ABA Article on KRG’s Anti-Corruption Strategy

Most people who aren’t lawyers in the U.S. practicing international law don’t read the American Bar Association’s publications, so I just want to highlight a brief article that appeared in the organization’s Anti-Corruption Committee Newsletter. It highlights the transparency and anti-corruption initiative being undertaken by the Kurdistan Regional Government—which commenced last July. From the ABA Section of International Law:

“The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the government of the…region which oversees the administration of the three provinces of Erbil, Duhok, and Suleimaniah, is looking to be a leader within Iraq in terms of fighting corruption. Iraq has consistently fared poorly in international studies on the presence of corruption, most recently being ranked 176 out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2009 Corruption Perceptions Index. This perception is not helped by the steady stream of bad news coming out of Baghdad’s battle against corruption. Recognizing that this negative perception is causing serious harm to Kurdistan’s efforts to attract international investment, the KRG has taken the unusual step of creating and implementing its own anti-corruption strategy.

“On July 12, 2009, then-Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani announced a comprehensive anti-corruption and transparency strategy designed to, in his words, “…improve international and domestic confidence and increase investment and job development, while helping to raise the living standards of our Region.” This strategy is founded on four principles central to eliminating corruption: (1) the rule of law, (2) public service is a public trust, (3) governmental functions are to be open and transparent, and (4) public funds must always be used for their intended purposes.

“The initiative is being undertaken entirely by the KRG, without receiving any funding from donors. KRG representatives attended the most recent Global Forum Against Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity in Doha to interface with global experts and improve their strategy to match international best practices.

“The new government led by Prime Minister Dr. Barham Salih has reaffirmed the commitment of the KRG to the project. In a recent statement celebrating International Anti-Corruption Day, Dr. Barham reiterated the right of all citizens of the KRG to expect the highest standards of conduct and announced that the government would soon release a new comprehensive Code of Conduct that will govern the behavior of the civil service.”

There is no doubt, the KRG’s Good Governance and Transparency Strategy represents tangible evidence that we are aware of our shortcomings as a burgeoning government and region, and that we are actually doing something about them. To ensure our effort is done in the most professional and, yes, transparent manner, the KRG retained PriceWaterhouseCoopers, one of the world’s largest financial and accountancy consulting firms, to assist in the development and implementation of our strategy. As the program unfolds, I will keep you updated on its progress.

My Week Speaking—Bumped by Barack Obama

This week has been a busy one, with numerous speaking events in and around the Washington, DC area—opportunities to inform both media and government officials about the Kurdistan Region and what’s happening in Iraq.

It was poetic, however, that before delivering remarks on security in our Region to an audience of defense and security experts that the President of the United States bumped me!

Shortly before arriving to the Brookings Institution, where the speech was, I received word that Barack Obama had decided to use the venue to discuss domestic jobs creation. This was an acute reminder that a president’s domestic agenda will always take precedent over foreign affairs.

Undeterred, the event—a part of Brookings Executive Educations program—moved to an alternative location not too far away.

Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute at the Department of Homeland Security, and former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations for Mission Support, Department of Peacekeeping Operations spoke before me. Following me was Strobe Talbott, President, Brookings Institution—former Deputy Secretary of State and former Special Ambassador for the Soviet Union and Russia. More than 50 experts from the government—from offices such as the Department of Defense and Army—attended.

The tone at the Brookings event, and the audience’s continuing interest in Iraq, was decided different from another event I spoke at a few days earlier—which was summed up by one of my fellow panelists, Judith Yaphe, an American expert on Iraq:

“Anybody remember Iraq? You don’t hear about it much anymore. But that doesn’t mean it’s gone away and it doesn’t mean that everything is fine either.”

My sentiments exactly.

Judith joined me at the University of Maryland’s Knight Center for Specialized Journalism for a lively discussion on the Iraq issue—much of which dealt with the place of the Kurdistan Region. I’ve known Judith for years. She’s a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the U.S. National Defense University.

Judith went on: “Iraq now faces its greatest crisis since Saddam disappeared…. This is the most critical juncture in any revolution, and what Iraq has gone through and is going through is revolutionary.”

Again, I couldn’t agree more.

The problem is that this fact isn’t being recognized as the U.S. shifts its focus to Afghanistan and leaves us with mounting challenges and wishful thinking. It is the mistake of the American policymaker to believe or expect Iraq to be stable for the sake of stability, ignoring more than 80 years of history and oppression.

