S/PV.6016
6016th meeting
Friday, 14 November 2008, 10 a.m.
New York
The situation concerning Iraq
Mr. Ettalhi (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (spoke in Arabic): Allow me to begin by thanking Mr. Staffan de Mistura for his valuable briefing and to extend our high appreciation for his efforts. We would also like to thank His Excellency Mr. Zalmay Khalilzad, the representative of the United States, for the useful presentation he made on the work of the Multinational Forces. We welcome the presence of our brother, Mr. Hamid Al Bayati, the Permanent Representative of Iraq, and thank him for his briefing as well.
The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya expresses its satisfaction with the continued improvement of the security situation in Iraq. The decrease in the instances of violence in the country has already been highlighted by Mr. de Mistura in his briefing and by the figures cited by Mr. Khalilzad in his presentation. There has been an increase in the Iraqi forces’ assumption of security tasks from the Multinational Force. Additional United States forces have withdrawn without affecting the security situation. Internally displaced persons returned to their homes in growing numbers during the three months of June, July and August. All of those facts are, without a doubt, indicators that the security situation is moving in the right direction, as we continue to hope it will.
We also welcome the political developments and progress in other sectors in the fraternal country of Iraq during the period under discussion. The electoral law for the governorates was adopted, as the hurdles that had earlier prevented its adoption were overcome. There have been positive developments in terms of the voter registration update, a date set for elections in 14 governorates, the situation with regard to the “awakening councils” and support for the rule of law and justice in Iraq. In addition, there have been improvements in the level of social services provided, particularly in the provision of food supplies. As indicated by Mr. Al Bayati, economic indicators have improved. Other positive issues are highlighted in the report of the Secretary-General (S/2008/688).
All these developments provide reason for optimism; we are confident that they have had a positive impact on the direct and indirect bilateral relations of Iraq with its neighbouring countries. We have witnessed the return of foreign ambassadors to Iraq, in addition to high-level visits, continued regional dialogue and attempts to address pending issues between Iraq and some of its neighbours. All those elements are positive indications that the situation in general is moving in the right direction.
However, Iraqis and the international community must still overcome certain challenges. Critical issues now lying dormant must be addressed through a comprehensive approach. For example, the security situation, despite a relative improvement, remains fragile. Events have taken place in Mosul targeting Christians. Some Iraqis are still reluctant to return to their homes. Between 1,000 and 2,500 Iraqis per month refuse to return, and some 20,000 have sought asylum in other countries during the first eight months of this year — the highest number in the world to do so. Internally displaced persons returning to their homes have faced real difficulties in terms of stability, which has led the head of a committee on forcibly displaced people to claim that the Government and the security forces have had a hand to play in the situation. The explosions that have occurred this week in Iraq are disheartening and disquieting. They highlight the vulnerability of the security situation.
We have said many times before in this Council that the situation in Iraq will never become stable without achieving national reconciliation, the three most important aspects of which — all requiring immediate and urgent progress — involve first, an end to foreign occupation. The people of Iraq have always rejected and resisted occupation. Continued occupation in any form will be a divisive factor, thereby contributing to instability and possibly causing a setback in the security situation.
Secondly, an agreement on the constitutional review process must be reached. The current Iraqi Constitution, in the words of Mr. al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister, might have been drawn up in an atmosphere of fear. Unfortunately, we have entrenched those fears and compromised our aspirations. To quote paragraph 17 of the report of the Secretary-General:
“In mid-July, the Constitutional Review Committee of the Iraqi Parliament submitted its second report to the Presidency of Iraq. The report outlined a number of key issues within the constitutional review process on which the Committee has, thus far, been unable to reach a political consensus.”
We hope that all parties concerned will work on promoting dialogue in the spirit of the sincere national desire that we have always known to be prevalent among Iraqis, so that they can draft a constitution that reflects the national and legitimate realities and aspirations of Iraq, thus establishing Iraq as a democratic Arab country that guarantees the rights of all its social groups and minorities.
Thirdly, there are issues that, in our view, are considered hallmarks of any national reconciliation process. In the case of Iraq, these include the demarcation of the internal boundaries among the governorates. Such efforts should be buttressed by a true and continuous effort in the field of development, covering all the Iraqi regions and resulting in a positive impact on the Iraqi people.
Paragraphs 40 to 45 of the report of the Secretary-General address the question of human rights. The report points to some improvements in the field of human rights as a result of the overall improvement in the security environment. However, the report also stresses that serious and systematic human rights violations persist. By way of example, the report cites the assassination of journalists and political activists and the arbitrary attempts to impact the demographic composition of some Iraqi governorates. These include, of course, the recent events targeting Christians in Iraq. The report points out that the number of detainees has decreased from 24,000 in 2007 to 18,000 currently. While we welcome and encourage that trend, we hope that the Multinational Force would positively respond to the efforts of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in respecting the provisions of international humanitarian law.
It is also regrettable that the report confirms that many of those released by the Multinational Force have been rearrested by the Government of Iraq. According to the report of the Secretary-General, there are currently more than 27,000 detainees in Iraqi Government prisons. We also share the concerns expressed by the Secretary-General in paragraphs 43 and 44 of his report.
It is also disquieting that the Multinational Force in Iraq crossed the Syrian border for the first time since 2003. On 26 October, those forces attacked the village of Sukkariyah, within Syria’s borders, resulting in many civilian casualties. Not only is that a violation of the Charter of the United Nations, but it will no doubt raise tensions in a region that should be spared any further causes of tension. We do not believe that such an act can in any way contribute to Iraq’s stability.
In conclusion, my country highly appreciates the efforts of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq and its positive contributions to the political situation, to national and regional dialogue and to supporting constitutional processes and human rights. We also welcome the signing of a strategy between the United Nations and Iraq’s Government concerning the assistance to be provided by the Organization to that country.
