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Pdf | 231.42 Kb United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) UNAMI FOCUS Voice of the Mission News Bulletin on UNAMI Activities Issue No. 18 December 2007 SRSG Staffan de Mistura in Baghdad that Iraq will spend $900 million on capital 12 Nov 2007 projects across Baghdad. The conference In his first town-hall meeting address to was hosted by the Deputy Prime Minister, UNAMI staff, Special Representative of the Barham Saleh, the two Vice Presidents, Secretary General for Iraq Staffan de Adel Abd-al-Mahdi and Tareq Al-Hashimi, Mistura, reiterated his commitment to fulfill Baghdad’s Mayor, Saber Al-Essawi, UNAMI’s mandate as stated in UNSCR Baghdad’s Governor, Ali Muyassar, and the 1770. He emphasized that special attention commander of the Baghdad Security Plan, will be given to national reconciliation and Abboud Qunbur. national dialogue as stated in the resolution, SRSG Staffan de Mistura Paying Tribute to which clearly calls for a larger UN role in the victims of the Canal Hotel Bombing the country. He expressed the hope that this expansion will lead to tangible results, and UNAMI Focus Interview with the that no effort will be spared by the Mission SRSG, Mr. Staffan de Mistura towards achieving its stated goals. UNAMI Focus: Can you provide the Mr. de Mistura said that his immediate UNAMI Focus readers with a synopsis of priorities are to quickly assume his responsibilities and take initiative to ensure your priorities, along with the things you Baghdad Rehabilitation Day that his activities and initiatives are felt in hope to achieve, in Iraq for the upcoming the country, as well as making certain that year? To launch the initiative, Deputy Prime his, are consistent with those priorities of Minister Barham Saleh extended an his Iraqi counterparts. SRSG: Before arriving in Baghdad, the invitation to the Special Representative of Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has the Secretary General (SRSG) of the United indicated to me and other colleagues that he Mr. de Mistura expects that one of the major Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, Mr. attaches a high degree of importance to UN priorities will be focused on regional Staffan de Mistura, to attend and address the Security Council Resolution 1770 and to the dialogue, a sentiment that was highlighted conference. Continued on page 2 way in which the UN team should make a during the neighbouring countries' expanded difference both in Baghdad and in New meeting held in Istanbul 2-4 November York. 2007. INDEX: Regarding priorities, the Secretary General Interview with the SRSG 1 Prior to his address, the SRSG paid tribute was very clear, as it is part of his own to the 22 victims, staff members of the SRSG Staffan de Mistura in philosophy, that he is result-oriented and United Nations, who were killed during the Baghdad 1 therefore the priorities are to be identified, August 2003 Canal Hotel Bombing. in line with UNSCR 1770, within the areas The Baghdad Rehabilitation Day 1 the UN could immediately assist with. At By Randa Jamal the request of the Iraqi government, we will Constitutional Support 2 focus on the priority areas they identify ***** where we could have the added value of the Electoral Update 3 UN. For instance, the first priority The Baghdad Rehabilitation Day 14 November 2007 Humanitarian, Development and identified is the returning flow of refugees Reconstruction Update 3 and internally displaced persons (IDPs). In A development plan for Iraq is essential, this regard, with the concrete assistance of given the infrastructure difficulties that Human Rights Update 3 UNHCR, we have mobilized a UN response citizens of this country have endured for the jointly with the Iraqi Ministry of past several years. As a start to this plan, Political Affairs Update 4 Displacement and Migration. senior Iraqi Government Officials PIO Launches New The second area is undoubtedly the political announced during the Baghdad Communication Strategy For 2008 4 national dialogue. Continued on page 2 Rehabilitation Day, on 14 November 2007, 1 Interview with the SRSG (continued) Erbil, we have a more stable and secure strengthening of official and social This is an area we are keen and actively situation that has attracted many foreign institutions, as well as promoting Human pursuing in helping all sides in Iraq to companies and NGOs. Therefore we believe Rights and the Rule of Law. facilitate political dialogue. This could be that the UN system should increase its By Randa Jamal done by facilitating the electoral, activities there. Additionally, we are present constitutional processes, and in accelerating in Baghdad and generally we intend, as ***** the implementation of laws, such as the circumstances permit, to increase our Constitutional Support Hydrocarbon Law. These are crucial areas presence. in which the substantive expertise of the UN It is anticipated that, in early January 2008, UNAMI Focus: Assuming the could contribute to creating a feeling of trust the Chair of the Constitutional Review responsibilities of the Special among the various stakeholders in Iraq. Committee, Sheikh