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US vice-president Mike Pence visited Iraq on Saturday seeking to reassure Iraqi Kurds of US support after President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria drew criticism that Washington had betrayed its Kurdish allies there.

His trip included a visit with Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan region in Iraq, and a phone call with Iraqi prime minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to discuss the recent wave of unrest and protests over corruption that have rocked the country.

The visit is also meant to bolster the morale of US troops ahead of next Thursdays Thanksgiving holiday at home.

Mr Pence made two stops during his short trip, which had not previously been announced for security reasons. Travelling on a military cargo plane, he landed first at Al Asad Air Base northwest of Baghdad and talked the by phone with Mr Abdul Mahdi.

We spoke about the unrest thats been taking place in recent weeks here in Iraq, Mr Pence told reporters. He assured me that they were working to avoid violence or the kind of oppression we see taking place even as we speak in Iran.

He pledged to me that they would work to protect and respect peaceful protesters as ... part of the democratic process here in Iraq.

Hundreds have been killed since early October when mass protests began in Baghdad and southern Iraq. Protesters want to dislodge a political class they view as corrupt and beholden to foreign powers, at the expense of Iraqis who suffer from poverty and poor healthcare.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said on Monday the US was prepared to impose sanctions on any Iraqi officials found to be corrupt as well as those responsible for the deaths and wounding of peaceful protesters.

The trip allowed the Trump administration a chance to focus on foreign policy even as impeachment hearings against the president led by Democrats consume Washington.

Mr Pence said he reiterated Mr Trumps commitment to an independent and sovereign Iraq. We continue to be concerned about the malign influence of Iran across Iraq, he said.

The vice-president went on to Erbil in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq, seeking to show US appreciation for Kurdish sacrifices and to affirm a message of US support for and partnership with Kurdish fighters.

Mr Pence told Mr Barzani at the beginning of their meeting at Erbil airport that he wanted, on Mr Trumps behalf, to reiterate the strong bonds forged in the fires of war between the people of the United States and the Kurdish people across this region.

Last month, Turkey launched an offensive into northeastern Syria after Mr Trumps abrupt decision to withdraw all 1,000 US troops there. Mr Pence brokered a pause with Ankara to allow time for Kurdish fighters to withdraw.

That truce aimed to mitigate the crisis sparked by Mr Trumps announcement, which US Republican and Democratic politicians criticised as a betrayal of Kurdish allies aligned with Washington in the fight against Islamic State.

Asked whether he had to smooth over any sense of betrayal from the Kurds, Mr Pence said: I dont think there was any confusion now among the leadership here in the Kurdish region that President Trumps commitment to our allies here in Iraq as well as to those in the Syrian defence forces, the Kurdish forces who fought along side us, is unchanging.

At the Al Asad Air Base, which Mr Trump visited in a similar surprise trip last year, Mr Pence and his wife Karen helped to serve a traditional Thanksgiving turkey meal to some 700 US troops.

Mr Pence, on his first trip to Iraq as vice-president, did not to go Baghdad to meet the prime minister personally because of safety concerns related to the protests, a US official said. Reuters

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Pence seeks to reassure Kurds of US backing on surprise Iraq trip - The Irish Times

Estimated 350 people believed to have been killed in largest demonstrations since fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003

Iraqi protesters help their fellow protestor, who was affected by tear gas which was dispensed by riot police during clashes following a protest at Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters take cover during clashes with anti-riot police forces at the Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters help their fellow protestor, who was wounded during clashes with riot police, following a protest at Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters try to pull down a concret block which was used by Iraqi police forces to close Al Rasheed street, near the headquarters of the Central Bank of Iraq in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters take a rest and eat during a protest at Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters help their fellow protestor, who was wounded during clashes with riot police forces, following a protest at Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters clash with anti-riot police forces at Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters react after police fired tear gas at them during a demonstration at Al-Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi masked protesters take cover during clashes with anti-riot police forces at the Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Iraqi protesters take cover during clashes with anti-riot police forces at the Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

An Iraqi protester runs to throw tear gas canister back toward riot police forces during clashes with anti-riot police forces at the Al Rasheed street in central Baghdad. EPA

Nine people were killed and dozens wounded in violent clashes between protesters and security forces in Iraq on Monday as prosecutors in Sweden said they were investigating an Iraqi minister for crimes against humanity.

