Iraq, 2025

The Assembly will hear and address by His Excellency Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid, President of the Republic of Iraq. I request protocol to escort His Excellency and invite him to address the Assembly. In the name of God, most compassionate, most merciful, allow me to begin by congratulating Her Excellency Annalena Birbock on assuming the presidency of the 80th session of the General Assembly. I extend my appreciation to His Excellency Philemon Yang for his commendable efforts at the helm of the previous session. Your Excellency, Madam President, Your Excellency, Secretary General of the United Nations, Excellencies, Heads of States and Governments, ladies and gentlemen, peace be upon you. I have the honor to stand here today before you to address you on behalf of Iraq, which boasts a longstanding history that you are all aware of, a history rife with challenges that we have faced and managed to prevail over, a history rich with hope, aspirations and opportunities that our people are seeking to leverage in cooperation with our friends and thanks to the support of international organizations, namely the United Nations. On behalf of the government and people of Iraq, I wish to thank the United Nations for its role in support and defense of the democratic system in our country. This was done through the representatives of the Secretary General, from the late Sergio de Mello to His Excellency Mohammed al-Hassan, who will be our partner in the drawdown of UNAMI in Iraq as it completes its work and as we await the completion of the work of the UNITAD. Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2732 and 2697, this is a testament to the stability of the security situation in Iraq and the entrenchment of our democratic political system. I stand here before you today while Iraq has regained its rightful place in the international community and in relations with its neighboring countries. I address you while my country chairs the current session of the Arab League and the United Nations. We are also playing an effective role in international and regional organizations such as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement. These are organizations in which we were founding members. This also holds true for the United Nations, whose charter we've signed upon its establishment. We stand ready to play the part of the intersection between East and West. I would be remiss not to extend my sincere thanks to the United Nations, which has supported our democratic milestones in Iraq, including local and parliamentary elections, whose seventh iteration we are preparing to hold in the coming weeks. We pursue this to ensure the peaceful transition of power and the establishment of constitutional institutions. We have become a beacon of hope thanks to the great sacrifices our people have conceded with great resolve to ensure coexistence and respect for pluralism, contrary to the repressive regime that formerly ruled Iraq. As the guarantor of the constitution, I'm cooperating with the judiciary as the safety valve of the democratic system to hold free, fair, and transparent elections to ensure neutrality and equal opportunities to candidacy and parliamentary representation. In this regard, Iraq has responded positively to the UN80 initiative launched by the Secretary General to strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of our organization. And Iraq stands ready to discuss the potential hosting of United Nations regional and international headquarters in Iraq based on the cost efficiency plan established and in accordance with the United Nations right for use of fruct or in exchange for symbolic rental payments. This reflects our commitment to international cooperation and to play our part in strengthening the United Nations. Iraq has triumphed over the threat of terrorism, and today we look forward to wiping out the last vestige of this barbaric terrorist attacks. We rely on the unity of our people and the establishment of development plans to heal the wounds of the past and pave the way for a promising future which relies on the steadfast national will of our people and the international community's support. Terrorism is but one scourge, even if it takes on various slogans and manifestations. It therefore should be countered comprehensively without any distinction as to its forms. We reiterate the need for the international community to implement all relevant Security Council resolutions, namely Resolution 2178, 2396, 2462, and 2331. We underline the need to hold accountable those who support terrorism through funds, weapons, safe havens, or media outlets, and those who allow the transfer of terrorists. We pursue our efforts for the return of displaced persons to their homes following the liberation of our territories from the scourge of terrorism. This requires international support and concerted effort in various arenas to ensure the reconstruction of liberated areas, to provide housing to displaced persons, and services to them. And the most important is to ensure, or rather to reassure, all components of our community, those who have suffered genocide, enslavement, and displacement, such as the Yazidis, the Christians, and many more, that this will no longer be repeated and that perpetrators will be held to account through international cooperation and once justice is served. And this will protect our diversity in Iraq so as to ensure that our citizens remain in our country on the land of their fathers and forefathers. We've kick-started the dismantlement of camps inhabited by families of terrorist operatives to ensure their repatriation, their integration, and their rehabilitation. This requires international cooperation since this file constitutes a threat to the security and stability of the region. Today in Iraq, we are pursuing sustainable socioeconomic development by strengthening investments in our capacities, and so as to pave the way for a reduction of reliance on oil and the promotion of the diversification of our economy through the strengthening of agriculture, the industry, and renewable energy. We have been providing important investment opportunities in water, electricity, and infrastructure. And we call upon the international community to strike fruitful partnerships with our country. We call upon the international community to support us in recovering stolen funds. These funds will promote development, will ensure the prevention of money laundering, and the circulation of funds at the hands of outlawed groups. We've held the first census in many decades, and it has revealed a population of 46 million with an annual growth of 1 million. This is both an opportunity and a challenge. The number of young men and women entering the labor force is increasing. At the same time, demand on services and job opportunities is also on the rise. Therefore, we are currently establishing plans that allow us to leverage the advantages of our demographic situation while addressing relevant challenges. Iraq is amongst the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Desertification is eating away at our green pastures. Water scarcity is now an existential threat. It is coupled with rising dust storms. And this is the current situation of the global environment. Iraq is seeking to tackle this challenge through the development of renewable energy, the improvement of water management, and the reduction of carbon emissions, as well as an increase in green spaces. We call upon the international community to support our efforts by providing technical and financial assistance. Iraq reiterates the importance of committing to the principle of common but differentiated responsibility in addressing climate change, namely the crisis of the reduction of water resources in transboundary rivers. This is a daunting challenge for Iraq. Our country has always sought cooperation and understanding with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Turkey to ensure the sharing and management of the basins of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. We acknowledge the adverse impact of climate change and demographic growth on the availability of water. However, at the same time, we call upon the upstream states, Turkey and Iran, to ensure or to avoid harming Iraq, a country that is traversed by the two rivers from its north to its south. This is a lifeline for the stability of its people and for our economy. It is also the source of our great civilizations. Reduced water resources will bring about damage to our environment, to our human capital, and to our economy. It also adversely impacts the diversity of our culture and people, especially in the deltas of the rivers to the south of Iraq. We call upon international cooperation and comprehensive approaches underpinned by international law and humanitarian partnership, as well as a comprehensive view to what stability consists of in the region and the world, to reach permanent agreements between Iran, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq to ensure the management of water resources, to prevent damage to anyone, and to ensure a mutual sharing of the rivers of Tigris and the Euphrates. