Iraq International Conference
Conference Statement
FINAL DRAFT (22 June, 2005)
More than 80 countries and organisations gathered in Brussels on 22 June, 2005 at the invitation of the EU and the US, building a renewed international partnership with Iraq, to support Iraq's political transition process, to encourage its economic recovery and reconstruction, and to help establish the rule of law and public order in the country. They resolved to support the democratically-elected Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1546. They welcomed the vision and strategy set out by the Iraqi Transitional Government. The ITG presented a comprehensive review of its political, economic, and public order programs, stressing areas that required priority action.
Participants expressed support for Iraqi efforts to achieve a democratic, pluralist, federal and unified Iraq, reflecting the will of the Iraqi people, in which there is full respect for political and human rights. They reaffirmed their commitment to the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Iraq as well as to the right of the Iraqi people to freely determine their political future through democratic means and to exercise full authority and control over their financial and natural resources. They also reiterated the importance of applying due process of justice to members of the previous Iraqi regime who have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Participants congratulated the Iraqi people on successfully holding the January 2005 elections with the support of the United Nations (UN) and underscored support for Iraq's continuing political transition based on UNSCR 1546 and following the timeline outlined in the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL). Participants welcomed the representation of women in the Transitional National Assembly (TNA) and encouraged their further participation in governance. They urged all Iraqis to participate in the political process and called on the ITG, including the TNA, to continue and intensify efforts to engage all parties renouncing violence in the political process, thereby promoting national reconciliation. Participants strongly condemned all acts of terrorism, including kidnapping and assassination, as well as violence directed against innocent civilians, religious leaders and holy shrines, Iraqi authorities, and those helping to establish stability in Iraq, and called for the cessation of all those acts. They called on all parties to work with the Iraqi authorities to bring an end to the violence.
Participants welcomed the constructive cooperation and positive engagement embodied in the Initiative of the Neighbouring Countries and expressed their appreciation to Egypt for convening the 2004 Sharm el Sheikh Meeting. Participants called on Iraq and regional states, consistent with obligations under UNSCR 1546 and with commitments they made at the Meeting of Neighbouring Countries in Istanbul on 30 April, 2005, to cooperate with each other to prevent cross-border transit and support for terrorists, to strengthen good neighbourly relations and to improve regional security. They welcomed the decision reached in Teheran to hold a second meeting of Interior Ministers of the Neighbouring countries in Turkey. Participants urged all countries to, as the case may be, re-establish or strengthen diplomatic relations with Iraq at the earliest possibility.
Iraq pledged its commitment to the political process outlined in the TAL and endorsed in UNSCR 1546: a constitution to be drafted by 15 August, 2005 and approved through a national referendum by 15 October, 2005, leading to a constitutionally elected government by 31 December, 2005. Participants strongly supported efforts by the ITG to ensure that this process is inclusive and transparent, and that the outcome guarantees the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including women's rights and rights of minorities, and promotes the active involvement of civil society, with the objective of building a nationwide consensus. They endorsed the leading role of the UN in supporting the political process per its mandate in UNSCR 1546 and confirmed their commitment to assist its efforts to that end. They expressed their support to the UN Secretary General and his Special Representative for Iraq (SRSG), as well as to the United Nations Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI). They recognised the UN's significant support to the drafting of a permanent constitution and elections thereafter and agreed to coordinate their contributions to the political and constitutional process with the UN.
Iraq outlined its priorities for the reconstruction and development of Iraq's infrastructure, the better provision of basic services to the population, and economic recovery. Participants welcomed the Iraqi vision for economic recovery and reaffirmed the importance of creating the conditions for a socio-economic development that can benefit all Iraqis. Hence they pledged to continue supporting the provision of basic services and the strengthening of Iraqi national and regional administrations accountable to citizens. They recalled commitments made to reduce Iraq's debt and called on other creditors to provide debt relief on generous terms comparable to those agreed by the members of the Paris Club. They agreed to support Iraq's integration into the relevant international economic organisations, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). Furthermore participants urged the ITG to meet its commitments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with a view to reaching a stand-by arrangement by the end of 2005. They called on all partners to complete the transfer of Iraqi assets to the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI). Participants underscored the importance of transparency and called on Iraq to follow the recommendations of the International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB).
They engaged to actively follow up on the 2003 Madrid Conference and the consecutive 2004 Tokyo Donor Meeting by further expediting disbursement of the US$ 32 billion pledges and by providing further contributions to Iraq's reconstruction including through the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI). They also invited countries that have not yet pledged to join the international efforts supporting the reconstruction process in Iraq. They encouraged the ITG to develop further its priorities for external assistance in advance of the Donors Meeting in Amman on 18-19 July, 2005, building upon the National Development Strategy (NDS). Participants warmly welcomed the ITG's decision to establish a donor co-ordination mechanism under Iraqi leadership with the support of the UN, based in Baghdad with links to the donors' community in Amman and elsewhere. They agreed to determine by the Amman Meeting ways in which to boost coordination of their assistance to Iraq. They reaffirmed the need for continued humanitarian, reconstruction, development, institutional and human rights assistance in line with Iraqi priorities set out in the NDS, by the implementation of programmes and technical advice delivered bilaterally, through international financial institutions and through the UN.
Iraq pledged to strengthen the legal and institutional framework for the rule of law and public order in Iraq, and to accelerate the build up of its armed forces so that they can assume responsibility for Iraq's national security, as soon as possible. Participants welcomed the UN Security Council's press statement in support of the continuation of the mandate of the Multinational Force in Iraq (MNF-I) in accordance with paragraphs 4 and 12 of UNSCR 1546 and at the request of the newly elected Iraqi Government. Participants fully recognised the importance of the consent of the sovereign Government of Iraq to the presence of multinational forces and that these forces have indicated the commitment to act in accordance with international law, including obligations under international humanitarian law. Participants welcomed progress on reconstituting institutions of public order and the training of security, judicial and corrections personnel reflecting the diversity of the Iraqi society. They commended international efforts supporting the ITG in assuming responsibility for Iraq's national security as soon as possible. They underlined the importance of other members of the international community joining ongoing regional and multilateral efforts to support the ITG in this endeavour and pledged to further support the improvement of the Iraqi investigative, judicial and penal bodies.
The Conference recognised the essential interdependence of the political, security and economic dimensions of Iraq's transition process as described in UNSCR 1546 and underlined the need for a comprehensive approach to supporting Iraq. Participants committed to ensure an effective follow up through existing mechanisms of the international community.
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