The U.N. security chief resigned Tuesday over recent terror blasts in Algeria that killed 17 U.N. staffers _ responding to a report that found weaknesses in the world organization’s overall security operations.

The report by an expert panel concluded that there was “ample evidence that several staff members up and down the hierarchy may have failed to respond adequately to the Algiers attack, both before and after the tragedy,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said.

The bombings at U.N. offices and another government building in December killed 17 U.N. staffers and injured 40 others, many seriously.

David Veness, the U.N.’s undersecretary-general for security and safety, voluntarily offered his resignation and “was willing to shoulder full responsibility for any security lapse that may have occurred” Ban said.

“The report recognizes that risk management is not consistently understood or applied,” Ban said.

Other key problems mentioned by the panelists were the security department’s “inadequate management” and the General Assembly budget committee’s “compromises ... to reduce costs and set priorities” for the department.

Ban said for the sake of continuity, he would retain Veness until a successor is named. Veness has served as the top U.N. security official since Jan. 2005. Before that he was an assistant police commissioner in London. Veness could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.

Ban also announced he is creating a new U.N. group to hold people accountable for security lapses in the Algiers attack.

The bombings added to the U.N.’s increasing worry that its staff and missions are becoming more of a target worldwide.

In claiming responsibility for the attack, Al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa called the U.N. offices “the headquarters of the international infidels’ den.” The other site targeted that day was Algeria’s Constitutional Council.

Algerian officials have repeatedly said their government took steps to protect the United Nations.

The Algiers attack was the deadliest single act of aggression against U.N. staff and facilities since August 2003, when the world body’s headquarters in Baghdad was hit by a truck laden with explosives, killing 22 people including the top U.N. envoy in Iraq.

In its 103-page report Tuesday, the panel headed by veteran Algerian diplomat and U.N. troubleshooter Lakhdar Brahimi cited widespread problems in the U.N.’s Department of Safety and Security headed by Veness.

“The gaps and weaknesses include: leadership and accountability, and internal management and oversight,” it said.

In particular, the report said:

_Since 1992, 270 U.N. civilian staff _ 80 percent of them locally hired _ and 2,468 uniformed personnel have been killed by “malicious acts, including murder, bombings, land mines and hijacking.”

_U.N. security in Algiers, as in other countries, was coordinated with the government mainly through a single point of contact, which limited safety discussions; but it’s impossible to say if closer contact would have prevented the attack.

Ban also said it’s important for the U.N. to try to change “undeserved or unfair” perceptions about its work that could lead to attacks.

U.N. officials have previously said that U.N. security officer Babacar Ndiaye _ who was killed in the attack _ unsuccessfully tried to get concrete barriers put up outside U.N. offices in Algiers.

After the bombings, U.N. staffers in Algeria were advised to work from home, making it one of about a half-dozen nations where U.N. officials fear the security of their offices is inadequate.

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On the Net:

U.N. report: http://www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/terrorism/PanelOnSafetyReport.pdf