Our national culture—for Sunni, Shia and Kurds—is based on insecurity, which is preventing progress. Yet, at a time when several critical issues need to be sorted out, issues that will shape the very foundation and future of Iraq, we’re being rushed through it all.

Getting these issues right is more important than dealing with them quickly. Iraq cannot be expected to turn from dictatorship to democracy in seven years, and it will take a commitment on the part of the Americans to help us see it through.

During the conversation we had that morning, this was much of the thrust of what both of us talked about. With almost 30 reporters attending from traditional and new media publications, there were plenty of great questions. Click here to see some video of the event, or to review the Knight Center’s Twitter.

Greater DC's Kurdish-American Community

Yesterday afternoon it was my distinct pleasure to host an event celebrating the Kurdish-American community in the Greater Washington Area. More than 200 people attended this reunion, enjoying both great food and great conversation, at the Kurdistan Regional Government offices in Washington, DC.

Distinguished guests included members of the KRG delegation that attended the U.S.-Iraq Investors Conference last week—Herish Muharam, Chairman of the Kurdistan Regions Board of Investment; Hoshyar Siwaily, Minister for Electricty; Tahsin Qadir Ali, Minister for Water Resources; and Governor Dana Ahmed Majeed of Suleimania and Abdulrahaman Mustafa of Kirkuk.

I was heartened to see the pride on people’s faces as they entered the KRG offices. Our guests recognized the incredible potential of the new future before us, while at the same time raising the expectations of what we, as the KRG need to achieve in the US and in Kurdistan. The Kurdish American community in the US offers great hope to strengthening Kurdistan’s relations with the US, while at the same time, being a voice for reason to ensure that Kurdistan stays true to its word of reform and continued democratization.

Giving Secretary Albright Her Due…and Her Day

A few days ago I had the pleasure to formally deliver to former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright a letter of thanks from Presidents Barzani and Talabani, and a proclamation on behalf of the people of the Kurdistan Region making May 15 a day to honor her:

“…we hereby offer our eternal gratitude and proclaim our eternal friendship with the Honorable Madeleine Albright on the occasion of her birthday. In her honor, we honor this day and honor her service to her Country, the United States of America, which she has served so ably….”

If you are unfamiliar with the story, we owe Secretary Albright considerable thanks for her efforts to promote peace amongst the leadership of Kurdistan Region. She, along with a good team at the State Department, brought together Jalal Talabani and Masoud Barzani to sign the historic “Washington Accord” of September 17, 1998. This act ended considerable infighting, opening up our region to great progress and modernization. The invocation of the commemoration states it best:

“You had the strategic vision to see that it was essential for us to set aside our differences and join together in a unity government in order to create a future full of promise and peace for all the people of the Kurdistan Region. History has proven just how right you were.”

This reminds us all, that Kurdistan’s success, as a stable and democratizing society in the heart of the Middle East may not have been possible, were it not for the engagement and support of the United States.

Much to Be Proud of In Our Journey to Democracy: My Talk at the Middle East Institute

Today, I spoke at the Middle East Institute about the Kurdistan’s historic elections – and I had nothing but pride to share with the packed room. I told the attendees that I am proud that we held peaceful, fair, democratic elections recognized as such by international bodies such as the United Nations and the Presidency of the European Union. I am proud that the new Parliament will be at least 30 percent female - a percentage that is greater than any national or regional government in the Middle East, North American and most of Europe! I am proud that the Parliament has representation from every religious and ethnic constituency within the region. I am proud that democracy is finding a welcome in Iraqi Kurdistan.

In 17 years since the first elected Regional Government of Kurdistan, democracy we have made enourmous progress, but I admitted that we still have a long way to go. I noted that our path towards democracy has been bumpy – at times very bumpy – and sometimes the journey has faced roadblocks, some that we have placed for ourselves. But each day, each week, each month, the journey moves forward toward that destination of democracy.

That, to me, is the key to progress.

Continuing to ensure transparency and efficiency in our region’s government is also a major step toward our destination. I informed the attendees that in July, the KRG teamed up with world renowned consultants PriceWaterhouseCoopers to review all governance related issues – to help us develop a clear-eyed, blunt critique and action plan to address the crucial issues of good governance, anti-corruption and transparency. This multi-year endeavor will ultimately improve how our government serves its people.

