YouSaid · the spoken record

De Mistura

lines on the record: 707
first: 2008-01-21
most recent: 2018-12-20
sittings or episodes: 34
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The United Nations will continue - as the Secretary-General has confirmed - if the Council allows it, to be by the Iraqis" side in this delicate and challenging transition towards stability. This year is the fifth year since what happened at the Canal Hotel. Many of my friends 4 our friends - and colleagues died. I think that, for us, it is a matter of principle to prove that we are back and that Iraq is not alone.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“Iraq faces some critical months ahead. In spite of a reduction in the levels of violence, the potential for a flare-up remains a possibility, particularly with regard to the January elections in a year of elections. Iraqis should not relent in seizing the momentum in order to build on the gains attained in 2008. The Government of Iraq should be commended for the progress achieved so far. It will now be called on to deliver services, security guarantees, conditions for free and fair elections, credible and independent institutions, and to resolve tensions among its various communities. The international community - all of us - should stand firm in its support and constructive re-engagement in this critical period.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“6 In order to pursue and sustain the level of its presence and the extent of its activities, UNAMI obviously requires both security support and protection from the host country and sustained financial and logistical backing from Member States, because security is costly. The construction of a new integrated compound in Baghdad is key to the continued presence of the United Nations in Iraq. I would therefore like to thank the Government of Iraq for providing a site for the new integrated United Nations compound in Baghdad and particularly welcome the decision taken by the Prime Minister and the Iraqi Council of Ministers on 2 November to make what I understand to be an initial contribution of $25 million for 2009 towards an estimated total cost of $89 million for the compound. Finally, where does all this leave Iraq and its friends?”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme, UNICEF, the United Nations Office for Project Services and the International Organization for Migration are the latest agencies to have a permanent senior-level international presence within the country, bring the number of agencies there to more than nine. That is complemented by national staff whom we have appointed as Governorate Liaison Officers and co-located in governors' offices in 10 locations.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“The remainder of the funds of the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq will therefore be specifically invested in three United Nations initiatives, aimed at public sector reform, private sector development and the decentralization of essential services. The United Nations is also supporting Iraq in reforming its costly public distribution system - food coupons - which consumed $5.9 billion in national resources in 2008 and can be reformed. In terms of its footprint, UNAMI has explored ways to increase its level of support for provincial authorities by applying the principles of integrated United Nations missions and an enhanced presence throughout the country, starting with new presences in Najaf, Ramadi, Mosul, Kirkuk and Basra.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“Iraq has entered into a new cooperation framework for United Nations assistance through 2010, shifting the focus from investing in infrastructure to helping to mobilize its own substantial resources. Whereas the Government of Iraq is hindered by a large public sector, which has grown from 1 million to 2.5 million people since 2005, the private sector, which could become a thriving backbone for the Iraqi economy, is still dormant and requires assistance, and there continues to be an insufficient budget execution capacity. In other words, there is a lot of money, but it is not percolating into operational projects.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“However, Government action is still required in order to make sure that conditions are in place to guarantee safe returns, in which case we will probably see more of them. In order to fill critical humanitarian gaps in- country and to support Iraqi refugees abroad until the necessary conditions exist for returns in safety and 5 dignity, a subregional humanitarian appeal for Iraq in 2009 will be launched next week. Better security and high oil revenues mean that the Iraqi Government is increasingly able and willing to address national development issues. I would therefore urge the Government to continue its effort to allocate national resources in 2009, even in the current uncertain financial climate worldwide - which also applies to Iraq - in order to maintain the momentum for recovery.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“However, let us also be frank: life is not improving equally for all Iraqis. Many still feel the impact of the past conflict and of Chronic neglect dating back to the 1990s. Major infrastructure and service delivery problems are still challenging. Employment opportunities have not grown along with oil revenues, keeping some Iraqis in poverty. In pockets of Iraq today, less than a third of the population receives basic water services and not enough children attend school. But we know that the Government is seriously focusing on those areas and planning to use its increased resources for them. A rising number of internally displaced persons - increasing from 16,000 in June to 35,000 in August - are beginning to return home, signalling increased confidence in Iraq's stability.