Security Council Hears, as UN Iraq Mission Winds Down, of Progress Won, Work Yet Remaining
With parliamentary elections in Iraq scheduled for 11 November, and the drawdown of the United Nations Mission there slated for the following month, the senior United Nations official in the country told the Security Council today of the progress Iraq has made — while he and other speakers also called for urgent efforts to resolve issues involving Baghdad’s relationship with the Kurdistan region and Kuwait.
“Voter registration is set to conclude in the coming days, and nearly three quarters of total voters have completed biometric registration,” reported Mohamed al Hassan, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), as he welcomed the country’s impending parliamentary election. However, noting that formation of a Government in Iraq’s Kurdistan region remains pending, he said that the Baghdad-Erbil partnership necessitates ongoing dialogue and collaboration to effectively address and resolve any outstanding issues between the two sides.
He went on to recall that more than 800 Iraqis returned 10 days ago from Al-Hawl camp in north-east Syria, illustrating the Iraqi Government’s commitment to accelerating the process with UN support. However, adequate resources must be invested. He also stressed that Iraq’s internal-displacement situation “continues to demand urgent attention”, as hundreds of thousands of individuals — primarily Yazidis from Sinjar — live in informal settlements throughout the country. While the Iraqi Government’s recent recognition of Yazidis’ land rights was a significant milestone, sustainable return conditions require better political and security measures.
“The return process cannot just be physical relocation — it needs to be a meaningful process that rebuilds lives, livelihoods and hope for the future,” he stressed. Therefore urging Iraq and neighbouring States to protect the Yazidis, he also called for measures to address the plight of those who have disappeared or been detained without just, transparent trials. He nonetheless voiced “great trust” in the Iraqi judiciary to “return hope to the thousands of families that have long waited to know the fate of their loved ones”. The Iraq of the future “must be in harmony amongst itself and with its neighbours”, he stated.
Turning to missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals, he welcomed the increase in field missions and use of advanced technology to identify national burial sites. However, he called for redoubled efforts and cooperation, including in the context of locating the remains of 300 Kuwaiti missing persons and providing long-overdue answers to their families. He further emphasized the importance of expediting the location and return of missing property, including Kuwait’s national archives. Kuwait was the victim of an invasion, he stressed, and closure requires collaboration to rebuild trust.
This includes “promises that are fulfilled on the ground, away from any politicization”, he stated. Meanwhile, UNAMI continues to pursue a structured transition on schedule, in close cooperation with the Government of Iraq. The Mission has closed offices in Mosul and Kirkuk and is gradually reducing staffing levels to balance drawdowns with continuing mandated tasks. He added that this is occurring “in a context of serious financial constraints impacting the United Nations as a whole”.
Council Members Welcome Progress, Spotlight Challenges That Remain
As the floor opened, the representative of the United States stressed that the Mission “still has important work to do”. He affirmed UNAMI’s role in supporting Iraq’s electoral commission, as well as in repatriating and reintegrating Iraqi families from camps in north-east Syria. He also encouraged Iraq and Kuwait to continue work on the return of persons and property, and agree on an appropriate UN follow-on mechanism before UNAMI concludes. He further stressed that “we must remain vigilant about the malign influence of Iran and other external actors who seek to exploit divisions for their own self-interest”.
However, the Russian Federation’s delegate cited the Secretary-General’s report — showing that the situation in Iraq has “definitively normalized” — as “further proof” of the timeliness and justification of drawing down UNAMI by the end of 2025. Applauding the “exceptional” work of the Government in this crucial period, he welcomed Iraq’s improved socioeconomic situation, as well as domestic stability and security. “The facts speak for themselves,” he stated. And underscoring the country’s sovereignty, he stressed that Iraq should not be an arena for “political score-settling by external players”.
Several other Council members welcomed the positive developments described in the report, including hard-won security gains. The Republic of Korea’s delegate welcomed both the decline in Da’esh attacks and the decision of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK] to disarm. Nevertheless, he urged “continued vigilance” given the “potential resurgence of such forces amid ongoing regional instability”. Further, he joined other speakers in voicing support for the “One UN Plan” to facilitate the reintegration of Iraqi nationals returning from camps in north-east Syria.
