Tag: Unami

Two decades after a shaky political transition, Iraq today is a country “at peace, with increased security and a clear determination to win the battle of development,” says the UN resident coordinator for Iraq.

At a news conference in New York Wednesday, Ghulam Isaczai spoke about the transition from the long-running UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), which ended its mandate in December, to a partnership with national authorities anchored to development.

“For those who lived through the troubled early years of the transition, today Iraq is unrecognizable and remarkable,” he told reporters.

Isaczai highlighted that the country which was devastated by war following the invasion of 2003 now has increased confidence in its institutions and is moving towards greater stability.

He said Iraq has seen a reduction in poverty from 20 per cent in 2018 to 17.5 per cent in 2024-2025 and that preliminary reports suggest the country now ranks high on the Human Development Index, which measures life expectancy, education and standard of living.

Additionally, an improved security environment has enabled five million internally displaced people to return home, while those remaining in camps do so mostly because of housing or civil identification issues.

Finally, he noted an “important milestone” when the country held parliamentary elections last year with a 56 per cent voter turnout – a 12 per cent increase from the previous national vote – with around a third of the candidates being women.

UNAMI was created in 2003 to assist Iraq through its political transition after the fall of Saddam Hussein and the turmoil that followed, culminating in the occupation of swathes of the country by the Islamic State terrorist group which was eventually defeated in December 2017.

The mission ended its mandate on December 31, but the UN will continue its engagement in the country under the…

Continue reading

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Tuesday said that Baghdad is working to ensure that weapons stay “exclusively” in the hands of the state, amid mounting pressure on Iran-backed Iraqi factions to disarm.

In a message marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Iraqi Army, Sudani reaffirmed Iraq’s commitment to bolstering its security apparatus.

“We will continue to consolidate the authority of the state by safeguarding security and ensuring that weapons remain exclusively in the hands of the state,” Sudani wrote on X.

“We have fulfilled the pledge we made to ourselves to restore Iraq’s full sovereignty, end the mission of the international coalition, and, thanks to the stability that Iraq is enjoying, we have moved with confident steps to end the operations of the United Nations [Assistance] Mission [for Iraq] / UNAMI,” the premier added.

Illegal weapons in Iraq stand out as one of the most pressing challenges to security and stability. Unofficial data puts the number of arms within the Iraqi society at around 15 million medium and light weapons, with non-state armed groups and tribes possessing the bulk of them.

Faiq Zidan, President of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, in mid-December announced that the leaders of some armed factions have adhered to his advice on cooperation “to enforce the rule of law, confine weapons to the state, and transition to political action now that the national need for military action has ceased.”

Several pro-Iran factions however have rebuffed the calls for disarmament, on the pretense that Iraq is under “occupation” by foreign forces, referencing the presence of the US-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS). Such groups include Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba, and Asaib Ahl al-Haq, all of which…

