United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was in Baghdad on Saturday to mark the end of the political mission set up in 2003 following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
The U.N. Security Council, at Iraq’s request, voted last year to wind down the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), by the end of 2025.
Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said the mission’s conclusion showed Iraq had reached a stage of “full self-reliance.”
“Iraq emerged victorious thanks to the sacrifices and courage of its people,” he said in a joint statement with Guterres.
The ending of UNAMI’s mandate “does not signify the end of the partnership between Iraq and the U.N.,” Sudani said, adding that it represents the beginning of a new chapter of cooperation focused on development and inclusive economic growth.
Guterres praised “the courage, fortitude and determination of the Iraqi people” and the country’s efforts to restore security and order after years of violence.
Iraq “is now a normal country, and relations between the U.N. and Iraq will become normal relations with the end of UNAMI,” Guterres added.
