UN / IRAQ UNAMI CLOSING

The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, Ghulam Isaczai, told journalists in New York that “the UN is not leaving Iraq,” and said its presence in the country “is shifting from a more mission-led and also political orientation to more development focus.” UNIFEED

• Video Length: 00:02:59
• Production Date: 7 January 2026
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: GHULAM ISACZAI
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANCE MISSION FOR IRAQ - UNAMI
• Subject Topical: PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS; DEVELOPMENT; DISPLACED PERSONS; RETURN MIGRATION
• Geographic Subject: IRAQ
• MAMS Id: 3523323
• Parent Id: 3523323
• Alternate Title: unifeed260107a

Description

STORY: UN / IRAQ UNAMI CLOSING
TRT: 02:59
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 07 JANUARY 2026, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters

02 JANUARY 2026, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, press conference dais
3. Med shot, journalist
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ghulam Isaczai, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, United Nations:
“The UN is not leaving Iraq. The UN is staying in Iraq. We have 25 UN agencies that operate under the resident coordinator system to support Iraq’s development needs. Now, what we are saying is that our, presence in Iraq is shifting from a more mission-led and also political orientation to more development focus.”
5. Wide shot, dais
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ghulam Isaczai, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, United Nations:
“Iraq signed the UN cooperation framework - that's our five-year plan for the next five years - before the mission ended. And this five-year cooperation and partnership framework focuses again on four key pillars of economic reform, social protection and service delivery, environment and climate change, and also governance, human rights, and rule of law.”
7. Wide shot, dais
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ghulam Isaczai, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, United Nations:
“Iraq has really done well in the last two years to maintain a balanced policy in terms of its relationship, both in the region but also with the West. And I think a lot of credit goes again to Iraq to not entangle itself in the regional tension. And I think they've done a good job.”
9. Wide shot, dais
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Ghulam Isaczai, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, United Nations:
“UNAMI did what it could to help Iraq where it is. And the responsibility is now shifting to the government, in most cases, and also to the UN when it comes to residual humanitarian needs and development. We just have to prioritise now our engagement based on the government's national priorities.”
11. Med shot, journalist
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ghulam Isaczai, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, United Nations:
“On the Yazidis, again, it's a very sensitive and complicated issue. We continue to advocate for the return of all IDPs, and there are still some IDPs that are in federal Iraq that are, haven't been able to return. These are at the end of the day Iraqis, and Iraq needs to do more to facilitate the voluntary return.”
13. Wide shot, dais
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Ghulam Isaczai, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, United Nations:
“But I do, I do hope that as Iraq is forming a new government, the new government will take this issue seriously. And as the UN, we will continue to advocate for their return to their places of origin or solutions that will be more dignified and get them out of the current difficult situation they're in.”
15. Wide shot, end of presser

Storyline

The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, Ghulam Isaczai, today (7 Jan) told journalists in New York that “the UN is not leaving Iraq,” and said its presence in the country “is shifting from a more mission-led and also political orientation to more development focus.”

As the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI’s) concludes its work in the country, Isaczai noted that 25 UN agencies operate “to support Iraq’s development needs.”

He pointed out that Iraq recently signed a UN cooperation framework for the next five years, focusing “on four key pillars of economic reform, social protection and service delivery, environment and climate change, and also governance, human rights, and rule of law.”

Isaczai said, “Iraq has really done well in the last two years to maintain a balanced policy in terms of its relationship, both in the region but also with the West. And I think a lot of credit goes again to Iraq to not entangle itself in the regional tension. And I think they've done a good job.”

UNAMI, he said, “did what it could to help Iraq where it is,” adding that “the responsibility is now shifting to the government, in most cases, and also to the UN when it comes to residual humanitarian needs and development.”

The Resident Coordinator said, “we just have to prioritise now our engagement based on the government's national priorities.”

Asked about the situation of the Yazidis displaced from northern Iraq, he said “we continue to advocate for the return of all IDPs,” adding that the government “needs to do more to facilitate the voluntary return.”

Isaczai expressed hope that “as Iraq is forming a new government, the new government will take this issue seriously.”

The UN, he said, “will continue to advocate for their return to their places of origin or solutions that will be more dignified and get them out of the current difficult situation they're in.”