While some initial positive results were achieved during the last reporting period, no further progress has been made in the recovery of Kuwaiti missing persons or property," Ban told the Security Council in his quarterly report on the activities of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), of which KUNA obtained an advanced copy.
He said his High-level Coordinator Gennady Tarasov visited Iraq and Kuwait last month and reiterated to both Iraqi and Kuwaiti officials the "need to achieve practical results in this regard." "I would like to renew my call on both countries to redouble their efforts in the coming months to achieve visible and significant progress in the search for missing Kuwaiti persons and property, including its archives," Ban said in his report.
Ban also welcomed the decision by the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers to contribute $ 974,000 to a project sponsored by UNAMI and the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) aimed at enhancing the capacity of the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights in mass grave excavation and the identification of missing persons.
Ban said that his special envoy for Iraq Ad Melkert recently visited Iraq where he discussed with High-Level officials "outstanding issues between Iraq and Kuwait, in connection with relevant Chapter VII provisions." He added that Melkert then visited Kuwait in late January to discuss with High-Level officials UNAMI’s mandate to promote regional cooperation.
Kuwait has contributed to the reconstruction of Iraq following the March 2003 war to liberate Iraq. Kuwait wants to iron out outstanding issues with Iraq under the UN umbrella and seeks Iraq’s full compliance with all UN resolutions related to the former Saddam Hussein’s regime invasion of Kuwait. Ban noted in his report that the normalization of Iraq’s international status remains an "important goal. The United Nations continues to work with members of the Security Council and the Government of Iraq to consider the way forward.
Progress on outstanding Chapter VII mandates, including those related to Kuwait, could create a positive momentum for Iraq’s normalization." On the forthcoming national elections in Iraq, scheduled for March 7, Ban said they will be an "important milestone in Iraq’s democratic progress," as they will provide an opportunity for millions of Iraqis to exercise their right to vote and elect a government that will shape their country’s future for the next four years.
It is therefore essential that every effort is made to ensure that these elections are broadly participatory and as inclusive as possible," he stressed. He added that a credible elections process will greatly contribute toward national reconciliation and give Iraqi leaders a new impetus to work together in a spirit of national unity to rebuild their country after years of conflict. It will also serve to strengthen Iraq’s sovereignty and independence at this key juncture in Iraq’s history as the United States prepares to draw down its military presence, he noted.
