- Iraq loses an estimated $30 billion annually to corruption (UNDP).
- Over 70% of Iraqis believe corruption is widespread in government (Transparency International).
Petition: Stop Corruption, Save Iraq
# أوقفوا الفساد، أنقذوا العراق
Presented by the National Council of Iraqi Opposition (NCIO)
مقدمة من المجلس الوطني للمعارضة العراقية (NCIO)
To:
The President of the Republic of Iraq
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Iraq
The Speaker of the Council of Representatives
United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)
Global Affairs Canada
From:
National Council of Iraqi Opposition (NCIO)
Date: Sept 8, 2025
Subject:
A Call for Immediate Action Against Systemic Corruption in Iraq
نداء للعمل الفوري ضد الفساد المنتظم في العراق
English Text
We, the undersigned members of the Iraqi-Canadian community and supporters of a free and democratic Iraq, submit this formal petition to demand urgent action to end the epidemic of corruption that is destroying the nation.
For decades, corruption has drained Iraq’s wealth, crippled its institutions, and stolen the future of its people. Billions of dollars in public funds have been embezzled, while schools lack teachers, hospitals lack medicine, and youth flee the country in despair.
The National Council of Iraqi Opposition (NCIO) has documented widespread public frustration and hundreds of verified cases of corruption, including:
- Embezzlement of public funds
- “Ghost employees” on government payrolls
- Awarding of contracts to politically connected individuals
- Smuggling of oil and state resources
- Obstruction of justice for the powerful
We call upon the Iraqi government and the international community to take immediate action:
- Establish a truly independent Anti-Corruption Commission with full investigative and prosecutorial powers, free from political interference.
- Publish all government contracts, budgets, and expenditures online in real time, in Arabic and Kurdish, for public scrutiny.
- Launch a National Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative to trace and repatriate billions of dollars held abroad by corrupt officials.
- Enact and enforce a Whistleblower Protection Law to safeguard those who expose corruption.
- Hold all officials accountable, regardless of political or sectarian affiliation, and end the culture of impunity.
We are not enemies of Iraq. We are its defenders. We love our homeland and demand a future where public service means service to the people — not personal enrichment.
We call on the Government of Canada and the United Nations to support these reforms and to use diplomatic and financial leverage to ensure accountability.
Let this petition stand as a voice for the voiceless, a demand for dignity, and a call to save Iraq from those who plunder it.
With hope for a better future,
Mohammed Alkhaledi, Director
National Council of Iraqi Opposition
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