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STORY: UN / IRAQ
TRT: 06:03
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ARABIC / ENGLISH / RUSSIAN / NATS
DATELINE: 06 DECEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, United Nations headquarters
06 DECEMBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohamed Al Hassan, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI):
“A major milestone was the successful conduct of the national census on 20 November, which I had the opportunity to watch live together with the Prime Minister. This was the first nationwide, comprehensive census to include the Kurdistan Region since 1987. Preliminary results indicate that Iraq’s population has almost doubled in just over three decades, reaching more than 45 million people. “
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohamed Al Hassan, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI):
“Positive progress was also made in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. After two years of protracted negotiations and delays, parliamentary elections took place in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq re-establishing the legitimacy of the Region’s institutions. On 20 October I witnessed first-hand in Erbil and Dohuk, well organized and smooth voting operations in some of the more than 7,000 polling stations. 3 With more than two million people casting their votes, voter turnout reached 72 percent, an increase of 12 percent over the previous elections.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohamed Al Hassan, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI):
“Important to note, that out of the 100 parliamentary seats, women secured 31 seats, more than the minimum quota of 30 percent.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hanaa Edwar, President of Iraqi Al-Amal Association:
“The Prime Minister said that the results reveal that Iraq has entered a demographic burst phase since the percentage of the working age population reached 60 percent. Will this demographic burst be a golden opportunity for Iraq's future or a missed opportunity due to the quota system, the lack of strategic planning and mismanagement, the dependence on the country's economy, on oil revenues, the networks of corruption that entrench state institution and coastal deterioration of public services? This comes in addition to the presence of lawless armed actors with weak accountability.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Vasily Nebenzya, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Russian Federation:
“In resolution 2732 which was adopted by the Security Council, it stipulates that the mission will definitively conclude its work by December 3, 2025, and by the end of this year, there's a joint plan is to be agreed upon for the drawdown and technical liquidation of the mission. We hope to see that document soon.”
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Wood, Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs, United States:
“The end of the UNAMI’s mandate, should not spell the end of work on Kuwaiti missing persons and property. We recognize that high-level engagement is sometimes required to spur progress, and we will continue to support the use of these levers strategically. UNAMI can and should use its good offices to this end. For its part, the United States has provided new satellite imagery for identification of four potential burial sites in Iraq. We encourage efforts by the International Committee of the Red Cross and Iraq to conduct joint analyzes and site investigations as soon as possible. We will also continue our own research on four sites in Kuwait by trying to locate witnesses among US veterans' associations.”
13. Wide shot, Security Council
14. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abbas Kadhom Obaid Al-Fatlawi, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Iraq:
“Mr. President. The past period witnessed internal political stability in Iraq, as exemplified in the election of a new speaker of House of Representative the parliamentary elections held in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the government played an important role in these processes.”
15. Wide shot, Security Council
16. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abbas Kadhom Obaid Al-Fatlawi, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Iraq:
“The general path of relations between Iraq and Kuwait is positive, driven by common interests in reaching sound solutions, Iraq is keen just like Kuwait to counter the challenges that obstruct the reaching of a solution on issues between the two countries, especially when It comes to the remains.”
17. Wide shot, Security Council
18. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Tareq M.A.M Al Banai, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Kuwait:
“Madam President, the Council adopted last May resolution 27/32/2024 which reiterated the determination of UNAMI mission and task upon the direct request of the Iraqi prime minister. This is a sovereign decision that we all respect. But what is of concern to us in the first place is related to paragraph six of the resolution is that we need to establish a UN mechanism that pushes this process effectively until we identify the remains of the last missing person and regain all the missing Kuwaitian properties, including the national archives."
19. Wide shot, end of Security Council’s session
Special Representative of the Secretary-General Mohamed Al Hassan reported to the Security Council “positive progress” in Iraq, citing key developments including the doubling of the population and successful parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region.
Speaking at the Security Council today (Dec 6) in New York City, Al Hassan highlighted the national census conducted on November 20, the first to include the Kurdistan Region since 1987. He said, “Preliminary results indicate that Iraq’s population has almost doubled in just over three decades, reaching more than 45 million people.”
He also highlighted the parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region after years of delays. Al Hassan noted, “On 20 October, I witnessed first-hand in Erbil and Dohuk, well-organized and smooth voting operations in some of the more than 7,000 polling stations.” Voter turnout reached 72 precent, a 12 percent increase compared to previous elections, with women securing 31 of the 100 seats, surpassing the 30 percent minimum quota.
Despite these achievements, Iraqi civil society leaders underscored persistent challenges. Hanaa Edwar, President of the Iraqi Al-Amal Association, warned that the demographic boom could become a missed opportunity. “The percentage of the working-age population reached 60 percent," she said, but questioned whether Iraq could capitalize on this due to systemic issues like corruption, economic dependency on oil, and deteriorating public services.
On Iraq’s relations with Kuwait, Iraq’s Deputy Permanent Representative Abbas Kadhom Obaid Al-Fatlawi emphasized progress. “The general path of relations between Iraq and Kuwait is positive, driven by common interests in reaching sound solutions,” he stated, referencing efforts to resolve issues surrounding missing persons and property.
However, Kuwait’s Permanent Representative Tareq M.A.M Al Banai called for a sustained UN mechanism to identify the remains of missing Kuwaitis and recover national archives. He urged, “We need to establish a UN mechanism that pushes this process effectively.”
Looking ahead, Russia’s Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzya reminded the Council of the timeline for UNAMI’s closure by December 2025. He called for swift agreement on a joint plan for the mission’s drawdown.
Meanwhile, the United States’ Robert Wood emphasized the need for continued work on unresolved issues, revealing that the U.S. had provided satellite imagery to assist Kuwait in locating four burial sites in Iraq.
