Shanghai Daily: Iraqi UN envoy cites “notable improvements”

[Stillw8n]

Shanghai Daily: Iraqi UN envoy cites “notable improvements” in country’s political, security situation

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) — Hamid Al-Bayati, permanent representative of Iraq to the UN said here Tuesday that his country has seen some important improvements of late, but will still face challenges ahead.

His statements came as he addressed the UN Security Council during a meeting on the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

“The political and security situations in Iraq witnessed tremendous and notable improvement in the past few months, and the next year will bring great challenges and responsibilities for the Iraqi government after the U.S. forces’ withdrawal by the end of this year,” said Al-Bayati.

U.S. troops, which have been in Iraq since 2003, are due to vacate the Middle Eastern country by the end of the year.
Al-Bayati said that since the Iraqi Security Forces took control of the nation’s defense, they have been making great efforts to protect the country’s civilians, and achieving a measure of success.

“I would like to inform the Security Council that my government has worked hard in the last months to improve its defensive capabilities to stand in the fact of terrorist attacks, to protect internal security and to save democracy in Iraq,” he said.

He noted that according to Iraq’s Ministry of Health, the number of civilians killed in violence decreased to 110 people in September 2011 from 155 in August 2011.

Iraq is also working towards the achievement of human rights for all of its people, Al-Bayati said.

“Iraq is witnessing today a new era, in which the foundations of democracy, personal and private freedoms, freedom of press, freedom of creating political parties, political diversity and peaceful transition of power are established,” he said.

“In Iraq we also work to strengthen the foundations of the culture of human rights in all sectors to ensure that all Iraqis from the different ethnic, religions, and sectarian backgrounds enjoy their basic rights that were stated in the constitution.”

To this end, Al-Bayati stated that Iraq has had initiatives to help the handicapped through its Ministry of Human Rights. The ministry is sending representatives to ensure that those held in Iraqi prisons and detention centers have their human rights protected, and has launched a campaign to determine the fate of missing victims of Iraq’s conflicts and identify those buried in mass graves.

Al-Bayai said that Iraq remains certain of the people’s right to choose their own government representatives.

“The political changes and reform movements that began within the atmosphere of the Arab Spring, prove without any doubt the correct political path in Iraq since 2003, because Iraq was a pioneer in achieving political change and adopting democracy, elections and peaceful transfer of power as a process for political life in the new Iraq,” he said.

He added that Iraq is “committed to solving all unresolved issues” with Kuwait, calling this a “top priority.”

Al-Bayati said “there is positive collaboration between the Iraqi and Kuwaiti governments to solve and settle all of the unresolved issues between the two countries that were the result of Saddam Hussein’s aggression towards Kuwait and his invasion in 1990.”

Emphasizing that the two countries’ relationship is “developing positively,” Al-Bayati explained that Iraq has approved the establishment of a committee to coordinate the efforts on the return of the Kuwaiti National Archives taken from Kuwait in the invasion, as well as discussing the issue of the Mubarak Port bilaterally with Kuwait.

Kuwait has endeavored to build a large port on Bubiyan Island in a navigation waterway to the Persian Gulf, in order to make Kuwait a key transportation hub. Tensions have arisen as Iraq has expressed its concern about the port, fearing it might cause blockage of the waterway or Iraqi shipping lanes in the area.

In addition, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki will be embarking on an official visit to Kuwait soon, Al-Bayati said.

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