UN Development Programme
By: Marc-Antoine Morel, UNDP Iraq
Estimates indicate that more than 100,000 civilians were killed in Iraq between 2003 and 2011 in the years following the US-led invasion. In 2012 alone, nearly 3,000 civilians have already lost their lives.
While security has significantly improved since 2009, violence continues to challenge Iraq's efforts to provide basic levels of safety and security for its citizens. Today in Iraq, violence takes a number of forms: political, ethnic, sectarian and criminal and is perpetuated by a range of actors including insurgency and armed groups, militias and criminal organizations.
The nature of violence in Iraq calls for a multi-dimensional response, rooted in an improved governance framework that redefines the social contract between the state and Iraqi citizens. In this regard, Iraq’s security institutions must be seen as serving the people rather than the regime or political groups and must adopt a different approach to public security and safety: one that promotes participation and prevention.
Beyond this, it is equally important that Iraqi youth, who have only experienced dictatorship, conflict and violence in the last few decades, regain faith in their country’s institutions and political leaders and hope for their future.
In that context, the joint statement recently endorsed by all 14 Iraqi parliamentary blocks expressing their commitment to work together towards achieving peace and non-violence in Iraq is of significance. It sends a powerful message to the Iraqi people that their political leaders are committed to step away from violence, are committed to peace and that they can now be held accountable publicly for that. This statement was endorsed on the occasion of a concert that UNDP co-organised with the Iraqi Ministry of Culture to mark the International Day of Peace.
It is UNDP's aspiration that Iraqi political leaders will remain loyal to this commitment and cooperate towards a much well deserved sustainable peace and a better and brighter future for all Iraqis.
