Guterres marks end of UN mission in Iraq

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Saturday marked in Baghdad the end of the United Nations' political mission in Iraq. At Baghdad's request, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) would shut down its operations after 22 years of assisting the country in its transition.

UN agencies and programmes would continue to operate in Iraq. UNAMI was established by a UN Security Council resolution at the request of the Iraqi government before being expanded four years later. UNAMI's tasks included advising the government on political dialogue and reconciliation, as well as helping with elections and security sector reform.