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the Palestinian civilians are beset by killing, starvation, displacement, and the destruction of infrastructure and state institutions. This is inhumane. It is a disgrace for humanity. Therefore, this must end. This is also a testament to the selectiveness in the promotion of human rights and justice amongst human beings. We reiterate our call for the international community to take urgent measures to ensure a just and comprehensive settlement to the Palestinian cause through the implementation of United Nations resolutions. This and the establishment of the independent state of Palestine is the only pathway to stability and security in the Middle East and the entire world. Decisive measures must be taken against the policy of settlement and annexation of land espoused by the occupying power against Palestinians to destroy their hope in a livable state. We welcome the wide-scale international recognition of the state of Palestine within the international community. We condemn attacks by the Zionist entity against countries of the region, namely Syria, Lebanon, and most recently the brotherly state of Qatar. This is a wanton act of aggression that constitutes a blatant violation of international law and United Nations conventions. It also constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the state of Qatar. We call for urgent and comprehensive international measures to put an end to these practices and prevent us from slipping back into aggression such as that we've witnessed against the Islamic Republic of Iran. These attacks against civilian facilities and infrastructure, including in Yemen, must stop. We've witnessed the devastating impact of weapons of mass destruction. Therefore, we reiterate our call for the establishment of a zone free from such weapons in the Middle East. We recognize the right of all states to ensure the peaceful use of nuclear energy and for international monitoring to be extended to all nuclear facilities, including that of the Zionist entity, to strengthen security and stability in the region. On the Syrian file, we reiterate our commitment to the stability and territorial integrity of Syria. We reject any assault against its sovereignty. We look forward to fruitful cooperation amongst our countries in all arenas. We call for a strengthened partnership to counter terrorism and uproot terrorist organizations. We call upon the Syrian government to respect pluralism and peaceful coexistence amongst the components of the Syrian society, as well as respect for religious freedoms and places of worship for all Syrian components. Amid the current rising tensions in our region, we call for an international, steadfast position in rejection of the targeting of nuclear facilities through military operations. This constitutes a dangerous and long-term threat against the peoples and countries of the region and the world. We firmly and unequivocally reject the illicit use of our airspace in military operations between warring parties in the region. This constitutes a violation of the sovereignty of our country. It is a threat to the security and lives of our citizens. We call upon all parties to respect Iraqi sovereignty. In its foreign relations, we have always adopted an approach underpinned by balance, openness and dialogue amongst all countries of the region to settle conflicts and put an end to rising tensions. We have left no stone unturned to forge peace in the region. Therefore, we welcome all diplomatic efforts to resume and ensure the success of the dialogue between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the international community to pave the way for an understanding that safeguards the right of Iran to a peaceful nuclear program in line with international commitments and conventions. Iraq underlines its full support to the peace process in Turkey and the decision by the Kurdistan Workers' Party to lay down their arms. We look forward to a political and legal framework that can pave the way for a peaceful political process for all in Turkey, and this is the only means to achieve stability and security in the region. Based on our experience in Iraq, we consider that commitment to democracy and the promotion of human rights is a fundamental safeguard for stability in the region and the world. However, this commitment must encompass all systems and must avoid any double standards and selectiveness in addressing injustice and oppression. It is important to strengthen democracy against corruption that undermines the freedom of our citizens, putting pressure to bear upon them. This calls for further cooperation between states and governments to counter corruption, money laundering, drug trafficking, and various illicit financial and economic practices that jeopardize stability and security in the world. These sow division and strife and trigger civil wars. Following 2003 and in the past two decades, Iraq has been firmly committed to its principled position, namely good neighborliness with the brotherly state of Kuwait. We have strengthened our bilateral relations at the political and socioeconomic levels, and with great determination and resolve, we've sought to address lingering issues with the state of Kuwait ensuing from the behavior of the former dictatorship. We have honored our international commitments vis-à-vis Kuwait, namely regarding reparations and borders, and we've made strides in tackling the file of missing persons and the archive. We look forward to forging positive and sustainable relations with neighboring countries. Those are to be underpinned by regional and economic integration and sustainable transportation projects. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Iraq's message is clear. We are not calling for sympathy, but rather partnership, a partnership to heal our land, to secure our rivers, to safeguard our security, to empower our youth, and to ensure the unity of our region instead of its division. The Middle East has witnessed enough war, tears, bloodshed, and grief. Many opportunities for peace and dignified life have been lost. It is high time to end this urgently and to forge a new path for peace, justice, and cooperation. Iraq is willing to walk that path and to support those who will join it. The peoples of the world, namely the Middle East, look to the United Nations as the last remaining pathway for peace, and they wonder, will it act or will it look the other way? Will we live in a world where international law, human rights, and justice prevail, or will we slip back into the law of the jungle, a disgrace to humanity, one that stokes the inferno of hatred, cruelty, and chaos? May the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon you. On behalf of the Assembly, I wish to thank the President of the Republic of Iraq.