The symbolism of Monday's Central Iraq Conference taking place on the same day as Saddam Hussein's birthday was not lost on the 250 regional leaders who gathered in Baghdad to discuss the process of building a free and democratic Iraq. I was able to witness Iraqis talking freely about a democratic future, instead of being forced to march and celebrate Saddam's birthday. Just a few weeks ago, the idea that ordinary Iraqi people would be meeting together in an open forum to consider how to create a democratic, stable and prosperous Iraq, was unimaginable. But in less than six weeks, Saddam Hussein's regime has collapsed and Iraqis are enjoying more freedom now than at any time in the last two decades.

The frank and open debate on the future of the country amongst Iraq's various ethnic and religious groups that we first saw two weeks ago at the meeting in Al Nassiriyah, and again at the Central Iraq Conference, are the first steps in the process of building a free, democratic and peaceful Iraq. The Central Iraq Conference saw much wider participation than in the first meeting - more than four times the number attended- as more and more Iraqis come forward to make their voices heard, after years of being forbidden from speaking openly and expressing their views under Saddam's regime.

We want to support this political process. The coalition's role is to facilitate, not dictate. It is our hope that this series of consultative meetings will be run by Iraqis themselves. Decisions will be made by Iraqis. We will not impose leadership. As the Prime Minster and President Bush said in their joint statement on 8 April, coalition forces will remain in Iraq as long as necessary to help the Iraqi people to build their own political institutions and reconstruct their country, but no longer. And President Bush also made clear that there will also be a vital role for the United Nations in the reconstruction of Iraq. But the key is that Iraq in the end should be governed by the Iraqi people. There is no desire by the UK, or the US, to run an entire country. We have also made clear our belief that Iraqi oil should be under the control of the people of Iraq as soon as possible, and that it should be used for the benefit of all the people of Iraq to develop the infrastructure and services so badly needed by Iraqis.

Our hope is that the current process of consultations culminates in a national conference of Iraqi representatives. This would, firstly, set up an Iraqi Interim Authority to progressively take over responsibility for the administration of Iraq. Secondly, it would create a constitutional framework to prepare the ground for the election of a democratic government - run by Iraqi people, for Iraqi people. We hope that there will quickly be a stable, broad-based government, representing the diversity of the Iraq people. Shia, Sunni, Assyrians, Kurds, Turkmen and others should all be represented in that government. We have also encouraged women representatives to attend these national consultations, and for the views of women to be fully represented.

Today, the people of Iraq want the basic things necessary for a decent life: security, water, electricity, their salaries paid. Coalition forces, together with the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Aid (ORHA), are working to bring this about. But this is only a temporary arrangement, with coalition forces and ORHA working to get the process of Iraq's reconstruction started; we want to see our forces home as soon as possible. Much progress has already been made to meet the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people. In Basra - the centre of the area under British military control - UK forces are carrying out joint operations with local police, and providing food and water through aid distribution points established on the outskirts of the city. More widely in Iraq, schools and markets are reopening, local hospitals are resuming normal service, and field hospitals - including those supplied by Jordan and Saudi Arabia - are functioning well. Electricity and water supplies are reaching most of the country.

As well as meeting humanitarian and other essential needs, and beginning the process of physical reconstruction in Iraq, the UK's key objective is to support a viable political process which allows the people of Iraq to create their own democratic government. After twenty five years of tyranny, and just twenty one days of freedom, we are only at the start of this process. No one doubts that building a new political culture in Iraq will be an immense task. There is no quick solution. But the UK's commitment to a free, democratic Iraq is total. A new and representative Iraqi Government, run by Iraqis, will help to guarantee freedom for future generations. For all the immense challenges that lie ahead, I am certain that Iraq's future will be better than its past.