Al-Sudani thanks departing UN envoy as UNAMI prepares to end mission

BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met Saturday with Mohamed al-Hassan, the special representative of the U.N. secretary-general for Iraq, as al-Hassan concludes his mission and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq nears the end of its mandate.

Al-Sudani expressed appreciation to al-Hassan and UNAMI staff for their work in Iraq since 2003, thanking “Mr. Al Hassan and all those who served in UNAMI for the assistance provided to Iraq across various fields throughout its period of operation, since the fall of the dictatorial regime until today,” according to the prime minister.

He said Iraq intends to maintain its relationship with the United Nations and continue joint cooperation.

Al-Sudani said the end of UNAMI’s mandate “signifies that Iraqi state institutions have achieved advanced levels of performance in fulfilling their constitutional and legal responsibilities,” calling it a step that “reinforces national sovereignty.”

UNAMI was established in 2003 under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1500 and had its mandate expanded in 2007 under Resolution 1770. UNAMI employed 648 personnel at its peak in Iraq, about half of them Iraqi.

In May 2024, al-Sudani asked U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to conclude the mission by December 2025, citing what he described as Iraq’s progress toward stability. The Security Council adopted Resolution 2732 on May 31, 2024, extending UNAMI’s mandate for a final 19-month period. Under the resolution, the mission is set to cease operations on Dec. 31, 2025, except for any remaining liquidation activities.

Earlier this month, António Guterres arrived in Baghdad to mark the official conclusion of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, as Iraqi leaders stressed that the end of the mission will not mean an end to cooperation with the world body.