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“Unavoidably, with improved security comes a growing demand from the people to meet the basic needs of ordinary Iraqis, including jobs and services. It is on that basis that the Iraqi people will judge their own authorities and that the electorate will hold local representatives accountable. Across Iraq, signs of normal daily life are increasingly visible; I myself see them every time I cross into what we call the "red zone" in Baghdad. In Baghdad, once the site of some of Iraq's worst Violence, we see shops and businesses reopening and even remaining open at night. More than 60,000 Iraqis have returned home this year. Food insecurity has declined from 15 per cent in 2005 to 3 per cent in 2007 and 2008. In other words, there is much less food insecurity now than there was just one year ago.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“Meetings of the working group on energy and of the ministers of the interior have taken place in Istanbul and Amman, and preparations are under way for meetings of the working groups on refugees and border security, to be 08-60200 held in November in Amman and Damascus, respectively. Good-faith initiatives to support Iraq's bilateral relations, on issues such as technical border demarcation, security, de-mining and missing persons, go a long way, in terms of political mileage, towards restoring a spirit of cooperation. UNAMI has been and will continue to be proactively involved in assisting and facilitating such goodwill measures. Iraq is reaching a critical point in its recovery and reconstruction.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“Meanwhile, donors are increasingly focusing on reducing aid budgets - Iraq is a rich country, a fact of which it is aware and proud - in favour of capacity-building aimed at Iraqi self-reliance. The regional dialogue front is a promising area for 2009 and has seen signs of very promising movement in 2008. We have seen considerable progress in view of the fact that several Arab countries have reopened their embassies in Baghdad and that a number of high-level visits have taken place in recent months. UNAMI continues to be engaged through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' ad hoc support mechanism unit, which is building its institutional capacity to support those processes. Planning is under way for ministerial meetings in the coming weeks.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“Both are facilitating venues for cooperation on concrete issues, such as refugees, the resumption of diplomatic relations and anti-corruption measures, in a spirit of partnership and equal standing. The very successful Stockholm meeting - and we should thank the Government of Sweden for having facilitated it - ended with a message on the need for partnership and co-financing. Greater Iraqi ownership, the fact that the Compact has drawn the attention of the Prime Minister - who attended the meeting and, I understand, was impressed by its results - and the Prime Minister's appointment of his own Adviser as part of the Advisory Committee have created additional impetus to the follow-up to the Compact. Iraq has also become a signatory to the Paris Declaration, signalling its desire for more transparent management of its aid strategy.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“We will continue to devote 08-60200 significant attention to the legislative process related to human rights and the rule of law, and to establishing important institutions related to human rights, such as a national human rights commission in Iraq. We will also maintain our strong support, in the form of capacity- building, for the work of the Ministry of Human Rights of Iraq, led by a very courageous woman. In the area of international partnership, Iraq has made important strides in its re-engagement with the international community, primarily through the International Compact with Iraq - which is strongly supported by my friend and colleague Ambassador Gambari - and the ad hoc support mechanism within the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“While we remain poised to present our work to the Iraqi leadership, we are mindful not to complicate matters by presenting the results of our work prematurely, since the elections are drawing closer and are a priority. Later we can come up with our proposals. Let us first complete the elections. As to human rights, the UNAMI Human Rights Office continues to balance its ongoing monitoring and protection activities with emerging human rights challenges arising from elections, the resolution of the disputed territories, including the recent displacement of Christians, the forcible sale of property in Ninawa, or minority representation.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“We are probably now considered, through that research and in that context, to be the most detailed experts on those areas because there has been a lot of work. Seventeen of my colleagues have been working on a full-time basis for the last eight months on that project. Confidence-building measures should be in place in order to facilitate an overall political agreement between the various affected communities. This is not a referendum or a fait accompli, but a political agreement. UNAMI supports renewed efforts by the Constitutional Review Committee to enshrine an agreement dealing with competing visions of Iraq's federal framework, as well as with hydrocarbons and viable revenue and water-sharing agreements.