UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres formally closed the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in Baghdad after 22 years, at the request of Iraqi authorities. He said the UN will continue to support Iraq via its agencies and programmes even as relations shift to normal diplomatic channels. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani called the move "a new chapter of cooperation," reflecting Iraq's progress toward self-reliance. The announcement recalls the 2003 truck bombing that killed Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 others.
UN Closes 22-Year Political Mission in Iraq as Ties Shift to Normal Relations
This handout picture released by the office of Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani shows him shaking hands with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a meeting in Baghdad (Handout)(Handout/IRAQI PRIME MINISTER'S PRESS OFFICE/AFP)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday presided over the formal closure of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in Baghdad, acting on a request from the Iraqi government to end the 22-year political mission that followed the 2003 invasion.
At the mission's closing ceremony, Guterres said that "UNAMI was honoured and humbled to walk side-by-side with the Iraqi people," and stressed that "while a mission may conclude, the United Nations will always walk alongside the people of Iraq on the path toward peace, sustainable development and human rights."
"Iraq is now a normal country," Guterres said at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, adding that relations between the UN and Iraq will transition to standard diplomatic engagement.
Prime Minister al-Sudani described the end of UNAMI's mandate as "the beginning of a new chapter of cooperation," praising the mission's pivotal role in helping Iraq achieve greater self-reliance. Both leaders emphasized that UN agencies and programmes will continue to operate in Iraq even after UNAMI's shutdown.
Background
UNAMI was established by a UN Security Council resolution at the request of the Iraqi government shortly after the 2003 invasion and was expanded in 2007. Over two decades, the mission advised Baghdad on political dialogue and reconciliation, assisted with elections and supported security sector reform.
The mission's history also includes tragedy: a truck bomb attacked the UN headquarters in Baghdad on 19 August 2003, killing the UN's first special representative in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, and 21 others.
Why The Mission Ended
Iraqi authorities and UN officials say that a restoration of relative normalcy in recent years has removed the need for a dedicated UN political mission. Officials framed the closure as a milestone in Iraq's recovery and a move toward regular bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Guterres and Iraqi leaders reiterated that, despite the mission's end, the United Nations remains committed to supporting Iraq's development, stability and human rights through its agencies and programmes.
