S/PV.6320 Security Council

In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, I shall take it that the Security Council agrees to extend an invitation under rule 39 of its provisional rules of procedure to Mr. Ad Melkert, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq. There being no objection, it is so decided. I invite Mr. Melkert to take a seat at the Council table. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. I should like to draw the attention of members to document S/2010/240, containing the report of the Secretary-General pursuant to paragraph 6 of resolution 1883 (2009). At this meeting, the Security Council will hear a briefing by Mr. Ad Melkert, to whom I now give the floor. Mr. Melkert: The 7 March elections for Iraq’s Council of Representatives marked a turning point for Iraq, as the results will determine the Government that is to oversee the withdrawal of United States forces in the course of 2010 and 2011 and govern Iraq during the next four years. This is an opportunity to further strengthen the country’s sovereignty and to move with more determination towards reconciliation. Still, there are reasons for serious concern. I regret to draw attention to the hard fact that a chilling number of violent incidents in the year 2010 so far have left over 2,000 Iraqis dead and 5,000 injured. Yesterday, newly elected member of parliament Bashar al-Aqidi was assassinated in a despicable act of crime. It is imperative that the international community condemn and isolate the perpetrators. That would be to the benefit of an orderly transition towards a new Government as a critical moment for creating a political environment conducive to meaningful dialogue and power-sharing. Against this backdrop, I would like to share some observations and concerns. Following the vote recount in Baghdad and the forthcoming ratification of the electoral results by the Federal Supreme Court, the first full election cycle in Iraq will be completed in a credible and successful way. It is difficult to overstate the importance of this milestone. It represents a firm rejection by the vast majority of the Iraqi people of the violent forces and their objectives. Despite challenges often highlighted in the media, what I observed in the post-elections period was a genuine and shared understanding among all elected leaders that there is no alternative to respecting the constitutional basis for the transition to the next Government. This shared political attitude is key in assessing the ongoing process, including its time- consuming features. The latter reflect the absence of established procedures and customs, as well as characteristics of the parliamentary system, which is not unlike those of other countries of the world. This is not to say that time does not matter, for the Iraqi voters expect to see the results of their votes, and destructive forces stand ready to derail progress. However, the crux is in the determination of political leaders, as well as of religious and civil society voices, to establish the country’s future on a constitutional basis in an open and inclusive spirit. As we speak, some signs are positive, others are less so. From various sides, a round table format has been suggested for the Government-formation process. We have advised key leaders to embark upon this without further delay. In this context, it would be important for all to recognize that the constitutional system requires majority support for all Government positions and policy agreements. In Iraq’s political system, the election result alone is not a direct guarantee of the choice of a Prime Minister. Hence the permanent effort by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) to encourage the winning parties to meet and converge around agreements that, at this stage, could be guided by three principles: first, a Government coalition inclusive of all major winning lists; secondly, a Government based on power-sharing principles; and thirdly, a Government-formation process within a tentatively agreed time frame. Agreeing to such principles could demonstrate commitment to a specific direction while allowing for more time for the complex process of consensus- building to unfold without creating a political vacuum. Democracy is not necessarily limited to the distinction between a majority in government and a minority in opposition. At this juncture, Iraq would probably be better served by a broadly inclusive Government as a radical alternative to the exclusion and disenfranchisement that many communities have experienced in the past. Another major challenge ahead is the need to respond to high expectations that political and security progress will translate into economic growth and the creation of jobs, leading to a drastic improvement of living conditions. The list of infrastructure and services challenges is immense, with shortages everywhere, varying from schools and health-care centres to roads, sewers and electricity. In Iraq, life expectancy at birth is 58.2 years, as opposed to, for example, 73.6 years in Syria. The reintegration of internally displaced persons — many living in appalling conditions as squatters — and those refugees who want to return demands far more priority attention and resources. The new Government can benefit