Speech by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq - 22nd Annual Commemoration of the Canal Hotel Bombing

Your Excellency, Mr. President,

Honourable Minister, 

Thank you for honouring us with your presence on this solemn occasion. It is both a privilege and a profound moment of solidarity to welcome you here today as we come together to commemorate and reflect.

Excellencies, colleagues, friends,

Twenty-two years ago, this afternoon, the Canal Hotel was alive with the rhythms of daily work. Phones rang, papers rustled, and urgent conversations moved from one matter to the next. In an instant, that normal day was gone. A single blast transformed routine into tragedy.

That day, we lost twenty-two colleagues and friends, among them the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Sergio Vieira de Mello. More than 150 were injured. Some survivors are with us today. We stand here in solidarity with them and their families.

That day marked a turning point in the history of the United Nations. It was a deliberate, large-scale attack on our organization. It was a wound to the humanitarian community and a blow to the people of Iraq, whose suffering was already immense. 

In 2009, the General Assembly designated 19 August as World Humanitarian Day. This is a day to honor those serving under the United Nations flag, those lost in Baghdad and in other crises elsewhere. 

Last year alone, 390 humanitarian workers were killed, a 31 per cent increase from 2023, most of them national colleagues. The highest numbers of fatalities were in Gaza and Sudan. We recognize their courage and renew our commitment to deliver relief and hope to those most in need.

As Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remarked here in this memorial during his visit to Iraq back in May, and I quote:  “19 August has been forever transformed from a day of unimaginable horror and tragedy here in Iraq into a global day of solemn remembrance for all humanitarians — inside and outside the organization”. 

Your Excellency, Mr. President,

Dear colleagues,

This year’s commemoration holds a special meaning. It will be our last as UNAMI. When this year ends, the Mission’s mandate will conclude. Yet the values we honor today do not end with UNAMI. 

The United Nations will continue working alongside the people, the leadership and the Government of Iraq, always guided by the principles of the UN Charter. We do so with deep respect for the resilience of the Iraqi people and express gratitude for the trust they placed in us, even in the most difficult times after 2003. Whatever we achieved, we achieved together as partners. The progress belongs first and last to Iraq and the people of Iraq. 

Let us remember today the twenty-two who gave their lives in service and the brave survivors and colleagues who still serve in the world’s most difficult places, and to the Iraqi people who sacrificed dearly for their country. 

To their families, who carry the heaviest burden, we stand with you.

May their memory guide our service. 

Let our work be worthy of their sacrifice until the last day of our mandate. 

Thank you.