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8324th Security Council Meeting: Situation in Iraq
Facing myriad challenges, including growing demonstrations, Iraq’s new Government must focus on prioritizing inclusion, political and economic reforms, justice, equality and accountability, while ensuring the timely delivery of basic services, the Security Council heard today from a senior United Nations official.
Ján Kubiš, Special Representative of the Secretary‑General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), briefed the 15‑member organ, outlining developments since the country’s May parliamentary elections. He noted that public demonstrations, which began in July in Basra Governorate, have since spread to predominantly to Shia areas. While most of the protestors are young people taking to the streets with complaints over the lack of basic services, their message has become more politicized in recent days, as they demonstrate against corruption, dysfunction and a stagnant Government.
Noting Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi’s efforts to provide responses to these legitimate demands, Mr. Kubiš said measures remain insufficient to address the needs of the people. He stressed that the new Prime Minister must have authority and take responsibility for his Cabinet. He also urged that the new Government must be non‑sectarian, do more to fight corruption and resolutely act against militia and criminal gangs.
He further welcomed efforts taken by the Board of Judges to recount ballots of the election. The process has now moved on to results tabulation to generate the provisional election results. While such transparency has increased public confidence in the electoral process, Iraq’s security environment remains volatile, with rampant abductions, disappearances and violations of child rights. Further, Mr. Kubiš expressed concern over the possibility of a serious water shortage, urging neighbouring countries to boost cooperation with Iraq on this critical issue. He also welcomed various steps taken to include women at all levels of Government as well as mainstreaming women’s issues in Parliament.
Expanding on the situation women and girls face, Suzan Araf Maroof, Coordinator of the Iraq cross‑sector task force on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), outlined priority areas where the 15‑nation organ and Government could work together. They included the establishment of a system to widen women’s access to gender‑based violence services, amending legislation that discriminates against women, and connecting the women, peace and security agenda with Iraqi stabilization efforts. Women must also have access to empowerment programmes, such as vocation training and literacy programmes.
Despite a 25 per cent quota for women in Parliament and public institutions, they remain underrepresented or absent in decision‑making, she said. Moreover, most of the 8.2 million Iraqis who need immediate protection and assistance are women, yet 91 per cent of camps for internally displaced persons and refugees have no female managers. She also expressed concern that sexual violence continues at an alarming rate, with women and girls who have been living in areas under the control of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) being exposed to the most extreme forms of violence.
Also briefing the Council, Philip Spoerri, Permanent Observer of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to the United Nations, speaking in his capacity as Chair of the Tripartite Commission on missing persons, recalled that the mechanism was established as a result of the Gulf War that began with Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. Despite continued search efforts, he added, it has been 14 years since human remains belonging to a Kuwaiti missing person have been recovered, and 7 years since Iraqi remains have been found. “Hundreds of families still await answers,” he said, noting the challenges faced by the mechanism.
Mohammed Hussein Bahr Aluloom (Iraq) welcomed UNAMI’s mandate and the appointment of the head of a team to investigate war crimes ISIL/Da’esh committed in his country. “We need to adopt our anti‑terrorist strategy to combat extremism and focus on the decentralization of their efforts,” he said. Iraq’s Government, having “cleansed its territory” of ISIL/Da’esh, intends to implement development projects in regions that experienced destruction and instability. This will help provide opportunities to young people to find jobs, he added, emphasizing the need to boost the private sector and encourage the export of locally made products.
The Government has also given clear instruction to the security forces to protect demonstrators, he said. Iraq’s people need stability. He expressed concern that landmines and other explosive devices continue to maim and kill Iraqis.
Also speaking today was the representative of Kuwait, who stressed the need to address the issue of Kuwaiti prisoners and missing nationals. The fate of hundreds of Kuwaitis is unknown. “This is an open wound and the families of the missing are still suffering,” he said.
Peru’s representative expressed concern over the recent outbreak of protests in Iraqi cities and the “climate of distrust and instability that seems to be growing”. Peace should be used to improve quality of life, he added.
The meeting began at 10:03 a.m. and ended at 11:02 a.m.
