The two-day international conference on Iraq concluded Tuesday with all participants vowing to help facilitate the political process in the war-torn country.

In a 14-point statement, foreign ministers and senior officials from over 20 world countries and organizations reaffirmed the sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Iraq.

The gathering was considered positive as it stressed the leading role of the United Nations in Iraq's political process, instead of the United States which launched a preemptive strike in March 2003 to ouster Saddam Hussein.

The world body will deploy more electoral staff to Iraq to help prepare for the Jan. 30 parliamentary elections, the statement said.

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa on Tuesday also called for a closer cooperation between the league and the United Nations in this regard.

In addition, the final statement clarified that the mandate of the US-led multinational forces in Iraq is not open-ended and it should expire on completion of the political rebuilding process according to UN Security Council Resolution 1546.

Though the interim Iraqi government defended the presence of the occupation forces, war opponents, such as France and most Arab states, have been seeking a quick withdrawal.

French officials said at the meeting the way out of the current Iraqi crisis can not be military.

As an important outcome of the meeting, a follow-up mechanism was created to see whether commitments are fulfilled.

The statement said in its last item that direct aides will follow up on the conclusions of the Sharm el-Sheikh conference ahead of a new meeting in February.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said Sunday that this follow-up mechanism amounted to a "declaration of intent" from the participants to help put Iraq on the right track.

Meanwhile, broader participation of the Iraqi political spectrum was emphasized.

The ministers welcomed the efforts of the interim Iraqi government and other leaders of the Iraqi community to broaden political participation by encouraging all elements who reject violence to engage in the process through peaceful means.

"Iraq's various groups should be encouraged to take part in the process aimed at restoring stability to their country ahead of the January elections," UN chief Kofi Annan said Tuesday.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyiar Zibari said: "Certainly, Iraq is for all Iraqis. Iraqis are the fabric of this country. Any party or community has the right to participate in the expected elections."

Egypt, a major player in the Middle East, has been asked and encouraged by the parties concerned, mainly the Iraqis, to host the conference.

Representatives from Iraq, its neighbors, the G-8, the United Nations, the Arab League, the Islamic Conference Organization and China joined the conference.