The UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution extending the UN mission in Iraq for a year.
The resolution adopted by the 15 council members reaffirms "that the United Nations should play a leading role in assisting the Iraqi people and government in the formation of institutions for representative government".
But Secretary-General Kofi Annan made clear to the council in a report Friday that the United Nations will remain "a high-value" target for attacks in Iraq for the foreseeable future, which will severely limit the number of UN staff allowed in the country.