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Baghdad, 10 December 2017 – The
Special Representative of the Secre-
tary-General (SRSG) for Iraq, Mr.
Ján Kubiš, congratulated the Iraqi
people and the government on the
complete liberation of all of Iraq’s
territory from the yoke of the Daesh
terrorists, the so-called Caliphate.
With this victory attained, Iraqis are
called upon to work towards building
a better future and common destiny
for all in their united country with
the same patriotism and determina-
tion that marked their national war
against terrorism.
“This historic victory over Daesh,
came at a very high cost, the result of
years of sacrifices. It would not have
been possible without the people’s
unity that is equally essential in the
post-Daesh period. The world rallied
to assist Iraq against Daesh, provid-
ing military and humanitarian assis-
tance, but this victory belongs to the
heroic Iraqis – all components of the
security forces, including the PMF,
the Peshmerga and thousands of local
and tribal volunteers as well as the
civilians that selflessly supported
them and the internally displaced
people through many sacrifices. On
this day, we remember all those who
paid the ultimate price. Our thoughts
are with the families of the martyrs
and fighters from all around the
country that stepped forward to save
their country, and with the millions
who have been displaced and are
eagerly waiting to return to their
homes to rebuild their lives.”
The Special Representative com-
mended all liberation forces, and par-
ticularly Prime Minister Haider al-
Abadi, for the extraordinary efforts
they have made to save and protect
the lives of civilians, in sharp con-
trast to the terrorists who have delib-
erately targeted civilians in their
attacks, used them as human shields
and inhumanely massacred minori-
ties during the 3 ½ year fight, which
in many instances took place in ur-
ban areas and densely populated
residential neighborhoods.
Yet, the fight against global terror
UNAMI Herald Volume 4, Issue 6 November - December 2017
Congratulating on the victory over Daesh, SRSG Kubiš urges
Iraqis to partner in building a better future for all in their
united country
does not end with this milestone
victory. Terrosim remains a con-
stant threat, the battle against its
roots and promoters continues.
Only by defeating its loathsome
“takfiri” ideology, choking off its
external support, and addressing
the causes that prompted so many
Iraqis to join or tolerate Daesh can
this terrorist organization finally be
eliminated. While doing so, it is
imperative that the authorities
continue to take all necessary
measures to protect the civilians
from the terrorists.
The end of the fight against Daesh
brings to the fore the key priorities
of holding general elections on
schedule on 12 May 2018, and the
voluntary return of the displaced to
their homes in safety and dignity in
the coming months. To ensure that
the terrorists will never again find
fertile ground to operate and thrive,
Iraq also needs to engage in inclu-
sive national dialogue and settle-
ment accompanied by a process of
grassroots and community reconcil-
iation. Another priority is to find
urgently a just and sustainable
solution to pending issues between
Baghdad and Erbil through a part-
nership dialogue based on full re-
spect for the Constitution.
Ensuring stabilization, reconstruc-
tion and development of the many
areas that lay in ruins in the wake
of the battle to defeat Daesh and of
the country as a whole and provid-
ing dignified, prosperous future for
all the Iraqi people, including wom-
en and youth, are significant priori-
ties. Succeeding in these endeavors
requires building a democratic
State on solid ground of equality
and justice for all based on citizen-
ship, deep reforms to radically
change unproductive economy, im-
prove governance and public fi-
nance management, promoting
growth of private sector, cutting red
tape and eradicating corruption.
A democratic State cannot be stable
without justice, accountability and
respect for human rights. The rule
of law must be paramount over all
the citizens to protect them and to
enhance their rights, including the
rights of women and minorities.
Future Iraq cannot enjoy full stabil-
ity, integrity and sovereignty with-
out weapons being exclusively put
in its hands, under the Govern-
ment’s control.
“I am certain with the concerted
efforts of Iraq’s leaders, political
forces and its people of all ethnic
and religious groups and their pat-
riotism, assisted by the continued
support of the international com-
munity, the Iraqis will be able to
weather also these post-Daesh chal-
lenges and build a better future, a
common destiny for all in a united,
democratic and federal country,”
Mr. Kubiš said.
The victory over Daesh also coincid-
ed with another threshold that has
rid Iraq of its painful past. The UN
Security Council on 8 December
concluded that all the measures
imposed in its resolutions 1958
(2010) and 2335 (2016) pursuant to
Chapter VII of the Charter of the
United Nations in relation to the
Iraq oil-for-food programme had
been fully implemented.
Mr. Kubiš welcomed this develop-
ment. “Iraqis have regained their
country by freeing it from Daesh.
With this latest Security Council
decision, Iraq has fully reclaimed
its full place as a proud and equal
member of the community of na-
tions.”
UNAMI Herald Volume 4, Issue 6 November—December 2017
In this edition ...
Security Council deliberat-
ed on the situation concern-
ing Iraq at its 8112th meet-
ing
New York, 22 November
2017 – On its 8112th meeting
the United Nations Security
Council deliberated on the situ-
ation concerning Iraq. The
statement (AS PREPARED) by
the Special Representative of
the Secretary-General for Iraq,
Mr. Ján Kubiš at this meet-
ing… More on page 3
Secretary-General appoints Alice Walpole of the United Kingdom as
Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs and Electoral
Assistance of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq
New York, 1 November 2017 - United Na-
tions Secretary-General António Guterres
today announced the appointment of Alice
Walpole of the United Kingdom as his new
Deputy Special Representative for Political
Affairs and Electoral Assistance of the United
Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
Ms. Walpole succeeds György Busztin of Hun-
gary, to whom the Secretary-General is grate-
ful for his dedicated service since 2011 in sup-
port of the United Nations role in Iraq.
Ms. Walpole brings a wealth of diplomatic and
other relevant experience to the position, in-
cluding serving for a two-year period as Brit-
ish Consul-General in Basra, Iraq. She most recently served as British Am-
bassador to Mali, and prior to that as Ambassador to Luxembourg. She has
also served in various capacities in London, New York, Brussels and Dar es
Salaam with the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Ms. Walpole earned first class degrees in English Literature at Cambridge
University.
Born in 1963, she has six children.
UN report on liberation of Mosul: ISIL members should face
“international crimes” charges
Geneva, 2 November 2017 – A UN report concludes that the so-called Is-
lamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) perpetrated serious and
systematic violations that amount to “international crimes” during the nine-
month military campaign to liberate Mosul City in Iraq. . .
More on page 32
16 Days of Activism meet-
ing focuses on expanding
women’s political space in
Iraq
Baghdad, 6 December 2017 –
The United Nations pressed at a
meeting in the context of the 16
Days of Activism for expanding
the space for women in State
institutions, political parties,
economic and social life and for
enhanced and effective protec-
tion of their rights... More on
page 29
UNAMI Herald is published bi-
monthly by the Public Information
Office of the United Nations Assis-
tance Mission for Iraq.
PIO Director: Samir Ghattas
Editor-in-Chief: Ivan Djordjevic
Editorial Board: Samir Ghattas, Kha-
lid Dahab, Ivan Djordjevic, Laila
Shamji, Celia Thompson, Sarmad Al-
Safy.
Photos: UNAMI PIO, UNHCR, UN-
CHR, UNICEF, IOM, OCHA, UN-
FPA, WHO, UNESCO, UNOPS, UN
Habitat, UN Photo, Office of the
President of Iraq, UNWomen, KRG-
DFR, UNIDO, UNMAS, UNDP and
WFP.
In the UNAMI Herald articles are
sorted according to the topic and in a
chronological order.
Participants from Diyala
and Anbar tackle prospects
and challenges of the Na-
tional Settlement
Baghdad, 17 November 2017
– Tribal sheikhs, religious lead-
ers, academics, political party
representatives and civil society
representatives from Diyala
and Anbar Provinces met on
Wednesday 15th and Thursday
16th November in two separate
meetings in Baghdad as part of
a series of roundtable discus-
sions under the theme
”National Settlement: Prospects
and Challenges” aiming at cre-
ating an enabling environment
for Iraqi national reconciliation.
More on page 10
All measures imposed under
Iraq Oil-for-Food Pro-
gramme implemented in
full, Security Council con-
cludes, unanimously adopt-
ing Resolution 1958 (2017)
New York, 8 December 2017
- The Security Council conclud-
ed today that all the measures
imposed in its resolutions 1958
(2010) and 2335 (2016) pursu-
ant to Chapter VII of the Char-
ter of the United Nations in
relation to the Iraq oil-for-food
programme had been fully im-
plemented. .More on page 9
New York, 22 November 2017 – On
its 8112th meeting the United Nations
Security Council deliberated on the
situation concerning Iraq. Following is
the statement (AS PREPARED) by the
Special Representative of the Secretary
-General for Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš at this
meeting:
Mr. President,
Distinguished members of the Security
Council,
I have the honour to introduce the first
report of the Secretary-General pursu-
ant to resolution 2367 (2017) on devel-
opments in Iraq, as well as the six-
teenth report of the Secretary-General
pursuant to paragraph 4 of resolution
2017 (2013) on the issue of missing
Kuwaiti and third-country nationals
and property.
Mr. President,
Allow me first of all to express my con-
dolences to all those affected by the
devastating 7.3 magnitude earthquake
that struck the border areas between
the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the
Islamic Republic of Iran on 12 Novem-
ber, leaving over 400 people dead and
2,600 injured, the majority in Iran. In
Iraq, the earthquake caused eight fatal-
ities, more than 500 injured and hun-
dreds of families displaced. The United
Nations’ response in assisting victims
of this tragedy in heavily damaged are-
as in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was
immediate. And on 20 November anoth-
er 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit both
countries.
Mr. President,
I would like to congratulate the Iraqi
government and people on their truly
historic victory against the terrorist
Da’esh and its so-called Caliphate, a
victory on behalf of the world communi-
ty. On 4 November, Prime Minister
Abadi raised the Iraqi flag at the Hu-
saybah border crossing with Syria, days
after Iraqi forces retook the crossing
and the nearby town of Qa’im from
Da’esh. On 17 November, the Iraqi Se-
curity Forces (ISF) fully recaptured the
adjacent Rawa district, the last remain-
ing densely settled area under Da’esh
control in Iraq. Since summer 2014,
Da’esh has lost 95% of the territory it
once controlled in Iraq and Syria and
more than 7.5 million people have been
liberated from its grasp. Iraqis took
back their country through the heroism
and sacrifices of the ISF, including the
Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) who
stepped forward in 2014 to defend Iraq
against the onslaught of Da’esh terror-
ists, guided by the patriotic fatwa of
Security Council deliberated on the situation concerning Iraq at its
8112th meeting
Volume 4, Issue 6 Security Council Page 3
His Eminence the Grand Ayatollah al
Sistani, working alongside the Pesh-
merga and tribal forces, supported by
regional neighbour states and the Glob-
al Coalition against Da’esh.
This victory has come at a very high
cost. Many thousands of fighters and
civilians were killed or wounded, leav-
ing behind thousands of widows and
orphans, hundreds of thousands of
brainwashed children deprived of prop-
er education; entire cities are in ruins;
and some six million people have been
displaced from their homes in several
waves. Many thousands of both Mus-
lims and minority communities were
inhumanly exterminated or enslaved by
Da’esh, particularly women and girls,
in acts of war crimes and crimes
against humanity, perhaps even geno-
cide. I must also underline the heroism
and sacrifices of those who have been
selflessly sheltering millions of IDPs,
including in Kurdistan; of often female-
headed households who have been tak-
ing care of the families of fighters; of
the most vulnerable – children and the
elderly - amidst the situation of war
and terror, displacement, insufficient
resources and almost non-existent eco-
nomic opportunities. Our condolences
and thoughts go today to all the victims
of this war against Da’esh – civilians
and members of the security forces -
and their families.