from policy directions offered by the National Development Plan. Yet, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that reconstruction and reform have often been piecemeal, suffering at times from leadership and capacity gaps. It is also a concern that, in the current post-election phase, attention to the economic and social policy priorities seems virtually absent. Failure by the next Government to address the needs and aspirations of the population will predictably be a source of increasing instability and undermine the gains of the democratic process so far. Let me say a few words on areas of United Nations action. The signing of the first United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) on 11 May marked a milestone towards longer-term economic and human development planning for Iraq, centring on the five national development priorities outlined in the Secretary-General’s report (S/2010/240). Resource mobilization to enable United Nations agencies to play their part in implementing these priorities will be necessary, as will finding the right balance between increasing Iraqi contributions and ongoing commitment from Iraq’s partners in the stage of crucial transition to long-term development assistance. Currently, the framework for a UNDAF trust fund is under preparation for discussion among all partners, with the aim to be operational by the beginning of 2011. The need for a vote recount in Baghdad made it necessary for UNAMI to continue to dedicate additional attention and resources to election management support. The eventual confirmation of the initial count was a moment of deserved pride for all the United Nations staff who have tirelessly stood by the Independent High Electoral Commission in the delivery of an historic result. In the coming period, the United Nations election team will work closely with the United Nations country team to plan for future electoral events and to strengthen support for relevant constitutional and parliamentary processes, taking into account many valuable lessons learned. Whilst the Government formation process is gradually evolving, there are opportunities to advance some of the key outstanding issues more than was possible in the pre-election period. This particularly concerns areas crucial to reconciliation that require action at different levels of engagement. I am particularly pleased to report that UNAMI’s impartial outreach, aimed at reconciliation between different communities and interests in the province of Ninewa, has generated a positive atmosphere and the possibility of tangible results in the near future. Building on Deputy Prime Minister Issawi’s initiative of last year, UNAMI is facilitating meetings between the Governorate of Ninewa and the Kurdistan Regional Government as a basis for progress in four specific areas: clarifying responsibilities and involvement in security policies for Ninewa; facilitating the release or transfer of Arab detainees held in the Kurdistan region; strengthening support for and protection of minorities that are suffering discrimination and attacks, including the disturbing recent attack on a bus with Christian students in Mosul; and ending the absence of representatives from the Kurdish Brotherhood List in the Ninewa Provincial Council and administration as a step towards normalizing relations within the Governorate. I hope that these first signs of change in atmosphere and determination bode well for taking up the task to seriously address the outstanding issues concerning all so-called disputed areas. These still cast their shadow on the stability and future of Iraq. The time has come for all parties to come to terms around the relevant provisions of the Constitution. To this end, we are exploring the possibility of expanding the work of the high-level task force. Our advice to all parties will be to focus the expanded agenda on, in particular, principles guiding the management, development and revenue-sharing of oil production throughout Iraq, including the Kurdistan region and Kirkuk province; an approach to achieving consensus on the future arrangements concerning Kirkuk province; clarification of the relevant administrative roles and responsibilities with regard to disputed territories; and practical modalities for joint security arrangements ensuring long-term stability. In many aspects, the effort to achieve reconciliation has a strong regional dimension. The future Government should reflect on building an internal and external consensus on a regional policy for Iraq. Security, stability and economic growth go hand in hand, and Iraq and its neighbours would be well served by capitalizing on the strengths of a region with so much more potential for progress than we have seen so far. Constructive engagement, rather than partisan interference, would be of great benefit to all. The United Nations should stand ready to facilitate bilateral and multilateral processes if requested. Importantly, hosting next year’s summit of the League of Arab States in Baghdad will offer Iraq a unique opportunity to reinforce a positive agenda of regional engagement and cooperation. Not least important in normalizing the position of Iraq within the region and the wider international community is the aim to exit Chapter VII as soon as