Iraq
Expected Council Action
In December, the Security Council will hold a briefing and consultations on the situation in Iraq. Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Mohamed Al Hassan, will brief on recent political, security, and humanitarian developments in the country, as well as on progress in implementing resolution 2732 of 31 May 2024, which streamlined UNAMI’s mandate and decided to close the mission by 31 December 2025.
Background and Key Recent Developments
UNAMI was established in 2003. December will mark the conclusion of UNAMI’s mandate in Iraq, following more than two decades of support to the country through transition and shifting regional dynamics. Throughout its years of operating in Iraq, UNAMI contributed to the country’s stability by supporting elections, facilitating political dialogue, advancing reconciliation, strengthening national institutions, promoting human rights, coordinating humanitarian efforts, and advancing sustainable development.
Resolution 2732 revised UNAMI’s mandate to focus on four priority areas during the drawdown period: electoral assistance to Iraqi authorities; facilitation of progress on Iraq-Kuwait issues; support for development and humanitarian tasks; and promotion of accountability and human rights protections. Pursuant to the resolution, the Secretary-General drew up a Transition and Liquidation Plan for UNAMI, which was sent to the Council on 23 December and outlined three core transition priorities: the implementation of the mission’s remaining mandated tasks; the phased transfer of responsibilities to the UN country team and Iraqi authorities; and the gradual drawdown of UNAMI’s personnel and physical footprint.
On 25 November, the final report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 2732 was issued, covering developments in Iraq and UNAMI’s activities since the previous report of 30 May and Hassan’s briefing to the Council on 10 June. The report states that the mission continues its drawdown and that on 27 May and 31 July, it ceased operations in its Mosul and Kirkuk compounds, respectively. Its remaining offices in Baghdad, Erbil, Basrah, and Tehran, Iran, are set to close by 31 December. The mission is also on track with its phased withdrawal of personnel and the transfer of mandated activities to the UN Country Team and relevant agencies, funds and programmes.
On 11 November, Iraq held its Council of Representatives elections. A coalition led by the incumbent Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani emerged as the frontrunner, but no party secured a majority. The process to form a new government is expected to be protracted —in previous elections, it has sometimes taken almost a year—due to extensive negotiations among the political factions which constitute the 329-member Iraqi legislature. The Secretary-General’s report says that according to Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), voter turnout reached 56.11 percent and that 25 percent of seats were reserved for women and nine seats for minorities.
On 12 November, a statement issued by the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General welcomed the “generally calm” conditions in which the elections were held and called for a “timely and peaceful government formation process that reflects the will of the Iraqi people”, while reaffirming the UN’s commitment to support Iraq. In accordance with one of its mandated drawdown priorities, UNAMI provided assistance and advice throughout the electoral process. In a statement made on the day of elections, Special Representative Hassan said that UNAMI officials were deployed in all Iraqi governorates to view and support the electoral process, and were satisfied with what they observed.
Amid UNAMI’s drawdown, various regional developments continue to have an impact on Iraq’s political and security landscape. The Secretary-General’s report notes that the escalation of hostilities in June between Israel and Iran “raised serious concern in Iraq regarding possible ramifications for the country’s stability, economy and security”, and included several violations of Iraqi airspace by both parties. According to the report, drone and missile attacks targeted Iraqi air defences, Kirkuk International Airport, oil fields and energy infrastructure through late June and July. It also adds that Iraqi investigations determined that attacks on Iraqi air defences on 24 June were “executed by a single party, which was not named, and launched from inside Iraqi territory”.
The threat from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) also continues to impact Iraq. According to the 25 November report, ISIL continued “asymmetric attacks”, while Iraqi authorities continued to conduct counter-terrorism operations. The report says that from 1 April to 20 October, 21 attacks were attributed to ISIL, many of which targeted Iraqi security officials. Furthermore, the Secretary-General’s 1 August biannual strategic-level report on the threat posed by ISIL/Da’esh says that, in Iraq, the group has focused on rebuilding networks along the Syrian border and restoring capacity in the Badia region, as it seeks to exploit the situation following the ouster of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
On 26 September, during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week in New York, the High-Level International Conference on the Repatriation of Persons from Al-Hol, Surrounding Camps and Places of Detention was convened by Iraq with the technical support of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT). The conference offered an opportunity for member states to mobilise efforts towards facilitating the urgent, safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation of detainees from camps in northeast Syria, which host approximately 30,000 individuals—many of whom are women and children—in dire conditions that have been further exacerbated due to funding cuts. During the conference, Iraq was recognised for its efforts to repatriate its citizens from these camps.
