Staffan de Mistura Urges Reinstating Article 50 in the Election Law

UN Special Representative for Iraq
Urges Reinstating Article 50 in the Election Law

Baghdad-2 October 2008-
The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Iraq (SRSG) Staffan de Mistura said the United Nations is concerned at the extraction of Article 50 bearing on minority rights, from the provincial election law passed on 24 September 2008.

Mr. de Mistura said, “I was surprised and disappointed that Article 50 was not included in the provincial elections law.” He added, “Article 50 has the backing of minority groups, political blocs and UNAMI and should now be reinstated into the legislation as soon as possible so minorities can participate in the upcoming elections to be held sometime before 31 January 2009.”

The SRSG emphasized that protecting the minorities human rights in Iraq, is fundamental to a democratic Iraq. He said, “Article 50 is a strong indication Iraq is a nation ready to protect the political rights of minorities as founded in the Constitution.”

He reiterated that UNAMI will continue in its consultations with political leaders and minority groups to ensure that Article 50 can now be reintroduced into the Council of Representatives when they return after Eid al-Fitr, so the article can be passed as soon as possible.

He said that UNAMI shares the concern expressed by Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki and other Iraqi leaders over the extraction, and calls on all political blocs to reintroduce Article 50 into the law, no later than 15 October, when the Independent High Electoral Commission opens candidate nomination.

UN agencies support Iraq’s efforts to curb outbreak of cholera

UN agencies support Iraq’s efforts

to curb outbreak of cholera

10 September 2008 – United Nations agencies are helping Iraq to contain the recent deadly outbreak of cholera, with more than two dozen confirmed cases and nearly 200 others under investigation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is providing technical support to the Iraqi Ministry of Health, and, along with other UN entities, has been aiding cholera-affected governorates since the disease resurfaced three weeks ago.
WHO has taken on a coordination role in efforts to tackle cholera and is working to fortify Iraq’s disease surveillance system in identifying new cases. It is also supplying emergency supplies to laboratories to enhance their testing capability.

The agency said that 10 deaths have been reported this year, and 174 suspected cases are being investigated to determine whether patients have cholera.
Last year witnessed nearly 5,000 cholera cases and 24 deaths, mostly in the north. “This year’s outbreak is very different,” said Naeema Al-Gasseer, WHO Representative to Iraq. “The majority of cases are now in rural areas where most people lack access to safe water and adequate sanitation.”
For its part, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is sending water tankers, oral rehydration salts and water purification tablets, and the agency said it is also on standby to provide any additional support needed.
WHO cautioned that the overall quality of water and sanitation in Iraq is very poor, which could facilitate the spread of cholera.
The Government’s prompt response – including ensuring medical supplies and chlorine are available and sending clean drinking water – has curbed the disease’s spread.
Both WHO and the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) recommended that in the long run, the country upgrade its water and sanitation networks and improve its power supplies to treatment plants to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.

UN official, Shiite cleric discuss UN's role in elections

UN official, Shiite cleric discuss UN's role in elections

Saturday , 06 /09 /2008
Najaf - Voices of Iraq

NAJAF, Sept. 6 (VOI) – The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Iraq Staffan de Mistura on Saturday discussed with top Shiite Cleric Ali al-Sistani in his Najaf residence UN efforts to solve the dispute over the provincial council elections law.

"The world organization is fully prepared to help the Iraqi people express their opinion," the U.N. official said during a press conference held in front of Sistani's house on Saturday.
"This is my second visit to his Eminence Sistani and it was my honor to listen to his advice and opinions. We both examined the United Nation's role in helping the Iraqi people in the fields of elections, economic development, and to find solutions to disputed issues," de Mistura said.
The official stressed the need for holding provincial council elections on time.
"In my opinion, there is no reason for not holding elections on time," he said.
Iraqis "suffered a lot from dictatorship" and are entitled to choose their representatives through elections, he added.
The Iraqi government relies on provincial council elections, which are supposed to be held on October 1, 2008, to curb violence in the war-scarred country by including a number of armed groups in the Iraqi political process.
On July 22, the Iraqi Parliament, with the approval of 127 deputies out of 140 who attended the session, passed the law on provincial council elections, which includes an article postponing the elections in the city of Kirkuk.
Lawmakers from the Kurdistan Coalition had withdrawn from the session in protest against Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani's decision to have a secret balloting over article 24 of the law, pertaining to the status of Kirkuk. Balloting over all the other paragraphs of the law, however, was open.
The Presidential Board, with the unanimity of President Jalal Talabani and his two deputies Adel Abdelmahdi and Tareq al-Hashimi, rejected the law in a rapid reaction one day after the Iraqi Parliament passed it during a session that raised hue and cry over its constitutionality.
The law drew angry reactions from the Kurds, who considered the way the law was passed as a "twisting of the constitution," threatening to use the right of veto, granted by the Iraqi constitution for the Presidential Board, headed by President Talabani, a Kurd, to reject the law and return it to the Parliament for debate.
Najaf, about 160 km south of Baghdad, has an estimated population of 900,600 in 2008, though this has increased significantly since 2003 due to immigration from abroad. The city is one of the holiest cities of Shiite Islam and the center of Shiite political power in Iraq.
Najaf is renowned as the site of the tomb of Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (also known as "Imam Ali"), whom Shiites consider to be the righteous caliph and first imam.
The city is now a great center of pilgrimage from throughout the Shiite Islamic world. It is estimated that only Mecca and Medina receive more Muslim pilgrims.
The Imam Ali Mosque is housed in a grand structure with a gilded dome and many precious objects in its walls.

UN Secretary-General Remarks on signing of memorandum between UNCTAD and Iraq

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Geneva (Switzerland)

01 September 2008

Remarks on signing of memorandum between UNCTAD and Iraq

Mr. Minister,
Dr. Supachai,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today is a solemn day for Iraq and for the United Nations. I am in Geneva to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the attack of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad , and to meet the survivors and families of the victims. Many Iraqis perished that day, along with international staff of the UN.

But today is also an occasion to look forward. We should never forget that Iraq is blessed with exceptional human and natural resources. The mission of the United Nations is to support Iraq fulfilling its own potential for development and stability.

The Memorandum of Understanding you are signing today is part of this effort. I congratulate the UNCTAD secretariat on launching operational activities to support Iraq 's economic development. And I commend the Government, through His Excellency Mr. Raed Fahmi , Minister of Science and Technology, for its determination to use the power of modern science to benefit the Iraqi people.

UNCTAD's programmes for Iraq cover trade, investment and enterprise policies. These can help Iraq to become a fully engaged actor in today's globalized economy.

As we take this step forward in UN-Iraqi cooperation, I hope that all States and partners will support this work, for the sake of those who deserve it most: the people of Iraq .

Choukrane jazeelan . Thank you very much.