UK backs Iraq as UNAMI ends in December 2025
Speaking at the UN Security Council on 2 December 2025, the United Kingdom said it will keep backing Iraq as the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) completes its mandate on 31 December 2025. The UK’s message: protect Iraq’s sovereignty, strengthen the rule of law and state institutions, and push economic reforms that open up opportunities for Iraqis. This piece draws on the UK government’s statement delivered today in New York.
If you’re learning about the UN, think of UNAMI as the UN’s political support team in Iraq since 2003. In May 2024 the Council extended the mission one last time for 19 months and asked for a transition and liquidation plan so work can move to Iraqi authorities and the wider UN Country Team. UN agencies will remain after 31 December even as UNAMI itself closes.
What do ‘sovereignty’ and ‘reform’ look like in practice? In simple terms: Iraq leads decisions within its own borders, disputes are settled through fair laws and effective public bodies, and the economy is broadened beyond oil while corruption is tackled. The UK told the Council it stands ready to support progress on all three.
The timing matters because Iraq has just voted. Parliamentary elections took place on 11 November 2025; final results on 17 November put Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al‑Sudani’s bloc first with 46 of 329 seats, so coalition talks and government formation are now under way. The UK congratulated voters and urged a swift conclusion to that process.
On rights, the UK welcomed steps to increase women’s political participation and pressed for strong child protection and women’s rights laws. It also called for accountability and support for survivors of sexual and gender‑based violence. For you as a learner, this is where domestic lawmaking meets international human rights standards promoted at the UN.
Another long‑running file sits between Iraq and Kuwait. Iraq recently handed over 400 boxes of Kuwaiti national archive materials - books and microfilm seized in 1990 - a trust‑building step after years of painstaking work. The UK praised the co‑operation involved, including support from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
To keep this work moving after UNAMI departs, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2792 on 17 September 2025. It authorises a Senior Representative focused on missing Kuwaiti and third‑country nationals and the return of Kuwaiti property, with scope to find new witnesses and use modern technology where it helps. The UK backed full implementation.
If you’re teaching this, connect it to the Tripartite Commission chaired by the ICRC. That forum brings Iraq, Kuwait and coalition states together to account for people missing since the 1990–91 Gulf War. The new Senior Representative is designed to complement, not replace, that mechanism.
The UK also thanked UNAMI’s leadership and staff. Dr Mohamed Al Hassan of Oman has served as Special Representative of the Secretary‑General and head of UNAMI since October 2024, guiding the mission through its final year while keeping technical support on elections and rights on track.
What should you watch next? Three markers help: 31 December 2025, when UNAMI stops work apart from any remaining liquidation; the negotiations to form a government after the 11 November vote; and the rollout of the Senior Representative’s work under Resolution 2792 on the missing persons and property file. Together, these show how international support shifts into Iraqi‑led co‑operation.