MEI: Iraq's Transition to Democracy

The Middle East Institute and The School of International and Public Affairs presents the Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations, Ambassador Hamid al-Bayati, at the first lecture of a series entitled, "Iraq's Transition to Democracy." 

Ambassador al-Bayati will be speaking about the current political situation in Iraq.

Dr. T. Hamid Al-Bayati was appointed Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations in April 2006. He worked as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs and Bilateral Relations from 2004 to 2006. During the same period, he headed the Iraqi Center for Strategic Studies in Iraq.

Upon his arrival in New York in 2006, Dr. Al-Bayati made significant progress as Iraq’s Permanent Representative when he was elected the Chair of the UN Third Committee related to Social, Economic, and Human Rights during Sep 2006- Sep 2007; the Vice President of the General Assembly during Sep 2007- Sep 2008; and the Chair of the Sixth Committee dealing with legal issues during Sep 2008- Sep 2009. 

Iraq was also elected as member of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the period 2007-2010, a member in the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for the period of 2009-2012, and a member of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–HABITAT) for the period 2009-2011. 

Dr. Al-Bayati has spent a great deal of time giving political lectures about Iraq and the U.S. at political meetings, Summits, Study Centers, Universities, and Institutes in New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Michigan, Oregon, Florida, California, South Dakota, and Texas, among other places. He has also visited many countries and convened with Presidents, Kings, and leaders such as President George W. Bush; Prime Minister Tony Blair; President Chirac of France; Vladimir Putin of Russia; King Juan Carlos of Spain; former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany; the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah; King Abdullah II of Jordan; late President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan; President Bashar Al Asad of Syria; President Bouteflika of Algeria; President Abdullah Saleh of Yemen; President Omar Al- Bashir of Sudan; President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran; President Pervez  Musharraf of Pakistan; President Susilo Bambang of Indonesia; President Colom Caballeros of Guatemala, and others. 

Dr. Hamid Al-Bayati obtained a Bachelors degree at Baghdad University, a Masters degree at Cairo University, and a Ph.D. from Manchester University. He has written and published many books in Arabic and English including:  The Secret of February 8, 1963 Coup, The Shiite of Iraq, The Bloody History of Saddam Hussein, The Secret of the July 17, 1968 Coup, The Terrorism Game, Fall of the Evil, Terrorism in Iraq, The Iraqi Constitution, and The Federalism.