UN / IRAQ

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UN / IRAQ

UN Special Representative for Iraq Ad Melkert tells the Security Council that the recent elections offer a new opportunity to strengthen Iraq's sovereignty, but added that challenges remain including the continued violence across Iraq, which so far this year has claimed 2,000 lives and wounded 5,000 civilians. UNTV

Duration:02:51 Date:25 May 2010

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Full Script

STORY: UN / IRAQ
TRT: 2.51
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 25 MAY 2010, NEW YORK CITY

SHOTLIST:

RECENT 2010, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

25 MAY 2010, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Cutaway, United States and United Kingdom delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ad Melkert, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq:
“I regret to draw your attention to the hard fact that a chilling number of violent incidents in the year 2010 so far have left over two thousand Iraqis dead and five thousand injured. It is imperative that the international community condemns and isolates the perpetrators. This would be to the benefit of an orderly transit towards a new government as a critical moment for creating a political environment conducive to meaningful dialogue and power sharing.”
5. Cutaway, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ad Melkert, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq:
“As we speak come signs are positive, other less so. From different sides a “round table” format has been suggested for the government formation process. We have advised key leaders to embark upon this without further delay.”
7. Cutaway, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ad Melkert, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq:
“Given high security risks to the United Nations that will likely continue in the foreseeable future, the ability to provide adequate protection to UN staff remains key when determining the level and extent of the future UN presence in Iraq. We work more and more with the Iraqi Security Forces. However it has been established that the provision of the full range of security services required by the UN by the Iraqi Security Forces would be gradual and will take some time.”
9. Cutaway, delegates
10. Wide shot, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice approaches microphone
11. Cutaway, cameraman
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Susan Rice, Permanent Representative of the United States, United Nations:
“As for the U.S. military drawdown we remain on track to meet the timetable that the United States and Iraq agreed to –which would end the combat mission at the end of August of this year and have all American troops out but the end of 2011 –that remains our plan and our intention.”
13. Wide shot, Ambassador Hamid al-Bayati approaches microphone
14. Cutaway, hands taking notes
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Hamid al-Bayati, Permanent Representative of Iraq, United Nations:
“For many months now, since the elections actually the Iraqi forces were in charge; the Americans forces were supporting and both governments are very comfortable with the role of the U.S. force according to the timetable agreed by end of August all combating forces will be able to withdrawn from Iraq.”
16. Cutaway, hands taking notes
17. Wide shot, Ambassador Hamid al-Bayati leaves microphone behind

STORYLINE:

The United Nations (UN) Special Representative for Iraq Ad Melkert told the Security Council today (25 May) that the recent elections offered a new opportunity to strengthen Iraq’s sovereignty, but he added the country faced continued violence which has so far this year claimed 2,000 lives and wounded 5,000 civilians.

He said it was imperative for the international community to condemn and isolate the perpetrators.

Following an appeal by the ‘State of Law’ coalition, a political group headed by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the Electoral Judicial Panel ordered the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to recount all ballots cast in the governorate of Baghdad.

In early May, the IHEC manually recounted the votes cast at Baghdad's polling stations and said it had found no evidence of fraud.

Meanwhile more than two and a half months after the election, Iraqis had hoped to have a stable government but, the results have not been certified and the formation of a new government could take weeks or months.

Melkert told the Council that the ‘crux’ was in the determination of political leaders, as well as of religious and civil society voices, to establish the country’s future on a constitutional basis in an open and inclusive spirit.

Melkert noted that “as we speak some signs are positive, other less so.” He added that from different political sides a “round table” format had been suggested for the government formation process. “We have advised key leaders to embark upon this without further delay.”

Enumerating major challenges the country was facing Melkert noted that the list of infrastructure and services challenges was immense, with shortages everywhere, varying from schools and health centres to roads, sewers and electricity. He said that life expectancy at birth was 58.2 years, as opposed to for example, 73.6 in Syria.

Melkert also called the attention of delegates to the security conditions that should enable the UN to play the mandated roles, anticipating the reduction of support services by the United States (US) forces in light of their future drawdown.
 
Following the Council meeting, US Ambassador Susan Rice told reporters that the her country remained on track to meet the timetable agreed together with Iraq, which would end the combat mission at the end of August of this year and have all American troops out but the end of 2011. She said that “that remains our plan and our intention.”
 
Iraqi Ambassador Hamid al-Bayati also met reporters and agreed with Rice that the agreed timetable of end of August “all combating forces would be able to withdraw from Iraq.”

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