Swedish media identified the subject of the inquiry as Defence Minister Najah Al Shammari, but the Swedish Prosecution Authority did not name anyone.

Media reports suggested the inquiry related to the shooting dead of hundreds of protesters.

The prosecutors said it had received complaints about "an Iraqi minister suspected of crimes against humanity".

It said the investigation was "in a very early stage".

He was identified as Mr Al Shammari, who is also a Swedish citizen but goes by a different name there.

A Swedish-Iraqi lawyer told the Svenska Dagbladet newspaper that he had reported Mr Al Shammari to police in October for his role in the shooting of hundreds of protesters in weeks of unrest.

The minister is also under investigation for benefits fraud, claiming housing and child benefits from Sweden despite living in Iraq, online news site Nyheter Idag reported.

Mr Al Shammari arrived in Sweden in 2009 and was granted permanent residency in 2011 before getting his citizenship in 2015, Expressen reported.

Since October 1, Iraq's capital and south have been swept by mass rallies protesting against corruption, a lack of jobs and poor services.

Those demonstrations have escalated into calls for a complete overhaul of the ruling elite.

Three hundred and fifty protesters have been killed and thousands wounded in clashes with the security forces, AFP estimated.

The authorities in Iraq no longer update their figures.

On Sunday, 13 anti-government protesters died across the country in one of the worst days of violence since the start of the protests.

Updated: November 26, 2019 12:44 PM

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Bloodshed in Baghdad as Sweden investigates Iraq minister for 'crimes against humanity' - The National

While past years saw a country in transition, with sectarian violence particularly from 2005-2008, and strong presence of foreign intervention, the situation in Iraq is changing, and Iraqi-led political processes are maturing. The last United States (... + While past years saw a country in transition, with sectarian violence particularly from 2005-2008, and strong presence of foreign intervention, the situation in Iraq is changing, and Iraqi-led political processes are maturing. The last United States (US) troops withdrew in December 2011, marking the end of eight years of the US-led military presence in Iraq. The international donor community, which has been heavily involved in Iraq over the past years, is incrementally withdrawing or shifting from grant-based reconstruction efforts to loans and partnerships. Two elections have been held since 2003, providing for further maturity in national political processes. The latest elections were held in 2010, resulting in a delicately balanced governing coalition. The Government has been organizing itself to develop and agree on complex national compacts at a country and sectoral level: on sharing the country's national resources through the hydrocarbons law; and designing and implementing strategies in key areas such as energy, education, and pensions. Iraq has returned as an active member of the international community, forging long-term engagements with international organizations and re-connecting with the region at large, reflected, for example, by hosting the 2012 Arab Summit. In 2010, the Government prepared the National Development Plan (NDP) 2010-2014, a medium-term development strategy aimed at providing a framework for the country's sustainable development. To support the country's efforts to build stronger government institutions and a more diversified economy that can deliver services to the population and create jobs, the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) is structured to pivot around three axes: (i) Improving governance; (ii) supporting economic diversification for broadly-shared prosperity; and (iii) improving social inclusion and reducing poverty. The key focus areas which shaped existing programs (i.e. public financial management, strengthening institutions, private sector development, infrastructure, and service delivery) remain relevant in this context.

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Iraq - Country partnership strategy for the period FY13 ...

The World Bank Group is currently preparing a new Country Partnership Framework for Iraq which will focus on supporting the Government of Iraq in the implementation of critical economic reforms to support job creation and reconstruction. A consultation draft will be made available online in addition to the timeline for consultations across Iraq

