Iraq Asks the United Nations to End Its Assistance Mission in the Country

The Iraqi government, in a letter to the United Nations, has requested the complete termination of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) by the end of 2025. According to Reuters, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani emphasized in his letter to Antonio Guterres that there is no longer a need for this mission to continue in Iraq. The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, known as UNAMI, was established in the summer of 2003 following a resolution passed by the UN Security Council, located in the Green Zone of Baghdad. The Green Zone is situated in the center of Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, housing government centers, important state offices, federal institutions including the Presidential Palace and the Prime Minister's Palace, as well as the embassies of the United States and the United Kingdom, and the remaining multinational forces in Iraq. The UN Assistance Mission was established to help develop Iraqi institutions, support political dialogue and elections, and promote human rights in the country. In his recent letter to the UN, the Prime Minister emphasized that Iraq intends to deepen cooperation with other UN sectors but sees no need for the continuation of this mission. In the letter, Mr. Sudani also stated that 'Iraq has made significant strides in many areas, especially those under UNAMI's oversight.' The head of UNAMI typically engages with senior political, judicial, and security officials in Iraq, and supporters of this mission consider it important for preventing and resolving conflicts in the country; however, critics describe this approach as interference. The Iraqi government has previously sought to end several other international missions since 2023, including the US-led coalition established in 2014 to combat ISIS and the UN mission aimed at enhancing accountability for the jihadist group's crimes. Iraqi officials assert that the country has come a long way from the sectarian bloodshed following the US-led invasion and ISIS's attempts to establish a caliphate, claiming that there is no longer a need for international assistance. However, some critics are concerned about the stability of this 'nascent democracy' given the frequent and even street-level clashes among armed political-military groups in the country. On the other hand, some diplomats and UN officials are worried about the human rights situation in Iraq, a country that frequently ranks among the most corrupt in the world, with human rights activists warning that freedom of expression has become even more restricted in recent years. Nevertheless, the Iraqi government claims it is fighting corruption and denies the restriction of freedom of expression.