A summary report of the MERI rountable discussions on the UK’s policy objectives in Iraq & Kurdistan Region, the challenges they face and policy recommendations for stakeholders.

MERI is globally ranked as the top think tank in Iraq for the 6th consecutive year and No 27 among 599 major think tanks in MENA countries.

Will they tackle the Middle East differently? How would the regional actors respond?

The security dynamics may get complicated, making it more difficult for President Elect Joe Biden to pick up the pieces.

In Iraq, politics is personal, and the politics of Baghdad-Erbil relations is no exception. Improvements and deteriorations in this relationship have largely been dictated by interpersonal dynamics, such as the rapport and mutual confidence between leaders.

The US should help create an Iraqi state at peace with all of its components. The KDP and PUK need to de-escalate and allow the KRI to speak with one voice in Baghdad & with international partners.

This brief examines the socio-political & socio-economic circumstances of the Iraqi Roma & urge the Federal & KR Governments to prioritise addressing the marginalization of the Roma.

In this policy report an enhanced model is proposed that builds on existing culture and understanding of decentralisation, and is designed to provide solutions for the numerous challenges Iraq currently faces

Through an analysis of the current initiatives in Ninewa, this report highlights critical challenges relating to stabilization and the return of internally displaced persons.

Designed to inform & enhance stakeholder policies, this meta-analysis of the vast literature on the barriers to IDP return covers important analytical and contextual gaps.