The Future of Iraq and the Region

The past year has revealed promising signals of renewal in Iraq: the territorial defeat of ISIS was followed by a peaceful transition of power to a newly elected government and the country’s economic growth outlook for 2019 and beyond has been bolstered by oil prices and oil production.

However, the new government faces significant obstacles to securing the state’s long-term stability including weak institutions, a growing gap between citizens and the elite, ongoing internal armed conflict and entrenched vested interests in the conflict economy.

In order to move past the cycle of collapse and revival that has characterized Iraqi governance since 2003, a new approach is needed to forge a system that responds to the needs of the population, and in so doing, tackles the root causes of conflict.

This session forms part of a conference which supports the Chatham House Middle East and North Africa Programme’s Iraq Initiative. This brings together political leaders, civil society leaders and other experts to critically discuss the challenges and opportunities facing those seeking to build a peaceful and prosperous Iraqi state.