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“Mashhadani, technical assistance to a Committee that has just been established by Parliament to make recommendations on special arrangements for future Kirkuk elections. Those elections will not take place in January with the other elections, but later on after the Committee has finished its job, which is expected to be at the end of March. At that time UNAMI will assist with the Kirkuk elections at the request of the Iraqi Parliament. In parallel, we have advanced our analysis on the last phase of all of the other 15 faultline districts in northern Iraq - from the Syrian to the Iranian border - concluding our community consultations in the Ninawa, Diyala and Salahaddin governorates, We believe that UNAMI's analysis will provide options for intercommunal confidence-building measures.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“They have been invited to be present at polling stations on the day of the elections. Concerning Kirkuk and the so-called disputed internal boundaries or territories, the recent targeted killings and the displacement of Christians in the area of the northern faultlines illustrate the complicated connections between minority rights, the electoral process and disputed boundaries. UNAMI is pursuing its work on those issues in accordance with the mandate given to it by the Security Council. In Kirkuk, which has been under relative calm in recent weeks, our activities have been wide-ranging. They comprise research on conditions in the area and include various possible options for its future administrative status, humanitarian, reconstruction and human rights programmes and, at the request of the Speaker of Parliament, Mr.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“The Electoral Commission, supported by UNAMI, has trained 42,785 local observers and is working with the Minister of Education to employ approximately 270,000 teachers, clerks and headmasters to assist on polling day. The Prime Minister has wisely decided to postpone school examinations in order to allow the schools and the teachers to be available on that important day. Mitigating measures to reduce the potential for electoral fraud should ideally be matched by some form of close monitoring, particularly in sensitive areas of the north, and we are currently exploring some feasible options. Security, of course, will also be an element we cannot ignore. However, the main burden for ensuring transparency of the elections rests with the Iraqi national observers and party agents.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“UNAMI continues to support the Electoral Commission in technical preparations, including the printing and procurement of materials, planning and logistics, public outreach, consultations with security forces to ensure that governorate elections are conducted in safety, putting anti-fraud measures in place, and training national staff. We are working to remove any outstanding operational hurdles, and that will be done. Our job is to assist in those efforts together with the Iraqi authorities. All sides should be encouraged to avoid the temptation to manipulate the electoral process or to create any incentives for intimidation before or during the polling day.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“The forthcoming elections are rightly Viewed as an opportunity to establish a more inclusive sectarian balance and shape a new political landscape. They represent the most significant political event in the forthcoming months. It is therefore all the more important to ensure that they be perceived as free and fair, and that the Iraqis, with the support of the United Nations and the international community, will be able 3 to ensure respect for operational timelines and that the Electoral Commission will be free of political pressure. The good news is that the electoral timelines are now broadly on track, with candidate nomination concluded on 2 November and the swift inclusion of minority candidates in the Electoral Commission ballot lottery having taken place on 6 November.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“Both principles are strengthened through the commitment of Iraqi institutions to recognize and guarantee minority representation in their elected governing bodies. That is only a "seed representation" which can open the door for improved guarantees of minority rights in the future; but the door has been opened. The Presidency Council's green light - a decision taken recently - completed the elections law without either compromising or endangering their overall timetable. In other words, the electoral law is confirmed, including its minority component. Public interest in the voter registration update in September and general satisfaction with the passage of the elections law appear to confirm a grassroots desire to have a say on who should be represented on the provincial councils. The Iraqi people want the elections.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“Following several rounds of consultations over the span of two weeks, the Council of Representatives decided on 3 November to allocate specific seats for representatives of Iraq's minority components on the provincial councils in Baghdad, Ninawa and Basra. The decision to secure minority representation in Iraq is a positive achievement in its own right. Although it must be admitted that the adopted amendment to the electoral law did not entirely reflect UNAMI's formulation of numbers, it did include some of its crucial elements. Its adoption by a majority open vote was a demonstration of democracy in action - in Iraq that is a very positive development - and contributed to furthering respect for human rights and democracy.