Finland to support parliamentary elections in Iraq
Press release 344/2005
8 November, 2005
Finland has made an agreement with the UN about a contribution of two million Euros to support the organisation of the parliamentary elections in Iraq in December. In the elections the Iraqis will elect the first national assembly in accordance with the new constitution which was passed in October. The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq will answer for the organisation of the elections with the UN support. Most of the expenses will be covered by Iraq, and the rest will be paid from international donations coordinated by the UN reconstruction fund for Iraq.
Finland’s contribution is continuation to the financial assistance granted for reconstruction of Iraq a year ago, totalling five million euros. One million of the total was channelled through the UN for organising the January 2005 elections of the interim parliament. The remaining four million euros were channelled for the reconstruction of Iraq via the UN and the World Bank, particularly for promotion of good governance and support of the civil society.
The UN and the World Bank support for Iraq is managed via the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq, IRFFI, established in 2004. The facility consists of two trust funds, the operations of which are guided by a joint coordination group formed by the donor countries. At the moment, Finland participates in the activities of the group as representative of the so-called small donor countries.
The election support, the promotion of good governance, the development of the civil society, and the support of the rule of law in Iraq are the focal points in the reconstruction of Iraq for both Finland and the EU. Also Iraq itself has wished that the EU countries would provide support particularly within these areas. As a member of the EU, Finland participates in the Union’s Integrated Rule-of-Law Mission for Iraq, EUJUST LEX. During this mission, launched in July, training will be provided to more than 700 Iraqi judges, policemen and penitentiary experts by the summer of 2006 on courses to be organised in seven EU countries. Finland will participate in the organisation of two courses in Denmark in cooperation with Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Since the year 2004, Finland has also participated in the training of Iraqi policemen in an international police training centre in Jordan. At the moment, there are ten Finnish police instructors working at the centre.
Additional information: First Secretary Leena Pylvänäinen, Unit for the Middle East and North Africa, tel. +358 9 1605 6278, and Counsellor Tiina-Jortikka-Laitinen, Unit of Civil Crisis Management, tel. +358 9 1605 5696