Security Council encouraged by appointment of Iraqi Prime Minister-elect
13 August 2014
As Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Haider al-Abadi continues to form a new Government, the United Nations Security
Council today urged all political parties and their supporters to remain calm and respect the country’s Constitution.
The 15-member Council said it was “encouraged” by President Fuad Masum’s decision to nominate the new Prime
Minister-designate.
In a statement, the Council called the nomination “an important step” toward the formation of an inclusive Government
representative of all segments of the Iraqi population.
The Government, according to the Council, would also contribute to finding a viable and sustainable solution to the
country’s current challenges.
Among those challenges, the terrorist threat posed by the armed group Islamic State (IS) and its armed supporters.
Earlier today, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura,
and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, condemned in the strongest terms
the “barbaric acts” of sexual violence and “savage rapes” attributed to IS.
The group has also been accused of grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law and may amount to
war crimes and crimes against humanity, and potentially genocide, by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Advisors on
the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, and on the Responsibility to Protect, Jennifer Welsh.
Given these challenges, the Members of the Security Council urged Mr. Abadi to work swiftly to form an inclusive
Government as quickly as possible and within the constitutional time-frame.
According to Article 76 of the Iraqi Constitution, the new Prime Minister-elect has 30 days from the date of designation
to name members of his Council of Ministers. At that time, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki will be legally obligated
to step down.
ENDS