Statement by Mr. Ghulam M. Isaczai, UN Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for Iraq to Member States-RC Dialogue on UN Reform, ECOSOC Chamber

New York, 2 December 2025

Mr. Chair, Deputy Secretary General, 

Excellencies, and UN Colleagues,

Thank you for the opportunity to share some reflections from Iraq, where I am serving as Resident Coordinator (RC), Humanitarian Coordinator, and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

After decades of instability, Iraq is experiencing meaningful economic and political transformation, regaining regional influence and rebuilding confidence in its institutions. 

Improved security has enabled the return of five million internally displaced people and opened space for economic renewal. 

This progress has also prompted a major shift in the UN’s posture. 

As humanitarian needs decrease and UNAMI’s mandate ends this year, the UN presence is transitioning from a mission-led footprint to a development-anchored configuration aligned with Iraq’s priorities.

This transition necessitated the repositioning of the UN Country Team (UNCT) which followed a three-step process led by the RC. 

• First, we ensured a smooth transition for humanitarian phase-out and the UNAMI drawdown to the Government of Iraq and the UNCT.
• Second, we reviewed UNCT capacity to ensure a new configuration could deliver integrated technical assistance and policy support tailored to Iraq’s development needs.
• Third, we developed a new Cooperation Framework that focuses on national priorities of economic diversification, social protection, water management, climate change, good governance, human rights and the rule of law.

Underpinning this work is the need for predictable and innovative funding and financing. As Iraq moves beyond traditional aid, we are working with international financial institutions and the private sector to leverage government resources for SDGs progress. 

The Government’s openness to pooled funding under the Cooperation Framework demonstrates growing confidence in the RC system and in a more coordinated UN Country Team.

Excellencies,

The RC’s convening leadership has brought much-needed coherence to previously fragmented sectors. 

For example, in social protection, WFP, UNICEF, and ILO now align behind a single, nationally led strategy. 

In climate action, the RC and Ministry of Environment regularly convene the Climate Change Advisory Group bringing together Government entities, UN agencies, donors, and academic institutions to provide evidence-based policy advice to help Iraq meet its NDC targets under the Paris Agreement. 

Across humanitarian, development, and peace efforts, the UNCT now operates with greater alignment.

 Joint analysis, shared political engagement, and coordinated planning have replaced siloed approaches, enabling support for Iraq’s transition from stabilization to long-term development under a unified vision. 

Before, the system lacked the mechanisms and trust to connect humanitarian, development, and peace actors in sensitive contexts. Today, the RC’s triple-hatted leadership ensures continuity across these tracks.

One clear example is our work on durable solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Iraqis returning from NE Syria Al Hol camp. 

Previously fragmented and high-risk returns and reintegration are now guided by the One UN Plan and the Durable Solution Roadmap under the RC leadership. 

Such cross-government and cross-UN coherence was challenging before the reforms, underscoring the RC’s capacity to manage political sensitivities and complex transitions.

The same is true for Iraq’s electoral transition. UNAMI’s long-standing technical support helped build the institutional backbone of the electoral system, while UNCT agencies filled critical gaps, focusing on women participation and addressing online violence against women candidates. 

As humanitarian activities are phased out and UNAMI’s mandate ends, the UNCT is shifting from service delivery and technical substitution to advisory support and evidence-based policymaking. 

The RC system now provides the single leadership point needed to bridge political and development pillars, promote national ownership, and prevent fragmentation during sensitive periods.

In response to SG’s reform agenda for efficiency, closer integration between UNAMI and the UNCT has generated about $10 million in savings over the past three years. In the aftermath of UNAMI transition, we are further exploring the adoption of the common back-office model for greater efficiency—another practical example of the RC system’s value added.

In conclusion, the system is not perfect: financing is unpredictable, capacities vary, and some instruments need alignment. 

Yet, the reforms have enabled responsible leadership during transition, prevented fragmentation, and allowed us to serve as a steady partner to the government in politically sensitive spaces. 

Advancing reform through the UN80 initiative will further strengthen Resident Coordinators to help countries accelerate progress on SDGs, maintain coherence, and ensure continuity in complex situations.

Ultimately, what matters most in transitions is not structure, but the trust we build and the coherence we adopt. 

The RC’s disciplined alignment and steady leadership ensure political, programmatic, and operational tracks move together, supporting Iraq’s progress toward the 2030 Agenda and leaving no one behind.