NEW YORK CITY (ALETIHAD) - His Excellency Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations in New York, delivered the UAE’s statement at the UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting on The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
Abushahab started his remarks by congratulating the government and people of Iraq on the occasion of its National Day, wishing Iraq continued progress and prosperity.
He continued by noting the “remarkable progress” Iraq has achieved since its formation last year, highlighting its successes in public services, the economy, and the private sector, as well as the adoption of the three-year federal budget law.
His Excellency said that the coming period requires “taking firm measures to complete these reforms and strengthen long-term security and stability, especially in light of the challenges facing Iraq”.
Discussing the topic of politics and provincial council election in Iraq, which are to be held at the end of 2023, as well as parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan region, he expressed the UAE’s appreciation of the support provided by UNAMI to aid the organisational efforts of these elections.
“On the political front, we look forward to the provincial council elections in Iraq at the end of this year and the parliamentary elections in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, which were postponed until next February. We urge to convene these elections according to their planned schedules. In this context, we appreciate the support provided by UNAMI to support the organisation of these elections, in accordance with its mandate. We also urge concerted efforts to promote the meaningful participation of Iraqi women in the upcoming elections, and to ensure their effective and equal representation in government and decision-making processes,” he said.
Continuing his address, His Excellency stressed the need to empower Iraqi youth and “provide them with more opportunities to play active roles in the development of the country’s future”, nothing that the decision to form the Higher Council for Youth in Iraq is a “positive step in this direction”.
Discussing the economic situation, he said: “On the economic front, we hope that internal consensus can be achieved for the adoption of the new Federal oil and gas law to support Iraq’s economy. We also encourage the resolution of all other outstanding issues between Baghdad and Erbil.”
Abushahab also discussed the repercussions of climate change in Iraq, highlighting that this issue is a “top priority”.
“With regard to efforts aimed to address the repercussions of climate change in Iraq, we believe that this issue must remain a top priority, with a focus on building Iraq’s capabilities in the field. We look forward to UNAMI playing a greater role in support of government efforts in this regard, especially since Iraq is one of the countries most impacted by climate change.”
Talking about the challenging security situation in Iraq, His Excellency highlighted that enhancing security requires a “comprehensive approach”, noting that, despite the frequency of Da’esh attacks, recent developments require “the urgent need to limit weapons to the government, strengthen law enforcement, and consolidate government control over all Iraqi territory”.
“We also stress the importance of resolving existing issues between Iraq and neighbouring countries. The persistence of these issues and the absence of any prospects for their resolution undermine trust between the countries of the region and threaten to exacerbate tensions… We stress that any regional dialogue must be built on respect for the principles of good neighbourliness, and the importance of refraining from any steps that may undermine these efforts,” Abushahab said.
“We are concerned about the recent growing hostilities between Türkiye and Iraq. We reaffirm the need to adhere to the principles of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and non-interference in their internal affairs,” Abushahab said.
He noted that the UAE reaffirms the Gulf Cooperation Council’s position calling on Iraq to address the implications of the recent decision of its Federal Supreme Court regarding the agreement with Kuwait on the regulation of navigation in Khor Abdullah, stressing the importance of demarking the maritime borders between these two countries beyond point 162, and the importance of adhering to Security Council resolutions, especially resolution 833, as well as bilateral agreements.
Regarding the issue of the missing Kuwaitis and nationals of third countries, and missing Kuwaiti property, he said: “We call for further progress in this file. We commend the efforts of the tripartite committee led by the International Committee of the Red Cross, to determine the fate of the remaining missing persons, the efforts of which recently resulted in determining the fate of one of the missing persons from Kuwait, and we express our sincere condolences to his family.”
His Excellency concluded his remarks by reaffirming the UAE’s support for the Iraqi people in their endeavours to “to turn the page on the past and live in prosperity”, noting that the UAE looks forward to the outcomes of the strategic assessment of the UNAMI Mission.
“We hope it will contribute to shaping the features of the support required by Iraq from UNAMI in the coming years, in accordance with current needs, leading to the complete handover of the Mission’s tasks to the government of Iraq in due course,” he concluded.