In an interview with UN News<\/em>, Mr. Mohamed Al Hassan, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and UNAMI chief, said the Mission\u2019s end reflects how far Iraq has come since it was set up in 2003, when the country was emerging from decades of dictatorship, regional wars and the terror wrought by ISIL \u2013 known more widely in the Middle East as Da\u2019esh.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen UNAMI started, Iraq used to be a very different place than today\u201d, he told UN News<\/em>. Just days into the mission in August 2003 the\u00a0UN came under attack at its Baghdad headquarters, leaving 22 staffers dead and over 100 wounded.<\/p>\n A truck bomb destroyed the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad on 19 August 2003.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Today, a new era has dawned: \u201cWith the sacrifices of the Iraqis first and foremost, and with international support, in particular the United Nations, Iraq believes it is ready to move to another phase, solidifying its sovereignty and territorial integrity. I wholeheartedly believe that Iraq is ready for that.\u201d<\/p>\n UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres will travel to Baghdad to join Iraqis and the diplomatic community in marking the Mission\u2019s closure – an event he called a clear signal that this is \u201cmission accomplished\u201d.<\/p>\n Mr. Al Hassan said Iraq\u2019s recent political developments underscore how dramatically the country has stabilised.<\/p>\n The parliamentary elections held in November, which UNAMI supported, were widely viewed as among the most credible to date. With a 56 per cent voter turnout, they were also a demonstration of renewed public engagement.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the most fair, free and peaceful elections,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you see an election that fair and democratic, you know that that\u2019s a belief in a new Iraq.\u201d<\/p>\n A voter at a polling station in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, on Election Day. (file)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Over the years, UNAMI has provided critical support across a wide range of areas: advising the Government on political stabilisation, promoting inclusive national dialogue, and supporting community-level reconciliation in areas affected by conflict.<\/p>\n It has also played a central role in electoral assistance, helping Iraq conduct multiple rounds of local and national elections.<\/p>\n Among UNAMI\u2019s most significant legacies, Mr. Al Hassan said, is the dramatic improvement in security. He noted that Iraq \u201cwould have had no way to defeat Da\u2019esh without the help of the United Nations and the international community\u201d but emphasised that it was ultimately the courage and resilience of Iraqis that reversed the extremist group\u2019s advances.<\/p>\n The country still feels the long-term impact of conflict. Roughly one million Iraqis remain internally displaced, including more than 100,000 Yazidis still living in camps after unimaginable suffering at the hands of Da\u2019esh.<\/p>\n At Jeddah Rehabilitation Centre, Iraq, the UN Secretary-General met returnees from the Al-Hol camp in northeast Syria, where many Iraqi, Syrians, and third-country nationals \u2013 mainly women and children \u2013 remain stranded. (2023)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Many remain unable to return home, particularly to the Yazidi heartland of Sinjar, due to destroyed infrastructure and unresolved security issues.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope they will have the time, the resources and the support to go back to the homes they were lifted from,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about time.\u201d<\/p>\n Advancing the rights of women has been integral to UNAMI\u2019s mandate, and Mr. Al Hassan said Iraq must continue that work long after the Mission departs.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Iraq today is much better than before on women\u2019s rights,\u201d he said. \u201cBut violence against women has unfortunately increased.\u201d<\/p>\n He stressed that sustainable progress must come from within. \u201cWe want the Iraqis to be the sponsors and be advocates of women\u2019s rights \u2014 through Iraqi law, Iraqi protection and Iraqi legislation,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the end of the day is the protection of their own people\u201d, Mr. Al Hassan added.<\/p>\n A major pillar of UNAMI\u2019s mandate has been the promotion of human rights, including support for judicial and legal reforms, protection of vulnerable communities, and advancing the rights of women and minorities.<\/p>\nDemocratic progress<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\n<\/div>\nSecurity turnaround<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\n<\/div>\nA gender lens<\/strong><\/h2>\n