Continue reading

Iraq assumes UN compound following mission closure

Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

{var e=async t=>{await(await t())()};(self.Astro||(self.Astro={})).load=e;window.dispatchEvent(new Event(“astro:load”));})();]]>{var A=Object.defineProperty;var g=(i,o,a)=>o in i?A(i,o,{enumerable:!0,configurable:!0,writable:!0,value:a}):i[o]=a;var d=(i,o,a)=>g(i,typeof o!=”symbol”?o+””:o,a);{let i={0:t=>m(t),1:t=>a(t),2:t=>new RegExp(t),3:t=>new Date(t),4:t=>new Map(a(t)),5:t=>new Set(a(t)),6:t=>BigInt(t),7:t=>new URL(t),8:t=>new Uint8Array(t),9:t=>new Uint16Array(t),10:t=>new Uint32Array(t),11:t=>1/0*t},o=t=>{let[l,e]=t;return l in i?i[l](e):void 0},a=t=>t.map(o),m=t=>typeof t!=”object”||t===null?t:Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(t).map(([l,e])=>[l,o(e)]));class y extends HTMLElement{constructor(){super(…arguments);d(this,”Component”);d(this,”hydrator”);d(this,”hydrate”,async()=>{var b;if(!this.hydrator||!this.isConnected)return;let e=(b=this.parentElement)==null?void 0:b.closest(“astro-island[ssr]”);if(e){e.addEventListener(“astro:hydrate”,this.hydrate,{once:!0});return}let c=this.querySelectorAll(“astro-slot”),n={},h=this.querySelectorAll(“template[data-astro-template]”);for(let r of h){let s=r.closest(this.tagName);s!=null&&s.isSameNode(this)&&(n[r.getAttribute(“data-astro-template”)||”default”]=r.innerHTML,r.remove())}for(let r of c){let s=r.closest(this.tagName);s!=null&&s.isSameNode(this)&&(n[r.getAttribute(“name”)||”default”]=r.innerHTML)}let p;try{p=this.hasAttribute(“props”)?m(JSON.parse(this.getAttribute(“props”))):{}}catch(r){let s=this.getAttribute(“component-url”)||””,v=this.getAttribute(“component-export”);throw v&&(s+=` (export ${v})`),console.error(`[hydrate] Error parsing props for component ${s}`,this.getAttribute(“props”),r),r}let u;await this.hydrator(this)(this.Component,p,n,{client:this.getAttribute(“client”)}),this.removeAttribute(“ssr”),this.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent(“astro:hydrate”))});d(this,”unmount”,()=>{this.isConnected||this.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent(“astro:unmount”))})}disconnectedCallback(){document.removeEventListener(“astro:after-swap”,this.unmount),document.addEventListener(“astro:after-swap”,this.unmount,{once:!0})}connectedCallback(){if(!this.hasAttribute(“await-children”)||document.readyState===”interactive”||document.readyState===”complete”)this.childrenConnectedCallback();else{let e=()=>{document.removeEventListener(“DOMContentLoaded”,e),c.disconnect(),this.childrenConnectedCallback()},c=new MutationObserver(()=>{var n;((n=this.lastChild)==null?void 0:n.nodeType)===Node.COMMENT_NODE&&this.lastChild.nodeValue===”astro:end”&&(this.lastChild.remove(),e())});c.observe(this,{childList:!0}),document.addEventListener(“DOMContentLoaded”,e)}}async childrenConnectedCallback(){let e=this.getAttribute(“before-hydration-url”);e&&await import(e),this.start()}async start(){let e=JSON.parse(this.getAttribute(“opts”)),c=this.getAttribute(“client”);if(Astro[c]===void 0){window.addEventListener(`astro:${c}`,()=>this.start(),{once:!0});return}try{await Astro[c](async()=>{let n=this.getAttribute(“renderer-url”),[h,{default:p}]=await Promise.all([import(this.getAttribute(“component-url”)),n?import(n):()=>()=>{}]),u=this.getAttribute(“component-export”)||”default”;if(!u.includes(“.”))this.Component=h[u];else{this.Component=h;for(let f of u.split(“.”))this.Component=this.Component[f]}return this.hydrator=p,this.hydrate},e,this)}catch(n){console.error(`[astro-island] Error hydrating ${this.getAttribute(“component-url”)}`,n)}}attributeChangedCallback(){this.hydrate()}}d(y,”observedAttributes”,[“props”]),customElements.get(“astro-island”)||customElements.define(“astro-island”,y)}})();]]>

403

Sorry!!

Error! We’re sorry, but the page you were looking for doesn’t exist.

(MENAFN) Iraq officially took over the United Nations Integrated Compound in Baghdad on Saturday, marking the conclusion of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) at the end of 2025.

According to official statements, the handover document was signed by Iraq’s deputy foreign minister and the deputy special representative of the UN secretary-general. Both parties emphasized that the closure of the mission ushers in a new phase of development partnership, led by the UN country team in line with Iraq’s national priorities. Bahr Al-Uloom praised UNAMI’s “two-decade contribution to Iraq’s stability and development.”

The handover followed a high-level ceremony on December 13, 2025, attended by Iraqi and UN…

Continue reading

2026-01-03T17:58:20+00:00

font

Enable Reading Mode

A- A A+

Shafaq News– Baghdad

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday formally took possession of the United Nations Integrated Compound in Baghdad, a step that came after the drawdown of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

In a statement, the handover protocol was signed by Foreign Ministry undersecretary and head of the committee overseeing the transfer of UN sites, Ambassador Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al-Uloom, and Claudio Cordone, the UN deputy special representative of the secretary-general. The signing was followed by an inspection tour of the compound’s facilities.

