Iraq, 2012

I stand

here today in order to convey to the General Assembly

the sincere regards and best wishes of the people of

Iraq, who wish to share in forging closer bonds of

amity and cooperation between peoples and countries,

at a time when my country is undergoing a structural

transformation at every level, a process that will enable

it to reform itself, achieve its goals and consolidate its

gains.

We are building a future through the conscious

understanding of our history as the cradle of civilization

and where the earliest writing system and codifi cation of

laws were born. Iraq has been successful in establishing

a democratic, pluralistic and federalist State on the basis

of an enlightened Constitution, drafted by our people’s

representatives and voted on by our people.

Our Constitution lays out the aspirations of our

people to a free and decent life based on freedom,

democracy and the peaceful transfer of authority,

citizenship and human rights. Iraq has regained its

security, political and economic health in record time

and under extremely difficult conditions, where the

forces of darkness had been betting that terrorism would

derail the experiment. However, thanks to God and the

patriotic vigour and self-awareness of our nation, our

people were able to turn the page. Our efforts are based

on a cultural history of about 10,000 years and on a

great human legacy created by the heavenly messages and laudable human experiences that flourished in our

glorious land.

Our renewed ambition to build a modern State

where the Iraqi people enjoy freedom, development

and prosperity requires us to move towards the

establishment of good, friendly and equal relations

with all nations in the world, within the framework of

a cooperative international system governed by clear

rules that prevent the problems and crises that could

undermine its prosperity and stability. The new Iraq

has chosen to embark on the path of cooperation and

coordination with the international community in the

political, economic and development spheres. Those

efforts have been coupled with significant qualitative

leaps in our economic growth that will qualify Iraq to

return to the realm of the world economy and to emerge

within the international economic system, based on a

realistic vision that has achieved a number of positive

developments over recent years.

According to various indicators, our gross

domestic product (GDP) has doubled, which has in turn

doubled the per capita share of the GDP. According to

projections by the International Monetary Fund, Iraq’s

GDP is expected to reach approximately $150 billion

in 2014. The Iraqi Government has also succeeded in

implementing policies to curb inflation and to control

governmental spending, in addition to our success in

collaborating with the international community to

reduce the debt accumulated by the country over past

decades.

We have embraced a theory of balanced growth in

our national development plans for the upcoming years,

in which the oil sector is to serve as the engine for

other sectors. Iraq has oil reserves amounting to about

143 billion barrels and potential reserves surpassing

the current estimated proven reserves, in addition to

large reserves of natural gas amounting to 126.7 trillion

cubic feet. We expect investments to contribute to

substantial development in the oil industry in Iraq

through licensing rounds, establishing refineries

and other oil- and gas-related sectors and industries.

Estimates suggest that from 2017 to 2020 production

will reach more than 10 million barrels of oil per day.

The development plan will include all sectors and

infrastructure in order to provide secure and promising

investment opportunities. The Iraqi Government has

prepared legislation to promote confidence in the Iraqi

economy by providing legal protection for foreign

investments in Iraq through the guarantees listed in the investment law itself and through Iraq’s accession to

the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency in 2007

and through bilateral treaties to guarantee and protect

investments.

We were able to establish solid foundations for

political conduct, which has matured rapidly as our

people have grown to accept those unlike themselves

and to live according to the principle of citizenship,

the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and

the freedom of expression. We proudly announce that,

owing to our freedom of opinion and expression, we

do not have a single prisoner jailed for his beliefs or

opinions. In our fight against terrorism, human rights

remain a cherished principle that we respect and

promote as a just cause. We do not have any justification

to tamper with such rights.

It is true that confronting terrorism has cost Iraq a lot

of blood, tears, sweat and financial resources, but that

confrontation has rewarded our people with a permanent

immunity against violence. It has also created extreme

sensitivity vis-à-vis violence as a means to resolve our

strife with others. Therefore, as much as we care about

sparing our people the ravages of fighting, we hope that

other countries, especially neighbouring countries, will

learn from the Iraqi experience and spare their peoples

unnecessary turmoil. We call upon them to adopt the

principle of negotiation to resolve conflicts and the

use of dialogue, logic, reason, laws and the peaceful

transfer of power.

That is the essence of Iraq’s position regarding

the revolutions of the Arab Spring, which we cannot

do anything about except to be entirely on the side of

the people and their legitimate aspirations, their right

to self-determination and the right to choose their own

rulers. We share the concerns regarding the issues facing

the peoples and States Members of the Organization;

those concerns represent a humanitarian, legal and

moral burden, because all of us share one world, which

is affected by conflicts and their aftermath.

Based on that, the Syrian issue and the humanitarian

diffi culties facing civilians in that country occupy a

great deal of our attention. We think that the escalating

violence in Syria is a reason for distress and concern,

and it is incumbent upon the leaders gathered here to

work in earnest to stop the bloodshed, which claims the

lives of tens and perhaps hundreds of people every day

in Syria. We would like also to draw attention to the

danger of providing the fighting parties with weapons, which only leads to more violence, bloodshed and loss

of life. The situation is endangering the social fabric

of the Syrian people and may lead to fragmentation

and disintegration of that people, whom we cherish and

whose unity and sovereignty we care about.

We also realize that the facts on the ground suggest

that regional and international intervention could

adversely impact the Syrian issue and might cause

unlimited chaos and devastation that would spare no

one, including the interveners. We therefore sincerely

call for dialogue and a peaceful solution as the only

means to end a crisis that could engulf the whole region

and exacerbate the current situation.

