Explaining that Iraq had proven, since 2003, that it did not represent an international security threat, he underscored the country’s support for global efforts to control arms. In 2009, it had signed the Chemical Weapons Convention, among other treaties, he recalled. More broadly, Iraq’s openness to the world had spurred visits by foreign officials and progress in its follow-up to Council resolutions 1956 (2010), 1957 (2010) and 1958 (2010), which marked the “beginning of the end” of sanctions imposed on the country.
Iraq also had shown “absolute cooperation” with Kuwait to solve all outstanding issues, he said, reiterating that his country’s position on the issue of missing Kuwaitis and Kuwaiti property was not to extend the mandate of the High‑Level Coordinator when it expired on 31 December 2011. Rather, it would depend on the Tripartite Technical Committee and suggestions outlined in the 26 November 2010 letter from the Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Secretary-General.
The meeting began at 11:41 a.m. and ended at 12:24 p.m.
Background
Meeting this morning to consider the situation concerning Iraq, Council members had before them the third report of the Secretary-General pursuant to paragraph 6 of resolution 1936 (2010). Dated 7 July 2011, the report (document S/2011/435) provides an update on the activities of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) since his report of 31 March 2011 (document S/2011/213).
According to the report, Iraq continued to make progress in consolidating its young democracy, strengthening the rule of law, developing its institutions and addressing economic and social challenges, the Secretary-General observes, emphasizing that those efforts would be considerably enhanced if all major political parties worked together in a spirit of national reconciliation to realize the Iraqi people’s legitimate aspirations for a better life.
“The Iraq of today is very different from the Iraq of 2003,” the Secretary-General states, noting that the country continues to face considerable political, security and development challenges. Almost seven months after the Council of Representatives approved the current Government, key security appointments remain outstanding, while demonstrations have called for better social services, the creation of jobs and an end to corruption. With that in mind, the United Nations country team will expand its presence and provide support through priorities identified in the United Nations Development Assistance Framework and the National Development Plan 2010-2014.
Noting that it is almost seven months since the Security Council ended a number of Chapter VII mandates on Iraq, a move unanimously hailed as a major step towards the normalization of its international status, the Secretary-General reminds Iraq to demonstrate “tangible and expeditious” progress on outstanding obligations pertaining to Kuwait, notably missing Kuwaiti persons and property, including archives, and the Iraq-Kuwait boundary maintenance project.
The Secretary-General also reminds the Government that the issue of compensation payments to Iraqi private citizens pursuant to resolution 899 (1994) is still pending, and that the Department of Political Affairs is awaiting a response to proposals it submitted to the Government in that regard. “I have consistently stated that progress on these fronts could create a positive momentum and enable the Security Council to take up my report pursuant to resolution 1859 (2008),” he says. “In this context, both my Special Representative and High-Level Coordinator remain committed to assisting Iraq and Kuwait in bringing closure to long-standing Security Council mandates.
On the status of Kirkuk and other disputed internal territories, the Secretary-General encourages the Iraqi Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to use the standing consultative mechanism under UNAMI to find mutually acceptable solutions that ultimately serve the interests of national reconciliation and long-term stability.
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