The Secretary-General strongly condemns yesterday's heinous bomb attack in Kirkuk which took the lives of so many civilians, including children. No cause can justify such inhumane and indiscriminate violence.

This terrorist attack was particularly troubling because it targeted a meeting to promote dialogue and reconciliation between different communities in the region. The Secretary-General calls on the Iraq people and their leaders not to be deterred by such acts of provocation and to continue to work together in a spirit of national reconciliation in order to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for the holding of next month's provincial elections.