Bahr Al-Uloom pointed to the role UNAMI played over the past two decades, noting sustained cooperation with Iraqi authorities that “contributed to stability and development, particularly in supporting democratic processes, human rights, women’s rights, and social justice.”

He also recalled the sacrifices made by UN mission staff since 2003, including the mission’s first head, Sergio de Mello, who was killed on August 19, 2003, in the Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad, expressing Iraq’s appreciation to successive special representatives of the UN secretary-general, up to the current envoy, Ambassador Mohammed Al-Hassan.

Both sides stressed that the conclusion would open a new phase of development-focused partnership led by the UN country team, aligned with Iraq’s national priorities and aimed at building on gains made since 2003.

Read more: Iraq ends the UNAMI era: A nation steps into the unknown

Continue reading

KUWAIT: Preparations are underway to move the Kuwait Cancer Control Center to a new facility, Health Minister Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi said Tuesday, stressing that the transition will ensure uninterrupted services for patients. “The partnership with France’s Gustave Roussy Hospital represents a strategic addition that will boost the center’s capabilities in training, treatment, and scientific research,” Dr Al-Awadhi said, highlighting the ministry’s full support for ongoing development projects.

According to a press release published by Kuwaiti law firm ASAR, the partnership with the hospital was formalized through the licensing of Gustave Roussy International (GRI) in Kuwait, creating the “Gustave Roussy for Cancer Treatment Hospital Kuwait.” The license, issued under Law No. 116 of 2013 by the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), allows foreign investors to fully own the company and provides exemptions on taxes and customs duties. GRI is affiliated with Europe’s leading cancer center in Villejuif, Paris, which treats over 250,000 patients worldwide each year.

The new hospital aims to bring cutting-edge cancer care technology to the country, support public health services, reduce the number of patients seeking treatment abroad and provide advanced training for Kuwaiti medical professionals. The French hospital had signed an MoU with the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health earlier this year.

Dr Al-Awadhi chaired a meeting Tuesday with the Kuwait Cancer Control Center’s board to review the move, which includes detailed logistical, technical and operational planning. Officials also discussed activating international collaboration with Gustave Roussy, transferring advanced expertise in cancer diagnosis and treatment, arranging exchange visits and developing training programs for national specialists.

The meeting further emphasized updating treatment protocols, supporting early detection programs, and expanding psychological and social services for patients and their families. “These efforts align with Kuwait Vision 2035 for the health sector,” Dr. Al-Awadhi added. The new facility is designed to meet the highest international medical…

Continue reading

On Thursday, the UN and Iraq signed a new agreement, the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2025 to 2029, to assist the country in making progress on its national goals, which are also reflected in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by Member States in 2015. 

The agreement comes ahead of the closure of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), which has been helping the government with key policy issues for more than two decades.

“Signing the Framework is a natural and honourable transition of the relationship between the United Nations and the Republic of Iraq,” said UNAMI chief Mohamed Al Hassan. “It reflects an orderly and responsible departure from support to political stability to the stage of consolidating sustainable development partnership between Iraq and the organization.” 

Listen to our interview with Mr. Al Hassan on UNAMI’s closure.

About the framework 

In order to achieve the 2030 Agenda, which also includes the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), countries need not only to work collectively, but to also do their part on a national level.  

Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks are agreements between the UN and individual governments which give countries the tools to achieve these goals, from planning to implementation and monitoring.  

The plan for Iraq focuses on four main strategic priorities that align with the country’s national development plan:  

1. Improved access to education, health and social services. 
2. Creating opportunities for jobs and economic growth. 
3. Protecting the environment and addressing climate change. 
4. Strengthening rule of law and good governance. 

How will it be achieved? 

The implementation, monitoring and reporting of the UN-Iraq development framework will be guided by a steering committee co-chaired by Iraq’s Ministry of Planning and the UN Resident Coordinator who leads the country team. 

Government institutions and UN agencies will come together to review progress annually and ensure the framework remains on track.  

Implementation will be supported by a dedicated fund, alongside a strategy to mobilise resources for necessary funding. 

UN Mission closes

UNAMI was created in 2003…

Continue reading