Since April of 2015, the World Bank has re-focused its strategy to help the GOI manage the twin fiscal and security shocks, while improving service delivery and increasing inclusion of vulnerable groups, particularly in the liberated areas. To that end, the World Bank approved i) in July 2015, a US$350m financial package, the Emergency Operation for Development (EODP), which supports the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure and restoration of public services in areas liberated by the government in two governorates; ii) in December 2015, a US$1.2 billion and in December 2016, a US$1.44 billion Development Policy Financing loan (DPF) to help Iraq weather the fiscal crisis and advance reforms in three areas: improving the management of public finances, securing a more stable and sustainable supply of energy, and supporting more efficient and transparent state-owned enterprises; iii) in December 2016, the World Bank provided US$41.5m to support Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms through automating the budget process with the development of the Iraqi Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), implementing Public Investment Management (PIM) and Public Procurement reforms at the Federal and KRI governments level; and iv) in September 2018, the World Bank and the European Union have signed a US$18.1m Administration Agreement (AA) for the Bank to implement the new Strengthening PFM Oversight and Accountability Institutions in Iraq, funded by the EU which addresses some of the key vulnerabilities in Iraqs PFM areas of intervention with a focus put on: strengthening payroll reporting and oversight, enhancing efficiency and accountability in public procurement, improving the supervision of non-financial state-owned enterprises, improving the regulatory framework, supporting fiscal transparency, strengthening legislative budget oversight, strengthening the external audit function, and confronting and combating corruption.

As an urgent response to the enormous reconstruction needs after liberating Mosul from ISIS, the World Bank Board of Directors approved in 2017 additional financing to the Emergency Operation for Development (EODP) of US$400m. The additional financing aims to include more cities to the emergency support with two additional sectors; agriculture and education.

In early FY18, the Board approved 3 operations totaling $710m, namely; Baghdad Water and Sewerage Improvement ($210m), the Iraq Social Fund for Development ($300m) and the Emergency Social Stabilization Project ($200m). All projects have been declared effective in July and August 2018.

Moreover, the World Bank has supported the GOI in developing the Reconstruction and Development Framework (RDF) that outlines the Governments commitment and approach to moving from emergency to recovery and development for the population affected by the crisis. The framework addresses the distinct challenges in the liberated areas while at the same time recognizing the need for broader national reforms that benefit the entire country, including the governorates indirectly affected by the conflict. The framework covers the Challenges and Recovery Needs, Recovery and Development Plan, Institutional and Implementation Arrangements. The RDF builds on the findings of the Damage and Needs Assessment (DNA) that was carried out by the GOI with help from the WB. The DNA was unpresented in its sectoral and geographic scope, covering damages and needs for building back in a resilient manner across 19 sectors in all seven conflict-affected governorates in Iraq. The DNA revealed damages worth $ 45.7 billion and needs amounting to US$88.2 billion.

The World Bank has also supported the GOI through the preparation of the Iraq future vision under Iraq Vision 2030, which defines the elements and the strategic reforms to establish a new social contract for peace and prosperity. the vision focuses on (i) a new governance framework to ensure better service delivery; (ii) rebuilding the human capital; (iii) job creation; and (iv) macroeconomic framework to enable inclusive and sustainable growth.

International Finance Corporation (IFC)

The IFC has played a strong counter-cyclical role in Iraq over the last several years. IFC's committed portfolio in Iraq has grown considerably over the last five years and exceeded $1.5 billion diversified geographically and across sectors, in power, telecoms, manufacturing, agribusiness, logistics, and services. In FY16, IFC committed US$375 million in MGES Power, the leading local private power investor in Iraq to help meet the critical infrastructure needs of the country. In FY18, IFC committed $269 million with Zain Iraq, the leading mobile operator, to support the rehabilitation of their network in the liberated area. IFC current investment pipeline consists of potential investments in retail, healthcare (hospital), ports, digital financing, and power.

The IFC is closely collaborating with the World Bank teams on applying the Maximizing Finance for Development (MFD) principles across strategic areas. Besides infrastructure and energy (other than upstream oil and gas), transport and water have been identified as potential MFD sectors. The Financial sector has been selected as another critical sector that would require WBG support under MFD.

Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)

MIGAs outstanding gross exposure in Iraq stood at US$8 million. MIGA signed its first contract in Iraq in FY2011 for a project that supported a Turkish investment in a water bottling plant in Baghdad. In FY2014, MIGA provided a guarantee for a project in the telecom sector in Kurdistan region of Iraq and in FY2015 MIGA supported a port logistics project in Umm Qasr. As a Fragility, Conflict, and Violenceaffected (FCV) country, Iraq is eligible for projects to be supported by MIGAs Conflict-Affected and Fragile Economies Facility, a multi-donor trust fund aimed at enabling MIGA to assume higher risk and insure more investment projects in FCVs. Bank has supported development of a Maximizing for Finance Development MFD-enabled Reconstruction Strategy for liberated areas of Iraq and following the successful outcome of Kuwait conference, we expect MIGA and IFC to scale up its engagement during the reconstruction phase to crowd in private investments. Bank, IFC and MIGA teams are working very closely for implementation of the reconstruction strategy.

