The head of the UN mission in Iraq said on Thursday that a recent increase in mass executions of people convicted under antiterrorism laws was a cause for great concern.
Iraqi authorities this month executed 11 people by hanging who had been convicted of “terrorism”, according to AFP. They were the second such group put to death since late April.
“Power grabs or punitive policies may benefit one segment of society or community in the short term, but, in the end, everyone loses,” Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, special representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (Unami), told the Security Council.
“This is particularly true in a country with conflict in living memory.”
Ms Hennis-Plasschaert, who assumed her role in January 2018, warned that corruption and other issues remain in the country more than two decades since the UN mission was founded.
"The recent increase in mass unannounced executions ... is a cause for great concern," she said.
“Corruption, factionalism, impunity, undue interference and armed actors operating outside state control – while the [Iraqi] government is tackling these scourges, they still represent major hurdles to be overcome,” she stated.
“Dealing with the legacy of the past and the many challenges of the present will take time. But Iraq’s horizon is replete with opportunities.”
Iraq frequently ranks among the world's most corrupt countries and activists say freedom of expression there has been curtailed in recent years.
Ms Hennis-Plasschaert’s comments were part of her final briefing to the council in her current role, after she announced her resignation in February. She will step down at the end of May.
Last week, the Iraqi government announced its intention to terminate the UN mission by the end of 2025.
Baghdad spokesman Bassem Al Awadi explained that the move is consistent with the parliamentary-approved government programme and aims to reshape Iraq's interactions with international organisations, reflecting changes that have occurred since 2003.
Iraq's deputy UN representative Abbas Kadhom Obaid Al Fatlawi told council members the conditions for which the mission was created “no longer exist”.
In May last year, the Iraqi government submitted a request to the Security Council to limit the mandate of Unami and to conduct an objective evaluation to prepare for its final drawdown.
Mr Al Fatlawi thanked the global organisation for its role in supporting Iraq's stability and advancement, acknowledging the sacrifices of UN officials who lost their lives in the most lethal attack in the organisation's history more than 20 years ago.
A lorry bomb attack on August 19, 2003, on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, which served as the UN headquarters in Iraq, killed 22 staffers, including their chief, Sergio Vieira de Mello.
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How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE gold medallists:
Omar Al Suweidi (46kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (50kg), Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi (60kg), Omar Al Fadhli (62kg), Mohammed Ali Al Suweidi (66kg), Omar Ahmed Al Hosani (73), all in the U18’s, and Khalid Eskandar Al Blooshi (56kg) in the U21s.
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Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
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How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
Points tally
1. Australia 52; 2. New Zealand 44; 3. South Africa 36; 4. Sri Lanka 35; 5. UAE 27; 6. India 27; 7. England 26; 8. Singapore 8; 9. Malaysia 3
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
