EUHR Solana meeting with Special Advisor to UN Secretary-General Gambari on International Compact with Iraq

Summary: EUHR Solana meeting with Special Advisor to UN Secretary-General Gambari on International Compact with Iraq (27 April 2007: Brussels)

Javier SOLANA, European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), met Ibrahim GAMBARI, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on the International Compact with Iraq, on Friday, 27 April 2007.

At the meeting, Mr Gambari briefed Mr Solana on the preparations for the International Compact with Iraq (ICI) that will be launched in Sharm El Sheikh on Thursday, 3 May 2007. The High Representative, who will be travelling to Sharm El Sheikh, reiterated the European Union support for the International Compact for Iraq, an initiative of the Government of Iraq for a new partnership with the international community with the aim of helping Iraq on the path of peace and economic reconstruction.

On the next day, Friday, 4 May 2007, Mr Solana will participate in the conference of Iraq's neighbouring states with broader international participation, in line with the EU's determination to support the process of national reconciliation and stabilisation in Iraq.

FACT SHEET: INTERNATIONAL COMPACT WITH IRAQ, to be Launched on 3 May 2007 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt (Source: UN)

What is the International Compact with Iraq?

The International Compact with Iraq (ICI) is an initiative of the Government of Iraq for a new partnership with the international community. The Compact is a five-year national plan that includes benchmarks and mutual commitments from both Iraq and the international community, all with the aim of helping Iraq on the path towards peace, sound governance and economic reconstruction.

The UN - through its Special Adviser on the ICI and Other Political Issues, Ibrahim Gambari - and Iraq have been co-chairs of the preparatory process, which has also had the support of the World Bank.

The Compact affirms the Iraqi Government's vision that in five years, Iraq shall be a united, federal and democratic country, at peace with its neighbors and itself, well on its way to sustainable economic self-sufficiency and prosperity and well integrated in its region and the world. Guided by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) -- global antipoverty targets agreed to at a United Nations Summit in 2000 -- the Government will work to meet basic needs, protect the rights of all citizens and ensure the optimal use of the country's resources for the common good.

The International Compact is premised on a reciprocal relationship between peace-building and economic prosperity. Together national reconciliation, improved security, better governance, and continued economic and social reforms will help unlock Iraq's own development potential. Iraq's international partners will provide financial, technical and political support to help meet these challenges on the basis of mutual commitments.

As such it is a shared vision and a mutual commitment, which allows the international community to support Iraq's priorities, as envisaged and implemented by Iraqis.

Representing a negotiated agreement among United Nations Member States and the Government of Iraq, the Compact tries to provide a way forward. This has been developed with the support of the United Nations and World Bank, through genuine, multilateral consultation and due diligence in all respects.

Objectives

The Compact aims to:

 Chart the way forward to realize the aspirations of the Iraqi people in establishing a unified, federal democratic state dominated by security and stability in which all citizens are enjoying equal rights and duties.

 Establish a prosperous economy with a diverse production base capable of providing the requirements of sustainable development based on the market factors and opened to the world and integrated with it and with the regional economies, in particular the neighboring countries.

 Make Iraq an active member in the regional and international organizations and capable of providing assistance to the poor and needy countries.

 Allow the private sector a leading role in the economic activity, with specified role for the government in regulating this activity and protecting it from the effects of the foreign fluctuation...

 Protect the poor and vulnerable groups from the deprivation and starvation and provide the Iraqi citizens with proper standards of public social services.

Role of Government of Iraq

 To achieve this vision, the Government of Iraq undertakes to make progress on political inclusion and consensus building, on the rule of law, and on the establishment of professional security forces. The Government of Iraq is committed to tackling corruption, creating a transparent and efficient oil sector, developing a solid budgetary framework, improving governance, and building and consolidating effective national institutions. The United Nations is committed to support and facilitate the Compact, through its mission and agencies in Iraq and the good offices of the Secretary-General and his representatives.

 The Government of Iraq recognizes that good governance and resolution of security and political challenges are pre-requisites for progress in all other areas, including economic revival and normalization. It will therefore make every effort in the coming period to realize these conditions, with the assistance of regional and international partners, in order to achieve the Compact's primary focus: building a framework for Iraq's economic transformation and integration into the regional and global economy.

Role of UN

 The Compact initiative is co-chaired by the Government of Iraq and the United Nations. Other partners include the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other regional financial institutions

 Over the Compact's lifespan, the United Nations Secretariat, its agencies, funds and programs, will continue to support the implementation of the Compact. They will do so through the International Reconstructions Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI)" and UN Country Team Joint Priority Action Plan (JPAP), designed to deliver direct assistance to basic services, which are of vital humanitarian importance to the people of Iraq.

 The United Nations will support establishing a formal Secretariat for the Compact, working closely with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, as the focal point of the Government.

Ref: CL07-114EN
EU source: Council
UN forum:
Date: 27/4/2007

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