possible, as are consensus opinion and hope among all parties in Iraq. I should not hide my concern that signs of ambivalence seem to stand in the way of advancing towards good-neighbourly relations with Kuwait. UNAMI continues to convey the message that reaffirmation by Iraq of the border demarcated in 1993 and affirmed in resolution 833 (1993) is indispensable to bringing the resolution of other outstanding issues to a close, counting on the reassurance of the Government of Kuwait that normalizing relations is of mutual interest and benefit. Finally, reconciliation requires strong commitment to upholding human rights, which in many ways are still under tremendous pressure. We urge the authorities in Baghdad and Erbil to take very seriously the alarm sounded by the International Federation of Journalists that violence against journalists in Iraq is again on the rise, and its call for investigations in two recent killings. UNAMI is also concerned regarding reports of ill-treatment and torture in secret detention places. Stemming the trend of ongoing violence that has hit scores of innocent citizens yet again requires both effective security forces and consistent application of the law in order to avoid a vicious cycle of infringement of elementary rights. Allow me finally to draw the Council’s attention to the conditions that should enable the United Nations to play its mandated roles. At this particular moment, we have to anticipate important consequences from the reduction of support services by the United States forces in light of the drawdown between now and the end of 2011. Given high security risks to the United Nations that will likely continue in the foreseeable future, the ability to provide adequate protection to United Nations staff remains key when determining the level and extent of the future presence of the Organization in Iraq. We are working more and more with the Iraqi security forces. It has been established, however, that the provision by the Iraqi security forces of the full range of security services that the United Nations requires will be gradual and will take some time. That will necessitate a combination of security options during this transitional period, including by improving the United Nations own capabilities; gradually increasing reliance on the Iraqi security forces; additional support from Member States, especially more United Nations guards; and, as a last resort, judiciously outsourcing some security functions, in accordance with principles outlined in General Assembly resolution 55/232. In that regard, the United Nations in Iraq will also have to work towards becoming self-reliant in the full range of life-support and logistical services. The ability to deploy staff to Iraq is directly linked to the availability of safe accommodation and offices, together with security and air assets. As the Council is aware, preparations for a new United Nations compound in Baghdad are under way, following the offer by the Government of Iraq of a construction lot and payment of the initial contribution of $25 million as part of a proposed 50 per cent share. We count on the attention and support of Member States in the framework of the forthcoming budget process to enable the United Nations to continue to be represented in Iraq with the current footprint and, if possible and as requested by Iraq, more than that. The alternative will be a reduction in presence with a negative impact at a time when major tasks are still ahead and the demand for United Nations support is already more than can be supplied at the moment.

I thank Mr. Melkert for his briefing. I now give the floor to the representative of Iraq.

Allow me at the outset, Mr. President, to congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council this month. I would also like to thank your predecessor, the Permanent Representative of Japan, for his efforts during Japan’s presidency in the month of April. Our thanks also go to Mr. Ad Melkert, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, and his team in Baghdad and New York for their vigorous efforts to assist the Iraqi Government and people. My delegation takes note of the report of the Secretary-General (S/2010/240) and the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), and would like to present the following comments. On the political and security level, although Mr. Melkert expressed some concerns about the delays in the political process of setting up an Iraqi Government, we believe that there is effective deliberation going on now between the various political groups in order to reach a consensus regarding that Government. Mr. Melkert also expressed concerns about the security situation, especially the assassination yesterday in Mosul of a newly elected Member of Parliament, Bashar Al-Aqidi. We believe that this was the result of terrorist activities in Iraq, which have been aimed at trying to exploit the vacuum created by the delay in forming a Government. With regard to our relations with the brotherly and neighbourly State of Kuwait, I can assure Mr. Melkert and the Security Council that Iraq is committed to all Council resolutions, especially those regarding relations with Kuwait and the borders. On 7 March, the Iraqi people took an important step in building and