Iraq is a historical country deeply rooted in human memory and it represents a living experience of hope, and there are great challenges that seem difficult, especially at the level of the internal political conflict, but on the other hand, there is a spirit of hope among the people of Iraq who has the ability to extract the opportunity for life, progress and peace from the clutches of Conflicts, crises and challenges.
Despite the difficult circumstances, the Iraqis used that spirit of hope to fight terrorism and defeat it on behalf of the whole world. The task was difficult, and our people made huge sacrifices not only to liberate their lands from the terrorist gangs of ISIS, but also to prevent this dangerous organization from threatening people everywhere, and undermining its destructive ideology. I remember here the Iraqi martyrs who gave their lives to defend the values ​​of freedom, justice, democracy and human rights.
During that just war, the Iraqi military forces acquired unique skills in fighting ISIS, law enforcement, and peacekeeping, and Iraq benefited from the experiences of its allies in its fight against terrorism. We renew our thanks and appreciation to them and renew the call of the Government of the Republic of Iraq to the need to continue confronting the phenomenon of international terrorism and groups supporting him.
Iraq looks forward to receiving more UN support in the reconstruction of the liberated areas affected by the occupation of the terrorist gangs of ISIS, as well as the UN aid to respond to the necessary emergency humanitarian needs; To strengthen Iraq’s capabilities and efforts to rebuild the destroyed infrastructure, in a way that helps return these cities, their people and the displaced to normal life again.
It is worth noting that the state ministries and institutions have continued their efforts to return the Iraqi families in the al-Hol camp in Syria to Iraqi territory, and return them to their areas. I would like to point out here that we have developed a comprehensive government program for the reconstruction of liberated areas, infrastructure repair, and the safe and voluntary return of the displaced. We take this occasion to express our deep thanks and appreciation to the donor countries and international organizations for their support and humanitarian assistance.
Iraq reiterates its calls not to use its lands under the pretext of combating terrorism, or protecting the national security of other countries; In a manner that endangers its security and stability, and stresses the need to respect the principles stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations and the rules of international law and international relations, with respect for the sovereignty of states, the principles of good neighborliness, and the strengthening of cooperation relations. The Government of Iraq affirms its adherence to an approach that calls for resolving the accumulated differences through diplomatic channels.
There is no doubt that Iraq, like the rest of the world, has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which is reflected in all aspects of life, and has proven that international cooperation and solidarity were the most successful way to confront this epidemic, and the Iraqi government and its national institutions have taken many preventive and remedial measures necessary to control and reduce this epidemic and treat it. Here, I take this opportunity to express our deep appreciation to countries, international organizations, the World Health Organization, and humanitarian organizations for their sincere efforts in addressing the epidemic and helping developing countries to confront and combat it.
The government of the Republic of Iraq is aware of the importance of national entitlements, preserving the democratic experience and the popular demands to democratically exercise their rights and freedom of expression. This government has worked to establish fair and fair elections with the support of the Security Council, the United Nations, and other international organizations. To extend my thanks and appreciation to all organizations and countries, and to everyone who helped support these elections, and I would like to mention the supreme reference, Mr. Sistani, for his protection of the democratic process in Iraq. Despite the success of the elections, the political forces were unable to agree on the formation of the government; Which led to the creation of a political blockage. My government has called for a serious and transparent dialogue for all political forces and different parties; To discuss ways out of the current political crisis, in an effort by the government to meet the aspirations of the people, express their hopes, and achieve their goals to ensure their future.
The Government of Iraq is working to build the state and maintain its prestige on the basis of coexistence among all components of the Iraqi people, with respect for diversity and intellectual, religious and sectarian pluralism in light of the supremacy of the values ​​of justice and equality and its principles, guaranteeing freedom of expression, peaceful demonstration and human rights, strengthening law enforcement agencies, and working to strengthen Accountability procedures, stopping individual violations, holding perpetrators accountable, working to limit arms to the state, preventing their possession and use outside the framework of the law and state institutions, investigating their use against citizens and members of the security forces, holding users accountable according to the law, and applying justice to all.
