UN Committed To Supporting ‘Free, Fair And Transparent Election With The Participation Of All Iraqis'
He provided updates on political, human rights and other developments over the past six months, and the Mission's ongoing support to the authorities as it prepares to leave at the end of the year.
UNAMI was established in 2003 and works to advance inclusive political dialogue as well as reconciliation at the national and community levels, among other mandated tasks.
Parliamentary elections ahead
At the outset, Mr. Hassan commended the Iraqi Government for providing humanitarian aid to people in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Syria, and for supporting the new peace initiative between Türkiye and the Kurdistan Workers' Party, a militant group known as PKK.
He said Iraq is well on the way to fresh parliamentary elections set for 11 November, and the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) is making notable progress towards polling day, with UNAMI's technical support.
Although voter registration should conclude in the coming days, and nearly three-quarters of all voters have completed biometric registration, challenges and logistical concerns remain.
Supporting the vote
'But IHEC is committed to doing its best towards a free, fair and transparent election with the participation of all Iraqis without fear and intimidation,' he said.
' UNAMI will spare no effort in providing the most professional technical support towards this end, including efforts to promote the widest participation of women, youth and minorities.'
Mr. Al Hassan also reported on the aftermath of the successful parliamentary elections held in the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq last October. With formation of a regional government still outstanding, he called for a spirit of compromise to break the impasse.
Returnees from Syria
Turning to other matters, he said more than 800 Iraqis recently returned from the Al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria. For years, thousands of people from Syria, Iraq and other countries have been held at the notorious complex for their alleged ties to Daesh extremists.
He said the development is an indication of the Iraqi Government's commitment to accelerating returns of its citizens, with UN support.
' It is nevertheless essential that adequate resources are invested in supporting a dignified reintegration of returning families, and in ensuring a fair judicial process for the detainees who are being repatriated,' he added.
Concern for Yazidi community
Meanwhile, the situation of people displaced within Iraq continues to demand urgent attention. They include members of the Yazidi minority community who are living in camps and informal settlements in harsh conditions.
More than a decade has passed since ISIL fighters attacked the Yazidi's ancestral homeland around Sinjar, in northern Iraq, committing atrocities such as executions, forced conversions and abducting thousands of women and girls into sexual slavery.
Mr. Al Hassan said the Iraqi Government's recent recognition of Yazidi land rights was 'a significant milestone,' with over 1,300 ownership letters and nearly 100 title deeds distributed this year. Yet he stressed the need for a national plan that provides durable solutions.
End the injustice
'The return process cannot just be physical relocation, it needs to be a meaningful process that rebuilds lives, livelihoods, and hope for the future,' he said.
Speaking in Arabic, he said the Yazidis 'have been greatly harmed in a manner that cannot be described.' He called on all concerned in Iraq and neighbouring countries 'to take all the necessary measures' to protect them.
'We think it is important to put an end to this injustice that has been imposed on the Yazidi Iraqi people, and to guarantee their return to their homes and to their areas in dignity and in pride.'
Uphold human rights
Moving on, he said that 'commitment to human rights is at the heart of Iraq's stability and development.' He pointed to measures including progress towards a draft law on minority rights and the adoption of a national strategy to counter hate speech.
'Among the human rights files that must be dealt with urgently is that of those who have been disappeared and those who are in jail without any legal and just and transparent trials,' he said.
Planned withdrawal
Regarding UNAMI, he said that 'the Mission continues to pursue a structured transition according to schedule and in close cooperation with the Government of Iraq Transition Team.'
Its offices in Mosul and Kirkuk have closed and staffing levels are being gradually reduced, with the goal of balancing the drawdown as mandated tasks continue. This is taking place 'in a context of serious financial constraints impacting the United Nations as a whole,' he added.
Before concluding his remarks, Mr. Al Hassan underlined his 'complete trust and confidence in Iraq and Iraqis and the ability of this great country, which is among the founding members of the United Nations to regain its status among the nations.'
He said the UN 'will spare no effort in our cooperation and our assistance because we believe in this country and its potential, and its capacities and the capabilities of its people.'
