6 December 2024
President,
I thank Special Representative Mohamed Al Hassan for his briefing. I reiterate China’s support for his work as the SRSG for Iraq and the head of UNAMI. I wish to thank Ms. Hanna Edwar for her briefing, and I welcome to the presence of the representatives from Iraq and Kuwait at today’s meeting.
President,
The situation in Iraq has been stable and improving over the past six months. The government has taken concrete measures to improve people’s livelihood, create jobs, combat corruption, push forward economic reform, and improve public services. China commends such progress. Different factions in Iraq endeavoring to strengthen unity and achieving reconciliation and common development is in the fundamental interests of the Iraqi people. We support the Iraqi central government and the Kurdistan regional government in continuing to strengthen dialogue and consultation on outstanding issues and in seeking sustainable solutions. We welcome the election of a new speaker of the Iraqi parliament and the successful completion of parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan region.
We note with concern that terrorist organizations remain active in Iraq, posing challenges to its security and stability. We call on the international community to continue to firmly support Iraq in strengthening its counter-terrorism capacity-building, taking actions to eliminate the remnants of terrorist forces, and consolidating the hard-won counter-terrorism gains.
The development in Iraq cannot be possible without a regional environment of peace, stability, and good neighborliness. China is concerned about the potential impact of recent developments in Syria on Iraq. We hope that Iraq will maintain its general stability. At the same time, we call on all parties concerned to respect Iraq’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, resolve their concerns through cooperation with the Iraqi government, and avoid taking unilateral actions.
President,
Since its inception, UNAMI has made important contributions to supporting the reconstruction and development of Iraq. In May this year, the Council adopted Resolution 2732, setting a specific timetable for the formal termination of UNAMI’s mandate. China expects the Secretary-General, in accordance with the requirements of the resolution and on the basis of fully listening to the views of the Iraqi government, to formulate a plan on the withdrawal of the Mission’s personnel and the liquidation of its assets within the specified time frame. We hope that UNAMI will strengthen its communication with the Iraqi government to ensure the gradual downsizing, smooth transition, and eventual withdrawal of the Mission, so as to bring its work of more than 20 years to a successful conclusion.
Resolving the issue of missing Kuwaiti persons and property is of great significance to both Iraq and Kuwait. We hope that both sides will continue to make progress on the outstanding issues based on the principles of mutual respect and friendly consultations. We look forward to the Secretary-General making proposals to the Council on the appropriate follow-up mechanism.
Thank you, President.