In gaining parliamentary approval for a Shia interior minister and a Sunni defence minister, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has succeeded in forming an inclusive Iraqi government representing all major ethnic and religious groups.

The new government can now embark on taking the country’s enormous challenges head on. They include the daunting task of overcoming the deep divides in the country and uniting Iraq. Only if policy can be formulated granting all Iraqis equal access to political and economic opportunities can there be national stability and security.

In the context of the fight against ISIS, the government of national unity sends an important message to the Sunni population in particular.