UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday strongly condemned Thursday's "heinous" bomb attack in Kirkuk in northern Iraq, which killed dozens of people, including children.
"No cause can justify such inhumane and indiscriminate violence," Ban said in a statement issued by his press office.
"This terrorist attack was particularly troubling because it targeted a meeting to promote dialogue and reconciliation between different communities in the region," Ban said.
He called on the Iraq people and 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."