A UN official urges the Iraqi government to work to implement its plans

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[size=52]A UN official urges the Iraqi government to work to implement its plans[/size]

[size=45]Arab reports, New York, Ibtisam Azem,
May 18, 2023,
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Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Iraq, Jeanine Plasschaert (Hussein Faleh/AFP)[/size]
[size=45]Today, Thursday, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, stressed the need for the Iraqi government to continue its efforts and work to implement its "ambitious plans."[/size]
[size=45]Plasschaert's words came during her regular briefing before the UN Security Council in New York. At the beginning of her speech, the UN official stopped at the passage of the 20th anniversary of the US-British occupation of Iraq, without naming it by name, and described it as "the events that shook Iraq twenty years ago."[/size]
[size=45]She pointed out that "Iraq has overcome the difficulties it has faced throughout its history," stressing that "despite this, the roots that caused instability in the country's recent past often still exist, including corruption, weak governance, and the presence of armed actors." non-state, impunity, sectarian politics, poor service delivery, inequality, unemployment, and excessive dependence on oil,” pointing out, at the same time, what she called “the vast potential of Iraq on a large scale.”[/size]
[size=45]Plasschaert spoke about the Iraqi government's efforts to "address a number of pressing issues," and stressed the need for there to be economic diversification and structural reforms, and that "it cannot continue indefinitely by relying on oil alone," noting that Iraqi governments "instead of developing A private sector that generates jobs, it chose the easy solutions, i.e. creating jobs in the public sector to “silence” civil unrest. This has led to a wage bill that no country can afford.”[/size]
[size=45]The UN official touched on the Kurdistan region of Iraq and the differences between the two ruling parties in recent months that pushed the region to the brink of the abyss, and indicated that many described the political situation there as “increasingly reckless and irresponsible,” then stated that “after more than six months, the Council of Ministers met Kurdistan region with its full staff on Sunday,” and expressed hope that “the parties will be able to resolve differences and work for the benefit of the people,” stressing the need for sustainable solutions.[/size]
[size=45]Plasschaert also expressed her disappointment “because there has been no progress in implementing the Sinjar Agreement of 2020, despite repeated statements about commitment to that,” noting the attempt of some (from different backgrounds and affiliations) to exploit the situation to achieve their own ends, and this “prevents thousands of Sinjar IDPs from returning to their areas of origin.
The UN official spoke about the urgent challenges facing Iraq related to water, and she said, “Water represents the most dangerous climate emergency in Iraq, and it is estimated that by 2035 Iraq will be able to meet only 15 percent of its water needs. 90 percent of Iraq’s rivers are polluted, and 7 million people currently suffer from lack of access to water, and this threatens Iraq’s stability.”[/size]
[size=45]She referred to news about "plans for the comprehensive modernization of water management systems in Iraq," then the UN official touched on the importance of equitable sharing of resources between Iraq's neighbors, and stressed "the need for regional cooperation in this framework, because this constitutes a win-win for all."[/size]
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