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It's made to order. First, eliminate the aid system after creating circumstances of enormous suffering. Then, kill, starve, vanquish and displace those in need of that aid. Finally: give the pretence of humanity by ensuring some aid to those whose suffering you created in the first place. As things stand, the system of aid distribution in the Gaza Strip is intended to cause suffering and destruction to recipients. Since May 26, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an opaquely structured entity with Israeli and US backing, has run the distribution of parcels from a mere four points, a grim joke given the four hundred or so outlets previously operated by the United Nations Palestinian relief agency. The entire process of seeking aid has been heavily rationed and militarised, with Israeli troops and private contractors exercising murderous force with impunity. Opening times are not set, rendering the journey to the distribution points even more precarious. 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NZ Herald
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Across the political spectrum, leaders are pushing a harder line on people lacking permanent legal status
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Scoop
26-06-2025
- Scoop
'New Middle East': This Is Netanyahu's Real Goal In The Region
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu persistently declares his ambition to "change the face of the Middle East". Yet, his repeated assertions seem to clash with the unfolding reality on the ground. Netanyahu's opportunistic relationship with language is now proving detrimental to his country. The Israeli leader undoubtedly grasps fundamental marketing principles, particularly the power of strong branding and consistent messaging. However, for any product to succeed over time, clever branding alone is insufficient; the product itself must live up to at least a minimum degree of expectation. Netanyahu's "product," however, has proven utterly defective, yet the 75-year-old Israeli Prime Minister stubbornly refuses to abandon his outdated marketing techniques. But what exactly is Netanyahu selling? Long before assuming Israel's leadership, Netanyahu mastered the art of repetition – a technique often employed by politicians to inundate public discourse with specific slogans. Over time, these slogans are intended to become "common sense". As a member of the Knesset in 1992, Netanyahu delivered what appeared to be a bombshell: Iran was "within three to five years" from obtaining a nuclear bomb. In 1996, he urged the US Congress to act, declaring that "time is running out." While the US pivoted its attention toward Iraq, following the September 2001 attacks, Netanyahu evidently hoped to eliminate two regional foes in one stroke. Following the fall of the Iraqi government in 2003, Netanyahu channeled all his energy into a new discourse: Iran as an existential threat. Between then and now, Iran has remained his primary focus, even as regional alliances began to form around a discourse of stabilization and renewed diplomatic ties. However, the Obama administration, especially during its second term, was clearly uninterested in another regional war. As soon as Obama left office, Netanyahu reverted to his old marketing strategy. It was during Trump's first term that Netanyahu brought all his marketing techniques to the forefront. He utilized what is known as comparative advertising, where his enemies' "product" is denigrated with basic terms like 'barbarism', ' dark age ', and so forth, while his own is promoted as representing ' civilization ', ' enlightenment ', and 'progress'. He also invested heavily in the FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) marketing technique. This entailed spreading negative or misleading information about others while promoting his own as a far superior alternative. This brings us to "solution framing." For instance, the so-called "existential threats" faced by Israel can supposedly be resolved through the establishment of a "New Middle East." For this new reality to materialize, the US, he argues, would have to take action, not only to save Israel but also the "civilized world" as well. It must be noted that Netanyahu's "New Middle East" is not his original framing. This notion can be traced to a paper published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in March 2004. It followed the US war and invasion of Iraq and was part of the intellectual euphoria among US and other Western intellectuals seeking to reshape the Middle East in a way that suited US geopolitical needs. The Carnegie article sought to expand the definition of the Middle East beyond the traditional Middle East and North Africa, reaching as far as the Caucasus and Central Asia. American politicians adopted this new concept, tailoring it to suit US interests at the time. It was US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who largely rebranded"greater" to "new," thus coining the "New Middle East," which she announced in June 2006. Though Netanyahu embraced the term, he improvised it in recent years. Instead of speaking of it as a distant objective, he declared that he was actively in the process of making it a reality. "We are changing the face of the Middle East. We are changing the face of the world," he triumphantly declared in June 2021. Even following the events of October 7, 2023, and the Israeli war and genocide that ensued, Netanyahu never ceased using the term. This time, however, his emphasis on "change" rotated between a future possibility and an active reality. "I ask that you stand steadfast because we are going to change the Middle East," he stated on October 9 of that same year. And again in September 2024, he proclaimed that Israel was "pursuing" a plan to "assassinate Hezbollah leaders" with the aim of "changing the strategic reality of the Middle East." And again, in October, December, and January of this year. In every single instance, he contextualized the "change of the Middle East" with bombs and rockets, and nothing else. In May, coinciding with a major Israeli bombing of Yemen, he declared that Israel's "mission" exceeds that of "defeating Hamas," extending to "changing the face of the Middle East." And finally, on June 16, he assigned the same language to the war with Iran, this time remaining committed to the new tweak of adding the word "face" to his new, envisaged Middle East. Of course, old branding tactics aside, Netanyahu's Middle East, much like the US' old "greater Middle East," remains a pipe dream aimed at dominating the resource-rich region, with Israel serving the role of regional hegemon. That said, the events of the last two years have demonstrated that, although the Middle East is indeed changing, this transformation is not happening because of Israel. Consequently, the outcome will most likely not be to its liking. Therefore, Netanyahu may continue repeating, like a broken record, old colonial slogans, but genuine change will only happen because of the peoples of the region and their many capable political players. - Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappé, is ' Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out'. His other books include 'My Father was a Freedom Fighter' and 'The Last Earth'. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). His website is