structuring democracy in Iraq. More than 12 million Iraqis inside and outside Iraq, through their participation in casting their votes in the Iraqi parliamentary elections, challenged all obstacles, expressed their determination to select their representatives, and signified their intention to continue to have their say in the formation of the Government that will run the country for the next four years. The success of the electoral process in its various stages in Iraq is another achievement of the Iraqi Government, the security forces and the Independent High Electoral Commission. Through their meticulous efforts, a safe environment was provided and voting procedures were conducted with the highest level of integrity and transparency. This was observed by all the international and regional bodies that exercise a supervisory role to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. I would also like to commend the important role that the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq provided in its advisory, assistance and logistical support to the Independent High Electoral Commission. The judicial decision on the vote recount of Baghdad province, due to a number of complaints made by political entities, was an important step in the successful completion of the electoral voting process. As guaranteed by Iraqi law, the complaints regarding the legitimacy of the elections and credibility of their results were addressed so that the results could be confirmed, especially in the wake of the political controversy that followed the announced results. The Independent High Electoral Commission implemented the legal decision through a recount of the votes at 11,000 polling stations in the city of Baghdad. This led to the discovery of minor differences that did not affect the announced results for the Baghdad Governorate. The political process in Iraq is ongoing and will continue as political rivals turn to the law and the Constitution to find solutions to political problems. This process represents an important development in the rule of law in Iraq’s political culture and a momentous cornerstone of the peaceful political process in the building of a State in which the sovereignty of law and institutions, rather than individuals and parties, rules. The joint efforts of the central Iraqi Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government in resolving outstanding issues have produced fruitful results. On 17 May, the Council of Ministers approved the implementation of the agreement between the Ministry of Oil and the Kurdish Regional Government, which will allow the export of crude oil produced in the Kurdistan region and the payment of financial dues to the oil companies. In the context of the continuing development of the capacity of the Iraqi security forces to gather information and respond immediately to potential threats, on 18 April, with the support of American forces, our security forces carried out a successful operation in the Al-Tharthar area in Salahaddin province north of Baghdad that led to the death of the Egyptian terrorist Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, Al-Qaida’s military leader in Iraq, and Mohammed Khalil al-Zawi, known as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, alleged leader of the Al Qaida-affiliated terrorist organization known as the Islamic State of Iraq. The death of these terrorists was a devastating blow to Al-Qaida’s network in Iraq, which has carried out many of the terrorist operations that have targeted innocent civilian lives. At the same time, this represents a significant victory for the Iraqi security forces in their continuing efforts to combat terrorism. In the context of successes achieved in security, on 22 April Manaf Abdul Rahim al-Rawi, known as the “governor of Baghdad” by the Islamic State of Iraq, was captured. He was responsible for the perpetration of deadly bombings in Baghdad, resulting in the horrific loss of hundreds of innocent civilian lives. I would like to emphasize here today that messages of death and destruction sent by terrorist forces will not hinder the democratic process and reconstruction of Iraq, nor will they discourage the Iraqi Government and people from moving forward on the path of building a stable State based on law and civic institutions. The Iraqi security authorities apprehended Tarek Abdelqadir al-Jazari and Abdullah Azam al-Qahtani, known as Snan al-Saudi, who had made contact with the number-two person in the Al-Qaida network, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, and who were planning to carry out acts of violence and detonate explosions at the start of the World Cup in South Africa. Once again, the Iraqi Government’s victory in its battle against terrorism is in the interest of all States regionally and globally. Under the auspices of His Excellency Prime Minister Nuri Kamel al-Maliki and in the presence of His Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Hoshyar Zebari, Iraq’s Foreign Ministry building was reopened. Its reconstruction had been completed after it was targeted by terrorist attacks on 19 August 2009, attacks in which 562 staff members of the Foreign Ministry were injured and 42 lost their lives. We are still seeing attacks and terrorist operations being