Mr. President,
On 7 November, Prime Minister Abadi
warned that despite the victory over
Da’esh, terrorism remains a threat to
Iraq, the region, Europe and beyond.
Da’esh remains able and determined to
continue devastating random attacks
against the Iraqi civilian population,
against civilians globally. The PM has
also instructed the Iraqi forces to re-
main vigilant against potential incur-
sions into Iraq from Syria, where the
battle against international terrorism
still rages on. I join these calls for vigi-
lance. Da’esh is down but not, yet, out,
even in Iraq. The military victory is
only one component of a complex battle.
Only by defeating its loathsome
“takfiri” ideology, choking off its exter-
nal support, and addressing the causes
that prompted so many Iraqis to join or
tolerate Da’esh can this terrorist organ-
isation finally be eliminated.
I encourage the Global Coalition
against Da’esh, including regional
countries and the wider international
community, vigorously to continue both
military, and increasingly non-military,
efforts aimed at helping Iraq to ensure
the lasting, sustainable defeat of
Da’esh and the restoration of stability
throughout Iraq and the region. In
Iraq, priority must be given to facilitat-
ing the expedious voluntary return of
IDPs under conditions of safety and
security; to de-mining, to stabilization,
reconstruction and rehabilitation that
will also take care of the minorities,
and will create the conditions for their
safe and sustainable future in post-
Da’esh Iraq while continuing with hu-
manitarian assistance. These efforts
should complement domestic and inter-
national support to security sector re-
form aimed at increasing the country’s
ability fully to enforce law and order
against the multitude of armed groups
which persist outside of state control,
including criminal gangs, militias and
tribal elements.
Mr. President,
Just as the country is beginning to
breathe a sigh of relief at the defeat of
the Da’esh terrorists, many long-
standing unresolved issues - overshad-
owed by the urgency of fighting Da’esh
- are coming once again to the fore,
adding tensions to the increasingly
complicated pre-election atmosphere.
Among them are issues of a political,
economic and social nature, such as the
urgent need for fundamental reforms to
the post-2003 political system, perme-
ated by patronage and sectarian quo-
tas, lack of equality and justice for all
based on citizenship. There is a lack of
protection for minorities, of measures
against the growing deprivation of
women. Of economic and social reform
that should radically limit corruption
and bring good governance, efficiency
and guarantees to private investors as
a prerequisite for a prosperous future -
and jobs for the increasingly youthful
population of Iraq who for months pro-
tested for better governance, services
and reforms in 2016 and are expected
to do again now, after the defeat of
Da’esh, urged on by the prominent
leader and cleric Mukhtada al Sadr.
Prominent among current concerns are
the tensions between the central gov-
ernment and the Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG) prompted by com-
plaints of both sides about deficiencies
in implementing of the Constitution.
The response of the KR-I authorities
was to hold a unilaterally-declared in-
dependence referendum on 25 Septem-
ber in the Kurdistan region and the
disputed territories under its control
since 2014, against the will of Baghdad
and against the advice of regional coun-
tries and the international community,
including the UN. The ensuing confron-
tation between Baghdad and Erbil has
added another layer of insecurity and
fragmentation, in the KR-I and Iraq
more widely.
The central authorities have categori-
cally rejected the referendum as uncon-
stitutional and repeatedly called for its
annulment. Challenged by the referen-
dum, the Government of Iraq took de-
termined steps to re-assert the consti-
tutional order and re-establish federal
authority over Iraq’s external border
crossings, including the international
airports in the KR-I, over the disputed
territories and in the export of oil. On
Security Council deliberated on the situation concerning Iraq at its
8112th meeting (continued)
Volume 4, Issue 6 Security Council Page 4
16 October, federal security forces
launched operations in Kirkuk, pro-
ceeded rapidly through other disputed
territories, and reached almost to the
so-called Green Line of 2003. Although
in most cases the withdrawal of Pesh-
merga forces from these areas took
place in coordination with the ISF, sig-
nificant clashes did occur between the
Peshmerga and the ISF in Kirkuk, Tuz
Khurmatu and Altun Kubri. This has
triggered a new wave of displacements,
this time mostly of Kurds.
On 24 October, the KRG offered an
immediate ceasefire, the start of open
dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil on
the basis of the Constitution, and the
freezing of the results of the referen-
dum. This was rejected by the federal
government as insufficient. At the end
of October, a high-level intergovern-
mental mechanism, comprising senior
federal forces and Peshmerga military
commanders, started negotiations on
the reestablishment of federal forces in
the disputed territories and external
border crossings. Even now, however,
control of some disputed areas and bor-
der crossings, including Faish Khabour,
remains unresolved.
On 21 November the Provincial council
of Kirkuk convened its first session
there since the events of 16 October,
rejected the call in favour of its dissolu-
tion and decided to consider proposals
as regards its current chairmanship
and appointment of an interim chair-
manship.
On 6 November the Federal Supreme
Court (FSC) released an opinion re-
garding interpretation of Article 1 of
the Iraqi Constitution which states:
“The Republic of Iraq is a federal, inde-
pendent and fully sovereign state in
which the system of government is par-
liamentary and democratic republic,
and this Constitution is a guarantor of
the unity of Iraq.” The Court concluded
that it did not find in the Constitution
any provision authorising the secession
of any component of the federal system
of the Republic of Iraq. On 20 Novem-
ber the FSC took another decision, this
time directly concerning the referen-
dum. In that decision the FSC i.a. con-
firmed that the referendum of 25 Sep-
tember 2017 and its stated purpose,
which is the independence of the KR-I
and other areas outside of it, has no
constitutional reference and violates its
provisions. The FSC therefore decided
that the referendum was unconstitu-
tional and all of its results and effects
shall be cancelled. The Government of
Iraq welcomed both decisions of the
FSC, called on everyone to respect the
Constitution and reaffirmed its com-
mitment to preserving the unity of
Iraq.
On 14 November, the Kurdistan Region
Government confirmed its respect for
the Federal Supreme Court’s interpre-
tation of Article 1 of the Iraqi Constitu-
tion as per its decision of 6 November
2017, and thus for the unity of Iraq. Its
statement emphasized the Kurdistan’s
Region commitment to finding solutions
to disputes between the two sides
through constitutional and legal means
and in a way that guarantees all rights.
As regards the second decision of the
FSC, on 20 November PM N.Barzani
again confirmed respect for the Consti-
tution stating that the implementation
of the Constitution will solve all the
issues, and noting that it is not possible
to challenge the FSC ruling even if it
was issued unilaterally and that the
FSC rulings are final. The Federal Su-
preme Court has thus played a wel-
come pivotal role in creating conditions
for a constitutional and peaceful way
forward to resolve the Baghdad-Erbil
crisis.
UNAMI has engaged extensively with
the main stakeholders in Baghdad,
Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk, and
has called repeatedly on all sides to
refrain from threat or use of force, from
inflammatory statements and confron-
tational steps. Our message has been
clear: all outstanding issues between
the federal Government and the KRG
need to be resolved through their con-
structive partnership dialogue, leading
to sustainable solutions on the basis of
the Constitution that will also guaran-
tee the full constitutional rights of the
KR-I and its people. Now that the issue
of the referendum has found its Consti-
tutional resolution, UNAMI urges the
continuation of the high-level intergov-
ernmental dialogue on military and
security issues, to avoid confrontation
during the deployment of federal forces
in the disputed areas and enable the
establishment of federal authority over
the external border crossings of Iraq,
including the international airports in
the KR-I with the aim to find arrange-
ments that will enable their reopening
for international flights as soon as pos-
sible. UNAMI also calls for an immedi-
ate start to negotiations with govern-
ment representatives on other key mat-
ters such as the budget, salaries and oil
exports. UNAMI has offered its support
to such negotiations, should it be re-
quested by both sides, while reaffirm-
ing the UN commitment to a united,
federal and democratic Iraq.
Only through such negotiations be-
tween the federal and KR governments
can both sides find a solution for endur-
ing points of contention such as the
allocation of a fair share of the pro-
posed 2018 federal State Budget for the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where the
federal government currently proposes
a share of 12.6 percent, compared with
the 17 percent share earmarked for KR
-I in previous budgets.
I hope that a solution can also be found
for the return of the Kurdish Members
of Parliament to the Council of Repre-
sentatives, including those Kurdish
deputies who took part in the referen-
dum. Addressing the country’s immedi-
ate needs, including passing many im-
portant pending laws, such as legisla-
tion for the forthcoming elections and
the Federal Budget Law, requires the
active participation of all members of
the Parliament. This is especially im-
portant as, according to the Secretary
of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament,
all Kurdish political parties are now
planning to participate in the national
elections.
On 28 October, KR-I President Masoud
Barzani addressed a letter to the Re-
gional Kurdish Parliament in which he
indicated that he refused to continue in
his position and did not encourage an
extension to his current presidential
term. Accordingly, on 29 October the
Security Council deliberated on the situation concerning Iraq at its
8112th meeting (continued)
Volume 4, Issue 6 Security Council Page 5
Kurdistan Regional Parliament passed
a law temporarily redistributing his
presidential powers among the execu-
tive, the legislative and the judiciary,
pending the forthcoming Kurdish elec-
tions. It has laid a heavy responsibility
on the shoulders of PM N. Barzani and
his deputy Q.Talabani to find the way
out of the political, economic and social
crises and needs of the region, to steer
the course of Baghdad-Erbil relations
out of confrontation. For that they will
need support from all segments of Kur-
distani society and political forces as
the KRG will work on solutions for the
Baghdad-Erbil confrontation on behalf
of the whole KR-I – an indispensable
but complicated task, as the region
prepares itself for the May 2018 elec-
tions.
Mr. President,
UNAMI continues to document the
heinous crimes perpetrated by Da’esh.
In November, the Mission, jointly with
the Office of the UN High Commission-
er for Human Rights (OHCHR), pub-
lished a report documenting evidence of
the mass atrocities committed by
Da’esh against civilians and the city of
Mosul itself. Their reign of terror has
spared no one, inflicting untold suffer-
ing on unarmed residents whose only
fault was that they lived in the areas
under Daesh’s control. Their evil acts
did not stop at killing and terrorising
residents. They deliberately destroyed
cultural and religious monuments, in
total disregard for history and Islam,
the religion that this terrorist organisa-
tion falsely claims to represent.
In this regard, I would like to reiterate
my calls on the Government of Iraq, the
KRG and the international community
to create conditions and ensure that
those responsible for international
crimes such as crimes against humani-
ty, war crimes and potential genocide
are held accountable. Iraqi and Kurdi-
stani authorities should investigate all
alleged violations and human rights
abuses committed during the military
liberation operations. I am glad to con-
firm that a clear intention to do so,
through due process and in a transpar-
ent way, was last week confirmed to me
by PM Abadi when meeting Ms.
Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur
on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbi-
trary Executions.
