Al-Zaidi and the United Nations discuss rural development and the private sector
Al-Zaidi and the United Nations discuss rural development and the private sector
2026-08-18
Shafaq News – Baghdad
On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi affirmed his commitment to developing rural areas and supporting the agricultural sector, as well as supporting and developing the private sector, in order to contribute to achieving sustainable development and diversifying the economy. This came during his meeting with the acting UN Resident Coordinator in Iraq, Peter Hawkins.
According to a statement from Al-Zaidi’s office received by Shafaq News Agency, the meeting discussed cooperation relations between Iraq and the United Nations, and ways to enhance partnership in development and economic fields, in line with the priorities of the Iraqi government and the Sustainable Development Goals. It also discussed UN efforts in supporting development and reform programs, strengthening institutions, and developing areas of technical and advisory cooperation.
Al-Zaydi pointed to the government’s economic reform plans, explaining that the move towards establishing a development fund will contribute to financing agricultural sector projects, the establishment of industrial cities, as well as projects in the health and education sectors, which will be implemented by the private sector, stressing that such projects would contribute to achieving development and generating more job opportunities.
According to the statement, Al-Zaydi stressed the importance of continuing cooperation and coordination with the United Nations, and benefiting from its expertise and programs in supporting the path of reform and development, to enhance economic and social stability, and to consolidate Iraq’s position and its regional and international role.
For his part, Hawkins affirmed the United Nations’ support for the Iraqi government’s efforts in the field of economic reforms, private sector development, and strengthening development pathways, in order to achieve Iraq’s development goals.
The UN coordinator in Iraq, Ghulam Ishaq Zai, had given an optimistic assessment of the situation in the country at the beginning of this year, stressing that Iraq had strengthened confidence in its institutions and was moving steadily towards stability, while noting that the country had become “remarkable and unrecognizable” compared to what it was years ago.
On January 25, 2026, the United Nations confirmed that Iraq had moved from category (E) to category (B), thus becoming one of the countries with stable security.
On December 25, 2025, the Iraqi government and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) signed a Cooperation Framework for Sustainable Development for the period 2025-2029, to enhance cooperation on four key strategic axes.
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