Iraq

Mr. President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations, Your Majesties, Excellencies, and Honorable Guests, Peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.

At the outset, I extend, on behalf of the government and people of the Republic of Iraq, my sincere condolences and solidarity to the Kingdom of Morocco and the State of Libya, government and people, for the earthquake that struck Morocco and the floods that swept through Libya. We ask God Almighty to grant mercy to the dead and a speedy recovery to the injured.

Mr. President,

I would like to convey to you today the greetings of Iraq and its people, who were among the fifty nations that founded this venerable organization seventy-eight years ago, and who still believe today in the general principles upon which it was founded, and contribute to all its programs, out of the conviction that there is no path for us except human brotherhood and solidarity for the continued safe existence of the world as a whole.

Distinguished Guests,

The will for agreement and understanding has prevailed in the new Iraq, and we have succeeded in overcoming difficult days, giving rise to our current government, which is backed by a broad political coalition encompassing all Iraqi factions and components.

This government has adopted a comprehensive and ambitious reform program to correct the political course, restore confidence in the political system, provide a dignified life for citizens, secure their future, and build a strong, capable Iraq. On this path, we have set a program carrying decisive priorities, representing files that cannot be neglected in their implementation, as they lie at the heart of our people's needs.

These priorities have focused on providing job opportunities, achieving broad progress in services, combating poverty and raising the standard of living, fighting corruption, and rooting comprehensive reforms in the economic and administrative aspects, as well as in the financial and banking sector, in order to overcome the weak legacy of previous administrative systems, which were not capable of meeting the required transformations and keeping pace with global development.

We have made significant progress along this path within a record period of time, and the investment environment in Iraq has developed, opening up to the global economy and to fruitful partnerships. Numerous agreements have been signed in various sectors, and Iraq has become a safe environment attracting investors to great and promising opportunities.

Iraq remains an important oil nation and a pivotal state in the global energy market, and it possesses highly significant opportunities, projects, and business ventures in this field. We have launched the Development Road project, the newest and largest project in the region, which is a vital land corridor linking the closest and best economic parts of our developing region, for trade and economic exchange in the region, and in the sphere of transport and economy. It has come to represent an Iraqi strategic vision for connectivity, communication with the world, and positive economic interaction.

Numerous international institutions have issued reports discussing the spread of corruption in Iraq. We have diagnosed this scourge and called it "the corruption pandemic," and we have made combating it our top priority.

We have begun pursuing wanted individuals wherever they may be found, regardless of their positions or affiliations, and handing them over to the judiciary in order to eliminate this scourge. In this regard, we ask friendly and partner nations to extend a helping hand to us in the fight against corruption, in all its stages, and to facilitate the process of pursuing it and those responsible for it. We must all join hands and cooperate in fighting corruption and recovering the plundered funds, because we believe in the link between corruption and terrorism—each sustains the other—and this is what we are all fighting.

Distinguished Guests,

We have been keen to build an independent and balanced foreign policy that focuses on bringing viewpoints closer together and fostering cooperation, aiming for Iraq to be a source of stability in its regional and international environment, and a part of the solution in any regional or international problem, actively pursuing the means of mutual understanding and cooperation, just as we work toward constructive partnerships based on principles of mutual respect and encouraging participation frameworks, and helping to shape policies that achieve sustainable development for our peace-loving peoples.

The government of the Republic of Iraq affirms its commitment to the principles of international law and its respect for all UN resolutions, and its determination to establish the best relations with everyone, especially neighboring countries. We reject interference in our country's internal affairs under any pretext whatsoever, and while our constitution requires that Iraq not be a launching point for aggression against other states, we demand that everyone respect Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We reserve the right to take appropriate measures, in accordance with what international laws and covenants have established, to deter any violation our country may face.

From here, we reaffirm our extended hand to all neighboring countries in order to preserve the security, stability, progress, and economic prosperity of our region, in a manner that achieves the well-being of its peoples.

Along the same approach, we aim to achieve regional integration, remove obstacles to free trade in the region, facilitate the movement of people, goods, and capital across political borders, and connect infrastructure with one another. These are factors that reduce the likelihood of armed conflict arising in the future and significantly limit the escalation of conflicts.

We see the possibility of achieving economic integration through unifying economic policies, customs tariffs and laws, and connecting economic infrastructure through joint investment and presenting opportunities. As an initiative to advance these efforts, we are working to organize the Baghdad Conference for Economic Cooperation (2023) as a path toward regional stability. We will not adopt a policy of alignment with blocs in our relations; rather, we deal with everyone according to our national interest, and we are moving forward in strengthening Iraq's natural position in the arena of international cooperation, and doing everything that enhances stability.

Our government has placed the file of displaced persons and refugees among its priorities and has taken numerous national measures to find sustainable solutions and ensure their voluntary and safe return to their original areas of residence, and the reconstruction of their liberated cities. We have also been keen to resolve the file of the missing, those who disappeared at the hands of ISIS criminals, and to provide material and psychological support to their families and reintegrate them.

We continue in Iraq toward ratifying the "Policy for the Protection of Civilians," in order to affirm the preservation of human rights and respect for international humanitarian law, through training security forces and monitoring performance regarding the protection of civilians from errors that occur during armed conflicts, as well as protecting civilians during natural disasters, making Iraq the first country in the Middle East to adopt such a policy, creating an environment for cooperation between security forces and citizens.

We are steadily moving forward toward holding local elections for the governorates by the end of this year, after a ten-year hiatus. This is a cornerstone and an essential part of decentralization in Iraq, and a foundation of solidity managed by the federal government, through state institutions.

