New york: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning, Mohammed Ali Tamim, affirmed the government’s commitment to providing a safe environment for children. A statement by the Ministry of Planning stated that “Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning, Mohammed Ali Tamim, met today, Monday, in New York, with Najat Maalla, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on Violence against Children, on the sidelines of his participation in the 2025 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.”

According to National Iraqi News Agency, during the meeting, which was attended by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Planning, Maher Hammad Johan, ways to enhance cooperation between Iraq and the United Nations in the field of child protection and combating all forms of violence and abuse against children were discussed. This is within the framework of Iraq’s national and international commitments related to children’s rights and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 16.2, which stipulates ending all forms of violence against children.

The Minister affirmed the Iraqi government’s commitment to providing a safe environment for children and activating legislation and programs to protect them. He noted that “the Ministry of Planning pays special attention to indicators of child well-being and human development and is working with international partners to develop relevant national policies in light of the contents of the 2024-2028 Five-Year Development Plan and Iraq’s 2030 Vision for Sustainable Development.”

For her part, Najat Maala commended “the progress Iraq has made in this area,” stressing “her office’s readiness to continue close cooperation with Iraq to enhance the protection of children, through providing technical support, capacity building, and enhancing monitoring and reporting of violations,” emphasizing that “protecting children is a shared responsibility that falls on everyone.”