Now is the time to transition to a new partnership between Iraq and the United Nations: UK statement at the UN Security Council
Statement by Deputy Political Coordinator Laura Dix at the UN Security Council meeting on Iraq.
Let me start by thanking the Special Representative for her briefing, and for the important work of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq. The Mission has made an important contribution to Iraq over the past twenty years. Now is the time to transition to a new partnership between Iraq and the United Nations. We welcome the findings of the Independent Strategic Review, and we will work closely with all parties to consider the future of the mission in line with its recommendations and the will of the Government of Iraq.
We hope that in due course Iraq will be able to share positive progress on the important issues highlighted by the Independent Strategic Review which are drawn from the Government of Iraq’s own programme and priorities. This includes the holding of elections for the Iraqi Council of Representatives, the consolidation of nationally-owned institutions to sustain dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil, and the strengthening of national human rights bodies.
We welcome the timely formation of 13 out of 15 local government administrations following successful elections, and we encourage the government to do more to include women in the political process. We also urge all parties to commit to agree a date for free, fair and inclusive elections in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq as soon as possible.
President, the United Kingdom welcomes the update on missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property and reiterates our commitment to the work of the Tripartite Commission. The transition period of UNAMI provides the parties with an opportunity to fully resolve these outstanding issues. Should this not happen, the Council will need to consider further options for this file.
In closing, I express the UK’s sincere thanks to you, Special Representative, for your outstanding work in Iraq since 2018 and we commend your powerful and hopeful words about the future of a stable and prosperous Iraq.
Thank you.