Through its comprehensive and diverse programs, it maintains the best relations with the Kurdistan Region, and it is in continuous dialogue, on an equal basis, with representatives of the Region and local governments across all Iraqi governorates, to translate opportunities into projects that enhance the development of Iraqi resources and economy.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our region, and our country in particular—Mesopotamia—is experiencing the brunt of the effects of drought resulting from climate change, and the urgent need to preserve rights to water resources and international river basins.

The natural bodies of water in the marshes are among the lungs through which the earth breathes, and their drying up represents an environmental and historical loss for every living creature on this planet. They are a human heritage and one of the stories of humanity's development and livelihood, and it is on Iraqi land that the first international agreement, which concerned water, was signed two thousand five hundred and fifty years ago. Therefore, the cradle of civilization and light must not be left to die of thirst.

The environmental catastrophe will be more severe for Iraq and the countries of the region, with unprecedented rises in temperatures, transforming natural forms of life into something extremely difficult, approaching the impossible. From this standpoint, Iraq is working and calling for more efforts among the concerned regional states to work together and find an effective mechanism for coordination and to form a negotiating bloc within the climate convention, and toward an integrated mechanism for managing cross-border waters, and confronting the effects of drought, dust storms, and heat waves, mobilizing international efforts, and the importance of UN encouragement to ensure the sustainability of water resources.

On this basis, we call for the establishment of a regional grouping comprising the Gulf coastal states—Iraq, Iran, and the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council—the countries that will be most affected by rising temperatures. This grouping would undertake the coordination of regional efforts to manage water, confront climate change, enhance environmental protection, and work jointly to confront drought.

At the national level, our government has taken the necessary steps to reduce emissions and stop the flaring of associated gas and environmental pollution. It has also initiated several projects in the field of waste recycling and encouraged a shift toward clean energy. Likewise, our government has ratified a national strategy to confront pollution and mitigate its repercussions for the years 2023-2030, and Iraq believes that confronting these challenges requires building institutions capable of dealing with economic challenges, and most importantly, climate challenges.

Distinguished Guests,

Despite the multiplicity of cross-border challenges facing us, as they face all of humanity, we seek to organize our confrontation of them effectively, within the framework of our national capabilities, in cooperation with brothers, friends, and partners. Among these challenges stand drugs, which form a file that obstructs all efforts toward development and investment in human resources and youth development. Therefore, our government has adopted the National Strategy to Combat Drugs and Psychotropic Substances for the years 2023-2025. There is no alternative for us, as an international community and governments in the region, but to intensify efforts and coordination in combating drugs and everything related to activities that facilitate their reaching our children and our societies. The relationship between terrorism and drugs is not hidden from you.

Mr. President,

Iraq, according to population statistics, is classified among the young nations, as male and female youth constitute sixty percent of the population in the country. Accordingly, the Iraqi government has been keen to give importance to this reality and to advance its governmental program for youth, in order to invest optimally in them. The Iraqi government has developed numerous programs, strategies, projects, and initiatives to support this segment in various fields, having launched the "Riyada" (Entrepreneurship) initiative for development and employment, concerned with supporting categories of students and youth, empowering them, and developing their creative capacities, in order to obtain decent opportunities in the labor market, creating an effective economic movement, embracing productive scientific and practical ideas and developing and nurturing them, in order to encourage students and youth to interact with the changing labor market and technological development, and invest individual skills, talents, and innovative capabilities, and seek to provide thousands of job opportunities for youth and secure a dignified life for them. The Supreme Council for Youth has also been formed, headed by the Prime Minister, with the Minister of Youth and Sports as deputy, and membership including the Ministers of Planning and Finance, Labor and Social Affairs, Education and Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Culture. Thanks to the Iraqi government's care for the youth and sports sector and the construction of sports facilities and centers, Iraqi sports and student teams have been able to win numerous titles in various tournaments and competitions.

We must not fail here to affirm our government's efforts and its continued programs for women's empowerment, granting them their effective right to contribute to all the foundations of the development process. Women have been an essential partner in all our victories over terrorism, and remain a partner in overcoming all difficulties and confronting challenges.

Mr. President,

We reaffirm before the world our clear and steadfast position on the Palestinian people's right to establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. We also affirm Iraq's support for Syria's unity, land and people, and we call for lifting the suffering of the Syrian people and enabling it to extend its authority over all Syrian territories.

In light of the continuing threat posed by the capabilities of terrorist organizations to recruit elements that threaten our security and target our countries, it is important to distinguish between incitement to violence and the spreading of hatred and assault on the beliefs of others on one hand, and freedom of expression on the other. Burning the Holy Quran is a hate crime that targets an assault on a quarter of the world's population, and on others who view sanctities with respect and reverence, and this cannot be marketed as freedom of expression.

We have tasted in Iraq the bitterness of religious extremism and have known its consequences. These acts are at the heart of the motives that lead toward extremism and encourage it, and ISIS remains a prime example before us.

In conclusion, the time has come for Iraq to take its natural place within the international community, after its resounding success in fighting terrorism on behalf of the world and defeating it with the help of friends and partners. The Iraqi people have written eternal epics of heroism in confronting the most heinous criminals, and the prominent role of the wise religious authority represented by Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani and his blessed fatwa, along with the bravery of all Iraqi security and military forces, was instrumental in these victories, as well as in establishing the foundations of social peace.

With this spirit, Iraq has become safe and stable, and we continue this journey, and we will complete it through productive diplomacy by making Iraq a center for the convergence of brothers, friends, and partners, to build a secure and prosperous region in service of all our peoples.

Iraq is distinguished by the strength of its resources, its geographical location, and the will of its people, who faced challenges and overcame them with full competence.

Thank you for your kind attention. Peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.