UN calls for national reconciliation in Iraq
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The U.N. Security Council called for inclusive political talks and national reconciliation in Iraq on Wednesday, a day after a wave of attacks claimed by an Al Qaeda affiliate killed 115 people across the country and wounded hundreds.
In a resolution extending the U.N.'s civilian mission in the country for a year, the U.N.'s most powerful body underscored the need for all communities to refrain from statements which could aggravate tensions, to reach a solution on the distribution of Iraq's oil wealth, and to resolve disputes over the country's internal boundaries.
The resolution welcomes improvements in Iraq's security situation but stresses that challenges to security still exist "and that improvements need to be sustained through meaningful political dialogue and national unity."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It underscores "the need for all communities in Iraq to participate in the political process."
The council reaffirmed the U.N. mission's importance in assisting the Iraqis in strengthening democratic institutions, advancing political talks and national reconciliation, facilitating dialogue with regional countries, resolving internal boundary disputes, aiding young people and vulnerable groups and promoting judicial and legal reforms.