Iraq is keen to be a source of stability in its regional and international surroundings, and seeks to bring views closer, and work to find sustainable peaceful solutions to regional crises and disputes between the countries of the region by proposing many initiatives aimed at ensuring the protection of peace and security in our region, which has suffered wars and crises for a long time. As an extension of this balanced policy, Baghdad has hosted many meetings between these countries; This is the result of the balanced policy in which this government operates, and the Iraqi diplomacy works with neighboring countries and works for the interest of all parties in the interest of the peoples of the region with which they have historical relations, as well as encouraging regional cooperation and defusing crises in the region.
The Baghdad Conference on Partnership and Cooperation in August of last year enjoyed wide participation by the regional neighbors and brotherly and friendly countries, where the conference came out with important recommendations embodied in the declaration of the Baghdad Summit.
It is not a secret to everyone that Iraq is going through difficult climatic conditions due to the scarcity of water resources, the change of river courses that it shares with neighboring countries, and the establishment of projects without taking into account their effects on water quotas, and the equitable use of riparian countries, all of these conditions together have led Iraq to become 5th most vulnerable country to climate change; This has recently led to the drying up of most of the areas of the Iraqi Marshes, and the livelihoods of hundreds of rural families in the Iraqi Marshes, which are considered natural reserves on the World Heritage List, and have affected the livelihoods of hundreds of rural families, which have led to an increase in the rate of desertification and internal displacement; Because of natural factors, the loss of livelihoods for many families, and also led to a decrease in the proportion of agricultural land. We call on all countries in the region for dialogue to resolve water issues in accordance with international laws and agreements.
Iraq is an oil country that has participated in the recovery and development of the global economy since the beginning of the twentieth century, and if it is suffering from climate changes, it will also suffer from all the measures that will be taken to address this phenomenon, which will reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Nevertheless, this government has worked on important strategic projects in the field of clean energy, associated gas extraction, and other areas related to the green economy. This requires international support in its various fields to support its efforts and enable it to move forward in implementing national policies and strategies on both sides of mitigating and adapting to the negative effects of climate change.
In parallel, we have not overlooked the need to develop the education and culture sector. We have placed the implementation of the objectives of the National Strategy for Education, Public and Higher Education for the year 2030, at the top of our priorities, the most important of which are increasing the school enrollment rate to reach (100%), improving the quality of public and higher education, developing technologies and educational technology, and enhancing skills in accordance with the requirements of the labor market and economic development. We have launched the National Initiative for Early Childhood Development, which covers a period of 10 years; With the aim of reducing the illiteracy rate in our society, and providing an appropriate educational environment for our children, especially since several segments of society suffer from the repercussions of wars, confrontations and corruption, which have struck the foundations of the educational sector. We have embarked on a campaign to build hundreds of schools in various governorates after they suffered from a great shortage during the past decades, as well as facilitating the tasks of building universities and colleges.
Iraq shares the countries of the world that crises and regional wars have consequences for all countries of the world, and that peoples always pay the price for these wars, as they affect all aspects of life, especially energy supplies, food, and insecurity; Accordingly, we stress the need to find sustainable peaceful solutions to regional and international crises through dialogue, and not to resort to the use of force in order to maintain international peace and security, and to save the global economy and humanity from the repercussions of these wars.
In conclusion, the challenges facing my country, Iraq today, are the result of long accumulations that we are working to dismantle and our hope for the aspiration of our society, of which youth make up the bulk of it, towards adhering to and defending democracy, as a way of life and mechanisms for good governance. Our young democratic experiment still has a spirit of courage and hope, and it needs the understanding and support of the international community; In order to continue building the contemporary state and reconstruction, providing services and building infrastructure destroyed by wars. We believe in the necessity of investing in people and working to implement the sustainable development goals, in cooperation and comprehensive partnership with our regional neighborhood and the international community.
Mustafa Al-Kadhimi is Prime Minister of Iraq. Above are excerpts from a recent speech given by Al-Kadhimi at the United Nations General Assembly.
The opinions expressed are those of the speaker and may not reflect the editorial policy or an official position held by TRENDS.