United Nations: The United Nations will remain a "high value, high impact target" for insurgents in Iraq and that would limit its staff and activity in the foreseeable future, Secretary General Kofi Annan said in a new report.

Staff security, he says remains the overriding constraint for all UN operations and characterizes the risk to its personnel as "high to critical" and added that the world body lacks means to protect its personnel.

Having failed to enlist any country to send troops to protect the UN staff and facilities, Annan sent out another appeal to member States to contribute troops for such a force. However, he said that the UN would need the Interim Government and US-led forces to provide protection till it is able to find countries ready to send troops for the protection force.

The UN agencies, he told the Security Council, would continue to limit their activities inside Iraq to the essential tasks.

The report says that UN top envoy in Iraq, Pakistani diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi will focus on helping Iraqis to implement proposed transitional timetable leading to establishment of a constitutionally elected Government by the end of 2005.

To his end, he would work closely with the Iraqi authorities, political entities and civil society, Annan adds in the report, which the Council will discuss next week.