A UN official before the Security Council: Iraq today is more secure, stable and open
In his first briefing before the Council since his appointment to his position in the middle of this year, Mohammed Al-Hassan, Chairman, said United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) N “Iraq today is different from Iraq 20 years ago or even five years ago. Despite the many obstacles, Iraq today is more secure, stable and open.” He expressed his confidence that Iraq – rooted in history and the cradle of human civilization – is capable of overcoming crises and facing challenges to shape a more secure and prosperous future.
He added that the Iraqi government, in what is described as a “flaming region,” has shown a strong determination to keep Iraq out of the expanding regional conflict, “while standing decisively as a strong voice for regional peace and stability.” He added that the government seeks to make Iraq a vital corridor for transport, energy and trade, by benefiting from regional partnerships. He stated that such initiatives emphasize Iraq’s efforts to promote regional integration and prosperity.
Al-Hassan touched on the “positive progress” in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and said: “After two years of prolonged negotiations and delays, legislative elections were held in Iraqi Kurdistan, which restored legitimacy to the region’s institutions.”
He said that the visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani to Erbil after the elections was an important step on the path to strengthening joint dialogue to address the many important issues between the two sides.
Corruption problem
In light of the positive developments in Iraq, Al-Hassan spoke about the threat posed by persistent and systematic corruption despite the government’s efforts to address the problem. And he said: “While public debate on corruption is frequent and politicians widely engage on the topic, the issue remains prevalent in Iraq’s social and economic life.”
He stressed that Iraq needs comprehensive changes and reforms to enhance accountability, encourage efficiency, improve transparency, and strengthen governance systems. He expressed his confidence that the government is taking promising steps in this direction.
Personal status law
Al-Hassan moved on to talk about an issue that he said had sparked a lot of public debate and international interest, namely the proposed amendments to the Iraqi Personal Status Law. He said it was important and could have far-reaching consequences for women and children.
He stated that The UNAMI mission is working intensively with the Iraqi parties, and stresses the need for a constructive and inclusive dialogue on this issue. He stressed the need for any reforms to the Personal Status Law to be consistent with Iraq’s international obligations and commitments towards human rights. He expressed his confidence that Iraq is capable of ensuring this.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Iraq referred to the debate in the House of Representatives on amendments to the General Amnesty Law. He said that amnesty clauses could be a path to promoting reconciliation and addressing the grievances of those unjustly imprisoned. He stressed the need for those responsible for committing atrocities to be brought to justice while at the same time ensuring fair and proportionate justice.
Effects of ISIS
The head of the United Nations mission in Iraq said that the impact of ISIS is still clear in the camps that shelter thousands of displaced people, the majority of whom are Yazidis. He stated that he personally witnessed their difficult and unacceptable living conditions. He expressed his confidence that Iraq is capable of providing better livelihoods for its citizens.
He called for not forgetting the Iraqi citizens in Al-Hawl camp, northeast of Syria. He said that Iraq is one of the few countries that made laudable efforts to repatriate its citizens from the camp. He stated that he witnessed first-hand the support provided by the government, United Nations agencies and its partners to thousands returning to Iraq after a long period of displacement and suffering.
He said that more needs to be done to accelerate the return of citizens from the hell-like conditions in Al-Hawl camp. He pointed out that the government renewed its pledges to work with UNAMI and the international community to return Iraqi citizens from Al-Hawl and other camps in northeastern Syria by the end of 2025, as hoped. He stressed that other countries that have nationals in Al-Hawl bear the same duty to return their citizens.
Relations between Iraq and Kuwait
Muhammad Al-Hassan also spoke about relations between Iraq and Kuwait, and said that since the beginning of his duties in this position, he and his colleagues have been seeking to build confidence and strengthen bilateral relations between Iraq and the State of Kuwait. He said that he strongly encouraged the continuation of negotiations between the two countries to demarcate the maritime borders beyond Point 162, and that he expressed the readiness of the mission and the United Nations as a whole to provide its services – in the event that both parties wish to do so.
Regarding the issue of missing Kuwaitis and citizens of other countries, he said that the United Nations mission continued to participate as an observer in the work of the tripartite mechanism headed by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
He added: “After three decades, it is very clear that we need more sincere efforts to uncover and locate remains according to agreed-upon mechanisms. This is a basic demand by the families of missing persons who have long waited to know the fate of their children and loved ones. It is one of the topics of utmost importance.” The State of Kuwait has a leadership, a government, and a people. We hope that this issue will witness a real and tangible effort by those concerned.”
He called for accelerating the steps to search for, identify and return looted Kuwaiti property, including the National Archives, to turn the page, allowing the two countries and peoples to move to higher stages of cooperation.
Al-Hassan moved on to talk about… Security Council Resolution No. 2732 (Published in 2024). The resolution extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Iraq for a final period until 31 December 2025, after which it will cease all work and operations assigned to it, except for the remaining mission liquidation activities, in line with an official request from the Iraqi government.
Al-Hassan said that the mission continues to carry out its mandate, and at the same time works closely with the Iraqi government, the United Nations country team, and the organization’s permanent headquarters to complete the transition plan and liquidate the mission’s work for submission to the Security Council by December 31, 2024.
More about the Security Council session later….
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