New York  - The United Nations is looking for ways to increase its presence in Iraq after posting 180 international staff despite security risks, a UN official said Monday.

There are currently 140 international staff in Baghdad and 40 others in Erbil. The UN is working to expand its presence also in Najaf, Ramadi and Kirkuk, said B. Lynn Pascoe, the UN undersecretary general for political affairs, who visited Iraq last week.

"I returned from an Iraq visit absolutely convinced that the UN is doing its best," Pascoe told an open UN Security Council session to review work in war-torn Iraq, where the United States is leading a multinational force of more than 160,000 troops to fight insurgent troops and assist the Baghdad government.

"While taking strict measures to deal with the security situation, the UN is playing an enhanced role in Iraq," he said.

"Several times during my visit, I was reminded of the risks that our staff face when the alarm systems sounded and instructed staff to take cover from the threat of indirect fire," he said. "We remain deeply conscious of the security threat and are constantly upgrading our mitigating measures in order to enhance the safety of our personnel in Iraq," he told the Council.

A total of 22 UN staff were killed in August, 2005, in Baghdad when their offices at the Canal Hotel was heavily damaged by massive bomb. The head of the UN mission, Sergio Vieira de Mello, died in the blast. Since that incident, the UN had limited its presence in the country because of insecurity. (dpa)