Participants from Diyala and Anbar tackle prospects and challenges of the National Settlement

The roundtables were organized jointly by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Implementation and Follow-up Committee for National Reconciliation (IFCNR) at the Office of the Prime Minister, with funding from the Governments of Germany and the Netherlands.

In his opening remarks at the Diyala representatives’ roundtable, Mr. Mohammed Al-Najjar, Senior Political Affairs Officer at UNAMI stressed the importance of national reconciliation and UNAMI’s commitment to assist in pushing this process forward for a better future for all Iraqis.

Advisor to the IFCNR, Mr. Hussein Al-Adli affirmed that “national reconciliation was moving forward in spite of the obstacles”. He added that coexistence was the cornerstone of good governance.

On the Anbar representatives meeting, Mr. Mohamed Al-Najjar said that UNAMI had been working with all political parties as well as the IFCNR. He said that “a number of meetings, similar to this, were held in different Provinces with the aim of listening to varied voices on the future of the country. UNAMI is committed to assisting the Iraqi people at all levels.”

On his part, Mr. Mohammed Al-Salman, Advisor to the Prime Minister on National Reconciliation Affairs, stressed that government deals with all Iraqi citizens equally regardless of their background. “We have to respect the opinions of our opponents, and in order for Iraqis to live in peace and harmony, they need to be highly tolerant,” he added.

Participants highlighted post-ISIL challenges with regard to the settlement and they put forward useful recommendations to ensure success of the ongoing reconciliation efforts at the political and societal levels.