The events in Syria have demonstrated that

resolving the crisis through violence and force could

double the costs incurred by the Syrians and the region,

for such means only increase the suffering of civilians,

destroy infrastructure and multiply the number of

displaced persons and refugees. That is why we hope

that all the parties to the conflict understand that the

military solution alone is a dangerous move and gamble.

From this rostrum, we call upon kings, presidents and

other heads of State here today at this humanitarian

gathering to support reconciliation and dialogue among

all Syrians and endorse the United Nations and Arab

League initiative promoted by Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi

after the noble efforts of Mr. Kofi Annan reached at an

impasse.

In that regard, we do not hide our concern about

the consequences of the ongoing crisis, which could

only worsen if sectarian and ethnic strife is triggered.

That, in turn, could lead the region and its peoples into

a spiral of fighting with no end on the horizon. Such

a prospect makes it incumbent upon us on us to try in

earnest to contain and peacefully resolve the crisis,

while preserving the interests of the Syrian people and

preventing further deterioration of the situation.

Iraq’s initiative aimed at resolving the Syrian crisis

continues to stand as a beacon of peace, as we search

for an exit acceptable to all the forces of good. Our

initiative is based on the following two points. First,

Iraq has a keen desire to see Syria remain intact as a

State, and we support the hopes and aspirations of the

Syrian people for a free and dignified life. Secondly,

Iraq is concerned at the possible repercussions of the

violence and destruction caused by Syria’s internal

war and sectarian strife, which we fear could have a

spillover effect.

Iraq’s unwavering and well-known position does

not deviate from the Arab ranks on issues of crucial

importance to our Arab nation. We accordingly

support the establishment of the State of Palestine in

the occupied Palestinian territories, with Jerusalem as

its capital, and declare our support for the membership

of the State of Palestine in the United Nations. We

also declare our unequivocal rejection of the policies

of oppression, Judaization and usurpation of land

that Israel pursues without regard for international

condemnation of its unjust practices, including the use

of brutal force. We also reject Israel’s disregard for the

repeated international calls to sign the Treaty on the

Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to place its

military arsenal and facilities under the supervision of

the International Atomic Energy Agency.

We have tirelessly called for the establishment

in our region of a zone without nuclear weapons.

Therefore, within the international framework, we are

contributing to efforts to implement a Middle East zone

free of all weapons of mass destruction, chief among

which are nuclear weapons. That is why we endorse the

preparations for the Helsinki conference to be held this

year with a view to setting up a process that would set

up such a zone. Any failure in that endeavour would

lead to an arms race in a region that is in dire need of

peace and stability.

We condemn and reject the discriminatory policies

pursued against religious and ethnic minorities in

many countries the world over. We especially condemn

the inhumane violations of the rights of Muslims in

Myanmar, who face genocide. The world’s conscience

should not remain untroubled by the gravity of their

plight. Such situations run counter to all the principles of

human rights law, religious teachings and international

conventions.

Our good and friendly relations with our

neighbours, the region and the entire world are

governed by a balanced foreign policy based on mutual

respect, common interests and non-interference in the

affairs of others. We also uphold the principles of goodneighbourliness

and dialogue in our relations with the

Arab and Muslim worlds, as well as with the entire

world. Iraq hosted the League of Arab States Summit

in March, which marked a return to our active, natural

and pioneering role in joint Arab decision-making and

action. That was followed by Iraq’s hosting of one of

the rounds of international negotiations on the Iranian

nuclear issue, which we undertook in the objective, balanced and responsible spirit that characterizes Iraq’s

clear position with respect to that issue. It is a position

that declares our firm support for international efforts

to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, while

affirming the right of peoples and countries to benefit

from the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

We call upon the international community,

represented by the United Nations and its Secretary-

General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, whom we highly respect

and revere, to extend support to Iraq’s efforts to exit

from the Chapter VII provisions imposed on us as a

result of the mistaken policies of the former regime

following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, especially as there

is no longer any justification for such international

action. Iraq is no longer a threat to anyone and has

fulfilled most of its obligations, as is confirmed by

the renewal of our brotherly relations with the State

of Kuwait, seen specifically in the mutual visits of

high-level officials of our respective countries and the

serious and constructive dialogue based on a sincere

desire and sustained efforts to resolve all outstanding

issues between us.

I would be remiss if I failed to speak of the

repulsive abuse directed at the great Prophet

Muhammad — peace be upon him — and the wave of

violent protests that shook the Islamic world because

of a ridiculous movie that attacked the image of our

Prophet — peace be upon him — a movie that nearly

caused relations between East and West to unravel. We

need to conduct a sincere and serious examination on

how to prevent the recurrence of such insults through

an international ban that criminalizes those who insult

religions, disrespect religious symbols or insult the

great prophets and messengers. Such actions constitute

a blatant aggression against everything great, holy and

sacred. The recurrence of those obscene actions will

supply terrorists with prime material for recruiting

angry youth for use in violent actions that threaten

peace and security, which could cause many casualties,

as recent events have shown.

We therefore clearly need to contain such attacks

and prohibit the production and dissemination of similar

provocative materials. As nobody in the Islamic world

is able to contain the consequences of such disregard

for Islamic values and their sanctity, we believe that the

United Nations should play a central and constructive

role in this matter, with a view to preventing potentially

far-reaching and dangerous ramifications.

In conclusion, we, the people and Government of

Iraq, extend our hand to the other Member States with a

view to increased collaboration aimed at achieving our

common goals. Those are noble goals, based on lofty

principles and cherished human values, and honour all

human beings as supremely deserving of leading a free

and safe life and enjoying fundamental freedoms. We

hope that when we meet again our world will be a safer

place, our peoples will enjoy better conditions and the

international climate will have improved.