Press release
03 April 2008
Prime Minister's Office
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Sweden to host international UN conference on Iraq
Today Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt met UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and made it clear that Sweden will host the first follow-up meeting for the International Compact with Iraq (ICI).
Enquiries concerning Sweden's willingness to host the conference have come from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. The Government will take the necessary formal decision in the near future.
The conference, which is planned for the end of May, aims to clarify the support of the international community for Iraq's development, and for the central role assigned to the United Nations by Security Council Resolution 1770. The detailed plan for the conference will be discussed with Iraq, the United Nations and other partners.
What is the ICI?
The ICI is an international partnership whose purpose is to support the political process in Iraq that is needed to create stability and improve the conditions for equitable and sustainable development, and to support the strengthening of democracy and respect for human rights in Iraq. The Compact entails a commitment on the part of Iraq to implement economic and political reforms with international support. The ICI is led by the Government of Iraq and co-chaired by the UN.
The ICI was launched in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt on 3 May 2007, following two preparatory conferences in New York.
What role does the ICI play for the development of Iraq?
The ICI is the only framework under Iraqi leadership for implementing reforms and mobilising the political support of the international community for the country. The somewhat improved security situation, Security Council Resolution 1770 from August 2007 and the augmented involvement of the UN, under the new head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Swedish-Italian Staffan de Mistura, have created new conditions for a deeper involvement in Iraq. The implementation of the ICI, as the only existing framework for international involvement in the development of Iraq, can help move the process of reconciliation and development in the country forward.
Contact
Roberta Alenius+46 8 405 10 00
Anna Charlotta Johansson
(journalists only) Press Secretary to Carl Bildt
+46 8 405 54 73
+46 70 356 30 32
email to Anna Charlotta Johansson
