SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES AGREEMENT BRINGING MORE SUNNIS

 

INTO COMMITTEE DRAFTING IRAQ’S CONSTITUTION

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General welcomes the important agreement reached today to expand Iraq’s Constitution Drafting Committee so that it is more inclusive of the country’s Sunni Arab community.  He is pleased that his Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi and the Head of the Office of Constitutional Support of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Nicholas Haysom, were able to help facilitate the agreement.

The Secretary-General hopes that the people of Iraq will seize this historic opportunity to pursue a constitutional process that is responsive to the key demands of all Iraqi political constituencies and that every effort will be made to complete the drafting of the constitution in accordance with the agreed timetable.

The United Nations will continue to do everything possible to support the constitution-making process and to facilitate Iraq’s political transition in accordance with its mandate under Security Council resolution 1546.

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