President Masoud Barzani on May 28 said farewell to the outgoing Head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Jeanine Antoinette Hennis-Plasschaert.

President Barzani’s Headquarters in a readout underlined that the two had discussed the latest developments in Iraq and the domestic situation in the Kurdistan Region.

During the meeting, President Barzani expressed his thanks and appreciation for the efforts and endeavors of UNAMI Head Hennis-Plasschaert “in helping to establish stability in the country, bringing closer the different parties and solving problems, and wished her success in her new work and tasks.”

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On May 19, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced that Hennis-Plasschaert had been appointed his new Special Coordinator for Lebanon.

In a farewell message on May 28, Hennis-Plasschaert expressed her gratitude and deep appreciation to all Iraqis.

“I learned much from listening to Iraqi women and men explaining their history with pride. Though many faced down serious challenges, an optimism for the days ahead often shone through.”

“Throughout the country, including the Kurdistan Region, countless people of all ages spontaneously shared, time and again, their hopes and aspirations. And I will forget none of them,” she stated.

“None of this is to say that the UN has been immune to criticism – some of which was justified, some simply based on wrong perceptions about who we are, and what we can and cannot do. But talking to those who understood the values of the Organization, and what it stands for, was most rewarding,” UNAMI Head Hennis-Plasschaert wrote.

The Iraqi government requested the termination of UNAMI’s mission by the end of 2025 in a letter addressed to Secretary-General Guterres.

“This decision to end UNAMI’s operations in Iraq, apart from the reasons mentioned, is a natural outcome of the evolving relationship between Iraq and the UN, fostering cooperation on different levels,” Iraqi Government Spokesperson Basim Alawadi said in a statement on May 12.

However, representatives from the KDP, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the Gorran Movement, the Kurdistan Justice Group, and the Kurdistan Islamic Union underlined the importance of the continued presence of UNAMI after a meeting on May 27.

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In her last briefing as UNAMI Head to the UN Security Council on May 16, Hennis-Plasschaert expressed hope that the parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region will take place as soon as possible. 

“Ultimately, the UN has one main priority at its core: advancing peace and prosperity for all – no matter affiliation, faith, background, or ethnicity,” she concluded.