Mr. President,
Unfortunately, journalists and their
profession did not escape the tensions
and violence buffeting the country. A
local cameraman working for a Kurdish
TV station was stabbed to death by
unknown assailants at his house in
Kirkuk Governorate on 30 October, and
two journalists were assaulted in Erbil
while carrying out their work on 29
October. Offices of a TV network were
looted and vandalized in Erbil and Do-
huk. A Belgian journalist was wounded
in crossfire south of Erbil on 20 Octo-
ber. At the same time, some media out-
lets in Kurdistan Region were banned
by a decision of the Iraqi federal au-
thorities for failing to obtain the neces-
sary licences. Journalists are brave
professionals and should be allowed to
carry out their work without hindrance
or intimidation. It is the responsibility
of the authorities to ensure that all
citizens, including journalists perform-
ing their duties, are protected. At times
of crisis, a free and impartial media
becomes ever more essential to safe-
guard the public interest and protect
democracy, to ensure the necessary
degree of transparency and accounta-
bility. At the same time, hate speech
and incitement to violence based on
religion, race or political affiliation,
have no place in a democracy. I call on
the authorities to investigate the stab-
bing which resulted in the death of the
Kurdish cameraman and bring the per-
petrators to justice. I also call on the
Iraqi federal authorities to ensure that
the work of journalists is facilitated.
Mr. President,
UNAMI continues to engage with Iraqi
political parties to advance national
reconciliation and settlement, working
together with the Government of Iraq
to identify key priorities and delivera-
bles over the forthcoming months in the
run-up to next May’s national and pro-
vincial elections. Social reconciliation
centred around the return of IDPs has
now become a critical priority.
To support national reconciliation, UN-
AMI continues to engage in local-level
activities. In September, the mission
launched another series of roundtable
discussions across the country, to devel-
op a better understanding of grassroots
perspectives for national reconciliation.
Five roundtables were held from Sep-
tember to November, covering a num-
ber of different governorates. Partici-
pants were political, religious and trib-
al leaders as well as representatives of
civil society. Those who attended adopt-
ed a set of recommendations to advance
the national settlement process and
achieve national reconciliation. Further
roundtables are scheduled in Ninewa,
Erbil, Kirkuk and Najaf around the end
of the year. On 23 September, UNAMI
in collaboration with the Implementa-
tion and Follow-up Committee for Na-
tional Reconciliation, which works un-
der the Office of the Prime Minister,
organised a conference under the title
“Media promotes coexistence and recon-
ciliation.” The conference brought to-
gether more than 60 media executives,
including 11 women, from across the
country. They expressed views on - and
concerns about - the role of media dis-
course and policies in promoting coex-
istence. They adopted a national media
charter for peaceful coexistence to pro-
mote the values of tolerance and ac-
ceptance of the other. This was the
final event of UNAMI’s initiative to
incorporate senior media professionals
into national reconciliation efforts. The
mission had previously organised four
workshops targeting journalists in pro-
vincial capitals to enhance their aware-
ness of national reconciliation.
At the request of the General Secretary
of the Cabinet, UNDP is supporting
preparations for a conference, to be
held in the Christian town of Bartela in
mid-December, that will bring together
minority and religious leaders to dis-
cuss the return of displaced families in
the Nineveh Plains. In preparation for
the conference, UNDP has supported
six round tables with each of the ethno-
religious groups in the Plains including
Christians, Yezidi, Shabak, Ka'Kai,
Turkmen and Arabs.
I urge all political, religious and civil
society leaders to engage constructively
to discuss the way forward for the coun-
try in order to achieve a stable coexist-
ence for all Iraqis.
Mr. President,
On 23 October, after months of post-
ponement, a new Board of Commission-
ers for the Independent High Electoral
Commission (IHEC) was approved by
the Council of Representatives as a
result of a difficult and protracted pro-
cess of strenuous political negotiations
based again on a quota approach. Many
of the new Board members have been
drawn from the ranks of current and
former experienced staff of the institu-
tion itself. A major disappointment for
Iraqi civil society and UNAMI has been
that, for the first time, no women were
appointed to the Board - a steady re-
gress in women’s representation and
participation in top positions in state
and political institutions. I reiterate
UNAMI’s calls to ensure proportionate
female representation and meaningful
participation, including in national
reconciliation. On 9 October, the Parlia-
Security Council deliberated on the situation concerning Iraq at its
8112th meeting (continued)
Volume 4, Issue 6 Security Council Page 6
mentary Legal Committee introduced
the draft IHEC Law, adding two addi-
tional positions on its Board, one for a
Christian and one for a Turkmen repre-
sentative. I encourage the appointment
of at least one woman to these posts.
The new Board has a Herculean task
ahead. On 15 May 2018, both the Gov-
ernorate Councils and the Council of
Representatives elections are scheduled
to take place in accordance with the
Constitution – and the Constitution
ought to be fully respected here. They
will face a number of challenges, in-
cluding the first time use of new voting
technology, the holding of two simulta-
neous elections, a tight timeline, pend-
ing Provincial Council and Parliamen-
tary elections laws, and security con-
cerns, notably in the areas of returns of
IDPs. I urge that these challenges are
resolutely addressed in the months to
come. Otherwise, holding elections
when parts of Iraq remain insecure and
large numbers of people, particularly
from the Sunni communities, continue
to be displaced could cast doubts over
the inclusiveness and credibility of the
elections and thus the acceptability of
its results – both internally and abroad.
I also renew my call for the Council of
Representatives urgently to pass rele-
vant legislation to guide the conduct of
these elections so that, despite the chal-
lenges, the elections are held on time
on 15 May 2018. While I expect that
international observation of the elec-
toral process will be limited, I encour-
age domestic observer groups to pre-
pare to fulfil their role by closely follow-
ing, observing and reporting on the
elections. The international community
is ready to assist them in these efforts.
Based on the formal requests for elec-
tion technical support from the Inde-
pendent High Electoral Commission
and from the Council of Representa-
tives, a UN electoral needs assessment
mission has been deployed to assist in
identifying priority areas for support
and to calibrate ongoing UNAMI elec-
toral assistance efforts. UNAMI is com-
mitted to continue providing support
and assistance to the IHEC, the expert
committees in the Council of Repre-
sentatives, other Iraqi institutions and
civil society involved in the elections.
Mr. President,
Liberation of Iraqi territory from
Da’esh has exposed the horrors inflict-
ed on civilians by the terrorist group.
On 26 September, 21 decomposed bod-
ies with gunshots were found in Ibn
Sina hospital in western Mosul. The
victims were reportedly civilians and
were allegedly shot dead by Da’esh
while receiving treatment at the hospi-
tal. Prior to that, on 24 September,
Da’esh reportedly killed three civilians
accused of cooperating with Iraqi forces
in al-Qaim, Anbar Governorate. While
suffering significant losses on the bat-
tlefield, Da’esh continued to target ci-
vilians and on 11 October, a suicide
attack in Heet City centre, Anbar Gov-
ernorate, killed at least 12 civilians and
wounded 15 others. Explosives report-
edly planted by Da’esh caused further
civilian casualties in Anbar and
Ninewa Governorates. For example, on
3 October, the detonation of an IED
killed three civilians in a house in
southern Fallujah City. On 30 October,
the detonation of an explosive remnant
of war killed six members of one family
in western Mosul City.
Allegations against members of Iraqi
forces allegedly involved in criminal
acts have also been reported. On 29
October, members of the Rapid Re-
sponse Forces (RRF) of the Iraqi Army
allegedly robbed civilian houses in a
village. On the same day, Popular Mo-
bilisation Forces members reportedly
robbed a shop in a village. On 30 Octo-
ber, local police arrested three RRF
personnel in connection to this incident
and presented them before court.
Mr. President,
UNAMI also received reports of civilian
casualties, primarily from the Kurdish
community, that occurred during
armed clashes between federal forces
and Peshmerga in Kirkuk and other
disputed areas including Tuz Khurma-
tu and Salah al-Din on 15, 16, and 17
October. Most of the casualties were
caused by shelling.
In Kirkuk, between 26 October and 3
November, 12 bodies with gunshot
wounds were found in different parts of
the Governorate. No information was
available on the identities of the perpe-
trators and the reasons behind these
incidents. Kurdish-owned property was
reportedly targeted in attacks using
explosives in Daquq district of Kirkuk
Governorate. In the ethnically and reli-
giously mixed area of Tuz Khurmatu in
Salah al-Din Governorate, on 16 and 17
October, at least 150 houses belonging
to Turkman and Kurds were set ablaze;
one PUK office and one Shi’a Turko-
man Husseiniya were damaged in vio-
lent clashes between armed groups.
In Diyala, UNAMI received reports at
the end of October of destruction of a
large number of houses in several vil-
lages of Jalawla sub-district. UNAMI
has also received reports alleging that
Peshmerga may have destroyed proper-
ty, notably in disputed territories in
Ninewa, Zumar district. All these re-
ports are being investigated, in cooper-
ation with the respective federal and
Kurdistani authorities. I welcome the
measures taken by Prime Minister Ab-
adi to enforce law and order by federal
forces in areas that have witnessed an
increase in violence as a prerequisite
for the return of mostly Kurdish IDPs
back home. I urge the competent au-
thorities to carry out prompt and im-
partial investigations of these incidents
and to bring those responsible to jus-
tice.
Mr. President,
Of particular concern is the rising pop-
ular sentiment in favour of collective
punishment of families perceived to be
associated with Da’esh. Iraqis per-
ceived to have links with Da’esh are
increasingly subjected to revenge
measures. It was reported to UNAMI
that on 22 September, Tribal Mobilisa-
tion Unit members burnt around 20
houses in a village in eastern Shirqat,
Salah al-Din Governorate. These acts
were allegedly committed for past
Da’esh abuses. On 27 September, Trib-
al Mobilisation Unit members allegedly
burned and demolished at least 20
houses belonging to families allegedly
Da’esh-affiliated in al-Zab sub-district,
Kirkuk Governorate. In Heet City,
Anbar Governorate, Iraqi security to-
gether with local actors notified fami-
lies with members allegedly affiliated
to Da’esh to leave the city, marking
their houses with the words “you
should leave within 72 hours”.
Hundreds of houses have so far been
marked; dozens of families reportedly
left to unknown destinations after the
marking of the houses; and seven hous-
es were seriously damaged. Unlawful
acts like forced evictions, without evi-
dence that the individuals subjected to
eviction orders committed any crime or
wrongdoing, are in clear contravention
Security Council deliberated on the situation concerning Iraq at its
8112th meeting (continued)
Volume 4, Issue 6 Security Council Page 7
of the Constitution of Iraq and Iraq’s
obligations under international law. I
urge the Iraqi authorities to maintain
the rule of law, to halt evictions and
vindictive acts, and to bring to justice
those responsible for them.
UNAMI continues to prioritize the pro-
vision of justice to individuals affected
by human rights violations and abuses
committed in the ongoing armed con-
flict, in particular serious crimes that
may amount to war crimes, crimes
against humanity and possibly geno-
cide. UNAMI has completed a draft law
on the Establishing of a National Spe-
cialized Court on Most Serious Crimes
to be discussed with relevant authori-
ties and criminal law experts. This en-
deavour would allow domestic courts to
have jurisdiction over international
crimes. Separately, the discovery of at
least 80 mass graves in Iraq since June
2014 underscores the need to increase
the capacity of the Federal Government
and the Government of the Kurdistan
Region to protect and systematically
investigate crime sites. Systematic
preservation and excavation of these
sites remains critical, given that they
may contain evidence of the perpetra-
tors of these crimes and help identify
victims.
Mr. President,
Advancing the Women, Peace and Se-
curity agenda remains one of our main
priorities. The Mission, together with
UN Women, held consultative meetings
with senior leaders from political par-
ties, women’s leaders and civil society
groups throughout Iraq to identify solu-
tions on removing barriers which are
impeding women’s participation in po-
litical and national reconciliation pro-
cesses. Consultative meetings were
held in Karbala, Baghdad, Erbil and
Basra between 9 October and 1 Novem-
ber in the context of the Global Open
Day and marking the 17th Anniversary
of the UN Council Resolution 1325.
