UN Mission in Iraq to Conclude Next Year
At the behest of Baghdad, the United Nations Security Council has unanimously agreed to conclude the United Nations political mission in Iraq by the end of 2025, marking the culmination of over two decades of presence in the region.
Earlier this month, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani penned a letter to the council, advocating for the closure of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). Al-Sudani highlighted the mission’s successful navigation of significant challenges and asserted that the rationale for maintaining a political mission in Iraq no longer holds true.
The UNSC resolution passed on Friday extends the mission’s mandate for a final 19-month period until December 31, 2025, beyond which UNAMI will cease all operational activities. This mission was initially established by a UN Security Council resolution in 2003, following a request from the Iraqi government in the aftermath of the US-led invasion and subsequent regime change.
UNAMI has played a pivotal role in advising the Iraqi government on political dialogues, reconciliation efforts, electoral processes, and security sector reforms. The recent strategic review conducted under the oversight of German diplomat Volker Perthes indicated that the timeline proposed by the government for the mission’s drawdown could facilitate further advancements.
In his report released in March, Perthes suggested that the transition period could serve to allay concerns among hesitant Iraqis regarding the potential impact on democratic progress and overall peace and stability. With the understanding that UN missions necessitate the consent of the host nation, major global powers such as Russia, China, Britain, and France have expressed their support for a phased transition in the collaboration between Iraq and the United Nations.
While the United States acknowledged the importance of UNAMI’s contributions in organizing elections and championing human rights, UN ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield refrained from explicitly addressing Baghdad’s request. The focus on economic issues, as proposed by Iraq, is anticipated to feature prominently in the mission’s remaining tenure, notwithstanding differing perspectives on the scope of UNAMI’s ongoing responsibilities.