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“That unfortunately produced intimidation and tension - particularly in the context of the volatile area of Mosul - and risked unravelling both the electoral law and the electoral timelines, and ultimately jeopardizing the principle of minority rights, which in Iraq is an important principle recognized by everyone. 08-60200 With the aim of reducing growing tension and the temptation to resort to intimidation or to force displacement of minority populations, UNAMI put forward a proposal on the allocation of seats for minorities in provincial councils. The proposal also provided for political recognition of some groups which have undergone severe campaigns of targeted violence and assimilation in the past. It is important to remember what happened to the Yezidis in 2007 or to the Christians very recently.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“The law was adopted on 24 September and required a major push by UNAMI to break the impasse in Parliament over the inclusion of an amendment on Kirkuk. Finally, it was possible to broker an even-handed resolution. The Government of Iraq and the Parliament of Iraq should be commended for that, because it is a major achievement. Even following its ratification, the election law suffered a second difficult moment when the article accounting for minority representation of Christians, Yezidis, Shebek and Sabean Mandeans in some provincial councils was dropped at the last minute.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“Electoral assistance has been our flagship in recent months, and, of all our activities, is likely to be so in the forthcoming ones. It is our firm duty as the United Nations and an integral part of our mandate to assist the Iraqis and the Independent High Electoral Commission, the Iraqi institution responsible for preparing and conducting the elections, with a series of electoral events, starting with provincial elections in the immediate future - January 2009 - and culminating in the parliamentary elections between the end of 2009 and early 2010. The elections law, providing for countrywide elections in 14 out of 18 governorates, is the most important piece of legislation enacted in that period.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“However, the reporting period saw also some political tensions as a result of the initial stalemate over the provincial elections law in July and the issues of minority representation in the elections. Iraq is now entering a very delicate electoral period, in which every small security gain likely to give space to political dialogue should be built upon, in order to avoid any Violence linked to the provincial elections of 31 January 2009. The confrontation in Khanaqin during the summer months and the spike in anti-Christian violence in Mosul are only two examples of a situation that could have undermined the hard- earned progress made by the Iraqi leadership to bridge their differences and further an Iraqi-owned and Iraqi- led democratic process.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“A handful of rockets have impacted on the International Zone since last May, whereas in May there were 30 blasts a day. The truce declared by Moqtada al-Sadr has been observed and extended. The reported Iraqi casualties for October 2008 throughout Iraq were the lowest since March 2003 - and, of course, they are never too low. Any level of civilian casualty will always remain condemnable, regrettable and sad, but the fact remains that it is now at its lowest. The Government of Iraq has taken over responsibility for many issues in Iraq, including the Awakening Councils and payment of tens of thousands of their members. Some sectors of the Iraqi security 08-60200 forces have greatly improved - we have seen it with our own eyes when we have been travelling in Iraq - in their professionalism and performance.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“The past year was dedicated to identifying opportunities in the priority areas where we would most likely be able together to achieve timely results. Next year will be the time to consolidate the progress that has been made so far. We have to move forward from the initiatives that, as a matter of urgency, have served as an entry point for those in going forward to solidifying longer-term gains. Let us for a moment look at the context in Iraq these days. The summer and fall have witnessed, despite some occasional spikes - and we have again seen some in the past few days - a steady reduction in the levels of violence in Iraq. That is unquestionable, in spite of the spikes, and we may see more in the forthcoming months, but we should look at the broader picture, which is that security has improved.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“Mr. De Mistura: I am pleased to appear before the Council today, just over a year since I assumed my duties in Baghdad, to present the fifth quarterly report on behalf of the Secretary-General (S/2008/688). With a robust mandate reconfirmed by resolution 1830 (2008) and at the request of the Government of Iraq, the focus of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in 2008 has been in the areas that could support Iraq's efforts towards political dialogue and national reconciliation. That was largely achieved in recent months by supporting electoral preparations, sowing the seeds for a resolution to disputed internal boundaries, supporting the national development strategies and facilitating Iraq's partnership with the international community and, indeed, its neighbours.”