Greece’s representative, in that context, commended Iraq’s “concerted efforts to accelerate the return of all its nationals from north-eastern Syria” and to “expedite the reintegration of internally displaced persons into Iraqi society on the basis of voluntary, safe and sustainable returns”. He also encouraged Iraq to continue its efforts to assert State authority over armed actors and support disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes. In addition, he urged that the issue of unexploded ordnance be addressed, as civilian casualties continue to occur.
Meanwhile, Slovenia’s delegate joined others in encouraging the Iraqi Government to protect and promote the rights of women and girls, consistent with its international human rights obligations. “This applies also to any changes to the regulation of personal status matters,” she added. She pointed out that upcoming parliamentary elections will provide an important opportunity to foster greater inclusion and meaningful participation for women, minorities and underrepresented groups.
On the environment, Somalia’s delegate — also speaking for Algeria, Guyana and Sierra Leone — observed that the effects of climate change are exacerbating existing challenges in areas such as water scarcity and agricultural productivity. In this context, he commended the launch of the Environment and Climate Change Policy Advisory Group and encouraged the Government of Iraq to continue to combat this phenomenon. Similarly, Denmark’s representative emphasized that “environmental degradation and desertification of agricultural lands present challenges not only in the short term, but risk undermining progress and stability in the long term”.
Addressing relations between Baghdad and Erbil, France’s delegate called for the continuation of constructive dialogue on economic development and security, stressing: “At stake is the interest of Iraq as a whole, and Iraqi minorities need to be taken into account as part of the reform undertaken by the Prime Minister.” Echoing that, the United Kingdom’s representative said that the formation of a Government in the Kurdistan region is “vital” for its stability —“and should, ideally, precede the federal elections”. More broadly, he urged Baghdad to protect the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly.
The representatives of Panama and China, addressing another bilateral relationship, voiced support for the Secretary-General’s proposal of a follow-on mechanism to guarantee progress on pending issues between Iraq and Kuwait. The former stressed: “Panama knows about the suffering from conflict-related forced disappearances; we are also familiar with the open wound left by such an unresolved situation for loved ones who cannot close this painful chapter in their lives.” He therefore called for redoubled efforts and cooperation to facilitate the restoration of Kuwaiti memory and identity.
Iraq Seeks Closure of Past Chapter, Kuwait Calls for ‘Tangible Actions’
For his part, the representative of Iraq hailed upcoming parliamentary elections as “an important step towards consolidating democracy in the country”, noting that the Government and the clergy seek to resolve differences. Additionally, the Government has made the return of the displaced a priority, allocating a budget that also provides many benefits for victims. He also detailed his country’s efforts to be a force for peace, spotlighting Iraq’s “return to our pivotal role in the region as a bridge for building trust”. And as Baghdad was selected by the Arab Tourism Organization as an excellent destination, he called on all States to update their travel advisories.
“The security situation in Iraq is back to normal,” he stressed, while warning that the remnants of Da’esh in Syrian territory remain “a joint security threat”. On UNAMI, he said that the Government has worked intensively with the Mission to develop a liquidation and transition plan, with its takeover of UNAMI offices in Mosul marking the “beginning of a new era between Iraq and the UN”. Turning to bilateral relations with Kuwait, he stressed that “we seek seriously to end all outstanding issues”. Iraq has honoured its commitments to pay $52.4 billion in indemnities, its obligations concerning border demarcation, and further, has worked to return Kuwaiti property. “We believe in closing this chapter of the past,” he said.
However, Kuwait’s delegate emphasized that outstanding issues are a “strictly humanitarian file” not involving political or bilateral disagreements. Families of victims and the missing who have waited for decades “deserve truth and justice” for their loved ones, while an entire people await the return of Kuwait’s national archives — “a symbol of its identity, its history and its collective memory”, he stated.
Any delay, he stressed, undermines historic justice, and must not be subjected to political or procedural calculations. He called for “turning words into tangible actions”, condemning previous procrastination, as over 300 persons are still considered missing with no progress made. He recalled recommendations for appointing a senior UN representative for the file once UNAMI’s mandate is terminated. He added that, while bilateral collaboration with Iraq is imperative in this regard, Council supervision — through a high-level mechanism — is indispensable.
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* The 9932nd Meeting was closed.