Iraq, UN sign Sustainable Development pact for 2025–2029
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraq and the United Nations have signed the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2025–2029 (UNSDCF), the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) announced on Thursday.
According to UNAMI, the framework – concluded in Baghdad by Deputy PM and Planning Minister Mohammed Ali Tamim and Ghulam Mohammad Isaczai, the UN Deputy Special Representative and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, in the presence of UNAMI head and Special Representative of the Secretary-General Mohamed Al-Hassan – aligns with Iraq’s National Development Plan 2024–2028 and Vision 2030.
The agreement, UNAMI added, sets four priorities covering expanded access to education, healthcare, and social services, stronger job creation and economic growth focused on youth and women, environmental protection and climate action, and improved governance, rule of law, and social cohesion.
Tamim described the framework as a signal of Iraq’s commitment to inclusive development and closer coordination with international partners to advance “national goals” and the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
For his part, Al-Hassan characterized the agreement as a shift in UN-Iraq relations from political stabilization toward a long-term “sustainable development partnership.”
Isaczai presented the framework as the next stage of engagement following UNAMI’s planned exit and the gradual scaling down of humanitarian operations, with future cooperation centered on technical assistance, policy support, and institutional capacity building.
The UN mission said implementation will be overseen by a High-Level Joint Steering Committee co-chaired by Iraq’s Ministry of Planning and the UN Resident Coordinator, with annual reviews supported by a partnership fund and a resource mobilization strategy.
UNAMI was established in 2003 under UN Security Council Resolution 1500 at Iraq’s request and saw its mandate expanded in 2007 under Resolution 1770 to cover political dialogue, electoral support, human rights, and UN coordination, with its current mandate set to expire on December 31, 2025.
Iraqi officials have previously maintained that the country no longer requires a UN political mission, citing strengthened sovereignty and institutions, while confirming continued cooperation through the UN country team and specialized agencies, with no timeline announced for remaining handovers or the future use of UNAMI facilities.
Read more: Iraq ends the UNAMI era: A nation steps into the unknown
