UN Security Council to conclude UNAMI by end of 2025
Shafaq News / On Friday, the UN Security Council decided to conclude the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) by the end of 2025, following a request made by the Iraqi government about two weeks ago.
The Security Council voted on this decision during a session held today, commending the Iraqi government for resolving internal issues and acknowledging the progress made in achieving the goals set by the government’s program and priorities.
The unanimously adopted resolution extends the mandate of the mission, established in 2003, for a final period of 19 months until December 31, 2025.
Several members of the Security Council, including Russia and China, had previously supported Baghdad's request to end the UNAMI mission by next year. However, the United States did not immediately back this move.
Abbas Kadhim Al-Fatlawi, Iraq's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, reiterated Iraq’s request for the UN to terminate its political mission by the end of 2025, stating that "the mission has achieved its objectives."
On May 21, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani formally requested in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the UN conclude its assistance mission to Iraq, UNAMI, by December 31, 2025.
He indicated that the mission's remaining efforts this year should focus solely on finalizing work related to economic reform, service provision, sustainable development, climate change, and other developmental aspects.
Established in 2003 under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1500, at the request of the Iraqi government, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) role expanded significantly in 2007 under Resolution 1770.
At the outset of its operations in Iraq, the Mission faced a tragic incident in August 2003 when a terrorist bombing targeted its headquarters at Al-Qanat Hotel in Baghdad.
The attack destroyed the hotel, claiming the lives of 23 staff members, including the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations, Sergio Vieira de Mello.
The Mission, headquartered in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, is also tasked with collaborating with government partners and civil society to coordinate the humanitarian and development initiatives of UN Agencies, Funds, and Programmes.
The UN Iraq explained that while UNAMI doesn't directly implement humanitarian and development programs, it amplifies the importance of these issues in Iraq. It facilitates connections between Iraqi partners, including the Government and civil society organizations, and the technical expertise offered by the UN entities in Iraq.
