Dr. Ali Saadi Abdul Zahra: Faculty of Law/Nahrain University Professor.
Dr. Imad Salah al-Sheikh Daoud: Professor of Public Policy/Nahrain University.
Since its establishment on August 14, 2003, pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1500, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has played a broad role in Iraq. This has given UNAMI a significant role in Iraq’s political landscape. Consequently, the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has requested a reorganization of the relationship with the United Nations by asking UNAMI to complete its missions by May 2026. The Iraqi government has set January 2025 as the deadline for ending the mission of UNAMI, stating that it no longer needs its political role. The Iraqi government has requested that UNAMI’s mandate be reduced to focus solely on humanitarian and development issues starting from May 31, 2024, followed by a one-year period during which the remaining tasks will be transferred to the UN country team in Iraq starting from May 2025. In late April 2024, UNAMI published a report to assess its work in Iraq, highlighting ongoing threats in the country. This has divided the Iraqi political elite over the continuation of UNAMI, and the international community has been divided as well. Russia and China have supported the termination of UNAMI’s mission in Iraq, while Britain and France have supported the Iraqi decision to end the UN mission. However, the United States has expressed reservations about the Iraqi decision, emphasizing the mission’s crucial role in many important political issues, such as supporting the organization of elections and promoting human rights. Ultimately, the Security Council issued a decision in accordance with Iraq’s desire to restructure the mission, while leaving the door open for evaluation under Article 9.
