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Iraq

Iraq: Report of the UN SG pursuant to para. 30 of resolution 1546 (S/2007/126)

Attachments

I. Introduction

1. In paragraph 30 of resolution 1546 (2004), the Security Council requested the Secretary-General to report to the Council on a quarterly basis on the fulfilment of the responsibilities of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). The present report is the eleventh submitted pursuant to that resolution.

2. The report provides an update on United Nations activities in Iraq since the last report (S/2006/945) of 5 December 2006. It presents a summary of key political developments during the period under review, particularly concerning the efforts of the Government of Iraq to promote national reconciliation and improve the security situation, as well as regional and international developments pertaining to Iraq. The report also provides an update on the activities of my Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, and UNAMI, an assessment of the security situation and an update on operational and security matters.

II. Summary of key developments in Iraq

A. Political developments

3. During the period under review, high levels of violence in Iraq continued to overshadow political and reconstruction efforts by the Government of Iraq and the international community. It has also had an adverse impact on the humanitarian and human rights situation. The deteriorating situation has further undermined the social and political fabric of the country, with the number of internally displaced persons and refugees reaching new highs.

4. The worsening security situation, particularly in Baghdad and in the southern and western regions, continues to undermine the ability of the Government of Iraq to deliver essential services, create jobs, and reconstruct socio-economic infrastructure. In particular, as a result of curfews and general insecurity, access to health services continues to be very difficult, and treatment is not always guaranteed, owing to the severe shortage of medical equipment and drugs. According to the Iraqi Ministry of Education, school attendance has drastically fallen to approximately 50 per cent in 2006. Given the worsening situation, many Iraqis are turning to local groups or militias for protection or the provision of basic services. In response, the Government of Iraq has focused its efforts on countering the prevailing violence through the launch of the new Baghdad security plan, code named Operation Fardh al-Qanoon (Operation Imposing Law).

5. On 10 January 2007, President Bush outlined the details of the new United States strategy for Iraq in a televised policy speech. In addition to security operations, the approach includes military, social and economic milestones intended to bolster progress on the ground. The intention is for the Government of Iraq to take responsibility for security in all provinces by November 2007; hold provincial elections no later than the end of 2007; ensure the fair allocation of $10 billion of Iraqi funds for reconstruction and infrastructure projects to create new jobs; finalize legislation on the equitable sharing of oil revenues; revise the de-Baathification law; and establish a fair process for the review of the Iraqi Constitution. In the same policy speech, President Bush asserted the intention of the United States of America to interrupt activities emanating from the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Syrian Arab Republic, in particular those that are allegedly supporting attacks on American troops. Subsequent interventions by the multinational force in Iraq against Iranian nationals, including arrests in Erbil and Baghdad, have heightened diplomatic tensions. The Islamic Republic of Iran denied the allegations, and the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran stated that the arrested officials were in Iraq at the invitation of the Government of Iraq.

6. On 16 and 17 December 2006, Prime Minister Al-Maliki hosted a conference of political parties and entities as part of the Government's national reconciliation plan. The event was largely attended by political parties within the national unity government, while those with ties to the Ba'ath Party, the Sadrist bloc, the Iraqiya list of Ayad Allawi, and the Iraqi Front for National Dialogue led by Saleh al-Mutlak did not officially attend. However, numerous members of each group participated in their own personal capacity. The conference concluded with a statement recommending, among other items, the dissolution of militias, the expedited withdrawal of the multinational force, and the re-incorporation of veteran army personnel.

7. The Council of Representatives was unable to establish a quorum throughout much of December 2006 and January 2007, partly owing to a boycott by the 30 Sadrist bloc members, thereby delaying the adoption of numerous important laws. The Sadrist bloc resumed participation in the Government and the Council of Representatives on 21 January 2007, after suspending involvement on 30 November 2006. When the full Parliament reconvened on 23 January 2007, the law on the formation of the Independent High Electoral Commission was passed, as well as the state of emergency law, which had lapsed on 31 December 2006. The Council of Representatives also approved the 2007 budget on 8 February 2007, which, at $41 billion, is the largest budget in the history of Iraq. The budget indicates a $7 billion deficit, and it will reportedly draw from the surplus from the 2006 fiscal year.

8. Additional legislation considered to be central to the national reconciliation strategy, as envisaged by the Baghdad security plan, remains pending. In particular, the hydrocarbon law, which is essential for both national unity and the economic development of Iraq, is still under consideration. The draft law, along with complementary legislation, aims to establish investment and management procedures for the oil industry and to make progress towards reaching an agreement on the sharing of the nation's oil revenues and federal oversight of regionally negotiated oil contracts. Following extensive negotiations, the draft law was endorsed by the Council of Ministers on 27 February 2007, and will be submitted to Parliament, which will reconvene in March. Other key pieces of legislation are pending, including those on de-Baathification, provincial elections and a possible amnesty law.

9. The Baghdad security plan was formally launched on 13 February 2007 in a live televised address by General Qanbar, Commander of Baghdad security plan operations. General Qanbar announced that the launch of the Baghdad security plans would be accompanied by closure of the borders with the Syrian Arab Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran for a period of 72 hours and the extension of curfew hours in Baghdad. Illegal occupants of real estate property belonging to displaced persons were given 15 days to vacate and return such properties with their assets to their legal owners. Prime Minister Al-Maliki distinguished the new plan from past efforts by highlighting Iraqi control of security operations with United States troop support, the decision to confront all armed groups regardless of religious or political affiliation, and the combination of reconciliation and economic measures.

