BAGHDAD, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Iraq on Saturday took over the United Nations Integrated Compound in Baghdad as the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) concluded its mandate at the end of 2025.
A statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said the handover document was signed by Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al-Uloom and Claudio Cordoni, the deputy special representative of the U.N. secretary-general.
Both sides emphasized that the mission's closure marks a new phase of development partnership, led by the UN country team in alignment with Iraq's national priorities, the statement said, adding that Bahr Al-Uloom praised UNAMI's two-decade contribution to Iraq's stability and development.
The handover followed a high-level ceremony on Dec. 13, 2025, at which Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres marked the end of UNAMI's mandate, signaling a shift from crisis management to long-term development.
UNAMI was mandated by the UN Security Council in 2003 at the request of the Iraqi government following a U.S.-led invasion to advise and assist the government. Its operations ended after a final 19-month mandate extension approved in May 2024. ■
