Claudio Cordone: One of the UN’s biggest accomplishments through UNAMI has been really institutionalizing Iraq’s electoral process
Claudio Cordone, Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs and Electoral Assistance, United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq.
In Iraq, the United Nations is wrapping up a two-decade mission. Since its establishment in 2003, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has been a steady partner for the government and the people of Iraq. UNAMI supported the drafting of the 2005 Iraqi constitution, enabled the re-emergence of democratic institutions, including the country’s first freely elected parliament in 40 years, and assisted in a series of national and regional elections. As the UN work in Iraq enters a new chapter, we spoke with Claudio Cordone, Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs and Electoral Assistance, about one of the mission’s core legacies: electoral assistance, and how it helped shape Iraq’s democratic processes as well as the practical challenges on the ground.
Question: Reflecting on the past twenty years, what would you say are the UN’s most significant achievements in providing electoral support in Iraq? And how have these successes strengthened political stability and democratic institutions?
Claudio Cordone:Looking back over the last two decades, I would say one of the UN’s biggest accomplishments through UNAMI has been really institutionalizing Iraq’s electoral process. With UN help, Iraq has held six national parliamentary elections on schedule. That’s remarkable, considering all the internal conflict the country has gone through.
That consistency has done a few important things: first, it has built credibility. The elections weren’t just symbolic; they were technically sound and broadly accepted. Second, the development of the Independent High Electoral Commission is a major legacy. Over time, the Commission has gained the capacity to handle elections largely on its own.
And maybe most importantly, because power has been transferred peacefully multiple times, these elections have helped stabilize political life in Iraq.
Question: No UN mission is without its difficulties. What do you view as the biggest challenges the UN has faced in assisting Iraq’s electoral processes? How have you and your team adapted over time to address those hurdles?
Claudio Cordone: Clearly, one of the biggest challenges has been persistent volatility after years of civil conflict. At one point, one third of the country was controlled by Daesh (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. That could have totally derailed not just elections, but the whole idea of building democratic institutions.
To deal with this, we stayed very close to Independent High Electoral Commission, helping them stick to constitutional timelines and working hard to make sure election results were broadly accepted. This has largely been the case. UNAMI also adapted to circumstances. For example, in 2021, we weren’t just advising, we monitored the elections, deployed a large team, and had to rapidly scale up operations. It was a major operation and required support from the UN Country Team as well.
Over time, as resources tightened, we focused our support more strategically. One key area was boosting women’s participation, protecting women candidates, encouraging better access, and working with other UN agencies for tailored support.
Question: UNAMI’s Office of Electoral Assistance has been a central actor in fulfilling the mission’s mandate. As demand for UN election assistance remains high across the world, in your view, is UNAMI’s large-scale technical support something that could serve as a blueprint for other UN special political missions? Why or why not?
Claudio Cordone: That’s a good question. Yes, I think that UNAMI’s technical support through its Office of Electoral Assistance could be a useful model for other UN political missions. For instance, UNAMI has provided hands-on support to Iraq’s electoral commission: advising on everything from logistics, legal frameworks, communications, to training and complaints systems. During the 2021 elections, we had to scale up dramatically. We showed our office’s flexibility in shifting into more of a monitoring/arbiter role, responding to expectations that the Mission act not just as a technical helper but as a guarantor of electoral integrity.
But here’s where it gets complicated, acting impartially is a major challenge when a mission is involved in hotly contested elections. UNAMI had to walk a fine line: provide counsel and assistance and speak up when the electoral Commission made decisions that did not align with international standards and best practices.
And let’s be realistic, not every UN special political mission has the resources to replicate what UNAMI did. For the 2021 elections, UNAMI had a large footprint.
Question:
On a more personal note, can you share a moment during your tenure, an unforgettable Election Day or a breakthrough in political dialogue that has stayed with you? Why was it memorable?
Claudio Cordone: One of the moments that stayed with me isn’t a single Election Day, but a whole process. It was when we pushed very hard for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to finally hold its parliamentary elections in 2024, after they’d been delayed for two years. As Officer-In-Charge of the Mission, I worked closely with the Kurdish authorities (building on what the outgoing Special Representative of the Secretary-General had started) to break through a political impasse. We worked hard at ensuring broad participation, making sure the main Kurdish party did not boycott the elections, but also that minority groups, women, and civil society could safeguard their representation. Seeing that space defended, and ultimately an electoral date set for October 20, 2024, was deeply meaningful.
Question: From your perspective, what lessons from the electoral assistance work you have been doing are most important for the international community to carry forward? And how do you hope Iraq’s electoral institutions will sustain the gains once UNAMI's mandate ends?
Claudio Cordone: It remains important to insist on every electoral cycle on the importance of holding timely, free and fair elections, and maintaining a culture of peaceful transfer of power. Iraq is still a nascent democracy, and while it has made significant progress there are still improvements that can be made both to the electoral law and practices. There is also much work to be done, including by IHEC, to encourage women’s participation – in this regard it will be important to maintain, if not increase, the 25% quota assigned to women in the national parliament. With the UNAMI’s mandate ending on 31 December 2025, UNDP will remain available as the lead UN agency for electoral assistance, should the government request such assistance in the coming years.