On the first anniversary of the deadly bombing last August which killed 22 UN staff members in Baghdad, UN Security Council on Thursday paid tribute to the victims and called for moves to improve security in Iraq.

"Members of the council together with the entire United Nations system commemorated today one of the most tragic days in the history of the world organization," Council President Andrey Denisov said in a presidential statement.

He noted that the 15-member council consider the tragedy as "an irreparable loss for the United Nations and for the international community."

"It came as a result of the terrorist attack aimed at breaking the will of the international community, which came to Iraq with no other mission than to help its people regain control of their own destiny and build a better future of peace, justice, sovereignty and full independence," he said, noting that those who killed the UN staff members have committed a crime, "not only against the United Nations but also against Iraq itself."

He strongly condemned the continuing terrorist attacks on the representatives of the international community working in Iraq, and pledged support to the UN personnel working now in Iraq, "in spite of all the difficulties and dangers."

On Aug. 19, 2003, a deadly bombing grounded the UN headquarters in Baghdad. The top UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 other UN staff members were killed in the attack.

(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2004)