Statement by the United Nations in Iraq [EN/AR/KU]
Baghdad, 05 September 2020 - In light of a recent incident involving the detonation of an improvised Explosive Device (IED) as a UN humanitarian convoy passed by on a road in Ninewa Governorate, injuring a staff member and damaging the vehicle, the United Nations wishes to reiterate the following:
The United Nations serves all people in Iraq guided by the principles of impartiality and the common good. The UN is present in Iraq at the request of the Government of Iraq, with whom it cooperates and coordinates closely. Our mandated activities provide critical humanitarian, political, electoral, human rights and development support which benefits all people across the country.
Iraq is a founding member of the United Nations Organization. We carry out our work in Iraq in full cooperation and coordination with local, regional and national authorities, and in full compliance with applicable laws. United Nations staff are guided by and bound to the ideals and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. These include neutrality, impartiality and integrity. All United Nations staff must comply with strict rules governing operational activities and individual actions, and all UN assets are used exclusively to carry out the mandate of the United Nations. Any claims of UN bias towards other organizations or individual member States are entirely baseless. These false claims harm the very Iraqis that the United Nations seeks to help.
The UN in Iraq provides life-saving support to the people in Iraq, including the displaced and refugees, and other vulnerable segments of the population. To this day, millions of people continue to benefit from these services, with billions of dollars spent in Iraq on UN-sponsored programmes.
Many diverse communities crucially depend on humanitarian assistance at this critical time of pandemic.
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For more information, please contact: Mr. Samir Ghattas, Director of Public Information/Spokesperson United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, Phone: +964 790 193 1281, Email: ghattass@un.org or the UNAMI Public Information Office: unami-information@un.org