Statement by Representative of Slovenia to the UN Security Council Ambassador Samuel Žbogar at the briefing on the situation concerning Iraq, UNAMI

Thank you Mr. President,

I welcome Special Representative Al Hassan at his first briefing to the Council in his role as the Head of UNAMI and I thank him for his briefing. I thank Ms. Hanaa Edwar, President of Iraqi Al-Amal Association, for her contribution. I also welcome the representatives of Iraq and Kuwait to the meeting.

We join the Special Representative in acknowledging the efforts of the Government of Iraq in its pursuit of peace, development and stability in the country. In recent years Iraq has made significant progress towards this end, also with an important contribution of UNAMI.

I would like to make three points:

First, we commend the positive role Iraq plays in the region. We note its diplomatic efforts to advance stability, including through engagement and balanced dialogue with regional and international partners, as well as by calling for a de-escalation across the region. We support Iraq in continuing to play this role.

We call on all to respect and support Iraq’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and democratic political process. Iraq should not be used by regional players as a space to settle scores. It is of utmost importance that Iraq does not get dragged in to the current wider regional escalation, which would reverse hard earned progress in the country.

In this context, we call for implementation of ceasefire agreement in Lebanon and we urge implementation of Security Council resolutions on Gaza and hostages.

Slovenia also reiterates the importance of continued cooperation between Iraq and Kuwait on the file of missing Kuwaitis and third-country nationals, as well as missing property. We join the call by the SRSG on Iraq to intensify efforts in this regard. The UN should continue to remain closely engaged on this subject.

Second, to preserve achievements and establish Iraq as a place for dialogue, cooperation and resilient to challenges of a very volatile region, we encourage the Government of Iraq to maintain its commitment to reforms that include protecting human rights, building resilient, democratic and accountable institutions, and fighting corruption.

In particular, we call on the Government of Iraq to protect and promote the rights of women and girls, consistent with Iraq’s international human rights obligations. We are deeply concerned about proposed legislative changes which if enacted would risk to seriously erode human rights of women and girls. We also encourage Iraq it to protect civic and democratic space and allow civic actors to freely engage in efforts to promote democratic values and protection of human rights.

In addition, perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses must be held accountable for all their actions. It goes without saying that the atrocities committed by Daesh do not go unpunished.

Equally important is the creation of political, social and economic opportunities for all addressing root causes of violent extremism conducive to terrorism as well as dealing with the situation of the displaced and missing persons.

These efforts could help strengthen the fabric of society, rebuild trust and help create a peaceful and safe environment for all. This is important for the Iraqi people and a prosperous and democratic future of Iraq, as well as for regional stability. 

Third, the effects of climate change have become major risk multipliers for Iraq’s stability and must be addressed. What we refer to are climate change related droughts and water scarcity, with serious consequences for agriculture and food security. We recognize the Government of Iraq’s efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change and its willingness to work with its neighbors on joint management of transboundary water resources. We welcome UNAMI’s support to this end.

In conclusion, we welcome the Government’s willingness to facilitating the transition of UNAMI in line with resolution 2732. We reiterate our support to Iraq as it continues its journey towards a stable and prosperous future.

Thank you.

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