The 17 June annual report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict said that, given the reduction of grave violations against children in Iraq and the measures adopted by the government to protect children, the situation of Iraq would be removed from the children and armed conflict agenda. On 30 June, the Iraq country task force on children and armed conflict was disbanded.
Another priority which UNAMI has focused on—since it was included in the mission’s mandate through resolution 2107 of 27 June 2013—is facilitating the repatriation and return of Kuwaiti and third-country missing persons and Kuwaiti property, which remain missing following the 1990-1991 Gulf War. In view of UNAMI’s drawdown, resolution 2732 requested the Secretary-General to recommend to the Council options for a follow-on mechanism to ensure continued progress on the file.
On 17 September, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2792, authorising the appointment of a Senior Representative with a mandate to promote, support and facilitate efforts towards this end. The adoption marked a transition of responsibilities pertaining to the Iraq-Kuwait file from UNAMI to a follow-on mechanism. On 19 November, the Secretary-General issued the final report on UNAMI’s responsibilities on the Iraq-Kuwait file, which emphasised that the Senior Representative role will be essential to “ensure continuity and sustained engagement” by the UN on the humanitarian file. The report also commends UNAMI’s contribution to facilitating dialogue and confidence-building between Iraq and Kuwait over the years.
Key Issues and Options
The key issue for the Security Council ahead of UNAMI’s termination is ensuring that the mission concludes its drawdown in a safe and orderly manner. The December briefing provides an opportunity to assess how the drawdown has progressed and whether UNAMI’s priority areas are being appropriately transitioned into various other UN mechanisms and Iraqi government structures.
One issue the Council will remain officially engaged on is the outstanding Iraq-Kuwait humanitarian file. Resolution 2792 requests the Secretary-General to inform the Council of progress on the file by 31 March 2026, and every six months thereafter. Council members are likely to hold meetings to discuss the issue following the submission of such reports. They will also be anticipating the appointment of the Senior Representative, which remains pending.
Another issue is how the Council should respond to regional spillover risks and Iraq’s ongoing security sector challenges. Council members could consider adopting a presidential statement which commends UNAMI’s achievements throughout its years of operations and encourages Iraq to continue efforts to assert state authority over armed actors, combat terrorism, and support disarmament and reintegration processes, including through bilateral assistance or capacity-building by other UN entities.
While December’s meeting will be the Council’s last mandated briefing on UNAMI, members are likely to remain engaged on Iraq beyond the mission’s closure, particularly in relation to the Iraq-Kuwait file, counter-terrorism, and regional security. Following the usual practice, the issue will remain on the Council’s seizure list under the agenda item “the situation concerning Iraq” for three years, after which it will be removed unless a member state asks for it to be retained.
Council Dynamics
Council members are broadly supportive of the Iraqi government and its decision to request a time-bound termination of UNAMI. Resolution 2732 was adopted unanimously, and Council dynamics on the file remain generally cooperative, with continued interest in supporting Iraq’s transition into a post-mission phase.
Negotiations on resolution 2792 were apparently also not contentious, as Council members seemed to broadly share the Secretary-General’s position that a follow-on UN mechanism for the repatriation or return of Kuwaiti and third-country missing persons and Kuwaiti property should be established following UNAMI’s withdrawal. (For more information, see our 16 September What’s In Blue story.) The UK—the penholder on the Iraq-Kuwait file—has emphasised the importance of progress on the missing persons and property file.
Regional developments and the risk of spillover from neighbouring conflicts continue to inform Council discussions. The US—the Council’s penholder on Iraq—has pressed the government to disarm Iran-aligned militias in the country. By contrast, members such as China and Russia have voiced concern about the foreign military presence in Iraq and urged respect for Iraq’s sovereignty.
| Security Council Resolutions | |
| 17 September 2025S/RES/2792 | This resolution on the situation between Iraq and Kuwait authorised the appointment of a Senior Representative with a mandate to promote, support and facilitate efforts to repatriate or return missing Kuwaiti and third country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property. |
| 31 May 2024S/RES/2732 | This resolution renewed UNAMI’s mandate for a final 19-month period until 31 December 2025. |
| Secretary-General’s Reports | |
| 19 November 2025S/2025/756 | This was the Secretary-General’s biannual report covering developments pertaining to missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property, including the national archives, from May 2025 to November 2025. |
| 30 May 2025S/2025/323 | This was the Secretary-General’s biannual report on UNAMI, which covered developments from November 2024 to May 2025. |
