'Find new unity': from secretary-general Kofi Annan's statement to the Security Council on 30 April.

• Position: From the Secretary-General

The thing that stands out when we review international engagement in countries affected by conflict is that no single approach has ever been adopted twice, because no two conflicts or post-conflict situations are alike. Even the four recent cases of Afghanistan, Kosovo, Timor-Leste and Sierra Leone are very different from each other, in terms of the causes and consequences of the conflict, the United Nations previous involvement, the political and legal context governing the international community's response, and the sheer size of the affected population and territory.

One of the most important lessons, when it comes to planning the international community's engagement in a new situation--such as the one we face now in Iraq--is the need, first, to reach a common understanding of what makes the crisis in question unique, and then to develop our responses accordingly. We should draw on previous experiences to make our response as effective as possible, while bearing in mind that completely new approaches or forms of assistance may be required.

A few specific lessons stand out:

* The trust of the parties and the population can be fragile and cannot be taken for granted over time; their consent needs to be cultivated and preserved.

* The role of the international community is not to solve all of a country's problems but to help its people become self-reliant.

* Priorities must be set, starting with the essential humanitarian needs of the population, which includes the need for basic conditions of security, law and order. Meeting these needs will also make it easier to foster the conditions in which viable political processes can emerge and grow--for instance, by promoting reconciliation, good governance, the rule of law, human rights and transitional justice initiatives.

* Decisions on the reform of key State institutions and legal and political structures must, if they are to be sustainable in the long run, be taken by the people of the country themselves. Such a process can succeed only if all the main groups in the country or territory play a part in it and feel that it belongs to them, and do not perceive it as leading to a predetermined outcome. The pacing of the overall process and the sequence and timing of its component parts are also crucial to success. They need to take into account the political, security and socio-economic conditions in the country and the degree of support that can realistically be expected from interested members...