SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Kurdistan Region Presidency on Thursday welcomed the adoption of a U.N. Security Council resolution extending the mandate of UNAMI in Iraq.
“We are encouraged by expanding UNAMI’s mission to include monitoring the upcoming elections in Iraq, and urging Iraqi government and KRG to implement 2021 budget agreement,” the presidency said in a tweet.
The U.N. Security Council unanimously voted to extend the mandate of its mission in Iraq and to expand it to cover monitoring of legislative elections set for October 10.
The mission, known as the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), will now run through May 27, 2022, according to the resolution drafted by the United States.
It calls for a “strengthened, robust and visible U.N. team, with additional staff, in advance of Iraq’s forthcoming election, to monitor Iraq’s election day with as broad a geographic coverage as possible,” according to AFP.
The world body’s help should come in a “manner that respects Iraqi sovereignty,” the text says.
AFP cited a diplomat as saying that Baghdad “wanted more,” including a “full observation mission” for the elections.
But what the Council agreed upon was in keeping with its usual practice, the diplomat told AFP, adding that some members were hesitant to accept a larger role, fearing the U.N. would end up taking on too much responsibility for the vote.
According to the resolution, UNAMI should “engage, encourage, and coordinate with, and provide, as appropriate, logistical and security support to international and regional third-party observers invited by the government of Iraq.”
The mission will also be asked to “launch a UN strategic messaging campaign to educate, inform, and update Iraqi voters on election preparations, and UN activities in support of elections in advance of and on election day,” the text says.
