UN representative: Iraq today is amazing and completely different from what it used to be.
UN representative: Iraq today is amazing and completely different from what it used to be.
1-8-2025
The UN Resident Coordinator in Iraq, Gholam Ishaqzi, affirmed on Thursday that after nearly two decades of turbulent political transition, Iraq is now “a country enjoying peace, increasing security, and a firm commitment to development.” The
UN website, in a report translated by Al-Maalomah News Agency, quoted Ishaqzi as saying during a press briefing in New York that “the transition from the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), which lasted for many years and whose mandate ended in December, to a partnership with national authorities focused on development.”
Ishaqzi stated that “for those who lived through the turbulent early years of the transition, Iraq today is completely different and remarkable,” adding that “the country, devastated by war following the 2003 invasion, now enjoys increasing confidence in its institutions and is moving towards greater stability.”
He explained that “Iraq has witnessed a decrease in the poverty rate from 20 percent in 2018 to 17.5 percent in the period 2024-2025, and preliminary reports indicate that the country now occupies an advanced position in the Human Development Index, which measures life expectancy, education, and standard of living.”
He noted that “the improved security situation has enabled five million internally displaced persons to return to their homes, while those who remained in camps have mostly not returned due to housing or civil identity issues.” He also pointed to a significant achievement: the holding of parliamentary elections last year with a 56 percent voter turnout, a 12 percent increase over the previous national elections, with approximately one-third of the candidates being women.
He indicated that “the United Nations’ goal now is to support Iraq’s social and economic needs, in addition to building upon the extensive work accomplished over the past two decades. This demonstrates the Iraqi government’s growing partnership and sense of responsibility towards the project, transforming it from a recipient of humanitarian and development aid for many years into a donor country.”
almaalomah.me
