18 June 2021; Baghdad, Iraq - The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and United Nations Population Fund Deputy Executive Director (DED), Management, Mr Ib Petersen, and UNFPA Regional Director (RD) for the Arabic States, Dr Luay Shabaneh,  started today a five-day visit to Iraq. 

During the visit, Mr Petersen and Dr Shabaneh will focus on the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, which is also a focus of the UNFPA country programme 2020-2024 and the Iraqi national priorities. The high-level UNFPA officials will discuss with the Government, civil society organisations and partners in Baghdad and Erbil how UNFPA can further support the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government to achieve the Agenda 2030  and meet Iraq’s commitments made at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD 25) in Nairobi on November 2019.

“I am delighted to be in Iraq as part of my field visit to the Middle East. I look forward to hearing from government officials and civil society representatives how UNFPA can increase its support during the country’s recovery period after years of humanitarian crises to ensure that Iraq meets the goals of the Decade of Action,” said Mr Petersen from the Baghdad Airport.  

During the visit, they will also conduct two field visits to camps for the internally displaced and meet with women and young people from the host communities to discuss their needs and how UNFPA can scale up its programmes to support their ambitions. 

The UNFPA DED Management and RD for the Arab States will be accompanied will depart Iraq on 22 June, heading to Amman, Jordan.

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UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, delivers a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

For more information or media inquiries please contact:  Salwa Moussa, Communications Specialist, smoussa@unfpa.org - 009647809171035