Iraq: Briefing and Consultations
On Tuesday morning (10 June), the Security Council will convene for an open briefing, followed by closed consultations, on the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). Special Representative and Head of UNAMI Mohamed Al Hassan is expected to brief on the Secretary-General’s latest reports on UNAMI and the issue of missing Kuwaiti and third-party nationals and missing Kuwaiti property.
Al Hassan is likely to provide updates on the political, security, and humanitarian developments in Iraq, 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. The advance copy of the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of resolution 2732 was circulated to Council members on 23 May and covers developments since 26 November 2024 (S/2025/323).
Al Hassan is likely to describe steps taken by UNAMI in line with the transition and liquidation plan submitted by the Secretary-General to the Security Council on 23 December 2024. (For more information, see the brief on Iraq in our June 2025 Monthly Forecast.) He may note that the mission has reduced its staffing footprint and closed its field offices in Mosul and Kirkuk on 31 March and 30 April, respectively. The Secretary-General’s report says that the mission’s drawdown is on schedule.
Regarding Iraq’s political developments, the report notes that the results of Iraq’s 2024 General Population and Housing census—the country’s first comprehensive census since 1987—were announced at a 24 February press conference, revealing that the population has reached 46.1 million. It also reports that, on 9 April, Iraq’s Council of Ministers (the government’s principal executive organ) decided that elections for the Council of Representatives (the lower house of the country’s bicameral legislature) will take place on 11 November. At Tuesday’s meeting, Al Hassan and some Council members are expected to welcome these developments as steps in promoting peace and stability, underline the importance of making progress towards holding the Iraqi parliamentary elections, as well as encourage and commend UNAMI’s continued support and technical assistance in this regard. Some Council members may highlight the importance of having inclusive political and electoral processes that facilitate the safe, meaningful participation of women and minorities.
Al Hassan is also expected to provide the latest updates on the security situation in Iraq. The report on resolution 2732 says that there were attacks by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) during the reporting period, but they continued to decline for a fourth consecutive quarter. On 14 March, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’a al-Sudani announced that ISIL’s leader in Iraq and Syria, Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rufay’i, had been killed in an operation by Iraqi security forces, supported by the US-led Global Coalition against Da’esh. Several Council members may note these developments, while some may emphasise the need for continued vigilance in light of a potential resurgence of ISIL amid shifting regional political and security dynamics following the December 2024 ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria.
The issue of Iraqi returnees from northeast Syria is likely to be discussed during the meeting. Council members may welcome efforts by Iraq to accelerate returns of nationals living in harsh conditions in the al-Hol and al-Roj camps in northeast Syria, including through the second phase of the “ONE UN Plan”, which aims to facilitate the return of all Iraqi nationals by the end of 2025.
Furthermore, some Council members may welcome the 1 March ceasefire declaration by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), ending over 40 years of conflict with Türkiye, and the PKK’s subsequent 12 May decision to dissolve and disarm. Northern Iraq was one of the PKK’s main areas of activity and for years had been a hotspot of armed clashes between the group and Turkish forces.
Some Council members may also raise issues relating to the human rights situation in the country. Human rights groups have raised concerns regarding the rights of Iraqi women and children due to an amendment to Iraq’s Personal Status Law, which entered into force on 17 February. The amendment initially sought to allow marriages for girls as young as nine, but following public opposition and advocacy the amendment retained the Personal Status Law’s existing provision on the minimum age to be 18, or 15 with judicial and guardian approval. On Tuesday, some Council members may stress that any legal reforms in the country must align with Iraq’s international human rights obligations.
Some speakers may also note that Iraq is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change, the effects of which can exacerbate instability and undermine security in the country. The report on resolution 2732 stresses that Iraq’s southern governates in particular face severe climate-related challenges, which are impacting agriculture, livestock, and fisheries, and are driving climate-induced displacement. At Tuesday’s meeting, several Council members may mention such vulnerabilities and call for continued efforts to address climate-related issues, such as the Environment and Climate Change Policy Advisory Group, which was launched by the Iraqi Ministry of Environment and the UN on 11 March, and a project titled ‘Strengthening Climate Resilience of Vulnerable Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Iraq’, which was launched by key Iraqi ministries and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on 26 May.
Council members will also receive a briefing on developments regarding missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property, including the National Archives. An advance copy of the Secretary-General’s report on the matter was circulated to Council members on 23 May and covers developments since 24 November 2024 (S/2025/320).
Al Hassan is expected to update the Council on UNAMI’s efforts to facilitate progress towards resolving outstanding issues between Iraq and Kuwait. According to the Secretary-General’s report, 315 Kuwaitis and third-country nationals remain unaccounted for, and the return of the national archives and other missing Kuwaiti property remain outstanding.
Resolution 2732 requested the Secretary-General to present to the Council, by 31 May, options for a follow-on mechanism to ensure continued progress on these issues if they are not resolved by the termination of UNAMI’s mandate. In his report, the Secretary-General presented the following two options for the Council’s consideration:
- The appointment of a senior representative acting on the Secretary-General’s behalf who would be tasked exclusively with continuing the mandate; or
- A request that an appropriate UN Secretariat Department and/or senior official of the UN Secretariat assume this mandate.
On Tuesday, Council members may take note of the two options presented by the Secretary-General. Some speakers may welcome efforts by Iraq and Kuwait to strengthen bilateral cooperation and call on them to fully support the Tripartite Commission, UNAMI, and the Special Representative towards resolving any outstanding issues on the file. The Tripartite Commission was established under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) following the 1990–1991 Gulf War to ascertain what happened to people missing in connection with the conflict. It is comprised of representatives of Iraq, Kuwait, and the 1990–1991 Coalition (France, the UK, the US, and Saudi Arabia).
The report notes that the governments of Iraq and Kuwait have expressed differing views on the matter. According to the report, in a 17 February letter, Kuwait expressed support for the appointment of a High-Level Coordinator who would submit periodic reports to the Security Council on progress towards resolving the issue. On the other hand, according to the report, in an 18 March letter, Iraq opposed a new mechanism mandated by the Security Council and proposed instead that the issue be resolved through bilateral consultations and that both countries establish a “national body tasked with the search for Kuwaiti missing persons and archives”.
