Speech of the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General/Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, Ms. Irena Vojáčková-Sollorano, at the Fourth Annual Non-Governmental Organizations Conference

It is my honor to be here today representing the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Iraq, to celebrate the role of civil society organizations in Iraq’s vibrant landscape.  In my role as Humanitarian Coordinator, I have the privilege of working with a number of Non-Governmental Organizations in Iraq and know firsthand the invaluable service they provide.

The United Nations has been in Iraq for nearly 20 years, and we re-established our humanitarian presence in the country in 2014.  Over the past seven years, we have coordinated more than $5 billion in financial aid, reaching more than 24 million Iraqis with some form of humanitarian assistance.   

While helping the Government of Iraq and its citizens recover and rebuild from the armed conflict against ISIL/Da’esh, we have needed to establish relationships with numerous civil society organizations and rely upon them to deliver aid to places where the UN did not have an extensive presence.  As the Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, my role is to coordinate the entire humanitarian system, including NGOs, and I meet regularly with NGO leadership to learn about their work and their concerns.  In the humanitarian context, the United Nations in Iraq works with over 300 national and international NGOs.

One of the United Nations’ primary humanitarian goals both in Iraq and globally is the advancement of the nationalization and localization agendas. We strive to incorporate capacity building into our partnerships so that when we eventually scale down our operations in Iraq, the Government and its civil society partners are well-equipped to continue serving their family, friends and neighbors in need. I know the Government of Iraq shares this goal, and NGOs feature prominently in the Government’s recently published National Plan to End Displacement.

I look forward to my continued collaboration with the Government of Iraq as the UN works to help Iraq’s IDPs and returnees find durable solutions to their displacement, and my continued cooperation with national and international NGOs as the UN’s implementing partners.  However, I also look forward to the day when the United Nations is no longer needed in Iraq, and Iraqis are able to live in peace, prosperity and security.

The international community trusts that the Government of Iraq is best placed to meet the needs of its citizens, and as we move towards adopting the new UN Sustainable Development and Cooperation Framework, the Government will be in a prominent leadership role in 2021 and beyond.

Thank you.