2008-11-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6016 (2008) · source
“Mr. De Mistura: Very briefly, I just want to say on behalf of all my colleagues in Baghdad, Erbil, Basra and, hopefully, Kirkuk how much we appreciate the positive comments, good advice and encouragement of each of the speakers today in this meeting in the context of a very constructive period. I will bring them back to Baghdad and we will certainly look at them again, because they will help guide us in the future mission. As I said, 2008 is going to be special and crucial to all of us.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“Hence, the urgent need for the other laws that we referred to; hence, the urgent need for an inclusive involvement of others in the Government; hence, the need to make sure that increased income will percolate to the Iraqis through a sense of everyone benefiting from the social services they want to have at last. The second concern is that time is short. 2008 is an important year. The problem with 2008 is that it is made up of 12 months, like every year. We have not much time and the pressure is on the Iraqis. We are with them and will be with them, but they are in the lead.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“The International Monetary Fund has told us that there will be a 7 per cent increase every year for the next two years, and 200,000 barrels-worth of sustained new oil income. We are seeing it with our own eyes in the streets of Baghdad; we are seeing it in the eyes of the people when they open new shops. Thirdly, there has been an initial timid but crucial political surge with the law of 12 January. Fourthly, if I may say so, there is also a United Nations surge as we seek to be much more effective in areas of crisis and wherever we can be. There are, however, two major concerns as well. The first is that all this needs to be sustained, and it can be sustained only by political dialogue.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“We are not unaware of the risks and we do not underestimate the challenges, but we believe, and I believe personally, that including those who are critical, and sometimes even resentful, over what they perceive to be the United Nations past record in Iraq are ready for and welcoming to an energetic, centre-stage role for the United Nations. We are ready for that challenge. If I may summarize a few points, there have been four positive developments. The first is the security surge. We have noticed that it has produced effects, including a 60 per cent reduction of violence, and in spite of what has happened in Basra - where, by the way, the Iraqi police managed to control the situation, which involved 2.5 million pilgrims, so the situation would have been a challenge for any country in the world. Secondly, there is an economic surge.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“We should recognize the areas of improvement and marked progress and we should show flexibility in adjusting current and potential priority areas, keeping our proposed structure under constant review, as dictated by the environment. That, of course, presupposes the broadest possible buy-in from the primary stakeholders, as represented in the Security Council, and the confidence and commitment of the international community, which I hope we will be receiving today. We should remain sensitive and attuned to the needs on the ground and the shifting of debates. We should manage expectations and not be over-optimistic, but at the same time maintain a dose of realism, pragmatism and operationality.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“Electoral assistance remains, the constitutional review process is in the forefront of our activities, and they are linked to many of the things we are already doing and want to do. We will be called to determine the timeliness of countrywide provincial elections, on which we are working, and the delicate sequencing with other politically sensitive initiatives. We will also continue, carefully but effectively, to monitor the human rights situation in the country, which is provided for under resolution 1770 (2007). By the way, the next human rights report, covering the period 1 July-31 December, will be issued from Baghdad in the coming weeks. In conclusion, our operating assumptions have broadly not changed, but the way we are implementing them has changed. We are committed to being fast and pragmatic.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“Of course, much is predicated on the security situation. But we are most thankful to those Member States that have answered the call for replenishment of the Trust Fund to Support the Distinct Entity Created to Provide Security for the United Nations Presence in Iraq, which has been helping us to make sure that we can remain there in a secure environment. What comes next? UNAMI will pursue its core mandate activities, which are not just those I mentioned, but also all the others that are still there. We will be alert for other openings that require timely action, priority adjustment and - if I may say so, as it is not very bureaucratic terminology - an out-of-the- box approach in order to find solutions in Iraq.