SRSG for Iraq and Head of UNAMI, Dr. Mohamed Al Hassan, speech at the 9th Sulaimani Forum

Excellency Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani

Excellency President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani

Excellency Dr. Barham Salih Chairman of the Board of Directors of the University

Mr. Ammar Al-Hakim

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen

Dear brother Bafel Talabani

Greetings,

I join you in (Sulaymaniyah Forum) on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General, who thanks you for this invitation wishing you a fruitful, constructive, and in-depth discussions and dialogue on the situation in the Middle East and on Iraq present and future. 

I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the sponsors and local partners for Sulaymaniyah Forum, in particular, His Excellency Dr. Barham Salih as well as Dr. Bilal, for facilitations that shall contribute to and facilitate participation in the Forum in the arms of this beautiful, historical and hospitable city: Sulaymaniyah. I would like here to express my admiration of the quote by Mr. Hoshyar Zebari that this forum is the Davos of the Middle East.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In the Middle East, we have a recurring habit of beginning speeches by declaring that the times we live in are unprecedented, but the past few years were difficult in the Middle East region and on the people of the whole region in all sense of the word unfortunately. This leads us to ask three questions: First: Why is that? Second: Is there a peculiarity about the Middle East that makes it different from other parts of the world? And the most important and significant question: is there a chance to change such a reality towards a secure and stable Middle East? We are not in the right time or place to answer these questions, despite their importance.

I will say in English what I want to mention here:

(The people of the Middle East are tired of conflicts, the countries and people of the Middle East are tired of the conflicts and the endless cycle of violence, the likes of which are rarely found in our contemporary history. Is it not time for the people of the Middle East region to enjoy security, peace, and stability like other people in the world?).

Here we are not referring to the Palestinian cause only, but to more than four centuries of foreign occupation, external interference and injustice that exhausted people and created a reality that made people unfortunately live with such bad conditions and even to accept them. They lost hope in emerging from this whirlwind. A few years ago, we watched our children, the children of Iraq and Gaza killed in view of everyone on TV screens and via social media platforms as we have seen our women and daughters from certain components, especially Yazidis, sold as commodities at the hands of extremist gangs. This is not acceptable; all of this is a source of frustration and kills the hope and ambitions of nations in the Middle East region. It is time for the concerted efforts of the sincere to create a new reality filled with hope, a future that unleashes the enormous capabilities, and there are enormous capabilities within the people of the Middle East, especially in Iraq: the beacon of human civilization.

Iraq, like other countries in the Middle East, has had its share of crises and conflicts because of internal and external projects.

Our message to you in Iraq is to preserve national unity, distance yourselves from differences, division and discord and gather around your sincere leaders who are seeking to transfer this country to a new safe stage filled with stability, hope, and existence for all. We need to reject exclusionary sectarian projects, some of which are internal and some may be external and respect the components, all components, which reflect the rich, diverse and ancient history of this country and to move forward steadily towards the future to a country of institutions, law, competencies and rule of law where there is no fear or infringement on the rights and dignity of any Iraqi citizen.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Change is the norm of the universe, and Iraq, throughout history, has witnessed several transformations and changes, but with your hands you can make these changes positive and limit their negative effects on Iraq and its people.

Today the Prime Minister spoke frankly that Iraq is embarking on bold reforms. This is an important point for which I applaud you, your excellency. The Prime Minister also indicated the need to put forward the national priorities.

I have no doubt that Iraq is before a great opportunity to restore its historic role in the Middle East and there is nothing to stop that. Iraq is unique with its components, location, resources, ambitions of its leaders and with its people. It is time for Iraq to set national lines for a future that serves Iraqis in the first place and keeps this country away from regional and international tensions. Such a national project has started to take shape, and we hope that it will continue. Iraq today is different from Iraq years ago. Therefore, there is a need to preserve these gains. Many issues are at stake, and countries are exposed to challenges, but with the abilities of its leaders, with solidarity between the leadership and people these matters, and these challenges can be firmly faced. I point out that we cannot risk all these gains after all the sacrifices of the Iraqi people. The UN was part of this path and part of those sacrifices. I would like to proudly note that UNAMI’s mission will come to an end this year. Iraq has moved to a phase where it does not require such a mission but needs services by specialized agencies. We are partners with the Iraqi government in that. This is a point that I would like to fully emphasize. Although we are concluding our political mission here in Iraq, Iraq’s march continues and we are confident that Iraqis, all Iraqis, will continue to walk on the path of building peace and sustainable development and consolidate the pillars of the state of law to serve Iraq and Iraqi people first and foremost.

We should not forget that Iraq is heading towards a constitutional entitlement this year, which is the elections scheduled for next November, an entitlement that we are all working to make successful and to come out in the best possible and successful way. Iraq’s success in this entitlement is important to consolidate the process of development and reform.

In conclusion, would like to stress that Iraq not only needs the stability in the region, but the stability of the region needs an effective, reconciled, open and solid Iraq to paly its natural role in establishing a new regional order based on cooperation, development, good neighborliness, security and stability for all.

Please allow me before I conclude to mention that I have received this book from my friend and brother, Cardinal Louise Raphael Sacco, and as I browsed through, I found a reference that says “Today we have no future unless we live together in harmony and work as partners in humanity and in the country to find sustainable solutions through dialogue and understanding. We must boldly and openly affirm what we have in common and acknowledge our differences on the basis that God created us differently to love and cooperate”. Before I conclude, I would like to pay sincere tribute to a leader who is not among us today and for whom I have great respect, leader Massoud Barzani.