Sudani: The end of UNAMI’s mission does not mean the end of the partnership between Iraq and the United Nations.
Sudani: The end of UNAMI’s mission does not mean the end of the partnership between Iraq and the United Nations.
2025-12-13 03:16
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said on Saturday that the end of the UNAMI mission’s work in Iraq does not mean the end of the partnership between the country and the United Nations, while welcoming the selection of former President Barham Salih to be the new High Commissioner for Refugees.
This came in a joint press statement held by Al-Sudani with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, on the sidelines of the official announcement ceremony for the end of the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
Al-Sudani said in the statement, “We highly value the work of the UNAMI mission in Iraq since its establishment in 2003 in a country that has suffered greatly from dictatorship, wars and terrorism, but Iraq emerged victorious thanks to the sacrifices and courage of its people.”
He added that the end of the UNAMI mission does not mean the end of the partnership between Iraq and the United Nations, but rather represents the beginning of a new chapter of cooperation, especially in the areas of development, comprehensive economic growth, and providing advice. He further stated that “our relationship with the United Nations through the UNAMI mission was pivotal and effective in meeting Iraq’s needs and helping it until it reached the stage of being fully self-reliant.”
Al-Sudani went on to say that “the relationship file today has moved from crisis management efforts to long-term development planning efforts, and reliance on self-efforts (…) to achieve security, stability and prosperity through the efforts of Iraqis despite the various challenges.”
He added, “We have succeeded in consolidating the foundations of democracy through holding the sixth parliamentary elections, and before that there were the provincial council elections and the Kurdistan Region Parliament,” considering that “this confirms our commitment to the constitution and the law.”
Al-Sudani also pointed out that “the recent elections were described as the most organized and credible and took place in a free atmosphere, and they recorded a remarkable increase in the participation rate, which exceeded 56 percent.”
The caretaker prime minister of Iraq added, “We look forward to establishing relations with the United Nations based on a balanced partnership, mutual respect, and through joint programs towards a supportive partnership focused on sustainable development.”
He continued, saying, “During this critical and sensitive period in the region and the world, we adopted a balanced foreign policy based on securing interests and preserving sovereignty, and we were able to strengthen and develop our regional and international relations, and spare the country the repercussions of conflict and crises in the region.”
Al-Sudani expressed his welcome for the selection of former Iraqi President Barham Salih to fill the position of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, saying that this step “means a lot in supporting this important humanitarian issue, and that Iraq, with its political and influential figures, contributes to finding solutions and providing international support and assistance to refugees, not only in the region, but throughout the world.”
The outgoing Prime Minister announced that “in recognition of the role and sacrifices of the United Nations, especially the late Sergio Vieira de Mello and his colleagues, we announce the naming of one of the streets of the capital, Baghdad, extending from the Dar al-Diyafa intersection to the Ibn Sina Hospital intersection, as United Nations Street.”
Al-Sudani concluded his statement by saying that “a memorial will be placed next to the Unknown Soldier monument in honor of the United Nations’ role in Iraq in previous years.”
shafaq.com