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“Improvements to sustain the UNAMI compound have been initiated both in Erbil and in Baghdad while we are waiting for the integrated headquarters, so as not to delay more teams and more colleagues. In addition, national governorate liaison officers will be deployed in nine governorates, so that we can be more in touch with the people of Iraq. Following the completion of one of our own security assessments, two personnel of the United Nations Development Programme are now deployed in Basra, where the United Nations hopes to maintain a small but proactive presence while monitoring security developments there. Last but not least, we are just now sending a preliminary mission to Kirkuk to explore options that will enable us to be present and proactive there, in View of our commitments regarding the follow-up to article 140.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“But in order to be able to identify emerging needs and to respond in a timely fashion in order to meet them, the United Nations requires an increased presence - to which we are committed - as well as an ear on the ground and outreach to the communities. While the proposal concerning a UNAMI integrated compound is under review in the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions and the Fifth Committee, UNAMI is now pre- positioned for an enhanced qualitative and quantitative presence in Iraq. We will come up with a new proposal on a UNAMI integrated compound so that we can proceed swiftly with that. Plans to expand the role of the Erbil Area Office have been set in motion; we need a formal launching in order to produce the needed momentum among ourselves.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“We are also working on that; we have been sending the terms of reference to all the partners and are waiting to discuss with the Government how can we can assist the ad hoc support mechanism even more effectively, perhaps by focusing the next meeting, to be held in Kuwait, on something very concrete in terms of follow-up, such as the issue of refugees and IDPs, which is affecting both Iraq and its neighbours. How, then, are we planning to further operationalize the delivery of our assistance? The Secretary-General is determined to ensure that the work of all parts of the United Nations system is closely coordinated with that of the Government of Iraq.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“Iraq is a rich country, and it needs to assume ownership of its own projects when the international community gets involved. The only way to do that is through co-financing, which will increase the impact and the efficiency of our projects. With regard to regional dialogue, Iraq's immediate neighbours have demonstrated their readiness for constructive engagement, especially on border security issues. We need to capitalize on the initial steps. The Secretary-General has encouraged the neighbours to play a supportive role and to use the Baghdad-based ad hoc support mechanism, agreed upon in Istanbul, and to build on the progress made by the working groups.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“A year into Iraq's partnership with the international community, on the basis of a shared commitment to a joint national development strategy, all of us are now called to assess how the Government has delivered on its commitment to a range of reform measures, particularly in the economic field, and how the international community - our side - has been honouring its own pledges, including for Iraq's debt relief. The remaining IRFFI funds, totalling $222 million - which is still quite a significant amount - will be dedicated to supporting Compact projects. So we speak the same language and focus on the same area, placing greater emphasis on Government ownership and the principle of co- financing. That is another key word for 2008, "co- financing".”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“The immediate threat of a cholera outbreak has been tackled and the cases contained, especially in the north. But with warmer weather ahead, we remain quite worried about potential new outbreaks, particularly in Baghdad and southern cities. Therefore, we are proactively focusing on putting in place mitigating and preventive measures. The United Nations is making use of the funds of the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI), totalling $4.5 million, to develop and monitor the surveillance mechanism. We have also been actively lobbying the Government to approve $40 million to assist the Ministry of Health in facing 08-21255 such emergencies - which the Iraqis do not need to face in addition to the ones that already confront them. I now turn to economic reconstruction.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“The consolidated appeal Process - with a goal of approximately $200 million - which, inshallah, will be launched on 16 February, will aim to cover the gaps in the most pressing unmet needs not only of refugees, but also IDPs, while shifting the debate to the broader issue of vulnerability. Let us not forget that the problem of refugees and IDPs remains quite large; we are talking about a total of 4.2 million people. It is quite a challenge, not only for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other United Nations agencies that are providing assistance alongside us within Iraq, but also for the host countries, which are facing a substantial burden thanks to their own generous hospitality. Another area relates to cholera.