During the events, I emphasized that
equality, empowerment and meaning-
ful participation of women must be
central to all peace, justice, reconcilia-
tion and reform efforts in the post-
Da’esh period and urged the Iraqi polit-
ical leadership to ensure that women
are able to play a critical role in shap-
ing the future of Iraq. Iraqi society,
supported by the international commu-
nity, has also reacted with anxiety to
the announced intentions to alter the
personal status law that might nega-
tively affect the current legal status
and rights of women.
Mr. President,
The UN continues to engage with the
relevant Iraqi authorities on the estab-
lishment of an Inter-Ministerial Com-
mittee on Grave Child Right Violations.
The Committee aims to provide a forum
for dialogue, to promote preventative
action and to provide response to issues
related to children and armed conflict.
This includes actions to be taken
against the recruitment and use of chil-
dren by government and pro-
government forces. Furthermore, there
continues to be a need to address the
recruitment and use of children in
armed units and their release and re-
habilitation. I encourage the Govern-
ment of Iraq to work with the UN to
ensure that children arrested by securi-
ty forces, including those arrested for
terrorism-related charges, are treated
in accordance with relevant national
laws. I also urge prioritisation of the
establishment of an Inter-Ministerial
Committee on Grave Child Rights Vio-
lations, which will contribute to rein-
forcing the national protection mecha-
nisms in place. In parallel, the UN is
now also focusing its attention on ad-
dressing sexual violations and abduc-
tions, whilst continuing to provide ser-
vices and support to children who have
been affected by the conflict.
Mr. President,
The UN continues working with the
Federal Government to develop an Ac-
tion Plan on the implementation of the
Joint Communiqué on Prevention and
Response to Conflict-Related Sexual
Violence. The Action Plan aims to sup-
port the Government and civil society
in addressing conflict-related sexual
violence and respond to the needs of
survivors. Civil society organizations
made recommendations on the Terms
of Reference of the special investigative
team, which should be established fol-
lowing the adoption of the UN Security
Council resolution 2379 on accountabil-
ity for Da’esh crimes that have been
shared with the UN headquarters.
These recommendations include provi-
sion of protection to victims and wit-
ness as well as appointment of female
investigators and judges, which would
encourage victims of such violence to
come forward.
UNFPA continues to support provision
of life-saving services for survivors of
gender-based violence (GBV), including
conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV),
through its 132 women community
centres across Iraq. Awareness-raising
and advocacy activities were conducted
in both camp and out-of-camp locations,
with special focus on Ninewa Gover-
norate, to address sexual harassment,
often perpetrated by armed actors. UN-
FPA, in close collaboration with the
Federal Government, has succeeded in
identification of premises for the estab-
lishment of the first Government-run
shelter for survivors of GBV, including
CRSV, in Baghdad.
Mr. President,
The humanitarian crisis in Iraq re-
mains one of the largest and most vola-
tile in the world. Since the rise of ISIL,
5.8 million civilians have been forced
from their homes; 3.2 million are still
displaced. Although combat operations
are concluding, displacement continues.
During the transfer of security authori-
ty in disputed areas in October, nearly
190,000 civilians fled their homes. Most
of those displaced are from Tuz district
in Salah Al-Din governorate and from
Kirkuk and Daquq districts in Kirkuk
governorate. The majority are staying
with friends and family in Sulaymani-
yah, Garmiyan and Erbil Governorates.
The situation is extremely fluid, with
many people leaving their homes for a
few days and then returning when the
situation has stabilised. The majority of
people who have returned have gone
back to Kirkuk. Very few, perhaps only
about 2 percent, have gone back to Tuz.
A further 15,000 people have been dis-
placed during the military operation in
western Anbar province. The over-
whelming bulk of assistance continues
to be provided by the Government of
Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Govern-
ment. The UN and humanitarian part-
Security Council deliberated on the situation concerning Iraq at its
8112th meeting (continued)
Volume 4, Issue 6 Security Council Page 8
ners are there to help, continuing to
provide life-saving assistance including
shelter, water, health care, food and
household kits.
Mr. President,
Under the leadership of Humanitarian
Coordinator Lise Grande, humanitari-
an partners have reached more than six
million Iraqis during this year includ-
ing two million impacted by military
operations in Mosul. Nearly five million
civilians who even a year ago we could
not reach, have received assistance.
Each month, we are reaching at least
one million civilians with the assis-
tance they need to survive. The Iraq
Humanitarian Response Plan has re-
ceived 71 percent of the USD 985 re-
quired for 2017. We are grateful for this
support, and ask partners to continue
their generous contributions to ensure
that the people who have suffered the
most receive the assistance they need,
and are entitled to under international
humanitarian law.
Mr. President,
Impressive and increasing amount of
work is being done to stabilise newly
liberated areas through UNDP’s Fund-
ing Facility for Stabilization. More than
1,460 projects have either been com-
pleted, are under development or are
being implemented in 23 liberated cit-
ies and districts in Anbar, Salah al Din,
Diyala and Nineveh Governorates. The
impact of this work is significant; 2.6
million Iraqis have returned to their
homes and a further 1.7 million are
expected to return in the months
ahead. The Facility is a key instrument
helping to jump-start local markets,
repair public infrastructure and re-
establish basic services. More than 95
percent of all stabilization projects im-
plemented under the Funding Facility
are done by the local private sector.
Tens of thousands of Iraqis, many of
them young men, are employed on sta-
bilization initiatives.
The Funding Facility is focusing inten-
sively on a number of key areas includ-
ing areas in the Nineveh Plains where
persecuted minorities, including Chris-
tians and Yezidi, have been forced to
flee.
Mr. President,
The main impediments to persecuted
families returning to many parts of the
Nineveh Plains are insecurity and the
political status of the disputed areas.
Until these issues are resolved, families
who have suffered, will be reluctant to
return to their homes, fearful of what
may happen to them if they do. As au-
thorities work through these issues, the
Funding Facility can help to improve
conditions in these areas and we are
committed to ensuring that the more
than 200 projects underway in priority
Christian and Yezidi towns are imple-
mented as quickly as possible.
In the year ahead, the Funding Facility
will be helping to ensure that the mili-
tary gains made against Daesh are not
undermined in newly liberated areas,
particularly in areas where extremism
may re-emerge. These include Baiji,
Baaj, Tel Afar, Hawija, Shirgat and
western Anbar. UNDP estimates that
USD 289 million is needed to stabilize
these hot-spots and we are appealing to
donor countries to step forward to pro-
vide these urgently needed resources.
De-mining is a critical priority and
UNMAS needs continuous support as
well.
Mr. President,
ISIL has produced, on an industrial
scale, victim-initiated improvised explo-
sive devices that are powerful enough
to destroy a vehicle. Whereas an anti-
personnel mine contains usually less
than 250 grams of explosive content,
these victim-initiated IEDs can have 20
kilograms of explosives or more, a tan-
gible example of the type of evidence
that the recently established Investiga-
tive Team under S/RES 2379 will ex-
amine in collaboration with the Gov-
ernment of Iraq.
UNMAS is working closely with the
Government of Iraq and the interna-
tional community to increase the num-
ber of mine action operators. I call upon
Iraqi authorities to accelerate the regis-
tration and accreditation process for
these operators so that urgently needed
efforts to survey and clear newly liber-
ated areas can move forward much
more quickly than is currently the case.
Mr. President,
Allow me to turn now to the sixteenth
report of the Secretary-General on the
issue of missing Kuwaiti and third-
country nationals and missing Kuwaiti
property, including the National Ar-
chives.
In a region fraught with instability,
Iraq and Kuwait serve as a model of
good neighbourly relations: two coun-
tries forging close ties to overcome his-
toric conflict, tragedy and human catas-
trophe. Their collaboration on this file
is an impressive example of their ex-
panding bilateral co-operation.
The Government of Iraq is fully cogni-
sant of its international and humani-
tarian obligations relating to the file on
missing Kuwaiti nationals. Since as-
suming a proactive role last year, the
Iraqi Ministry of Defence has made
impressive efforts, including through
exploration and excavation, to identify
further grave sites. Information recent-
ly obtained on a new potential site
demonstrates the value of continuing
collective efforts to identify new wit-
nesses and technical data. The inclu-
sion of a member from the Kurdistan
Regional Government within the Iraqi
delegation to the Tripartite Commis-
sion sub-committee meeting held in
August marked a positive step in
strengthening the reach of activities.
The fact that, unfortunately, there have
been no successful recent discoveries of
burial sites should not discourage fu-
ture efforts. I hope that central and
regional governments in Iraq will con-
tinue to co-operate on this humanitari-
an objective.
The long-awaited ICRC Review Report
was submitted to last week’s 45th Tri-
partite Committee meeting in Cyprus.
It offers an exhaustive historical over-
view and technical assessment of all
aspects of previous search efforts for
burial sites, and makes concrete recom-
mendations on prioritisation and fur-
ther exploration of specific locations. I
commend the International Committee
of the Red Cross for undertaking a pro-
ject of such magnitude, involving com-
pilation of extensive data by research-
ing some 6,500 documents and multiple
field assessments. Members of the Tri-
partite Commission will comment on
the draft report and work together in
coming months to translate the recom-
mendations into a plan of action.
Security Council deliberated on the situation concerning Iraq at its
8112th meeting (continued)
Volume 4, Issue 6 Security Council Page 9
The meeting also provided an oppor-
tunity for members of the Tripartite
mechanism to re-assess ongoing activi-
ties, such as proactively searching for
witnesses; re-examining documents and
archives; approaching security and
military personnel who served in loca-
tions of interest; approaching tribal
heads and religious leaders to encour-
age people to come forward with infor-
mation; surveying sites by conducting
door-to-door interviews; using contem-
poraneous satellite images of suspected
burial grounds; using image analysis to
direct field missions towards promising
sites; using advanced models of ground-
penetrating radar and metal detectors;
re-analysing old testimonies; and ex-
changing best practice with countries/
organisations undertaking similar pro-
jects. Committee members underlined
the need for innovative field equipment
and forensic, DNA and anthropological
training and capacity-building to the
Iraqi technical teams. UNAMI will con-
sider carefully how best we might con-
tribute to this project from our existing
resources and expertise.
Mr. President,
We must continue building upon what
has been achieved so far. The families
of those missing have been waiting
more than twenty-five years to discover
the fate of their loved ones. I urge the
Government of Iraq to continue exercis-
ing commitment and effort in order
successfully to locate the remains of the
missing persons. I call upon the inter-
national community to support the
requests of the Government of Iraq for
financial, equipment or capacity build-
ing support in their endeavours.
Results in identifying missing Kuwaiti
property have met with limited success.
Although there has unfortunately been
no advance in locating the important
Kuwaiti National Archives, the Govern-
ment of Iraq has identified over 6,000
Kuwaiti books. I encourage the govern-
ments of Kuwait and Iraq to co-
ordinate arrangements on their repatri-
ation - under UN auspices, if this were
judged helpful. I further urge the Gov-
ernment of Iraq to redouble its efforts
to locate missing Kuwaiti property, in
particular, the National Archives.
There is an Arabic expression ال يضيع حق
La yadi’a haq wara’ahu)وراءه ُمطالب
mootahleb): “A right is never lost, as
long as it is pursued.” Kuwait has the
right to know what happened to its
citizens and national possessions. The
families of the missing have the right to
know what happened to their loved
ones. And as long as there is no answer,
they will continue to seek the truth.
