Threats, solutions to problems in Kurdistan Region and Iraq presented at Sulaimani Forum

Kurdistan 05:38 PM - 2023-03-15

7th Sulaimani Forum

Threats and solutions to problems in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq were presented at the 7th Sulaimani Forum, which kicked off in Sulaymaniyah on Wednesday, March 15, 2023.

The forum began under the slogan "20 years later: Iraq and the region amid new global challenges."

The President of American University of Iraq-Sulaimani (AUIS), the UN Secretary-General, the Iraqi Prime Minister, the Kurdistan Region's President, and the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Iraq delivered speeches during the event, which is taking place at the American University.

The 7th Sulaimani Forum should be an opportunity to find solutions

Dr. Bruce Ferguson, President of the AUIS, welcomed the guests and expressed hope that the 7th Sulaimani Forum will be an opportunity for in-depth discussions on the issues and finding solutions to them.

Overturning the former Iraqi regime was the greatest achievement of the last century

Former Iraqi President Dr. Barham Salih later welcomed the guests and expressed his pleasure that the Sulaimani Forum became an opportunity for gathering political figures and experts, adding: "We are meeting on the 20th anniversary of the war that got rid of Saddam Hussein; that was a historic achievement not to be underestimated."

He added: "We salute those who struggled so hard in order to get rid of dictatorship; we salute and honor the sacrifices of the Iraqi people in this regard, as well as the international coalition and the Americans who have come and helped us do that."

"20 years on, it's time for us to reflect in a serious way about what we have done and how we can improve; hopefully this forum will be an opportunity to do this," he continued.

Eradicate corruption and protect human rights

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a video message to the Sulaimani Forum, in which he said: "I have just come back from Iraq with a real sense of opportunities being opened to achieve progress." "Progress is being made in improving public services, diversifying the economy, and creating decent work opportunities for young people."

He added: "Progress in strengthening human rights; the fight against corruption; the pursuit of domestic and regional stability through diplomacy and dialogue; and progress in building resilience to climate shocks and water scarcity that threaten lives and livelihoods." "Mesopotamia is the ancient land between rivers; it cannot become the modern land without rivers."

"In all of these and more, national unity and regional cooperation are essential, and the United Nations is proud to support Iraq in tackling the challenges of today and tomorrow," he continued. "Together, let us keep working towards sustainable solutions for the benefit of all people across Iraq and the wider Middle East."

If the Kurdistan Region is strong, Iraq will be strong

Speaking at the Sulaimani Forum, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani declared that his government has carried out most of the items on the Council of Ministers' agenda and "will achieve political and economic stability."

He also brought up the chemical attack on Halabja and said: "Tomorrow, March 16, is the anniversary of the tragedy of Halabja, in which the previous regime committed crimes against the city."

He continued: "We encourage the unity of Kurdish leaders." "If the Kurdistan Region is strong, Iraq will be strong, and if Iraq is strong, the Kurdistan Region will be strong."

Regarding the interference and violation of the territory of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, the Iraqi Prime Minister said: "We won't let foreign intervention in Iraq, and we won't let Iraq turn into a threat to anyone." "Any neighboring country will not be permitted to violate Iraq's boundaries or sovereignty, either in the Kurdistan Region or elsewhere in Iraq." "We will fortify our borders and take all necessary precautions to safeguard Iraq's dignity and sovereignty."

Together, we share Iraq's failures and victories

Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region, thanked the Presidency of the American University for holding this forum and said: "On behalf of the people of Halabja, the Kurdistan Region, and Iraq, I thank Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani for his sincere efforts to complete the procedures for turning Halabja into a province, and I call on the Iraqi government to compensate the victims of chemical weapons in Halabja and provide them with a better life."

"We all share the failures and victories of Iraq, especially 20 years after the fall of the previous regime, and we have an important responsibility to achieve a more decent life for Iraqis," he added. "I call for a proper law to be passed on the issue of oil and gas in accordance with the constitution and understanding between the Kurdistan Region and Iraq."

President Nechirvan Barzani also touched on the climate issue and said: "The climate issue is an important issue, and we need to take action on it, especially as information shows that by 2050, many countries, including Iraq, will be forced to migrate due to climate change." "Therefore, we should ask Iran and Turkey to not prevent the release of water to Iraq in order to keep our country safe from this danger."

Regarding the situation in the Kurdistan Region, the President of the Kurdistan Region said: "I am delighted that the parties are closer together on the matter of elections and the deadlock that existed previously has vanished." "We, as the presidency, will make every effort to determine a date for elections this year."

Iraq has failed to turn dialogue into a solution

In her speech, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, spoke of the 2019 Iraqi demonstrations and said: "Many, many Iraqis—from all walks of life—took to the streets, protesting a lack of economic, social, and political prospects; being tired of corruption and partisan interests; and, after 16 years, simply done with undelivered promises." "What they were asking for was a country capable of reaching its full potential for the benefit of all Iraqis; the rest is history." "The heavy loss of life as well as the many injuries, combined with a lack of accountability and the hijacking of peaceful protests by all manner of power dynamics, resulted in the rapid expansion of an already huge crisis of confidence."

She added: "These events, as we all know, led to the Prime Minister’s resignation, the confirmation of a new government, and, importantly, the holding of early parliamentary elections two years later, in October 2021."

"But, at last, in October 2022, after more than a year of discord and power play, the Council of Representatives confirmed Iraq’s new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. "It was about time," she continued. "Iraq has overcome some of the key, short-term impediments it was facing immediately after the removal of Saddam Hussein, but, since then, the country has grappled with a plethora of destabilizing events and trends, both domestic and external."

"From deadly sectarian violence, the fight against Daesh, armed groups operating outside state control, and various external power competitions, to COVID-19, significant environmental challenges, and the adverse effects of climate change—to name but a few," she said. "Now, these events of the past 20 years did not only compound existing fragilities inherited from the previous decades; they also exposed new weaknesses."

"After 20 years, the country deserves to rise above endless cycles of instability and fragility." Iraqis are very much aware of the life that was promised after Saddam. "Two decades on, they deserve better," she concluded.



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