Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights Bertrand Ramcharan flew to Baghdad and is now accompanying the body of Sergio Vieira de Mello from Baghdad to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, via Geneva where Vieira de Mello’s widow and children were to board the Brazilian plane. A memorial service is expected to be held in Rio de Janeiro today Saturday, 23 August 2003. The Secretary-General left New York Friday evening to attend the service in Rio de Janeiro.

The grim task of identifying the bodies of the victims of Tuesday’s bombing continues. The number of dead remains unchanged.

Yesterday, Friday 22 August 2003, two flights arrived in Jordan. The first one carried 14 staff members. The second one was a Jordanian Royal Air Force C130 flight that brought 10 wounded on stretchers, 5 walking wounded and 2 escorts.

Today, Saturday 23 August 2003, we are expecting another 2 passenger flights. The first with 30 UN staff and the second with 16.