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NEW YORK - The United Nations on Wednesday called on Erbil and Baghdad to address ongoing disputes according to the constitution and said it is ready to help if both sides make the request, with heightened tensions having left over a million Kurdistan Region civil servants unpaid.
“What we encourage is for there to be a constructive dialogue, based on the constitution, so that you can have a mutually acceptable resolution to this issue,” Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson to the UN Secretary-General, told Rudaw.
He said that the UN stands ready to help resolve the disputes, given that both parties request help.
“If both parties request our help under good officers, then we can undertake a good officer's role, but first, we would need an agreement by both of them,” Haq said.
Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad have intensified in recent weeks after the federal government halted budget transfers to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Iraqi Oil Minister Taif Sami accused Erbil of exceeding its 12.67 share of the 2025 federal budget by over 13.5 trillion Iraqi dinars (approximately $10.34 billion), citing rulings by Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court, which prohibit further disbursements under such conditions.
The decision has left over 1.2 million public sector employees in the Kurdistan Region without pay, drawing sharp criticism from Kurdish parties who say the move is politically motivated and unconstitutional.
According to Haq, the UN has been in touch with Erbil and Baghdad to “encourage dialogue between them.”
“Ultimately, it’s those parties that need to talk to each other,” he added.
On Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani met with ambassadors from the European Union and the UN Security Council, discussing issues between Erbil and Baghdad.
In a statement, Sudani’s office said that the ambassadors “supported the Iraqi government’s policy in addressing internal challenges and resolving administrative matters between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).”
On Wednesday, Iraq’s former Deputy Finance Minister Rebaz Hamlan - who resigned in March over salary delays - said the United States is pressuring Baghdad to resolve the ongoing budget dispute with Erbil.
A day prior, the UN special representative for Iraq, Mohamed al-Hassan, also called for dialogue between the two sides to resolve the issue.
“What we encourage is for there to be a constructive dialogue, based on the constitution, so that you can have a mutually acceptable resolution to this issue,” Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson to the UN Secretary-General, told Rudaw.
He said that the UN stands ready to help resolve the disputes, given that both parties request help.
“If both parties request our help under good officers, then we can undertake a good officer's role, but first, we would need an agreement by both of them,” Haq said.
Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad have intensified in recent weeks after the federal government halted budget transfers to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Iraqi Oil Minister Taif Sami accused Erbil of exceeding its 12.67 share of the 2025 federal budget by over 13.5 trillion Iraqi dinars (approximately $10.34 billion), citing rulings by Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court, which prohibit further disbursements under such conditions.
The decision has left over 1.2 million public sector employees in the Kurdistan Region without pay, drawing sharp criticism from Kurdish parties who say the move is politically motivated and unconstitutional.
According to Haq, the UN has been in touch with Erbil and Baghdad to “encourage dialogue between them.”
“Ultimately, it’s those parties that need to talk to each other,” he added.
On Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani met with ambassadors from the European Union and the UN Security Council, discussing issues between Erbil and Baghdad.
In a statement, Sudani’s office said that the ambassadors “supported the Iraqi government’s policy in addressing internal challenges and resolving administrative matters between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).”
On Wednesday, Iraq’s former Deputy Finance Minister Rebaz Hamlan - who resigned in March over salary delays - said the United States is pressuring Baghdad to resolve the ongoing budget dispute with Erbil.
A day prior, the UN special representative for Iraq, Mohamed al-Hassan, also called for dialogue between the two sides to resolve the issue.
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