SENIOR UN ENVOY WRAPS UP VISIT TO KURDISTAN REGION OF NORTHERN IRAQ

The top United Nations envoy to Iraq has met with senior Government figures, lawmakers and other UN officials during a two-day visit to the northern region of Kurdistan aimed at boosting the world body's engagement in the region.

Ad Melkert, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), held productive meetings with a range of officials, according to a press release issued by the mission.

They included President Massoud Barzani; Barham Salih, the Deputy Iraqi Prime Minister; Kamal Karkouki, the Speaker of the Kurdistan Iraqi Parliament; other senior officials of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG); and representatives of UN agencies, funds and programmes that provide support in the region.

In July the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq held regional, parliamentary and presidential elections, recording a high and peaceful voter turnout.
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IRAQ: UN-SUPPORTED CONFERENCE PLEDGE TO WORK OUT SHARING OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Participants of a high-level United Nations-backed conference on "The Future of Iraq" have committed to working towards the resolution of outstanding issues involving the sharing of energy revenues between the central Government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the UN mission in the country said today.

The Iraqi Council of Representatives and the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq organized the two-day conference in Baghdad, which wrapped up on Monday, focusing discussion on income from energy resources and water sharing.

The gathering, which included Iraqi energy Ministers; senior advisors to the Prime Minister, President and Vice-President; as well as KRG and UN officials, noted that among the remaining challenges it would settle was the financing of strategic national projects by the central Government.

The meeting also underlined the need for a national council for water resources to coordinate water regulation and management, launch a coherent national water strategy and introduce legislation that would effectively address environmental and agricultural needs, as well as electricity and oil production demands.

Participants also called for UN support towards regional dialogue on the management of the Euphrates waters, and UNAMI was urged to keep ministerial-parliamentary dialogue relating to hydrocarbon revenue sharing on track.

Follow-up consultations are slated for the summer, with a possible comprehensive follow-up event after the month of Ramadan, which is expected to be towards the end of September.
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