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“Since the launching on 4 December of the joint Government- UNAMI plan for refugees, to which the United Nations committed $11.4 million, the International Organization for Migration has already delivered the first response package to 3,000 of the 5,000 families that we identified as the most vulnerable. In the meantime, 600 families are undergoing detailed monitoring pending an assessment, because we need to discover why they are returning, where they are going and what conditions face them when they return. Thus, we can be better prepared, together with the Government, to be of more assistance if they decide to come.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“Therefore, UNAMI has committed to taking an integrated approach, working on technical assistance packages that do not focus solely on boundary delineation but ensure protection of minority rights, complemented by confidence-building measures. I would certainly be glad to report further to the Council about the techniques and approaches that we are planning in order to ensure that the article 140 issue goes forward. The second area concerns returnees. Without advocating the mass return of refugees, the United Nations has stood ready to assist those who have chosen to return to their places of origin, while monitoring the conditions of those who are most vulnerable. Some returnees are more vulnerable than others, and they deserve our priority efforts.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“The United Nations facilitated that and was ultimately invited to provide technical assistance to the parties concerned in reaching a peaceful, constructive solution to the question of some of the disputed internal boundaries, not only in Kirkuk, but elsewhere, especially in the north. That request for our involvement in initiating a dispute resolution process within six months dovetails with our mandate under resolution 1770 (2007), which asks us to do exactly that, among other things. It is also in line with the firm directive by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to myself and my team to be proactive and to have proactive engagement in areas that could yield action-oriented results.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“I single out that issue because it has been the most encouraging demonstration that Iraqi authorities are willing to work together to resolve even the most divisive of issues in the spirit of national dialogue. As the Council recalls, the deadline for a referendum, according to article 140 of the constitution, was approaching in December - 31 December was right around the corner - and preconditions had not been met. The executive authorities and other players acted in their common vested interest - proving that that was possible - to prevent any further destabilization of an already highly precarious situation.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“We can and we do, and we are in a position to be 3 able to talk to anyone, both formally and informally. The only people we would never talk to is Al-Qaida, because they have killed our people and continue to kill everyone. The United Nations values its ability to talk to all sides, both formally and informally, all the while safeguarding its impartiality. It can facilitate solutions requiring mutual concessions by offering credibility and international legitimacy in turn. It can also offer technical assistance to build up the capacity of national institutions, and it can assist the various ministries in delivering the basic functions of governance. How has the United Nations translated that commitment into some kind of immediate action? The first way relates to disputed internal boundaries.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“That is why essential services are so crucial this year. But much is also predicated on intensifying the pace of enacting other crucial legislation, including the amnesty law, which is just today being discussed, and the revenue-sharing and provincial elections laws. Those are crucial laws that need to come forward, like the one we just saw adopted on 12 January. The Government of Iraq cannot be left alone to tackle the structural, political and security challenges. We know that. It therefore requires the commitment of the United Nations, the assistance of the international community and the constructive re-engagement of its neighbours. What can the United Nations offer at this time? Will the United Nations value its ability to talk to all sides?”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source
“The Government must be complimented on enhancing such legislation - which is why Ijust used the word mabrouk - which is central to reconciliation efforts, as well as for intensifying its outreach efforts. The Secretary-General and the international community have spoken many times of a window of opportunity, and 2008 is that window. Clearly, the Government is also signalling that it recognizes 2008 as the year to demonstrate its ability to administer a State that enjoys the broadest support and can deliver basic services - which is the challenge we all face at the moment - and security guarantees, all the while supported by credible and independent institutions. When security improves, the first thing people do, as we all do in life, is to start to ask for services, because security is not as much of a worry as it was.”
2008-01-21 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5823 (2008) · source