UN Deputy Secretary-General to attend high-level weekend meeting on Iraq

Deputy United Nations Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown will join other international officials on Sunday to discuss the International Compact with Iraq, a new partnership with the global community that was launched in July and aims to pursue political, economic and social development over the next five years in the strife-torn country.

The weekend meeting of the Preparatory Group, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates, will be held under the auspices of the Iraqi Government and the UN, which jointly co-chair the Compact, spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters today in New York.

“Its purpose will be to assess preparatory work vis-à-vis the Compact. The event will be attended by representatives of a number of countries, as well as officials from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Islamic Development Bank and Arab Development Fund,” he said.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan designated Mr. 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.

According to a joint statement issued by the UN and the Iraqi Government at the Compact’s launch on 27 July, the finalized agreement, including key priorities, benchmarks and commitments, will be presented by Baghdad by the end of the year.