AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you, Special Representative Kubis and Major Patrono, for your very informative briefings this morning, as well as for the important work both UNAMI and the Italian Carabinieri are doing in Iraq.

I’d like to take the opportunity this morning to briefly highlight the recently-concluded independent external assessment of UNAMI. The United States welcomes the results of UNAMI’s independent external assessment.

The Council launched this pilot initiative in an effort to shake up the UN’s approach to management review and in support of the Secretary-General’s reform agenda. This study marks the first-ever external assessment of a special political mission’s management structures and resources to ensure that they are being effectively utilized to optimize mandate implementation.

This external third-party review – conducted by expert consultants from outside the UN system – provides excellent recommendations to improve efficiency and accountability in the field to enable the Council to make more informed strategic decisions on UNAMI’s mandate and to strengthen the mission’s ability to effectively deliver on its mandate.

The United States supports the work of the assessment team and the creative solutions it has put forward to promote more effective coordination and burden-sharing between the special political mission and the UN Country Team – enabling them to be more responsive to the needs of Iraqis.

We hope the Secretary-General will give careful consideration to the team’s suggestions and recommendations when he decides how best to address UNAMI’s management and resourcing challenges.

Here, and in the spirit of transparency for this Council-mandated management product, the United States urges the Secretary-General to share with the Council the full report, to illustrate the challenges UN field offices face in pursuit of their critical peacebuilding missions.

Thank you, Mr. President.