The United Nations and the interna-
tional community, too, will keep pursu-
ing this matter; we will continue sup-
porting Iraq in this quest until we are
able to close this chapter. Alice Wal-
pole, my newly appointed Deputy Spe-
cial Representative for Political Affairs,
has taken on this file in accordance
with Resolution 2107. I would like to
thank former Deputy Special Repre-
sentative György Busztin for his excel-
lent work, efforts and commitment to
this file since the adoption of the reso-
lution in 2013.
New York, 8 December 2017 - The
Security Council concluded today that
all the measures imposed in its resolu-
tions 1958 (2010) and 2335 (2016) pur-
suant to Chapter VII of the Charter of
the United Nations in relation to the
Iraq oil-for-food programme had been
fully implemented.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2390
(2017), the Council welcomed the fact
that the remaining funds in the escrow
accounts established pursuant to reso-
lution 1958 (2010) had been transferred
to the Government of Iraq pursuant to
resolution 2335 (2016).
The Council acknowledged the Secre-
tary-General’s final report on the mat-
ter (document S/2017/820), which stat-
ed, among other things, that the re-
maining $14,283,565 in the administra-
tive escrow account had been trans-
ferred to Iraq.
Following the adoption, Amy Noel
Tachco (United States) applauded
Iraq’s complete implementation of
measures under the oil-for-food pro-
gramme, although the country still
faced many challenges. She looked for-
ward to close cooperation international-
ly and bilaterally in support of Iraq as a
federal, democratic and prosperous
country.
The meeting started at 9:45 a.m. and
ended at 9:48 a.m.
Resolution
The full text of resolution 2390 (2017)
reads as follows:
“The Security Council,
“Recalling its resolutions 1958 (2010)
and 2335 (2016),
“Acknowledging receipt of the final
report of the Secretary-General pursu-
ant to paragraph 4 of Security Council
resolution 2335 (2016), S/2017/820,
“1. Welcomes the implementing ar-
rangements entered into by the Secre-
tary-General and the Government of
Iraq as requested in paragraph 7 of
Security Council resolution 1958
(2010);
“2. Also welcomes that the remaining
funds in the escrow accounts estab-
lished pursuant to paragraphs 3–5 of
Security Council resolution 1958 (2010)
have been transferred to the Govern-
ment of Iraq pursuant to Security
Council resolution 2335 (2016);
“3. Concludes that all the measures
imposed by the Security Council in
resolutions 1958 (2010) and 2335 (2016)
pursuant to Chapter VII of the Charter
of the United Nations have been fully
implemented by the parties.”
All measures imposed under Iraq Oil-for-Food Programme implemented in
full, Security Council concludes, unanimously adopting Resolution 1958 (2017)
Baghdad, 17 November 2017 – Trib-
al sheikhs, religious leaders, academics,
political party representatives and civil
society representatives from Diyala and
Anbar Provinces met on Wednesday
15th and Thursday 16th November in
two separate meetings in Baghdad as
part of a series of roundtable discus-
sions under the theme ”National Settle-
ment: Prospects and Challenges” aim-
ing at creating an enabling environ-
ment for Iraqi national reconciliation.
The roundtables were organized jointly
by the United Nations Assistance Mis-
sion for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Imple-
mentation and Follow-up Committee
for National Reconciliation (IFCNR) at
the Office of the Prime Minister, with
funding from the Governments of Ger-
many and the Netherlands.
In his opening remarks at the Diyala
representatives’ roundtable, Mr. Mo-
hammed Al-Najjar, Senior Political
Affairs Officer at UNAMI stressed the
importance of national reconciliation
and UNAMI’s commitment to assist in
pushing this process forward for a bet-
Participants from Diyala and Anbar tackle prospects and
challenges of the National Settlement
Volume 4, Issue 6 Reconciliation Page 10
ter future for all Iraqis.
Advisor to the IFCNR, Mr. Hussein Al-
Adli affirmed that “national reconcilia-
tion was moving forward in spite of the
obstacles”. He added that coexistence
was the cornerstone of good govern-
ance.
On the Anbar representatives meeting,
Mr. Mohamed Al-Najjar said that UN-
AMI had been working with all political
parties as well as the IFCNR. He said
that “a number of meetings, similar to
this, were held in different Provinces
with the aim of listening to varied voic-
es on the future of the country. UNAMI
is committed to assisting the Iraqi peo-
ple at all levels.”
On his part, Mr. Mohammed Al-
Salman, Advisor to the Prime Minister
on National Reconciliation Affairs,
stressed that government deals with all
Iraqi citizens equally regardless of their
background. “We have to respect the
opinions of our opponents, and in order
for Iraqis to live in peace and harmony,
they need to be highly tolerant,” he
added.
Participants highlighted post-ISIL
challenges with regard to the settle-
ment and they put forward useful rec-
ommendations to ensure success of the
ongoing reconciliation efforts at the
political and societal levels.
Baghdad, 29 November 2017 - During a
ceremony hosted by the Iraqi Commu-
nications and Media Committee (CMC),
H. Exc. Mr. Bruno Aubert, Ambassador
of France to Iraq and Mrs. Louise Hax-
thausen, UNESCO Director and Repre-
sentative to Iraq, signed the project
“Voices of Peace: Promoting Peaceful
Coexistence in the Liberated Areas of
Iraq through Community media”, in the
presence of Dr. Ali Naser, Executive
Director of the Communication and
Media Commission of Iraq.
“Investing in balanced, conflict-
sensitive media reporting, is investing
in sustainable peace. When and where
media work on this basis, they become
one of the most powerful tools to
strengthen social ties, celebrate diversi-
ty, and promote ideals of solidarity,
tolerance and inclusiveness. Let me
thank France, as well as the CMC, for
sharing this vision and for their com-
France and UNESCO partnering to promote community
reconciliation and peaceful coexistence in Iraq through community
radios
Volume 4, Issue 6 Reconciliation Page 11
mitment to champion it together with
UNESCO”, said UNESCO Iraq Director
Louise Haxthausen.
Funded by France, and implemented by
UNESCO, the project “Voices of Peace:
Promoting Peaceful Coexistence in the
Liberated Areas of Iraq through Com-
munity media” will support community
radios in developing innovative and
creative reporting on communities’ en-
gagement in favour of coexistence, so-
cial cohesion and inclusion. The project
will focus on culturally diverse regions
of Iraq, which host different ethnic and
religious segments of its society. These
include Nineveh, Kirkuk and the 3 gov-
ernorates of the Kurdistan region of
Iraq, namely Erbil, Dohuk and Sulay-
maniyah.
“Media and social networks have an
important role to play in bringing Ira-
qis together, beyond their differences
with a view to dialogue and sharing”
stressed Ambassador Bruno Aubert,
adding that therefore “we support this
project with no hesitation, since it fully
reflects Iraq’s priorities for stabiliza-
tion, especially in relation to communi-
ty-based rapprochement and reconcilia-
tion”.
Highlighting the CMC’s commitment to
facilitate the implementation of the
project, Dr. Ali Naser Executive Direc-
tor of the Communication and Media
Commission indicated that it would
contribute to further reinforce joint
efforts by UNESCO and the CMC to
promote freedom of expression and the
press in Iraq.
Baghdad, 7 December 2017 - UNDP
Iraq organized today in Baghdad a con-
ference on Women Voices in Communi-
ty Reconciliation in Iraq. Representing
the Prime Minister of Iraq, President of
the Implementation and Follow Up on
National Reconciliation Committee,
Mohammed Salman Al-Saadi, ad-
dressed the Conference. The Mayor of
Baghdad, Zhekra Jaber Alwach and
UNDP Country Director for Iraq,
Mounir Tabet, also greeted the partici-
pants. During the conference women
and men from different backgrounds
were drafting recommendations on
women’s participation in community
reconciliation.
UNDP Iraq’s conference on “Women voices in community
reconciliation in Iraq” held in Baghdad
He said the National Settlement dis-
cussion should involve all components
and groups and is open to ideas and
proposals, but all should be in line with
the Constitution.
Addressing the participants - 68 men
and 28 women from Najaf and Diwani-
yah Governorates - the Deputy Special
Representative of the United Nations
Secretary-General for Political and
Electoral Affairs, Ms. Alice Walpole,
alluded to Najaf’s significance in recon-
ciliation, a city she described as re-
nowned for its spirit of tolerance and
acceptance.
Ms. Walpole said the defeat of Daesh
provides the opportunity to press for-
ward on the course towards permanent
peace, so that the country can focus all
its energies and resources on recon-
struction.
“Reconciliation is a long process. We
need to work together to develop a clear
vision for Iraq’s better future,” the Dep-
uty Special Representative emphasised.
“We believe that all Iraqis need to capi-
talise on this momentum and build a
basis for peaceful coexistence.”
Participants highlighted post-Daesh
challenges with regard to national rec-
onciliation. Opinions were diverse, from
diagnosing the ills of the country and
ways to move forward, to calls to com-
bat corruption, ensure justice, hold
perpetrators of crimes accountable,
enact political reforms and work to-
wards economic development.
They called for robust engagement of
the United Nations in the political and
development fields, including on elec-
tions and education, as well as in ca-
pacity building, pointing to UN experi-
ence in other countries and how this
can be applied to Iraq.
Ms. Walpole underlined that the Unit-
ed Nations is committed to assisting
the Iraqi government and the Iraqi
people in overcoming the many chal-
lenges.
“There is a real need for constructive
dialogue at every level,” the Deputy
Special Representative said. “I am cer-
tain that, with the concerted efforts of
Iraq’s leaders, political forces and its
people of all ethnic and religious groups
and their patriotism, assisted by the
continued support of the international
community, Iraq will be able to sur-
mount post-Daesh challenges and build
a better future.”
Volume 4, Issue 6 Reconciliation Page 12
Najaf, 13 December 2017 - Iraq’s
victory over the Daesh terrorists pro-
vides an opportunity for the country to
shed its painful past and confidently
embark on the road to peace and devel-
opment, the United Nations empha-
sised at a conference on national recon-
ciliation in Najaf today, urging Iraqis of
all affiliations to seize the momentum
and build on it to ensure a prosperous
future for the younger generation.
The call came at a roundtable discus-
sion that brought together tribal, reli-
gious, academic, political party and
civil society actors from the Najaf and
Diwaniyah Governorates to gauge the
opinion of Iraqis from all corners of the
country and tackle challenges to the
Iraqi national reconciliation in the post-
Daesh phase.
This is the sixth and last of such re-
gional roundtables to convene under
the theme “National Settlement: Pro-
spects and Challenges” since Septem-
ber. Their recommendations will en-
hance the process that will lead to an
inclusive National Settlement to take
Iraq into the future after years of con-
flict and divisions. The meetings were
organised jointly by the United Nations
Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI)
and the Implementation and Follow-up
Committee for National Reconciliation
at the Office of the Prime Minister,
with funding from the Governments of
Germany and the Netherlands.
The representative of the Implementa-
tion and Follow-up Committee for Na-
tional Reconciliation at the Office of the
Prime Minister, Mr. Ali Abbas, opened
the meeting in Najaf with an overview
of the National Settlement document,
which he explained forms the basis for
national reconciliation.
“There is no alternative to the settle-
ment, or to reconciliation. It is a neces-
sity. The other choices are: No stability,
No security, No development.”
UN at reconciliation meeting urges Iraqis to seize the momentum
of victory over Daesh to build a better future
that the Electoral Commission works
with all stakeholders in order to hold
them as well as the Governorate Coun-
cil Elections in a timely, inclusive, cred-
ible and transparent manner,” Mr. Ku-
biš emphasized.
