UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived in Baghdad on Saturday for a visit marking the end of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, the Iraqi News Agency reported.
Unami will be shutting down its operations after 22 years of helping the country transition from instability in the wake of the 2003 US-led invasion and occupation as well as the fall of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship.
The UN Security Council last year approved a final extension of Unami's mandate until December 31, 2025, setting in motion a two-year process towards full handover of responsibilities to Iraqi authorities.
Mr Guterres met Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein at Baghdad International Airport and said that the UN will continue to support Iraq through new co-operation frameworks aligned with the next phase, the news agency said. The focus will be on advancing sustainable development and strengthening international partnerships.
Mr Guterres also met Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani.
In a post on X, Mr Guterres described the Iraq of today as "unrecognisable" from the country it was 22 years ago. "The Iraqi people have worked to overcome decades of oppression, war, terrorism, sectarianism & foreign interference," he said.
Only days into the mission in August 2003, the UN came under attack at its Baghdad headquarters, leaving 22 staff dead and more than 100 wounded.
Baghdad had previously said the closing of the UN mission marked "the completion of the political building process initiated in 2003 after the fall of the dictatorial regime".
Mr Hussein said on Saturday after meeting Mr Guterres that the mission's conclusion demonstrates Iraq's ability to manage its national affairs and strengthen its sovereignty and constitutional institutions, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
Unami's tasks included advising the government on political dialogue and reconciliation, as well as helping with elections and security sector reform.
Mr Guterres has recommended former Iraqi president and senior Kurdish statesman Barham Salih to become the next head of the UN refugee agency, the first nomination from the Middle East in half a century, according to a letter from the UN chief.
Mr Salih, 65, is set to succeed longtime agency veteran Filippo Grandi as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Mr Grandi took office on January 1, 2016, and his second five-year term expires on December 31. He succeeded Mr Guterres in the post.
Mr Salih's selection is yet to be confirmed as it needs to be approved by the UNHCR Executive Committee before a decision by the General Assembly in New York, a UN official told The National.
“Once this process is complete, the United Nations will make an official announcement,” the official said.
The General Assembly session should be held by next week, said the official.
If confirmed, Mr Salih will assume one of the UN system’s most senior and influential posts overseeing global refugee protection and humanitarian operations.
Before arriving in Iraq, Mr Guterres visited Riyadh, where he met Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He is scheduled to visit Oman on Monday, which will mark the final leg of his regional tour.
