United Nations, March 17, SPA -- Members of the Iraq Compact, a U.N. initiative created to assist the Iraqi people to rebuild their country, held a meeting at U.N. headquarters on Friday to encourage more countries to join the initiative. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the meeting Friday morning by telling attendees that the compact will be launched at a future date with two functions. First, a national compact among Iraqis regarding security and future political steps should be agreed upon, Ban said. A positive political progress and a reduction of violence are essential preconditions for the success of this initiative, he said. Next, an international compact between Iraq and its partners would be established to set goals and help the country over the next five years by having participating countries channel support, the secretary-general said. It is essential that all Iraqi communities come together in a spirit of dialogue to find lasting solutions. As they do so, they should be able to count on the active support of Iraq's neighbors and the international community, Ban said.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/433365