Permanent Representative Receives UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Arab States

The Permanent Representative of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Lukman Faily, received Dr. Abdallah Al Dardari, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), at the Permanent Mission on 16 July 2026. The meeting discussed ways to strengthen the partnership between Iraq and UNDP and support the country’s development and economic priorities in the coming period.

Dr. Al Dardari briefed the Permanent Representative on the outcomes of his recent visit to Baghdad and his meetings with senior Iraqi officials, including the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, the Speaker of the Council of Representatives, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, officials from the Ministry of Planning, and the National Security Adviser, as well as representatives of donor countries and partners. He highlighted the strong support expressed for strengthening Iraq’s partnership with UNDP and expanding areas of cooperation in the coming period.

Dr. Al Dardari noted that Iraq is entering a new phase of development that requires effective partnerships to support its efforts toward economic diversification and enhance its capacity to address future challenges. He indicated that UNDP is developing an integrated programme of cooperation with relevant national institutions across several priority areas, particularly institutional capacity-building, strengthening economic planning tools, and promoting data-driven policymaking.

In this context, the meeting discussed ongoing cooperation with relevant Iraqi institutions, particularly the Ministry of Planning, to strengthen economic modelling capacities and the use of modern tools and models in national planning. The discussions also addressed support for the development of Iraq’s national statistical system, leveraging the results of the national population census, and enhancing the quality of national surveys, including the Household Income and Expenditure Survey and the Labour Force Survey, in accordance with the highest scientific standards and methodologies, with a view to providing a more accurate evidence base for decision-making and public policy formulation.

The meeting also addressed the importance of modernizing Iraq’s national accounts system in line with the latest international standards and methodologies and strengthening coordination and connectivity among relevant Iraqi institutions and ministries. These efforts aim to contribute to building an integrated national planning system capable of responding to evolving economic and development needs. Other areas of cooperation discussed included support for institutional reform, enhancing transparency, and specialized capacity-building within relevant national institutions.

For his part, the Permanent Representative emphasized the important role that UNDP can play as a partner for Iraq in the coming period, particularly in supporting the Government’s efforts to diversify the economy, strengthen the efficiency of national institutions, and build a more resilient and sustainable economy. He expressed his interest in receiving a comprehensive proposal outlining the programme of work and proposed initiatives, which would enable the Permanent Mission to follow up and coordinate with the relevant national authorities in Baghdad.

He also reaffirmed the Permanent Mission’s readiness to provide the necessary support and facilitation to strengthen cooperation with UNDP and follow up on the implementation of agreed initiatives, with a view to achieving tangible results that align with Iraq’s national priorities and support its path toward economic diversification and sustainable development.