UN Reaffirms Support for Iraq in Combating Corruption, Recovering Stolen Assets and Ending Displacement

BAGHDAD / NINA / — The United Nations has reaffirmed its support for the Iraqi government's efforts to combat corruption and recover financial assets smuggled abroad, while continuing efforts to end displacement and facilitate the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their areas of origin.

In a statement to the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA), UNDP Resident Representative in Iraq Tytön Mitra said that "Prime Minister Ali Al-Zeidi has presented an expanded program to combat corruption, and we, as UN organizations, support the government's efforts and priorities in this area by providing the technical assistance and tools needed to ensure important and positive results."

He added that this support "is not limited to anti-corruption efforts, but also extends to the recovery of financial assets and funds smuggled outside Iraq."

Mitra stressed that "the financial assistance programs provided to Iraq by donors and international organizations are extensive," noting that the UN is working in partnership with the Iraqi government to address and conclude a number of outstanding issues, foremost among them bringing the displacement file to a complete close.

He explained that "the draft memorandum of understanding recently signed with the government and the Korean International Cooperation Agency aims to contribute to ending displacement in various Iraqi provinces, in cooperation with the government."

He also pointed to another government program dedicated to supporting the return of Yazidis to their areas of origin in Sinjar District, stressing that the UN is working on this issue in cooperation with the Iraqi government.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recently signed an agreement in Baghdad for a $10 million grant, in partnership with the Ministry of Migration and Displacement and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The four-year agreement aims to support more than 18,000 people in the provinces of Anbar, Salah al-Din, Nineveh and Kirkuk.

The project will focus on rehabilitating housing and community infrastructure, supporting climate-adaptive livelihoods, and strengthening peacebuilding and conflict-prevention capacities, thereby contributing to the support of displaced people, returnees and host communities. /End/