|
ICI Launch, Sharm El-Sheikh
- 3 May
2007 (Summary) Following is the text of UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the
launch of the International Compact with Iraq,
delivered in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on 3 May:
I would like to thank all of you for
participating in the launch of the International
Compact with Iraq. Your presence is a clear sign
of your commitment to stand in solidarity with
the people and Government of Iraq at a time when
they need our support.
This meeting is the culmination of a
year-long preparatory process, co-chaired by the
Government of Iraq and the United Nations, with
strong support from the World Bank and members
of the Compact Preparatory Group. While much of
the work was carried out in Baghdad, high-level
meetings in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and New York
brought the Government of Iraq and the
international community together to help Iraq
articulate its national vision.
I am pleased that His Excellency Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki has come here today to
outline his Government’s commitments under the
Compact. Despite the many daunting challenges
facing his Government, Prime Minister al-Maliki
has pledged to pursue a bold programme of reform
to safeguard his country’s long-term economic
future. His Government is also determined to
seek progress in the political and security
fields, which, I believe we can all agree, are
prerequisites for Iraq’s normalization and
economic revitalization.
The MNF (Multinational Forces) have faced
great tribulations while executing their tasks.
Many lives have been lost in the line of duty.
There is no doubt that more must be done to
bring a halt to the ongoing violence in Iraq,
the brunt of which is being borne by innocent
civilians. Beyond the terrorist attacks and
sectarian violence, a humanitarian crisis is
stretching the patience and ability of ordinary
people to cope with everyday life. This makes it
all the more important to develop a framework
for Iraq’s normalization. Essentially, the
Compact represents a road map for the next five
years aimed at helping Iraq to achieve its
long-term goals of economic prosperity,
political stability and lasting security. Much
work will be needed to keep Iraq on track, but I
am confident that the people and Government are
up to the challenge.
Iraq is at a critical juncture. Political
solutions are essential to building the
foundations for a peaceful and prosperous
country. Under the International Compact, the
Government of Iraq has committed itself to
pursuing a number of important initiatives to
promote national dialogue and reconciliation.
The Government will also continue to implement
its national reconciliation programme, which
calls on all parties to reject violence in all
forms and resolve differences through political
and constitutional means. In this connection,
the constitutional review process remains an
important vehicle to address long-standing
grievances.
In addition, the Government of Iraq has
pledged to adhere to a legislative timetable
designed to strengthen Iraqi unity. This
includes the adoption of individual pieces of
legislation to ensure the equitable sharing of
Iraq’s natural resources and wealth by all Iraqi
communities.
Together, these efforts can build momentum
for the political process.
As the Iraqi people strive to achieve these
goals, they should be able to count on the
active support of Iraq’s neighbours and the
international community. In this respect, the
Compact is an important framework for fulfilling
our shared responsibilities towards Iraq and its
people.
The United Nations, together with the World
Bank and other key partners, will work with the
Government of Iraq to achieve its vision. The
Joint Monitoring Matrix, which is part of the
Compact, sets out actions that would enable the
Government to meet clear and realistic
objectives and will facilitate the monitoring
and reporting of progress.
The Government of Iraq has long made the
Compact a priority and has worked diligently
with the United Nations and others during its
development. The Government considers it to be
one of the most important mechanisms for
engagement with the international community.
Indeed, major reforms can be realized only
through substantive international cooperation
that bridges the gap between Iraq’s needs and
its capabilities in the medium term. It is time
for the wider international community to
demonstrate its strong commitment through
financial and technical assistance,
capacity-building, investment and other forms of
support.
Of course, Iraq is a resource-rich country.
Therefore, one of the goals has been to identify
gaps that exist in Iraq’s transition, and to
find ways under the Compact to close them. Many
countries have contributed, including members of
the Paris Club that have forgiven 80 per cent of
Iraq’s debts. I encourage other countries to
follow this example through bilateral
arrangements.
Participants in the Compact will meet
regularly to coordinate their efforts and review
progress. This follow-up mechanism will help
ensure the credibility and sustainability of
this initiative over the next five years.
As I saw for myself during my recent visit to
Baghdad, Iraq faces immense challenges. We
cannot leave Iraq on its own to cope with them.
It is essential that we do our utmost to help
the Iraqi people build a secure, peaceful,
unified, federal and democratic nation, founded
on the principles of freedom and equality. It is
in our collective interest to see Iraq at peace
with itself and fully integrated in the region
and the wider international community. The
International Compact lays out the road ahead,
and I am confident that, together, we can ensure
the success of this important initiative.
Participating
countries and organizations representatives'
audio speeches from the Sharm El-Sheikh
meeting:
| |
Speech |
Size |
Format |
Download |
 |
Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq
Barham Salih |
9.58 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri Al-Maliki |
3.91 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri Al-Maliki |
14.9 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Special Adviser on ICI Ibrahim
Gambari |
5.66 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon |
7.39 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Speech |
Size |
Format |
Download |
|
|
Arab Fund for Economic and
Social Development |
3.43 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Arab Monetary Fund |
3.62 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
| |
EC |
3.79 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Holy See |
3.20 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
International Cooperation |
3.25 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
International Monetary Fund |
5.15 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
IRFFI |
4.26 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Islamic Development Bank |
3.39 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
League of Arab States |
7.73 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
WB |
6.64 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Speech |
Size |
Format |
Download |
|
|
Armenia |
2.91 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Australia |
4.21 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Austria |
2.12 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Brazil |
3.50 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Canada |
4.70 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
China |
5.25 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Croatia |
3.13 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Finland |
3.79 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
France |
3.90 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Germany and EU |
4.04 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Greece |
3.01 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Jordan |
3.66 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Kazakhstan |
2.27 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Kuwait |
5.40 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Pakistan |
2.86 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Saudi Arabia |
7.48 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Switzerland |
3.48 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Turkey |
4.73 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
US Department of State |
5.26 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
Speech |
Size |
Format |
Download |
|
|
Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq
Barham Salih Closing Speech |
1.91 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri Al-Maliki
Closing Speech |
3.02 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Special Adviser on ICI Ibrahim
Gambari Closing Speech |
2.40 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Closing Speech |
1.39 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
|
Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
Thank you |
0.6 MB |
MP3 |
Download |
|
Print