Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq’s cabinet on Tuesday approved a 2026–2029 government program setting 139 priorities across 14 sectors, with 13 pieces of legislation also designated as priorities for the government’s next phase.
The program received cabinet approval during the 14th regular session, chaired by Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi. The session focused solely on reviewing the program before it is sent to parliament under the cabinet’s internal rules.
According to a statement from the prime minister’s media office, the priorities span state sovereignty and national security, economic and financial reform, industry, institutional reform and anti-corruption, health, communications and digital transformation, youth and sports, foreign policy, energy, agriculture, water and the environment, education, social protection and poverty reduction, human rights, women and children, and culture, tourism and antiquities.
Institutional reform and the fight against corruption rank among the government’s main priorities. The plan calls for a national strategy to overhaul state institutions, combat financial and administrative corruption, review related legislation, and strengthen integrity and transparency measures.
The government also seeks to expand investment in minerals and other non-oil natural resources as part of efforts to diversify an economy heavily dependent on oil revenues.
Other economic priorities include restructuring the state banking sector, bringing border crossings under a unified system, and launching a national strategy for digital transformation. Authorities will also support digital transformation and cybersecurity centers while seeking to improve the investment climate.
Security and state authority feature prominently in the government’s agenda. The program calls for a unified security decision and directs state resources and capabilities toward the official government framework. It also defines an independent Iraqi political decision as a key element of national sovereignty, reinforcing the government’s focus on strengthening state authority over security and political affairs.
On social policy, the government plans to strengthen human rights protections, improve child welfare, and curb violence in society. It will also develop programs to train and prepare women for leadership roles in government and politics.
Lawmaker Ahmed Al-Moussawi, a member of the Sadiqoun bloc, previously told Shafaq News that Al-Zaidi plans to unveil candidates for nine vacant ministerial posts next week, as the Prime Minister works to complete a cabinet that has remained unfinished since parliament approved it on May 14.
Read more: What does Iraq's new government promise? A guide to Ali Al-Zaidi's ministerial program