Head of UNAMI Mohamed Al-Hassan. UN mission completes work in Iraq: briefing at the UN Security Council UN
The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) will end its work on December 31 this year after 22 years of activity. At a Security Council meeting on Tuesday, the head of the mission Mohamed Al-Hassan stressed that this is a “worthy conclusion” to the implementation of the UN mandate.
UNAMI was created in 2003, at a time when Iraq was experiencing the consequences of decades of dictatorship, regional wars, internal conflicts, occupation and terrorist activities of ISIS (Daesh).“The path to peace, security and stability has been long and difficult. However, with the support of the international community, Iraq was able to emerge victorious from this period—but at the cost of unimaginable sacrifices,” Al-Hasan noted, honoring the memory of all those killed, including UN staff.
Humanitarian Challenges remain
The head of UNAMI noted the successes of the democratic process in the country and called not to delay the formation of both the new federal government and the regional government in Kurdistan, negotiations on which have been ongoing for more than a year.
He also noted that despite overall stabilization, about 1 million Iraqis remain internally displaced. Among them are more than 100 thousand people – mostly Yazidis – from Sinjar, who have been living in camps for 11 years. At the same time, according to estimates, the rate of people returning home this year has decreased noticeably.
In addition Moreover, Iraq continues to repatriate its citizens from camps in northeast Syria. According to the latest data, about 20,800 people have returned. housing, work, social protection, as well as programs in local communities.
Iraq is a member of the UN Human Rights Council
The head of the mission congratulated Iraq on its election to the UN Human Rights Council, but noted that this work also involves additional responsibility.
We are talking about the ongoing challenges protection the rights of minorities, women and youth, freedom expression opinions and the prevention of child abuse marriages.
Relations between Iraq and Kuwait
According to the decision of the Security Council, UNAMI transfers a mandate related to missing citizens of Kuwait and third countries and missing Kuwaiti property, including national archives, to the new senior representative. More than 300 people are still considered missing.
Al-Hassan also called on both countries to continue dialogue on the delimitation of the maritime border.
“I see no reason why Iraq and Kuwait could not maintain the best possible relations,” he said he.
UN will remain in Iraq
The end of UNAMI’s mandate “is not the end of the partnership,” the UN spokesman stressed. From 2026, the organization’s country team will continue its work, which will support Iraq in sustainable development, human rights, climate change, women and youth support, and issues movements.
“I want to reiterate my full confidence in the resilience of the people of Iraq and in the determination of their leaders to meet any challenges that may arise, as they have done with dignity over the past twenty years,” Al-Hassan said. – I encourage them to continue to build bridges of trust and friendship, promote common interests with all neighboring countries and restore Iraq to its former glory – the glory of the cradle of civilization.”