This year marks the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) established as a political mission in 2003 by UN Security Council Resolution 1500, at the request of the Government of Iraq – after the US led invasion of Iraq.
Ms. Jacqueline Badcock arrived at UNAMI Headquarters in Baghdad in May last year to take up her duties as Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq and also Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator. Ms. Badcock was in Brussels to give a briefing to UN Heads of agencies on 28 January.
Any interview with a senior UN representative in Iraq is bound to focus to some extent on security, given the tragic incident at the start of the mission when UN headquarters in Baghdad was attacked by terrorists on 19 August 2003. Twenty-two people were killed, including Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General.
Ms. Badcock says that security has improved.
“Our particular challenges in Iraq are related to the ongoing challenges in the country, and that is the security and the political scenarios that are forever unfolding, even as of today. Over the last ten years they have improved security quite considerably. The US Army assistance moved out at the end of 2011, but the Iraqi security forces seem to be handling security to some extent, but that doesn´t mean it has gone away.”
Jacqueline Badcock responded to UNRIC’s three questions and discussed security, the political situations and the challenges and achievements of the UN.
VIDEOJacqueline Badcock: “Our challenges are related to some of the ongoing challenges in the country: security and the political senarios that are unfolding as of today.”