The SRSG reiterated his call for the
Council of Representatives to take im-
mediate steps to ensure that the appro-
priate legal framework is in place,
without further delay. “The Commis-
sion should be enabled to undertake all
the required preparations all over the
country. It is also important that the
close cooperation and coordination be-
tween electoral institutions in Baghdad
and in Kurdistan Region be sustained,”
Mr. Kubiš further added.
Also at the meeting, which took place
at IHEC offices in Baghdad, the SRSG
reiterated the continuing commitment
of the United Nations to provide an
even more intensified support to Iraq’s
forthcoming electoral processes. He
mentioned the recent deployment of an
Electoral Needs Assessment Mission by
UN Headquarters to assess and define
areas for further UN electoral support.
Baghdad, 20 December 2017 - Today,
UNAMI attended as an observer the
f irst consultat ive meeting on
“Minorities in Media” organized by the
Minority and Information Departments
of the National Reconciliation Commit-
tee (NRC). The aim of the meeting was
to discuss how to objectively portray
minority communities in the media.
The participants agreed on forming a
committee that will work on a strategy
on integrating minorities in the media
in a close coordination with NRC. The
meeting was part of the NRC’s national
reconciliation endeavors.
First consultative meeting on “Minorities in Media” organized by
the Minority and Information Departments of the National
Reconciliation Committee (NRC) took place in Baghdad
Volume 4, Issue 6 Reconciliation Page 13
Baghdad, 12 December 2017 – The
Special Representative of the United
Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for
Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš, met today with
the Board of Commissioners of the In-
dependent High Electoral Commission.
The Commissioners provided updates
on the status of electoral preparations,
including plans for the enfranchise-
ment of displaced voters and the adop-
tion of several technologies for the next
elections. The Commission also identi-
fied technical and other areas where
they most require international sup-
port.
For his part, the SRSG welcomed the
progress being made so far for the elec-
tions envisioned for 12 May 2018 in
accordance with the timelines set in the
Constitution of Iraq. “The 2018 Council
of Representatives elections must take
place in full conformity with the consti-
tutional time-frame and it is imperative
SRSG Kubiš meets new IHEC Board of Commissioners, calls for
concerted efforts to deliver a timely and successful election
Political Affairs
its components listed in Article 116 of
the Constitution under its current rul-
ings.
UNAMI also notes that the Iraqi Gov-
ernment has confirmed its full commit-
ment to the Constitution and the deci-
sions of the Federal Court, including its
full commitment to preserving the uni-
ty of Iraq.
UNAMI urges the Government of the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq to
acknowledge, endorse and respect this
ruling of the Federal Court and reiter-
ate its full commitment to the Constitu-
tion.
UNAMI re-emphasizes the urgent need
for political dialogue and negotiations
between Baghdad and Erbil, in a spirit
of partnership and respect for the Con-
stitution that itself respects the consti-
tutional rights of the Kurdistan Region
of Iraq.
UNAMI reconfirms its readiness to
play a facilitating role in this dialogue
and these negotiations, if requested by
both the Federal Government and Kur-
distan Regional Government, or indeed
any other role agreed upon by both
parties based on and in full conformity
of its mandate.
New York, 26 October 2017 - Infor-
mal comments to the media by H.E Mr.
François Delattre, Permanent Repre-
sentative of France to the United Na-
tions and President of the Security
Council, made at the Security Council
Media Stakeout, on the situation in the
Middle East:
“The members of the Security Council
expressed concern over increased ten-
sions and reports of violence between
Iraqi Federal Forces and Kurdish Pesh-
merga.
Council members called on all sides to
refrain from the threat and use of force
and to engage in constructive dialogue,
facilitated by the United Nations upon
request, as a path way to de-escalation
and a means to preserve Iraqi unity.
Council members recalled the needs for
the rights and aspirations of all Iraqi
citizens to be met through full imple-
mentation of the Iraqi constitution.
Council members noted that the Feder-
United Nations Security Council President François Delattre
(France) on the situation in the Middle East and other matters
Volume 4, Issue 6 Kurdistan Referendum Page 14
al and Regional Governments have
both expressed willingness to engage in
dialogue. We encourage them to expedi-
tiously set a time table to hold these
discussions.
Council members reaffirm their respect
of the sovereignty, territorial integrity
and unity of Iraq. They also reaffirm
the importance of remaining focused on
efforts to defeat the Islamic State in
Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh).
Council members likewise voiced their
full support for United Nations efforts
in this regard.”
Baghdad, 07 November 2017 – The
United Nations Assistance Mission for
Iraq (UNAMI) takes note of the state-
ment released by the Federal Court
Spokesperson announcing that the
High Federal Court in its session on 06
November 2017 issued a ruling clarify-
ing Article 1 of the Constitution and
noting that the court concluded that
this article and other pertinent Consti-
tutional articles have underlined the
unity of Iraq. The Spokesperson also
noted that the High Federal Court rul-
ing established that no text in the Con-
stitution allows the secession of any of
UNAMI urges Kurdistan Region to confirm respect for the Federal
Court ruling, stresses Baghdad-Erbil negotiations
Baghdad, 15 November 2017 - On
Wednesday 15 November, 2017 in Erbil
SRSG Ján Kubiš delivered a letter of
the Secretary-General A. Guterres dat-
ed 10 November 2017 to H.E Prime
Minister N. Barzani who was accompa-
nied by H.E Deputy Prime Minister Q.
Talabani. The same day he delivered a
copy of this letter to H.E Prime Minis-
ter H. Abadi, for information. In the
letter that the Secretary-General sent
in response to a communication from
Prime Minister Barzani of 7 November
2017, the Secretary-General among
others stated:
“I fully share your view that the out-
standing issues between Baghdad and
Erbil should be resolved by peaceful
means through political negotiations
based on the Constitution of the Repub-
lic of Iraq. I am encouraged by the fact
that the Government of Iraq and the
Kurdistan Regional Government have
publicly expressed openness to such
negotiations on several occasions. A
further destabilization of the current
situation must be prevented, in the
interests of promoting national recon-
ciliation, fostering greater stability in a
volatile region and confronting the
threat that the Islamic State of Iraq
and the Levant continues to pose.
I encourage both sides to take the nec-
essary steps to create a conducive envi-
ronment in which genuine negotiations
can take place.
The United Nations stands ready to
assist in this effort as the request of the
parties concerned and based on the
United Nations mandate for Iraq, nota-
bly through my Special Representative
for Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš.”
SRSG Kubiš also reiterated the posi-
UNAMI acknowledges Kurdistan Region’s Government statement
announcing respect for the Federal Court ruling on unity of Iraq
Volume 4, Issue 6 Kurdistan Referendum Page 15
tion expressed on 26 October 2017 in
comments to the media by the then
French Presidency of the UN Security
Council that among others stated:
“Council members called on all sides to
refrain from the threat and use of force
and to engage in constructive dialogue,
facilitated by the United Nations upon
request, as a path way to de-escalation
and a means to preserve Iraqi unity.
Council members recalled the needs for
the rights and aspirations of all Iraqi
citizens to be met through full imple-
mentation of the Iraqi constitution.
Council members noted that the Feder-
al and Regional Governments have
both expressed willingness to engage in
dialogue. We encourage them to expedi-
tiously set a time table to hold these
discussions.
Council members reaffirm their respect
of the sovereignty, territorial integrity
and unity of Iraq. They also reaffirm
the importance of remaining focused on
efforts to defeat the Islamic State in
Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh).”
SRSG Kubiš also acknowledged a reac-
tion of the Kurdistan Regional Govern-
ment (KRG) to the Decision No.: 122 of
the Federal Supreme Court of 6 No-
vember 2017 that, established that the
Federal Supreme Court did not find in
the Constitution any provision author-
izing the secession of any component of
the federal system of the Republic of
Iraq, thus underlining the unity of Iraq.
In its statement of 14 November 2017
the KRG i.a. reiterated:
“As we, in the Kurdistan Region, have
always emphasized on finding solutions
to disputes between the federal Author-
ities and the Kurdistan Region through
constitutional and legal means, and
based on our known position which
welcomes all relevant initiatives, espe-
cially the initiatives by the Grand Aya-
tollah Ali Al- Sistani, Iraqi dignitaries
and friendly countries to the Iraqi peo-
ple regarding addressing disputes on
the basis of the Constitution, we re-
spect the interpretation of the Federal
Supreme Court of the First Article of
the Iraqi Constitution.
We believe that this Decision must
become a basis for starting an inclusive
national dialogue between Erbil and
Baghdad to resolve all disputes through
implementation of all constitutional
articles and in a way that guarantees
all rights, authorities and status men-
tioned in the Constitution, since this is
the only way to secure the unity of Iraq,
as Article 1 stated.”
In line with the letter of the UN Secre-
tary-General and of the said position
expressed by the then Presidency of the
UN Security Council SRSG Kubiš reit-
erates a compelling need to address and
resolve all the outstanding issues be-
tween the two governments through
dialogue based on and in full accord-
ance with the Constitution that will
also guarantee the full constitutional
rights of the KR-I and its people, with-
out threat or use of force, as a constitu-
tional way towards stability, integrity
and prosperity, towards further
strengthening of unity, sovereignty,
territorial integrity of united, federal
and democratic Iraq. He urges the con-
tinuation of high-level dialogue be-
tween the federal and Kurdish Region-
al Governments on military and securi-
ty issues to avoid confrontation during
the deployment of federal forces in the
disputed areas and the establishment
of the federal authority over the exter-
nal border crossings of Iraq including
the international airports in the Kurdi-
stan Region of Iraq. He also welcomes
the intent expressed by Prime Minister
Abadi on 14 November 2017 to open a
dialogue of government representatives
and experts regarding i.a. the budget
and oil export. Such lines of dialogue
are essential to both maintaining calm
and avoiding escalation in the process
of establishing the federal authority
over the disputed territories and exter-
nal border crossing and to finding ur-
gently solutions on pressing issues of
the budget, salaries or oil exports. Such
dialogue also opens a way towards con-
structive political negotiations in the
spirit of partnership on broader set of
critical issues and arrangements con-
cerning the future Baghdad – Erbil
relations in united Iraq.
Baghdad, 21 November 2017 – The
United Nations Assistance Mission for
Iraq (UNAMI) acknowledges the Iraq
Federal Supreme Court’s Decision of 20
November 2017 concerning the Kurdish
independence referendum.
In its decision, the Federal Supreme
Court confirmed that the referendum
conducted in Kurdistan on 25 Septem-
ber 2017, and the purpose for which it
was conducted, the independence of the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) and
other areas outside of it, has no consti-
tutional reference and violates its pro-
visions. Accordingly, the FSC decided
that the referendum was unconstitu-
tional and all of its results and effects
shall be cancelled.
UNAMI urges the authorities of the
KR-I to acknowledge and respect this
ruling of the Federal Supreme Court
and the Constitution.
Statement on the Federal Supreme Court decision concerning
Kurdistan Referendum
Volume 4, Issue 6 Kurdistan Referendum Page 16
UNAMI also takes note of the state-
ment of Prime Minister Abadi, welcom-
ing the ruling and calling on all to re-
spect the Constitution.
UNAMI urges the Federal Government
and the Kurdistan Regional Govern-
ment to start negotiations without de-
lay, based on the Constitution, on all
current issues between the two Govern-
ments. This should include measures
that will allow the establishment of
federal authority over the external bor-
der crossings of Iraq located in the KR-
I; and the early re-opening of the inter-
national airports in Erbil and Sulei-
maniya to international flights. Agree-
ment is also needed with regard to the
appropriate share for the KR-I in the
federal budget, the payment of salaries
and management of oil exports.
