By John Lee. The United Nations General Assembly has elected Barham Ahmed Salih of Iraq as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), for a five-year term. He will succeed Filippo Grandi of Italy and is expected to assume office on 1 January 2026, based in Geneva. A statement from the office of […]
By John Lee. Former Iraqi president Barham Salih has been reportedly been chosen as the new United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Unconfirmed media reports say he will start a five-year term leading the Geneva-based refugee agency from the start of January. He would replace Filippo Grandi, an Italian diplomat who has served two […]
By Barham Salih, a former President of Iraq, for Foreign Policy. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. 20 Years After Liberation, Iraq Needs Root-and-Branch Reform The system of government set up after 2003 has run its course. Click here to read […]
Writing in the Financial Times, Iraqi President Barham Salih argues that addressing climate change represents an opportunity for Iraq and the region to introduce measures that will leave them on a more solid foundation as they face the challenges of the decades to come. Click here to read the full article (subscription required) (Picture: Tigris […]
From the Office of the Iraqi President: Mesopotamia Revitalization Project: A Climate Change initiative to Transform Iraq and The Middle East Addressing climate change must become a national priority for Iraq. The country is one of the most at-risk from climate-change impact; according to the UN Environment Program, Iraq is the 5th most vulnerable globally […]
By John Lee. President Barham Salih discussed Iraq's role in regional conflicts and its relationship with the United States, in an hour-long interview with Frances Fragos Townsend, for the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Click here to see the full interview. (Source: Council on Foreign Relations)
By Joe Snell for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq unveils massive anti-corruption project Following remarks from Iraqi President Barham Salih [Saleh] (pictured), who admitted on Sunday that Iraq has lost $150 billion since 2003 to corruption, a […]
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi president's anti-corruption bill sparks debate Iraqi President Barham Salih has announced the submission of a bill to the country's parliament entitled "Recovering the Proceeds of Corruption." The president claims that widespread corruption […]
By John Lee. Iraqi President Barham Salih [Saleh] has claimed that an estimated $150 billion has been smuggled out of Iraq since 2003. In a televised address, he said that this was from a total of close to $1 trillion in oil revenues. He added: "As I introduce a draft law to parliament to recover […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi President, Barham Salih (pictured), has reportedly announced new legal measures to recover funds looted from Iraq. Economist Basem Jamil Antoun told Asharq Al-Awsat that funds stolen since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 are estimated at $250 billion. Click here to read the full story. (Source: Asharq Al-Awsat)
From the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): Iraqi Kurdish police arrest journalist Bahroz Jaafer over criminal defamation suit filed by Iraq's president Kurdish authorities in Iraq should immediately release journalist Bahroz Jaafer, drop all charges against him, and allow the press to cover and write critically about politicians without fear of detention or legal action, […]
By John Lee. Reuters has confirmed that Iraq's media regulator has suspended its licence after the news agency published a story saying the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country was higher than officially reported. The Communications and Media Commission (CMC) said it was revoking the licence for three months and imposing a fine […]