carried out, such as the assassination of the newly elected member of parliament. However, I think the security situation in general has improved dramatically in the past few months. The Iraqi Government continues its effort to benefit from former cadres of the Iraqi army who are innocent from shedding the blood of the Iraqi people. The Ministry of Defence recently announced that, by the end of 2009, around 13,000 former members of the Iraqi army had been reassigned to serve and that another 7,000 were to be reassigned soon. That makes a total of 20,000 former army members reassigned to the Iraqi army as part of the Iraqi Government’s continuous efforts to resolve the issue of military personnel who had served in the Iraqi army under the former regime. In the framework of the continued security forces coordination effort between the Iraqi Government and the United States Government, the United States forces handed over the joint security command centre east of Baghdad to the competent Iraqi authorities. This step represents progress in the efforts of the Iraqi Government to receive and fully operate all security centres in preparation for the full withdrawal of United States troops in accordance with the time frame agreed upon between the two countries. The improvement of the security situation has coincided with the Iraqi Government’s policy plans to return displaced Iraqis within Iraq and abroad. This has led to an increase in the numbers of Iraqis returning to their homes, both from within Iraq and from abroad. Reports from the Ministry of Immigration and Migration on 31 March 2010 on the return of displaced families indicate the return of 61,285 persons displaced abroad and internally. Since that date, the figure has increased by an additional 41,852 internally displaced persons and 7,241 persons returning from abroad. The Iraqi Government is still working in conjunction with international specialized bodies to manage all of the necessary requirements for the continuation of the return of families — both from abroad and internally displaced — to their homes. On the economic and social levels, Iraq has signed and the Council of Ministers has endorsed the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for Iraq for the period 2011 to 2014. The Framework represents an update of the cooperation between the Iraqi Government and the United Nations for the coming five years. The agreement includes cooperation on all aspects of human rights, the rule of law and economic reform, as well as in the areas of basic services and social and human capacity-building for employees in ministries and State institutions. Iraq’s oil exports have witnessed remarkable stability over the past few months, as Iraq exported around 2 million barrels per day. The Iraqi Government continues to work to increase the amount of oil to be exported during the current year, with projections of up to 2,325,000 barrels per day. In the framework of the Iraqi Government’s ongoing efforts to develop the oil industry in order to reduce Iraq’s importation of oil products, the Iraqi Oil Ministry called on the National Investment Commission to hold a preparatory meeting to develop mechanisms and a programme with a view to convening a large conference of investment authorities in the provinces so that Arab, foreign and local companies could be invited to invest in oil refineries in accordance with the Iraqi investment law in order to develop the capacity of oil refineries in Iraq. The Oil Ministry is now preparing for the third round of bidding, which will focus on investment in natural gas fields. The bidding will include three major fields — the Saybah field, the Mansourieh field and the Akas field — and will focus on developing Iraqi gas production to meet Iraq’s growing natural gas needs and to develop the productive potential of these fields to allow the export of natural gas to foreign markets. In the context of the Iraqi Government’s efforts to enhance economic openness between Iraq and the rest of the world, on 13 May 2010 the Council of Ministers took the decision to authorize the Minister of Transport to negotiate and sign a draft air transport agreement between the Government of the Republic of Iraq and the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina. That is an additional step in our efforts to open up to other countries of the world, especially in fields of vital importance, such as air transport. In the framework of the gradual improvement of the humanitarian situation in Iraq, in its Humanitarian Action Report 2010, UNICEF mentioned the end of the acute emergency stage of the humanitarian crisis in Iraq and stressed the need for investments inside the country to change from just the distribution of relief and rehabilitation on a small scale to more durable solutions to increase the strength of communities. Some in the media have recently made an exaggerated fanfare over the existence of secret prisons in Iraq and the torture of detainees. On this issue, the Minister for Human Rights, Her Excellency Ms. Wijdan Mikhail Salim, held a press conference on 20 April 2010, at which she pointed out that the media reports did not highlight the presence of any violations but only distorted the truth and insulted the Iraqi Government. Ms. Wijdan