UNAMI also urges that all Members of
Parliament from the KR-I be allowed
immediately to return to the Council of
Representatives, to take part in its
proceedings and enable their full par-
ticipation in its deliberations, including
on such important matters as the budg-
et law.
At the same time, UNAMI encourages
continuation of the high-level intergov-
ernmental co-ordination mechanisms
on military and security issues, to avoid
the possibility of further violence and
confrontation. UNAMI reaffirms its
opposition to the threat of use of force,
inflammatory statements or confronta-
tional actions, especially at this time
when the issue of the referendum has
found its resolution, based on full re-
spect for the Constitution.
UNAMI commends the pivotal role
played in this respect by the Federal
Supreme Court.
Political Consultations
Baghdad, 30 October 2017 – The Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG), Ján Kubiš, met today with Sheikh
Abdul Rahim al-Shammari, Chairperson of the House of
Representatives Human Rights Committee with whom he discussed the
human rights situation in Ninewa as well as the work of the Human
Rights Committee.
Baghdad, 31 October 2017 - The Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG), Ján Kubiš, met today with Medhat
al-Mahmoud, the Head of the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council and Chief
Justice of Iraq. They discussed the current situation following the
Kurdistan Referendum. SRSG Kubiš, inter alia, received an update on
the proceedings of the Federal Supreme Court on the referendum issue.
Baghdad, 7 November 2017 – The Deputy Special Representative of
the UN Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Iraq for Political Affairs and
Electoral Assistance, Ms. Alice Walpole, met with Ibtissam Aziz,
Director-General of the Directorate for Empowering Iraqi Women
(General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers). Ms. Aziz outlined the
work of the Directorate, particularly relating to bolstering the role of
women in political, decision-making and reconciliation processes.
DSRSG Walpole and Ms. Aziz agreed on the importance of
strengthening the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution
1325. DSRSG Walpole gave assurances of UNAMI’s continuing support.
Erbil, 7 November 2017 - The Special Representative of the Secretary-
General for Iraq (SRSG), Ján Kubiš, met with Kurdistan Region Prime
Minister Nechirvan Barzani to discuss the current political situation in
the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Baghdad-Erbil relations. SRSG Kubiš
stressed on the need for dialogue to resolve all the differences on the
basis of the Iraqi Constitution.
Photos: Courtesy of KRG
The leadership of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq and UN Country Team continue with political consultations
with the leading stakeholders in Iraq and the region.
Volume 4, Issue 6 Political consultations Page 17
Baghdad, 7 November 2017 – The Deputy Special Representative of
the UN Secretary-General for Iraq for Political Affairs and Electoral
Assistance, Ms. Alice Walpole, met with Dr. Mahdi Al-Alaq, Secretary-
General of the Iraqi Council of Ministers. Among a range of topics, they
discussed the importance of ensuring the necessary conditions to enable
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to return to their areas of origin
and to facilitate their participation in the upcoming elections.
Baghdad, 7 November 2017 – The Deputy Special Representative of
the Secretary-General for Iraq for political and electoral affairs, Alice
Walpole met today with the new Board of Commissioners of IHEC. They
discussed the forthcoming 2018 Iraqi and Governorates elections.
Amman, Jordan, 13 November 2017 – The Special Representative of
the Secretary-General for Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš, met with H.E. Mr.
Ayman Safadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hashemite Kingdom of
Jordan. They discussed the current political situation in the region and
efforts to preserve stability and security.
Photo: Courtesy of MoFA, Jordan.
Baghdad, 13 November 2017 – The Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš, met with H.E. Mr. Haider Al
-Abadi, Prime Minister of Iraq. The political and security developments
in Iraq, with focus on the need for an inclusive political dialogue were
discussed.
Photo courtesy of the Office of the Prime Minister.
Baghdad, 14 November 2017 - The Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš, met with the Head of the
Badr Organisation, Mr. Hadi al-Ameri. They discussed the security
situation in the country, the post-referendum developments and the
upcoming 2018 elections. The SRSG also informed his host of his
forthcoming UN Security Council briefing on Iraq.
Photo: Courtesy of Badr Organization
Baghdad, 10 November 2017 – The Special Representative of the
United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq and Head of the United
Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Ján Kubiš met today
with the Ambassador of France in Iraq, Jean-Yves Le Drian. They
discussed the current political situation in Iraq. Ambassador Le Drian
confirmed his full support for SRSG’s mediation and the availability of
France to help him in his efforts to reach a political solution in Iraq.
Volume 4, Issue 6 Political consultations Page 18
Erbil, 15 November 2017 – The Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, met with the Prime Minister of
the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I), Nechirvan Barzani, and with the
Deputy Prime Minister of KR-I, Qubad Talabani, in a joint meeting in
Erbil. They discussed the current political developments in Iraq with
special emphasis on Baghdad-Erbil relations.
Photo: Courtesy of KRG
Baghdad, 15 November 2017 – The United Nations Special
Rapporteur on Extra-Judicial executions, Dr. Agnes Callamard,
accompanied by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for
Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš, met with the Prime Minister of Iraq, H.E. Dr.
Haider Al-Abadi. They discussed the state of human rights in Iraq.
Photo: Courtesy of the Office of the Prime Minister
Bashiqa, 20 November 2017 – Ms. Lise Grande, Deputy Special
Representative of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq and
Resident Coordinator for Iraq, met with religious leaders near Bashiqa,
an area in the Ninewa Plains, at the Mar Mattai Monastery. USAID is
the largest contributor to the UNDP Iraq stabilization program, which
seeks to restore basic services to communities following liberation from
ISIS.
Baghdad, 23 November 2017 – The Deputy Special Representative of
the Secretary-General for Iraq (DSRSG), Ms. Alice Walpole met with the
Minister of Defence of Iraq, Mr. Irfan Al-Hayali. DSRSG Walpole
congratulated the Government of Iraq on the heroic victory against ISIL
and commended the security forces for their courage and sacrifices.
They also discussed the current security situation in the country,
continuing activities of the Iraqi Security Forces on clearing IEDs and
unexploded ordnance from the liberated areas, in an effort to support
the return of displaced people as well as the Kuwait file
Photo courtesy of the Iraq Ministry of Defence.
Baghdad, 28 November 2017 - The Special Representative of the
United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG), Mr. Ján Kubiš, met
at his office in Baghdad today with the former IHEC Chairman, Sarbast
Mustafa Amedi. During the meeting, Mr. Amedi expressed his gratitude
to the SRSG for the UN’s longstanding support to the IHEC and for
being with the institution during its most difficult and challenging
times.
For his part, the SRSG thanked the former Chairman for his services to
Iraq in his capacity as the head of the Electoral Commission. The SRSG
commended Mr. Amedi’s diplomatic and technical abilities that were
instrumental during challenging circumstances and for his efforts in
reaching out to the UN electoral team, the SRSG and even including UN
headquarters. The meeting concluded with the SRSG encouraging Mr.
Amedi to maintain contact and remain available to share his insights
and expertise on Iraqi elections.
Baghdad, 16 November 2017 – The Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, met today with the Deputy
Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Sheikh Humam Hamoudi.
They discussed the Baghdad – Erbil relations, upcoming elections and
the Personal Status Law. Sheikh Hamoudi and SRSG Kubiš have both
expressed their support for dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil based
on and with full respect of the Iraqi Constitution.
Photo: Archive
Najaf, 29 November 2017 - The Spe-
cial Representative of the Secretary-
General (SRSG) for Iraq, Mr. Ján Ku-
biš, was received today by His Emi-
nence Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani in
Najaf.
“I am extremely honoured that I was
once again received by His Eminence
Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani. It is a
great honour for us - the United Na-
tions - and for me personally. We had
an in-depth discussion about what is on
the agenda of the country, of Iraq, and I
was listening to the points His Emi-
nence was making as a guidance for
future activities and future steps.”
SRSG Kubiš congratulated His Emi-
nence, the people and the Government
of Iraq on the victory against the ter-
rorist Daesh structures, emphasizing
that this victory was for the whole of
Iraq and the world, and that the Mar-
jaiya’s fatwa that mobilized patriotic
popular forces was instrumental in
defeating the terrorist Daesh.
SRSG Kubiš appreciated in particular
Grand Ayatollah Al-Sistani receives UN Special Representative for
Iraq Ján Kubiš in Najaf
Volume 4, Issue 6 Political Consultations Page 19
the human aspect of His Eminence’s
calls and sermons on human and social
issues, including care for the families of
the martyrs and survivors of the fight
against Daesh, a better future for the
youth, the voluntary return of the in-
ternally displaced people to the condi-
tions of safety and security, protection
of civilians and resolute action against
perpetrators of criminal acts and viola-
tors of human rights.
Following the appeal of His Eminence
to take all steps to ensure a rapid, vol-
untary return of IDPs to their homes
with dignity, to enable at least a mini-
mum level of reconstruction and deliv-
ery of services, and to ensure the appro-
priate level of security that would pro-
tect civilians against terror, and create
a barrier against the return of terror-
ism, SRSG Kubiš confirmed that the
United Nations will accelerate its sup-
port to this end. He also shared the
view of His Eminence that it is im-
portant to ensure the full implementa-
tion of the PMF law that would i.a.
Remarks by SRSG for Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš, to the press following his
meeting with His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani in Najaf,
Iraq (edited for brevity)
Najaf, 29 November 2017 -
SRSG Kubiš: “First of all, I am ex-
tremely honoured that I was once again
received by His Eminence Grand Aya-
tollah Ali Al-Sistani. It is a great hon-
our for us - the United Nations - and for
me personally. And I value, not only
the fact that I was received, but also
that we had an in-depth discussion
about what is on the agenda of the
country, of Iraq, and I was listening to
the points His Eminence was making
on as a guidance for future activities,
future steps.
And I was able to confirm that we
share the same concerns, and we share
also the approach of the way forward in
most, if not all, the cases and situa-
tions.
And I confirmed to His Eminence that
for us, and that was also confirmed
through the meeting, the full respect of
the constitution and laws of the country
in all situations being it as regards
Baghdad-Erbil relations or as regards
the elections in the country and in all
other cases is something that guides us
and will guide us in our activities. And
we cannot support any violations of the
constitution, laws of the country.
The second point: I, once again, highly
acknowledged, the human aspect of the
guidance; of His Eminence, that
showed itself in so many ways when he
has been speaking either himself or
through the regular Friday sermons on
issues like the necessity to take care of
the families of the martyrs and survi-
vors of the fight against Daesh; to take
care about the future of the young pop-
ulation in Iraq, urging the government
to create conditions for that; to take
care about the internally displaced per-
sons (IDPs), and to create conditions for
their return; or to protect civilians
while fighting Daesh and destroying
this takfiri criminal, terrorist organisa-
tion.
And I confirmed that, for us, these pri-
orities are also our priorities. For exam-
ple, the importance of the return of
IDPs to their homes with dignity, vol-
untary return to the basic conditions. I
also confirmed that we, as the United
Nations, will accelerate support for this
return to the people and to the govern-
ment to enable at least a minimum
level of reconstruction but also the ap-
propriate level of security that would at
the same time create a barrier against
repeating attacks of the terrorist Daesh
that otherwise are still happening.
The third point: I again confirmed to
guarantee that weapons are exclusively
in the hands of the state and under its
control or that the PMF should not be
involved in the elections.
In reference to the unwavering support
by His Eminence of the full respect and
implementation of the Constitution and
the laws of united Iraq, Mr. Kubiš con-
firmed to His Eminence that the UN
fully shares this approach, also as re-
gards the Baghdad–Erbil relations,
including guarantees of the full consti-
tutional rights of the Kurdistan Region
of Iraq and its people, or the timely
holding of the general elections.