Humam Hammoudi, Representative of the Secretary General for The third area is to offer the UN expertise, Iraq is indeed challenging, what were the will request an additional extension of the always at the request of Iraqi authorities, in motivations and factors that made you Constitutional Review Process beyond the areas where the UN has substantial decide for it? current deadline of 31 December 2007, in experience. Examples include the issue of order to permit the Constitutional Review provincial boundaries, where the UN SRSG: Three reasons were the motivating Committee to continue its deliberations for provided its technical expertise in other factors. The first one, as mentioned earlier, an additional six month period. At the end countries. Therefore the UN should put this is the Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, who of this period, the Committee would submit expertise at the disposal of the Iraqis. indicated the great deal of importance of the a final report to the Iraqi Council of Another area where we have substantial re-launching of UN activities in the Representatives for approval. The Office of competence is in Human Rights. This area is challenging context of Iraq under UNSCR Constitutional Support (OCS) has continued part of UNSCR 1770 and it is part of the 1770. This is the test of how the UN can do to work closely with the Constitutional UN mandate in the country. These do not its best to help the country which clearly Review Committee over the past months exclude other areas that are of great deserves international assistance. and will continue to facilitate its importance, such as, the International deliberations throughout this process. Compact for Iraq, the International The second reason was a feeling of legacy left unfinished by friends and colleagues Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq, and Together with the UN Office for Project who gave their life to the UN and for Iraq in regional dialogue through the provision, on Services (UNOPS) and with funding support Baghdad. our side, of the secretariat system on an ad from the European Commission via the hoc basis. International Reconstruction Fund Facility And the third reason is the feeling, which UNAMI Focus: With the expansion of may just be a feeling, that is also shared by for Iraq (IRFFI), the OCS is currently UNAMI’s mandate, and in light of the others, that this forthcoming twelve months developing a proposal for a study tour to security restrictions, what are your are going to be crucial in the history of Iraq. Northern Ireland and India for the benefit of immediate plans for facilitating the political members of the Constitutional Review process and for providing humanitarian ***** Committee, to be delivered in early 2008. assistance? The principal aim of the tour will be to The Baghdad Rehabilitation Day (continued) permit the Committee to dialogue with SRSG: The restrictions are unavoidably public officials who are, or were, directly linked to the security situation in Iraq. The SRSG expressed his appreciation to be involved in political negotiations concerning However, we are all noticing the lull in back in Baghdad at such an extraordinary the resolution of internal conflict and the terms of the extreme levels of violence we time and reiterated UN commitments to allocation of federal resources in these have seen in the past. This lull creates a fulfill SCR 1770, extending and expanding jurisdictions. The objective is to further window of opportunity which is fragile, but UNAMI’s mandate in Iraq. “As a result, you assist the Constitutional Review Committee that can be taken advantage of in order to will see a stronger presence of the UN and with the identification and formulation of properly utilize it, both by the Iraqis in the UN Agencies in Iraq, particularly here in possible solutions to the current political pushing ahead their own dialogue and on Baghdad, at the centre of the Government”, impasse within the Constitutional Review our side by increasing our presence, when Process, which extends to core issues security circumstances permit, in Baghdad, he said. relating to the design of the Iraqi state, Erbil, and in Basra. including the power of the Presidency, the UNAMI Focus: There is talk about opening He also praised the Government’s efforts relative competencies of governorates and new UN offices in Iraq, particularly in over a period of more than a year in Basra, is this a serious UN consideration? preparation for the International Compact regions versus the centre, and the allocation And if so, what are the impediments? for Iraq, launched in May of this year, of oil and gas revenues. adding that “the Compact recognizes that SRSG: The impediments are the resolving political and security challenges In order assist the Iraqi Parliament with the fluctuating security conditions in Basra are a pre-requisite to the reconstruction and development of constitutionally-mandated which in any case could certainly allow at economic revival that the Iraqi people want legislation, the OCS has begun to engage least some UN presence on a substantial and need”.
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