Iraqi cabinet approves 2026-2029 government program

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi Council of Ministers, chaired by Prime Minister Ali Fallah al-Zaydi, approved the government's program for the 2026-2029 period during its 14th regular session, the Prime Minister's Press Office said. The program sets out 139 priorities across 14 main sectors alongside 13 legislative items. The priority areas include strengthening state sovereignty and national security, economic and financial reform, industry, governance and institutional reform, anti-corruption, health, communications and digital transformation, youth and sports, foreign policy, energy, agriculture, water and the environment, education, social protection and poverty reduction, human and women's and children's rights, and culture, tourism and archaeology. The framework also calls for adopting a national plan for institutional reform and the fight against financial and administrative corruption, reviewing related legislation and reinforcing transparency systems. Other priorities cover developing mining and non-oil natural resources, restructuring the state banking sector, regulating border crossings and implementing a comprehensive digital transformation strategy. On security and sovereignty, the program stresses consolidating security decision-making, linking all resources to official state structures and preserving the independence of political decisions. It also includes the establishment of a Higher Investment Council and a Higher Council for Financial and Monetary Stability. Under parliamentary rules of procedure, the approved program will now be sent to the Iraqi Parliament.