Iraq and UN join forces to launch Compact to support peace and reconstruction

The United Nations and the Iraqi Government announced today the formal launch of the International Compact with Iraq, a new partnership with the international community that aims to consolidate peace and pursue political, economic and social development over the next five years in the violence-torn country.

“The Compact, jointly chaired by the Government of the Republic of Iraq and the United Nations, with the support of the World Bank, will, over the next five years, bring together the international community and multilateral organizations to help Iraq achieve its national vision,” Marie Okabe, spokesperson for Secretary-General Kofi Annan, told reporters in New York.

Ms. Okabe explained that vision as that of “a united, federal and democratic country, at peace with its neighbours and itself, well on its way to sustainable economic self-sufficiency and prosperity and well integrated in its region and the world.”

To achieve this vision, she said, the Iraqi Government has committed itself to making progress on political inclusion and consensus building, the rule of law, and the establishment of professional security forces.

Responding to requests by the country’s leaders last month, Mr. Annan worked closely with them, as well as the donor community, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), other UN agencies, and the World Bank “to come up with a joint approach to support the new Government,” as he described it at the time.

Mr. Annan designated the Deputy Secretary-General, Mark Malloch Brown, as his focal point in New York for the Compact, and his Special Representative, Ashraf Qazi, in the same role on the ground in Iraq.

Earlier this month, Mr. Malloch Brown conferred with Iraqi leaders on helping the Government set up a Preparatory Group for the Compact, with support from the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other regional financial institutions.

According to a joint statement issued today by the UN and the Iraqi Government, the finalized Compact, including key priorities, benchmarks and commitments, will be presented by Baghdad by the end of the year.