10. Following the start of the Baghdad security plan there was a decrease in civilian casualties in Baghdad, particularly in the number of unidentified bodies found in the city, and in the frequency of car bomb attacks. Car bombings resumed shortly after the implementation of the plan, apparently in an attempt to discredit the plan, cause large numbers of civilian casualties and provoke retaliatory actions. The initial reduction of violence in Baghdad has been attributed by some commentators to the decision of militias to keep a low profile during the security operations, thus prompting concern that they will quickly re-emerge once the security plan is completed. The plan also enjoyed initial political support, as indicated by the parliamentary vote on 25 January, when all 160 members of Parliament present at the session voted in favour of the plan. However, leaders on all sides started voicing scepticism weeks after the security operations commenced.

11. On 6 February 2007, the High Commission on the Implementation of Article 140, regarding the status of Kirkuk, announced Orders Nos. 3 and 4, which were intended to commence the process of relocating Arab families that moved to Kirkuk during the "Arabization" campaign of Saddam Hussein. The Orders, which require approval by the executive branch, offer compensation to relocated families. The announcement by the Commission was followed by demonstrations in Kirkuk by opponents of the measure, who claimed it was tantamount to forced displacement. In response, Commissioners clarified that the relocation and compensation mechanisms were strictly voluntary and that 7,000 families had reportedly registered for relocation. It is not clear how the cases handled by the High Commission will relate to those processed by the Commission for Resolution of Real Property Disputes, which is responsible for settling claims by people who lost property as a result of actions of the Ba'athist regime during the period from 1968 to April 2003. More than 50,000 Kirkuk-related claims have been filed with the Commission for Resolution of Real Property Disputes to date.

12. Kirkuk remains a highly sensitive issue, which should be approached cautiously, as it could worsen an already complex situation both inside Iraq and in the region. United Nations experts believe that before a successful referendum on Kirkuk and disputed territories can be conducted, as mandated under article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution, several outstanding technical issues must be resolved. These include clarification of the specific issues on which people would be voting; the definition of the boundaries of the territories subject to the referendum; the establishment of a credible voters' register; criteria for identifying the threshold for passage of the referendum; and the completion of a census prior to the referendum.

13. In the prevailing atmosphere of mistrust among Iraqi communities, recent attempts to reach across the ethnic and religious divide have been welcomed. On 7 February 2007, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani released a statement that listed commonalities between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, called for unity and coexistence based on mutual respect, and asserted the sanctity of Muslim blood. In addition to denouncing false fatwas made in his name, the Grand Ayatollah declared that it was the duty of all Muslims to reduce tensions caused by political disputes and focus on strengthening ties between the children of the nation of Iraq. On 10 February 2007, dozens of Shia and Sunnis gathered for the re-opening of a Sunni mosque in Shiitedominated Sadr City. A month earlier, on 10 January 2007, a senior Sadrist official concluded an agreement with the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party to form joint committees in mixed neighbourhoods in Baghdad to cooperate on security and returns of internally displaced persons. In Basra, joint Sunni and Shiite committees were formed in February 2007 to reopen and protect Sunni mosques closed in the aftermath of the attack on the Samarra shrine in February 2006. More initiatives of these kinds are essential to help build confidence and encourage Iraqi communities to end their mistrust of each other.

B. Regional developments

14. During the period under review, several developments and events pertaining to Iraq took place in the region. A meeting of a contact group on Iraq of the League of Arab States, which took place in Cairo on 5 December 2006, expressed solidarity with Iraq and rejected all forms of violence in the country. On 10 December 2006, the Iraqi National Security Adviser attended a regional security summit in Bahrain and reiterated the centrality of national reconciliation in the strategy of the Iraqi Government to establish security in the country. Most notably, on 14 January 2007, President Talabani paid an official visit to the Syrian Arab Republic, the first by an Iraqi head of State in nearly 30 years. At the end of his visit, a joint communiqué between the Governments of Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic called for greater political coordination, economic cooperation and improved water resource management between the two countries.

15. The increasing number of Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons continues to be a serious concern for neighbouring countries. In response to the growing unease in the region, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees visited Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic during the month of February 2007, to highlight the plight of Iraqi refugees residing in these respective countries. That effort followed a $60-million appeal launched by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on 8 January 2007 to provide support for the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons in the region. The High Commissioner praised the generosity of Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic for hosting such large numbers of Iraqis.

16. In an effort to promote greater regional dialogue, the Government of Iraq has invited neighbouring States to participate in a preparatory meeting of the Foreign Ministers' meeting of Iraq's neighbours, to be held in Baghdad at the level of senior official on 10 March 2007. I welcome this new diplomatic initiative, as it is in keeping with the United Nations call for the convergence of national, regional and international efforts in support of the people and Government of Iraq.

C. International developments

17. Preparatory activities for the International Compact with Iraq continued and resulted in the finalization of documentation. At the request of Prime Minister Al-Maliki, I have decided to host a meeting in New York on 16 March 2007, in an effort to brief Member States on the status of the International Compact with Iraq and to provide the Iraqi Government with an opportunity to inform potential donors on the progress made in the implementation of its commitments made under the Compact. I hope that the date and venue of the launch of the Compact will be identified as soon as possible. I also strongly believe that positive political progress and a reduction of violence are essential preconditions for the success of this initiative.

18. On 23 February 2007, the High Commissioner for Refugees announced that UNHCR will convene an international conference in Geneva on 17 and 18 April 2007, to discuss the humanitarian needs of refugees and displaced people inside Iraq and neighbouring countries. The ministerial-level conference will bring together Iraqi authorities, neighbouring countries, major donor countries, resettlement countries, and concerned regional governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It will focus on a broad range of issues and objectives, including raising awareness on the dimensions of the displacement crisis and the protection and assistance needs of those affected. The conference will also consider ways to encourage the international community to work collectively to ease the suffering of millions of refugees and displaced persons in the region.