ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The United Nations has signed an agreement to help Baghdad with its reform process and combat endemic corruption for a stronger governance.

“Ending impunity is at the center of our reform agenda. We have reached out to UNDP to provide technical assistance to strengthen our capacity to investigate and prosecute corruption cases,” said Naoufel al-Hasan, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Iraqi prime minister at the signing ceremony on Thursday.

Under the agreement, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will assist Baghdad to “detect, investigate and prosecute high-profile and complex corruption cases,” through training and mentoring Iraqi investigators, according to a statement published by the UNDP.

“UNDP stands ready to support the reform process in any way we can. Reforms are difficult and sensitive but with Daesh [Islamic State] nearly defeated, strengthening governance is a top priority,” said Lise Grande, UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi launched a reform and anti-corruption campaign last year, starting with a major reshuffle in ministerial posts and the sacking a number of high-level government officials.

His campaign however, has been slow and the premier blamed by many for lack of progress, most recently by his Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi.

Al-Obeidi accused parliament speaker Salim al-Jabouri of bribery in defense contracts last week. Jabouri was quickly cleared of the accusation by a court assigned to investigate the matter. But the two have sparred with Jabouri accusing al-Obeidi of trying to disrupt parliament’s activities in order to evade accountability.

Abadi has urged government officials and the public to stand by his reform plans and not let internal disputes overshadow the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).

Brett McGurk, Special Presidential Envoy for the global anti-ISIS coalition was asked in a press conference in the Iraqi capital on Thursday if the row between Obeidi and Jabouri was affecting the military operation. “We’ve seen no impact in terms of the overall timeline,” he said.