ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations chief on Saturday reaffirmed the intergovernmental organization’s “unwavering” commitment to its Iraq mission in a message to the country’s new president, the president’s office said after the crisis-hit country broke its political deadlock and elected a new government late last month.
Iraq’s new government was sworn in on October 27 during a tense parliamentary session which culminated in Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani successfully breaking the shackles of a suffocating political deadlock that had engulfed the country for well over a year, a period in which the caretaker government lacked the authority to take advantage of soaring oil prices to stabilize the country’s economy.
“You can count on the continued unwavering support of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in accordance with the mandate entrusted to it by the Security Council,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, stressing that Iraq has a “fruitful and long-term cooperation with the United Nations.”
Alongside Guterres, the new Iraqi president received messages of congratulations from several top leaders and officials, including King Charles of the United Kingdom and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who both renewed their countries’ willingness to continue advancing cooperation with Baghdad.
“Your experience and leadership will have a decisive role in building a united federal democratic state that serves the interest of the Iraqi people,” the UN chief’s statement added.
The UN in September unanimously voted to extend its Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/ISIL (UNITAD) mandate to Iraq for a period of one year.
Rashid was voted as Iraq’s president on October 13 after besting former president Barham Salih in a lengthy race.
UNAMI head Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert on Tuesday warned Iraqis to refrain from relying on President Rashid to solve the country’s problems but rather to solve them in an institutionalized manner as one person alone cannot address all issues properly, she said during the annual Middle East Research Institute (MERI) forum in the Kurdistan Region’s capital of Erbil which was attended by dozens of local and international leaders.
While giving a speech at the 31st Arab Summit in Algeria on Thursday, Rashid addressed Iraq’s recent government formation while expressing hope that regional neighbors will react positively to the Iraqi government’s efforts.
“The Iraqi government has a lot of responsibilities that it will work on to respond to the will of our people for reform, construction, and enhancing Iraq’s interaction with its regional and international surroundings,” Rashid said at the summit.
Rampant corruption plagues all levels of the Iraqi state while unemployment has been on the rise, adding to an ongoing economic crisis, exacerbated by the political deadlock which has frozen the much-needed 2022 budget.