One cannot create a perfect democracy over night or even in 17 years. I think that members of the audience today at MEI understand that Kurdistan remains on a journey to democracy – and that we have achieved much in our experiment in democratic self governance. Of course there is much more to achieve - and we intend to achieve it.

You can view my entire speech here

The Growing Threat

Please read this article titled “Kurdish leaders warn of strains with Maliki” published in today’s Washington Post. The article highlights the growing sense of tension between Kurdistan and the certain elements within the federal government in Baghdad.

Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki’s growing sense of assertiveness coupled with the upcoming federal provincial elections penciled in for January 2010, will no doubt give opportunities for him and other folks in Baghdad to stir up Arab nationalism to their advantage.

Many believe that out of instability, Prime Minister Maliki can use the Arab nationalist card to unite Sunni’s and Shiites (against the Kurds) and assert greater dominance in the country. This is dangerous. Even in his most vile state, Saddam never stoked Arab nationalism against us. He called us traitors and used the Iraqi nationalism instead.

Saddam did use Arab nationalism to try to impose his dominance throughout the Arab world, using the Iranian and Palestinian cards to serve, with some success, his intended goal. While Prime Minster Maliki has no intentions on trying to dominate the Middle East, he does want to dominate Iraq, and raising Arab, and not Iraqi, nationalism appears to be his tactic.

Unlike Saddam however, Prime Minister Maliki dare not use the Iranian card, as he knows that the Iranians would hurt him. Nor could he sell the Palestinian issue to Iraqis, (or the Palestinians for that matter!); so the only card he has left to play with, to stoke Arab nationalist sentiments in order to assert dominance in Iraq is the Kurdish one. This is a dangerous game that I hope the US government will strongly discourage when Prime Minister Maliki visits the United States next week.

Profesional Press Emerging in Kurdistan

I met today with Deputy Editor, Lawen Sagerma and several capable reporters, editors and photographers of SOMA Digest, an English-language newspaper based in Sulaimani in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. General John Abizaid and a delegation of former U.S. military leaders joined me. SOMA, along with other media outlets and organizations such as the Institute for War and Peace Reporting’s Kurdistan office, are forging a promising path for Kurdistan's emerging press, and were all impressed by the young and dedicated staff we met today.

In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, there are official party, government and independent news outlets, which have been developing since the uprisings of 1991, and more so since the liberation of Iraq in 2003.

Although we have progress to make, I know the KRG, is working to nurture the development of an independent and professional press in our rapidly emerging democracy. The recently passed press law for the Region provides the legal framework for a truly free, independent and professional press to emerge. Now we must ensure that the institutions of State uphold the rule of law, and journalists uphold high professional journalistic standards.

Check out this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w80ZAS9KMs, of Lawen talking about how her paper appeals to the growing English-speaking community in the Kurdistan Region and her outlook for the future.

Kurdistan's Journey towards Transparency

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has governed itself for 17 years—following the establishment of the No Fly Zones in 1992. Of those years, 11 were under various types of local, regional and international sanctions; for 4 years, the Region was embroiled in regrettable civil war; the 6 years following were marked by the governance of 2 relatively dysfunctional administrations—which eventually united into one large and overly-bureaucratic body. So what does this add up to? The answer is simple—the safest, most stable and increasingly prosperous part of Iraq!

Although these numbers don’t seem to make sense—particularly for a region marked by strife, conflict, setbacks and a recent national war—the evidence is all there for the world to see. And today, the KRG took a step to provide greater clarity for the global community and for the people of the Kurdistan Region, so that everyone can be confident in how far the Kurdistan Region has come, what its accomplished, and where it is headed.

Earlier this afternoon, KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani announced the government’s strategy for Good Governance and Transparency—a multi-year project developed with assistance from PricewaterhouseCoopers to introduce best governance practices and transparency and ultimately improving how our government serves its people. Compliant with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, it represents a bold step, one that goes further than any regional government in the world, and even some large democracies.

We’ve made our region safe and secure. We’ve overcome our internal conflicts. We’ve established a system to provide improved services for our citizens. Now we’re moving to guarantee that all of this progress is maintained and built upon—because there is no doubt in our minds that there remains so much more for the Kurdistan Region to accomplish.

The KRG’s Good Governance and Transparency Strategy represents tangible evidence that we are not only aware of our shortcomings, but that we are actually doing something about them! While we work to address these shortcomings, we should not lose sight of how much progress has been made in a remarkably short, yet tumultuous period of itme. Today's step forward gives me hope that the next 17 years has even greater potential.