Statement by the Republic of Slovenia at UNSC meeting on the situation concerning Iraq

Thank you Madam President,

Special Representative Al Hassan, I thank you very much for your briefing. I also welcome the representatives of Iraq and Kuwait to the meeting.

Madam President,

We join the SRSG in acknowledging the efforts of the Government of Iraq in its pursuit of peace, development and stability in Iraq, as well as its diplomatic engagement in the region.

Today, I would like to make the following points:

Firstly, Iraq needs to remain a place of dialogue, cooperation and resilience. We encourage the Government of Iraq to maintain its commitment to reforms that include protecting human rights and building resilient, democratic as well as accountable institutions.

Slovenia welcomes the decision to hold the parliamentary elections in November and thanks UNAMI for its technical assistance. These elections too, will provide an important opportunity to foster greater inclusion and the meaningful participation of women, minorities, and underrepresented groups.

We welcome the efforts of the Iraqi Government to find durable solutions for internally displaced persons. In particular, we encourage it to protect and promote the rights of women and girls, consistent with Iraq’s international human rights obligations. This applies also to any changes to the regulation on personal status matters.

Perpetrators of human rights violations must be held accountable for their actions. With UNITAD’s mandate concluded, the fight for accountability against Daesh must continue. The survivors and victims of Daesh crimes deserve justice.

Secondly, on the regional level, we welcome the Iraqi Government’s constructive engagement with regional and international partners in promoting dialogue and pursuing peaceful resolutions to the regional conflicts, as well as its efforts to enhance regional stability. And we encourage Iraq to continue to play this role. Dialogue as well as respect for international law and relevant Security Council resolutions remain vital for fostering regional stability.

Furthermore, it remains important that the use of force across Iraq’s territory is exercised solely under the authority of the Iraqi state, and Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected, in accordance with international law and established principles of good neighborly relations.

Slovenia also reiterates the importance of continued cooperation between Iraq and Kuwait. Uncovering the faith of missing persons is vital and it needs to be resolved.

Progress must be made towards a final resolution of outstanding issues in the search for missing Kuwaiti and Iraqi citizens, third country nationals and stateless persons and missing Kuwaiti property. We thank the Secretary-General for his report and recommendations on the issue and we look forward to continuing the discussion on the best way forward towards the resolution.

We wish to reiterate that bringing peace and closure to families of the missing persons is a humane thing to do.

In conclusion, Madam President, we welcome the Government’s close cooperation with UNAMI and its willingness to facilitating the transition of UNAMI in line with the resolution 2732. It is important that this transition continue smoothly, while consolidating and preserving the achievements of UNAMI since 2003. In this light, we wish to reiterate our full support to Iraq on its path towards a stable and prosperous future.

I thank you.

Recent Statements