Int. Compact For Iraqi Development Moves Ahead

UN-Sponsored International Compact For Iraqi Development Moves Ahead

The Preparatory Group for the International Compact with Iraq (ICI), which aims to consolidate peace and pursue political, economic and social development over the next five years in the violence-torn country, held its second meeting today at United Nations headquarters in Baghdad.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative Iraq Ashraf Qazi and Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh co-chaired the meeting, which was also attended by senior Iraqi ministers and Government advisors, with a video-link to the European Union (EU) presidency, World Bank, UN Headquarters in New York, the Arab Fund and the Islamic Development Bank.

The meeting discussed steps to ensure the success of the ICI, including expanding and reviewing its draft to reflect comments by Iraqi officials and donors.

The ICI, jointly chaired by the Iraqi Government and the UN with the support of the World Bank, was launched in July. The Preparatory Group held a first meeting in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, last month.

Mr. Annan has called the ICI “an opportunity for the international community to build a strong partnership with Iraq and the wider region” with a “framework for a defined, prioritized and benchmarked economic programme for the next five years.”

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