UN’s Secretary-General appoints new special representative for Iraq

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced Monday the appointment of Mohamed Al Hassan of the Sultanate of Oman as the new special representative for Iraq and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UN's Secretary-General), the office of the Spokesperson for UN's Secretary-General said in a statement. 

At Baghdad's request, the UN Security Council decided unanimously at the end of May that UNAMI would conclude its mission in Iraq at the end of 2025, after more than 20 years. The mission was established by a UN Security Council resolution in 2003 following the US-led invasion and the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Al Hassan succeeds Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert of the Netherlands, who began her tenure in January 2018 and delivered her final briefing to the UN Security Council in February. In May, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani called for the closure of UNAMI, stating that "the grounds for having a political mission in Iraq no longer exist."

"The appointment of Mr. Al Hassan underscores the United Nations' ongoing commitment to supporting Iraq in its pursuit of peace, stability, and development. His extensive diplomatic background and leadership experience are expected to greatly benefit the mission and the broader objectives of the UN in the region," the statement read.

According to the statement, Al Hassan brings over 30 years of experience in preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding, and development. He has served as the permanent representative of the Sultanate of Oman to the United Nations in New York since 2019 and has held several key positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Muscat. These include acting undersecretary for diplomatic affairs, chief of staff, and head of the minister's department.

He has also served as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Russian Federation, and as a non-resident ambassador to Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, and Moldova. Additionally, he has been the deputy permanent representative of Oman to the United Nations in New York and Geneva.

Al Hassan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Washington, a Master of Science degree in international relations from St. John's University, and a Ph.D. in economics from Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics, and Informatics. He is fluent in Arabic, English, Norwegian, and Russian.

UNAMI, which has about 700 staff members, advises the Iraqi government on political dialogue and reconciliation, and assists with elections and security sector reform.