MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
I welcome the successful meeting in Tokyo of donors contributing to the rehabilitation of Iraq, which concluded this evening.
The meeting represents an important further step in galvanising international support for Iraq's reconstruction. 57 countries and organisations, including Iraq's neighbours and major donors, attended.
The Tokyo donors' meeting has taken place exactly one year after the initial Donors' Conference in Madrid, at which some US$33 billion in grants and loans was pledged by the international community to help Iraq along the path to political stability and economic prosperity.
Australia has contributed more than $125 million to the rehabilitation of Iraq, of which more than $100 million has been disbursed.
The meeting was particularly significant, since for the first time the Iraqi Interim Government has been represented at a donors' meeting on Iraq and has presented to donors its own vision and strategy for Iraq.
The Iraqi delegation to the meeting was led by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Barham Saleh, who presented Iraq's National Development Strategy - an integrated framework of political, economic, social and development reforms.
Iraq faces many challenges in pursuing economic reconstruction, and Australia encourages all donors to work with and support Iraq in implementing its national strategy, including through early disbursement of pledges.
Australia's contribution to the UN and World Bank International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq stands at $25 million, money which will be directed to building good governance in Iraq and assisting the agriculture sector, the electoral process, and refugees and internally displaced persons. Australia has fulfilled its obligation to transfer its promised funding to the multilateral trust funds.
Maintaining the election timetable is an important step in Iraq's transition to democracy. To this end, I call on the United Nations to engage comprehensively in the elections process, including by increasing its staff numbers on the ground.
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