Last Updated:Apr 01, 2019

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Iraq Overview - worldbank.org

According to Ayman Mansour, Salahaddins HR and corporate governance director, implementing new and better corporate governance policies and procedures with IFCs help has transformed the company, bringing more internal discipline and control to management and decision making, clarifying responsibility, authority and roles, and improving the caliber of leaders.

We started implementing changes to improve our corporate governance procedures about three years ago, Mansour says. Our first task was to ensure transparency. We started from the beginning by creating the right internal structure for the company, starting with the right structure and composition of our Board. Our end goal is to win and secure the trust of investors and our community.

Companies operating in conflict-affected environments, like Iraq, face unique corporate governance challenges. For such businesses, strong corporate governance can be a key to sustainability. Mansour says the main problem initially was the general lack of awareness about corporate governance and limited opportunities available to learn about it.

The challenge was how to acquire the knowledge to make the right changes, where to start, how to implement the changes, and find the right experts to help us to take the next steps, he says.

IFC stepped in. Corporate governance in FCS plays a pivotal role as improved practices are key to attract direct investments and ultimately to stimulate social welfare and economic growth. Effective governance means communication channels between shareholders and managers are clear and well-established, strategic directions are well thought of, risk management measures are in place. For family-owned businesses, attention must be given to succession planning to facilitate non-controlling shareholder involvement in these companies.

As well as partnering with local institutions, IFC recently launched the first independent institute of directors in Iraqthe Kurdistani Institute of Directors (KIoD)alongside the Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Trade. It will provide corporate governance advisory services to help strengthen the role of independent directors and boards in Iraq, and raise awareness of best practices.

The initiative is another step in IFCs strategy to spur private sector growth in Iraq by improving smaller and medium businesses management skills, business performance and competitiveness. It is also part of IFCs aim to scale up support for fragile and conflict-affected states, where private sector investment is key to create jobs and spur growth.

With IFCs support, KIoD has already graduated the first patch of board development program, providing training for 20 entrepreneurs in Erbil in March. In total, IFC has provided corporate governance services to six Iraqi companies, including Salahaddin, and conducted nine educational events, reaching about 447 participants and helping to build the capacity of 16 Iraqi trainers.

IFC also partnered with the Women Empowerment Organization to conduct corporate governance training for current and potential female directors and businesswomen to equip them with the needed skills to effectively succeed in their roles. Thus far 51 women participated in the different trainings, and 35 women participated in a training of trainers workshop.

Last but not least, we supported the completion of a corporate governance banking code and the completion of banking guidelines by the Iraqi Central Bank. Yet, more work is envisioned to support local IFC clients and partners to expand and deepen the impact of corporate governance.

Corporate governance is a very important part of our work in Iraq. It makes companies stronger and helps them to withstand crises, says Amira El Saeed Agag, IFC corporate governance officer in MENA. Our aim is to give companies various tools to strengthen their resilience. The very survival of the company may depend on a strong board and its ability to make the right decisions quickly.

IFCs corporate governance efforts in Iraq and FCS countries will not only create lasting impact for private sector development, by helping them to attract investments and south-south knowledge dissemination and cooperation, but also yield important lessons for IFC as a whole on how to operate in fragile and conflict-affected environments.

IFC is implementing its corporate governance program in Iraq through a trust fund supported by the governments of Japan and Spain.

Topic page: Corporate Governance in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations

Fact Sheet: Corporate Governance in FCS, November 2017

Video: Strengthening Corporate Governance in FCS

Article: Strengthening Governance During Crisis, Winter 2018

Feature Story: In Sierra Leone, Focus on Corporate Governance Helps Rebuild Economy, December 2017

August 2017

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Supporting Corporate Governance in Iraq