Mikhail Salim noted that the Prime Minister had ordered the creation of committees to investigate all the allegations referred to and a number of legal proceedings to stop abuses, which might occur in any prison or detention centre. The Minister also pointed out that political objectives were behind the distortions, which sought to undermine the security achievements made by the Iraqi Government, especially as they coincided with the killings of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, the most prominent symbols of Al-Qaida in Iraq. At the regional and international levels, in the framework of regional and international openness in Iraq, the recent period witnessed a number of events, including the following: the visit on 17 May 2010 of Mr. Jeffrey Feltman, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, who reviewed the work of the committee to coordinate diplomatic and political benefits between Iraq and the United States; the visit on 11 May 2010 of His Excellency Mr. Arshad Hermzlo, Special Envoy of the Turkish President; the visit of His Excellency Mr. Christian Estrosi, French Industry Minister; the visit on 25 February 2010 of the Republic of Korea’s Minister of Knowledge Economy, Mr. Choi Kyung-hwan, who attended the first conference of the Iraqi-Korean Economic Cooperation Forum; and the visit on 23 February 2010 of Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, for the opening the new headquarters of the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad. The President of Iraq, His Excellency Mr. Jalal Talabani, made a series of visits to other countries, including Iran on 26 March 2010, where he met with the Supreme Leader His Eminence Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 11 April 2010, where he met the Saudi King, His Royal Highness Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud; and to Egypt on 8 May 2010, where he met the Egyptian President, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, and the Secretary-General of the Arab League, His Excellency Mr. Amr Moussa. His Excellency Vice-President Adil Abdul-Mahdi made a series of visits, including to Syria on 3 April, where he met Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad; the State of Kuwait on 6 April, where he met with His Royal Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on 7 April, where he met His Royal Highness King Abdullah II. His Excellency Vice- President Tariq al-Hashimi also made a series of visits, including to the United Arab Emirates on 3 April, where he met His Royal Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan; the State of Qatar on 5 April, where he met with His Royal Highness the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani; Bahrain on 6 April, where he met with His Royal Highness King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa and Bahraini Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa; the State of Kuwait on 13 April, where he met Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he met His Royal Highness King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud; and Turkey on 18 April, where he met a number of Turkish officials. Iraq is still suffering from the sanctions imposed upon it by Security Council resolutions on the disarmament of weapons of mass destruction and denying Iraq the use of technological advances and research. The Ministry of Industry is being deprived of technology necessary to rehabilitate the factories of Iraq. The Ministry of Agriculture is unable to import various types of fertilizers. The Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology are unable to procure the necessary laboratories for scientific research. Lastly, the Ministry of Health is denied many important services for the treatment of many diseases. In the context of Iraq’s efforts to implement its obligations under Security Council resolutions on dismantling weapons of mass destruction, Minister for Foreign Affairs Hoshyar Zebari wrote, in a letter dated 17 February 2010 addressed to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano, that, in accordance with article 17 of the additional protocol signed between Iraq and IAEA on 9 October 2008, Iraq had declared that it would comply provisionally with the protocol pending its entry into force. In its presidential statement of 26 February (S/PRST/2010/5), the Security Council welcomed that fact as consistent with Iraqi law. It also requested that the IAEA inform the Council as soon as possible regarding the quality of Iraq’s safeguards-related cooperation with the Agency. In that connection, in a letter of reply addressed to the Secretary-General and contained in the annex to document S/2010/150, the Director General stated that the Agency had been receiving excellent cooperation from Iraq in the implementation of its comprehensive safeguards agreement. On that basis, my Government has renewed its demand that the Security Council review the restrictions imposed by resolutions 687 (1991) and 707 (1991), with a view to lifting them. In conclusion, I would like to stress my Government’s gratitude for UNAMI’s role in Iraq and for the support provided by Mr. Ad Melkert at the Government’s request.

There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on the subject.