Thursday, December 22 2005 11:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who retires at the end of next year, has said his major regret is that he was not been able to avert the Iraq war.

The International community, he emphasized, should have done everything that could be done to avoid the war that has brought divisions in the United Nations.

The one thing that haunts, he told his year-end press conference yesterday (Dec 21,2005), is that "As an organization, as an international community, we were not able to do that."

Replying to a question, he said the expansion of the 15-member powerful Security Council is necessary as reforms of the United Nations would not be complete unless the Council is reformed to reflect today's realities.

The issue of expansion of the Council was put on back burner after the attempt by India, Japan, Germany and Brazil to bring to vote a resolution seeking increase in the number of permanent members from current five to 11 and non-permanent members from 10 to 14 failed just before the world leaders summit in September last after African Union did not support their proposal.

During his last year in office, Annan said, he expects terrorism, the Middle East, including 'turmoil' in Iraq, Palestinian-Israeli conflict and political assassinations in Lebanon, and weapons of mass destruction to be among the major issues.

Besides, poverty alleviation, promotion of peace and tough management reforms on which member states have sharp differences would take most of the time of the world body in the coming year, he told reporters.