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UN’s Iraq envoy pledges full support for constitutional review process

UN’s Iraq envoy pledges full support for constitutional review process

SRSG Ashraf Qazi
The senior United Nations envoy to Iraq today pledged the world body’s full support for the country’s constitutional review process.

During talks with the Chair of the Constitutional Review Committee, Humam Hamoudi, and Deputy Chair Ayad al-Samaraie, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative, Ashraf Qazi, reiterated his earlier commendation of the panel’s work “and the professional and constructive problem-solving approach it adopted,” according to a news release from the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).

Mr. Qazi reaffirmed the UN’s willingness to continue assisting the Committee in reviewing outstanding technical issues, drawing on its international experience and knowledge of best practice in comparable situations, UNAMI said.

The envoy also emphasized that the UN is firmly committed to assisting in the implementation of the constitution and any approved amendments, noting that its technical and advisory role is always carried out at the request of the Government.

The Committee has already advanced proposals on the distribution of powers and in principle on the national collection and fair sharing of oil revenues, UNAMI said in a news release at the weekend. Issues still meriting consideration relate to Iraq’s federal architecture and to the Constitution’s Human Rights Chapter.

The Committee is working to forge an agreement that can be put to the Iraqi people for their endorsement.

In another development, the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) has published a 1,000-page plus Compendium of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programmes, with the exception of the nuclear programme, on its website.

Work on the lengthy document began in late 2004 and the Compendium details the country’s chemical and biological warfare programmes and associated delivery systems as known to UN inspectors.

The Compendium also gives describes UN efforts to map and verify the true extent and nature of Iraq’s activities.

UNMOVIC, established by a December 1999 Security Council resolution, inherited from the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) the task of verifying Iraq’s compliance with its obligation to renounce WMD.