June 14, 2011UN political affairs chief meets top officials in Iraq
The top United Nations political affairs official has concluded a three-day visit to Iraq during which he held discussions with senior Iraqi leaders in the capital Baghdad and the cities of Kirkuk and Erbil, as well as with officials from the UN political mission in the country.
B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs, emphasized the readiness of the UN to continue assisting Iraq to build a stable and prosperous democracy for its people during his meetings with various officials, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a UN spokesperson said today.
Mr. Pascoe expressed the UN’s willingness in particular to provide further help to Iraqi stakeholders in identifying mutually agreeable solutions to pending issues related to the Internally Disputed Boundaries areas.
The UN has previously facilitated talks involving the national Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government on the dispute over boundaries within northern Iraq, which is oil-rich and ethnically mixed.
Mr. Pascoe praised the courage of the Iraqi people and commended UN staff in Iraq, including the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the UN Country Team, for their valuable work in difficult circumstances.
UN assistance in the field of human rights and in helping the country meet its humanitarian and development challenges also came up for discussion during the meetings.
“Iraq remains a very high priority on the UN agenda and we will do everything we can to assist this country and its people in securing a better, safer and more prosperous future for all of its people,” said Mr. Pascoe.
“I commend and salute the Iraqi people for their courage and steadfastness in the face of all attempts to derail Iraq’s progress towards a stable democracy that meets the people’s expectations,” he added.
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UN Under SG for Political Affairs Concludes Visit to Iraq
New York-Baghdad, - The UN's top political official and head of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs, Under-Secretary General B. Lynn Pascoe, visited Iraq from 11-14 June 2011.
During his visit, Mr. Pascoe held meetings with Iraqi officials in Baghdad, Kirkuk and Erbil as well as with the leadership and staff of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the UN Country Team.
In Baghdad, he met with Prime Minister Nouri-Al-Maliki; Speaker of the Council of Representatives Osama Nujeifi, Deputy Prime Minister Rowsh Shaways; and Foreign Affairs Minister Hushyar Zebari. In Kirkuk, he met with Governor Najm Edin Karim; Deputy Governor Rakan Said and with Kirkuk Provincial Council Chairman Hassan Turan. In Erbil, he met with Kurdistan Regional Government’s Prime Minister Dr. Barham Saleh and Minister of Interior Karim.
Throughout his meetings, Mr. Pascoe reiterated the commitment of the United Nations to continue assisting Iraq and explored with his interlocutors how the United Nations could focus its efforts to better respond to the needs of the Iraqi people.
He emphasized the readiness of UNAMI to provide further assistance to help Iraqi stakeholders identify mutually agreeable solutions to pending issues related to the Internally Disputed Boundaries areas.
He also stressed the commitment of the UN Country Team to assist Iraq and its people by providing technical advice and expertise, developing joint projects, and addressing human rights, humanitarian and development challenges, in particular in the area of basic services delivery.
“Iraq remains a very high priority on the UN agenda and we will do everything we can to assist this country and its people in securing a better, safer and more prosperous future for all of its people. I commend and salute the Iraqi people for their courage and steadfastness in the face of all attempts to derail Iraq’s progress towards a stable democracy that meets the people’s expectations”, USG Pascoe said.
“It is our duty to help, but solutions to Iraqi problems and challenges have to be home grown ones. They have to be Iraqi solutions and for them to succeed in the long-term, they have to be sought in an inclusive manner, encompassing the full array of Iraqi ethnic, religious and political diversity, and including civil society, youth and women as full-fledged partners,” US Pascoe emphasized at the end of his visit to Iraq.
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