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8184th Security Council Meeting: Situation in Iraq
Held up as a shining example of positive developments in the region, Iraq had succeeded in overcoming many obstacles, yet challenges remained to establish lasting stability, the Special Representative of the Secretary‑General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) told the Security Council today.
Among such successes were the recent defeat of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh), a robust pledging conference that raised $30 billion for reconstruction and significant strides in election preparations ahead of parliamentary polls in May, said Ján Kubiš, as the Council considered the Secretary‑General’s latest reports on key political developments (documents S/2018/40 and S/2018/42).
Pressing challenges now included the safe return of internally displaced persons and a secure environment for voters. Regarding relations with Kuwait, he said their normalization would only occur upon the resolution of outstanding issues concerning missing persons and property. Going forward, he said credible and acceptable elections, with high voter participation, would empower the new Government to implement reform, enhance accountability and reconcile differences among various groups.
Iraq’s representative thanked all stakeholders for their support, expressing hope that the Mission would play a coordinating role in areas such as good governance, combating corruption, improving economic growth and delivering humanitarian aid to internally displaced persons. However, Iraq did not support the Secretary‑General’s latest report’s recommendations on conflict prevention, women’s empowerment and relations between the central Government and Kurdistan, he said, emphasizing that the Government had taken steps in those regards, was working diligently on the forthcoming elections and stood ready to undertake greater efforts to achieve further progress on Kuwaiti missing persons and to achieve tangible results.
Council members praised such gains, but raised several issues. Côte d’Ivoire’s representative expressed hope that the pledges from the reconstruction conference would deliver results in Iraq’s rebuilding and recovery. Indeed, successful elections were a key factor and depended on ensuring their credibility and transparency, Peru’s delegate stressed, while Bolivia’s representative said they hinged on the safe return of 6 million internally displaced persons.
Regarding security concerns, Kazakhstan’s delegate underlined a need to enhance counter‑terrorism mechanisms in Iraq and to strengthen border security measures. Similarly, Equatorial Guinea’s representative said all Iraqis must remain united in the face of terrorist threats, calling on the international community to support Iraq in convening its planned elections in a fair, safe and peaceful manner.
Kuwait’s representative congratulated Iraq on its “historic victory” in liberating the parts of its territories formerly held by ISIL/Da’esh. Turning to the missing Kuwaiti citizens and property — which included the country’s national archives — he called on all parties to use innovative approaches to fulfil their obligations in that regard.
The meeting began at 3:12 p.m. and ended at 4:19 p.m.
