(United Nations) The Iraqi government asked the UN to end its political mission in the country for more than 20 years by the end of 2025, saying it was no longer necessary, according to a letter seen Friday by AFP.
In this letter addressed to the Security Council, Prime Minister Mohamed Chia al-Soudani describes “the positive developments and successes” of successive governments and the fulfillment of the mandate of the United Nations assistance mission for Iraq (Manui ), present since 2003.
In these circumstances, “after 20 years of democratic transition and overcoming various challenges, the reasons for the presence of a political mission in Iraq no longer exist,” he continues.
Thus, “we call for the end of the mission’s mandate […] permanently on December 31, 2025. On the condition that UNAMI focuses until then on issues linked to economic reform, the fight against climate change and development issues.
The mandate of the mission created by the Security Council in 2003 at the request of the Iraqi government, strengthened in 2007, and renewed each year, also includes government support for inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation, the organization of elections or security sector reform.
During the last renewal of the mandate in May 2023, the Council, which is due to debate this issue next week, asked the Secretary General to launch a strategic review of the mission, entrusted to German diplomat Volker Perthes.
In his conclusions delivered in March, he noted that “given the current threats and challenges to the peace and security of Iraq”, the “core political functions of UNAMI […] remain relevant.
However, the mission, which at the end of 2023 had more than 700 people, “in its current form, seems too important”, he said, calling for a start in transferring its tasks to the competent national authorities and other UN entities. on site “in a responsible, orderly, gradual manner”.
It concluded that “the two-year period identified by the government for the withdrawal of the mission could be a sufficient period of time to make more progress and reassure the most skeptical in the Iraqi political and societal landscape” that this transition “will not cause a setback in democratic progress or threaten peace and security.”