaeda in the Maghreb] issued a direct threat against the U.N.”
The warnings were received at the U.N. headquarters in New York.
Nevertheless, the Algerian compound remained at “Phase 1” of the five-level security scale used by the United Nations — a level considered safe enough for U.N. staffers to bring their families to live overseas.
In addition to the 17 people killed, at least 40 people, most of them Algerian staff members, were injured in the attack.
Prior to Mr. Veness’ arrival, the United Nations suffered another deadly terrorist attack.
In 2003, just after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, insurgents leveled the Baghdad headquarters with a truck bomb, killing 22, including the top U.N. official in Iraq at the time, Sergio Vierra de Mello.
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