ORHA Fact Sheet - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

ORHA Fact Sheet Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance Thuraya Phone: 88-216-7744-1080 Email: orhapic@yahoo.com Ministry of Foreign Affairs Fact Sheet May 19, 2003 Overall Information The ministry is in the process of recalling all ambassadors from overseas embassies. It expects everyone to be back by the first week of June. ORHA will work with the ministry on the missions of each embassy and where they stand in regards to its mission. They will then create policies to build a new Iraqi relationship with the U.S. and its allies and inform host nations how to treat the new Iraq embassy. They wish to open embassies in Jordan, Syria and Iran first. They would then like to establish procedures to give more rights to female citizens and learn to develop a democracy. The ministry building was damaged by fire during the war and damage has not been assessed as of this date. An adjacent building will be used in the meantime although it is significantly smaller than the old ministry building. ORHA believes the ministry will be up and running by the end of June. The temporary office building, the Protocol building, should be in use by 23 May and the ministry will start calling employees back shortly thereafter. Facts on the Foreign Affairs Ministry -An interim minister, Mohammed Amin-Ahmaed, has been appointed and the title is now referred to as the Chairman of the Steering Committee. - Priority for ORHA is to get ministry fully functional with minimal help. It does not want the Chairman of the Steering Committee to constantly rely on ORHA to get the ministry functioning. -The ministry has about 1,000 employees, the bulk of which have not been told to report for work. -Mohammed H. Malik is the Diplomat of Public Affairs for the ministry and has been in that position for five years. -Communication between the ministry and overseas ambassadors is much better than originally anticipated. -The Steering Committee will use the Protocol building as a ministry office until damage to the original building has been repaired. -Several sub-committees have been formed within the Steering Committee; Salaries and Incentives, Communication, Buildings, Finance and Foreign Missions. -A female, Akila al-Hashem, has been appointed to the Steering Committee. Prior to the appointment, she was the Deputy Director of International Organizations.