UNAMI Submits its Reports on the Disputed Internal Boundaries

During this time, UNAMI has worked closely with various Iraqi authorities at national, regional, governorate and local levels to try to help them develop processes which could facilitate resolution of the disputed internal boundaries in northern Iraq.  Accordingly, the United Nations presented today a set of deeply-researched reports on those areas of northern Iraq that are regarded as disputed.  Separate reports have been prepared on the districts of Sinjar, Tal Afar, Til Kaef, Sheikhan, Akre, Hamdaniya, Makhmour, Al Hawija, Dibis, Daquq, Kirkuk, Tuz, Kifri and Khanaqin, as well as the sub-district of Mandali in Baladruz district.

The reports presented by the UN are analytical rather than prescriptive. UNAMI has not made any suggestions at this time regarding the future administrative jurisdiction of these areas.  On the other hand, recommendations on specific localized confidence-building measures have been included in each assessment. 

Also included in the package of reports was a discussion paper regarding the future of Kirkuk governorate.  For this purpose, UNAMI has analysed four options, all of which use the Constitution of Iraq as the starting point for handling Kirkuk, require a political agreement among the parties and then some form of a confirmatory referendum.  In addition, all four options treat Kirkuk governorate as a single entity, and do not imply the division of the current districts.

Mr. de Mistura said, “our strong hope in presenting these very thorough and objective reports, which analyze these highly complex disputed areas in ways that nobody has ever done before, is that the parties will use them to start a process of concrete dialogue.  We are all too aware that tensions have recently risen in parts of the disputed areas, and also that there are more issues than just the territorial ones that divide the parties.  That is why we have done the work in the way we have, and that is why we are hoping that sustained and serious dialogue will now follow.”