The government’s reform programme,
including fighting corruption, has the
full support of the United Nations, the
SRSG said. He pledged continuous UN
assistance and joined His Eminence in
urging the government to resolutely
move to prosecute individuals accused
of corruption and retrieve the embez-
zled funds which should be used to ful-
fill the people’s needs.
His Eminence our support for the re-
form programme of the government, for
implementation of the proclaimed ob-
jectives, for example, when fighting
corruption. We will provide assistance
and we hope that the government will
resolutely move against those corrupt
individuals, not only to take action
against them, but also to retrieve the
funds that they embezzled and to bring
these funds back to serve the needs of
the people.
Finally, and I started with this in our
meeting, I would like to use this oppor-
tunity once again to congratulate the
government and the people of Iraq with
this victory against the terrorist Daesh.
The structures of the Daesh were
crushed, still the work against terror-
ism must continue because there are
still individuals that would try to con-
tinuously use this opportunity; but the
victory is there and it is through the
sacrifices of the people of Iraq. And I
applaud this; and I express my sympa-
thies to all the martyrs and their fami-
lies.”
Q&A
Q: Does His Eminence agree with your
approach on fighting corruption and
the corrupt people?
A: This is an area and approach which
we share and I was very happy to hear
a very strong line from His Eminence
speaking about the need to fight cor-
ruption, in acts not only in words. This
is something that we would like to sup-
port.
Q: The position of the United Nations
vis-a-vis the fight against terrorism
and the Iraqis fighting terrorism on
behalf of the world. The role of the
United Nations was marginal. There
has been no serious position; Daesh
was not set as a terrorist organisation;
individuals of Daesh, property and as-
sets have not been frozen. What is the
position of the United Nations in this
regard?
A: I beg to disagree. The position of the
United Nations was very clear. It la-
belled Daesh as a terrorist organisa-
tion, as a global threat to security.
Through different bodies of the United
Nations in New York, measures were
taken against the flow of terrorism
from abroad to join the ranks as foreign
fighters in favour of Daesh. Increasing-
ly, we see that also financing of this
terrorist organisation is curtailed and
more and more individuals that provid-
ed assistance will be punished for this.
Approximately two months ago, the
Remarks by SRSG for Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš, to the press following
his meeting with His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani in
Najaf, Iraq (continued)
Volume 4, Issue 6 Political Consultations Page 20
Security Council adopted a resolution
that creates a special investigative
mechanism that will deal with the
crimes of Daesh, crimes that are war
crimes, and crimes against humanity
and that would then create openings to
punishment of individual members of
Daesh for their criminal activities. And
all this is happening in support and in
coordination with the Government of
Iraq.
Q: You mentioned that the United Na-
tions is supporting Iraq and constitu-
tion and it will not allow the referen-
dum. But you have supported the sepa-
ration of Kurdistan from Iraq. Why the
al-Nujaba'e and Asaib al-Haq, the re-
sistance groups, who have uprooted
Daesh especially in the liberated areas
and put them on the terrorist list?
A: On the first question, I do not know
from where you took that we supported
the separation. On the contrary, the
position of the Security Council, the
position of the United Nations and the
position of the United Nations Assis-
tance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), and
my position, has been in favour of uni-
ty, territorial integrity and sovereignty
of the country. And we are publicly on
the record on this. So, whoever is say-
ing something else is fabricating and as
in some other parts of the world are
saying these are fake news.
Secondly, as regards the popular mobi-
lisation forces and different compo-
nents of the popular mobilisation forc-
es, when I speak about respect for the
laws of the country I speak also about
respecting also the popular mobilisa-
tion law and I would like to see the full
implementation of this law by, among
others, concentrating the weapons in
the hands of the State only but also in
providing support for restructuring and
reorganisation of the Iraqi Security
Forces.
Q: What's the position of the United
Nations vis-a-vis the elections. There
are calls from outside Iraq to interfere
in the postponement of the elections.
What's the position of the United Na-
tions that you support the full govern-
ment of Abadi to fight corruption and
continue the democratic process in
Iraq?
A: Once again, for us there is no bigger
guidance than full respect of the consti-
tution of the country, I can confirm that
for us, holding of the elections within
the constitutional time frame - it means
by the middle of May next year, as re-
quested by the constitution, is our posi-
tion as well. So, we support and will
provide technical assistance to the elec-
toral management bodies to enable
them to hold the elections on time ac-
cording to the constitution.
Volume 4, Issue 6 Political consultations Page 21
Kirkuk, 4-5 December 2017 – The Director of the UNAMI Office of the
Political Affairs, Mr. Manoj Mathew, visited Kirkuk where he met with
the Acting Governor Rakan al-Jubouri, representatives of Arab and
Turkmen Blocs in the Provincial Council, PMF commander, Irfan Abdul
al-Hussein and PUK leader Rizgar Ali. Discussions focused on the
current political developments and the security situation in the
governorate.
Erbil, 5 December 2017 – The Special Representative of the Secretary
-General for Iraq (SRSG) Ján Kubiš met with the Prime Minister of the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I), Nechirvan Barzani and the Deputy
Prime Minister of KR-I, Qubad Talbani. Current Baghdad-Erbil
relations were discussed. SRSG Kubiš expressed his hope that direct
negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad would begin immediately on
the basis of the Iraqi Constitution.
Photos: Courtesy of KRG
Baghdad, 5 December 2017 – His Excellency President of Iraq, Fuad
Masum, received the Special Representative of the Secretary-General
for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, US Ambassador Douglas Silliman and British
Ambassador Jon Wilks. Current political situation in Iraq, including
Baghdad-Erbil relations and forthcoming elections were discussed as
well as the ways to increase international assistance to facilitate
internally displaced persons returns and the reconstruction of Iraq.
Photo: Courtesy of the Office of the President
Erbil, 4 December 2017 – The Special Representative of the Secretary
-General for Iraq (SRSG) Ján Kubiš met with the Chancellor of the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq Security Council (KRSC) Masrour Barzani.
Current Baghdad-Erbil relations were discussed. SRSG Kubiš expressed
his hope that direct negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad would
begin immediately on the basis of the Iraqi Constitution.
Photo: Courtesy of the KRSC KRG
Volume 4, Issue 6 Political consultations Page 22
Baghdad, 10 December 2017 - The Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, met today with Osama Al-Najafi,
Vice President of Republic of Iraq, Head of Al Mutahadun block. They
discussed the current political and security situation in Iraq including
Baghdad-Erbil relations and preparations for the forthcoming elections.
Baghdad, 12 December 2017 - The Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, met today with Ammar Al-
Hakim, Chairman of the Wisdom Party. They discussed the current
political and security situation in Iraq including preparations for the
forthcoming elections.
Paris, 12 December 2017 – According to Media Office of the Prime
Minister, His Excellency Prime Minister, Dr. Haider Al-Abadi, has met
with Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, in
Paris during the One Planet Summit on climate change.
Mr. Guterres congratulated Dr. Haider Al-Abadi on the great victory
achieved by the Iraqis against Daesh, confirming that the United
Nations stands with Iraq in the rebuilding and stability efforts, adding
that he looked forward to Iraq to be a successful example among the
nations.
Baghdad, 7 December 2017 - The Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš met today with Mr. Ershad al
Salihi, Chairman of the Turkmen Front, and member of the Human
Rights Committee of the House of Representatives. Current political
situation in the country was discussed as well as Turkmen concerns.
New York, 5 December 2017 – The Humanitarian Coordinator for
Iraq, Lise Grande, attended today a meeting with the representatives of
the Non-Governmental Organizations and UN Officials at the
Permanent Mission of the United States to the United Nations on how
the United States support continues for those effected by conflict, and
how to better assist Christians, Yazidis, and other minority groups,
specifically in Iraq. According to Ms. Nikki Haley, US Permanent
Representative to the UN, “these religious minorities are invaluable and
need our backing”.
Baghdad, 6 December 2017 – The Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Iraq, Ján Kubiš met today with the Iraqi National
Security Advisor, Faleh al-Fayyad. They discussed Baghdad-Erbil
relations, the facilitation of displaced person returns, the upcoming
elections and the victory against ISIL.
Volume 4, Issue 6 Political consultations Page 23
Kirkuk, 27 December 2017 - The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq (DSRSG), Ms. Alice Walpole, visited today Kirkuk and held
meetings with Mr. Rakan Al-Jubouri, the acting Governor, Provincial Council members, the Brotherhood list, and representatives from Daquq and Tuz
Kharmato. Current political issues were discussed during the meetings.
Baghdad, 14 December 2017 – The Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, met with the Head of the
Alliance of Iraqi National Forces, Ahmed Msari. They discuss the
current political situation and the forthcoming elections.
Baghdad, 15 December 2017 – The Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, met today with the Patriarch of
Babylon and Archbishop of the Chaldean Catholic Church - Mar Louis
Raphael Sako - to congratulate him and the Chaldean Christian
community on the upcoming Christmas festivities. They also discussed
the current political and humanitarian situation in Iraq.
Photos courtesy of Chaldean Patriarchate of Babylon.
Baghdad, 03 December 2017 – A
total of 117 Iraqi civilians were killed
and another 264 injured in acts of ter-
rorism, violence and armed conflict in
Iraq in November 2017*, according to
casualty figures recorded by the United
Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq
(UNAMI).
The number of civilians killed in No-
vember (not including police) was 114,
while the number of injured (not in-
cluding police) was 264.
Of those figures, Baghdad was the
worst affected Governorate, with 201
civilian casualties (51 killed, 150 in-
jured). Salahaddin Governorate fol-
lowed, with 24 killed and 60 injured,
and Kirkuk had 12 killed and 28 in-
jured. UNAMI has not been able to
obtain the civilian casualty figures from
UN casualty figures for Iraq for the month of November 2017
Volume 4, Issue 6 Security Page 24
the Anbar Health Department for the
month of November.
“The two bombings in Tuz Khurmatu,
Salahaddin Governorate, and in Bagh-
dad Governorate in November which
caused numerous casualties among
civilians are a horrible reminder that
the terrorists can still inflict blows at
peaceful citizens, and that all measures
need to be taken by the authorities to
protect civilians against the barbarism
of the terrorists,” said the Special Rep-
resentative of the United Nations Sec-
retary-General (SRSG) for Iraq, Mr.
Ján Kubiš.
*CAVEATS: In general, UNAMI has
been hindered in effectively verifying
casualties in conflict areas. In some
cases, UNAMI could only partially veri-
fy certain incidents. UNAMI has also
received, without being able to verify,
reports of large numbers of casualties
along with unknown numbers of per-
sons who have died from secondary
effects of violence after having fled
their homes due to exposure to the ele-
ments, lack of water, food, medicines
and health care. For these reasons, the
figures reported have to be considered
as the absolute minimum.
Baghdad, 22 November 2017 – Spe-
cial Representative of the United Na-
tions Secretary-General for Iraq
(SRSG), Ján Kubiš, strongly con-
demned the deadly car bomb attack in
the town of Tuz Khurmatu, Salah El
Din Province, on Tuesday, 21 Novem-
ber, in which scores of civilians were
killed or wounded.
“Terrorists have struck again in Iraq,
causing death and injury to innocent
civilians, this time in Tuz Khurmatu,”
SRSG Kubiš said. “They know that
they have been defeated on the battle-
front and that is why they resort to
these cowardly tactics against innocent
civilians. My condolences go the fami-
lies of the deceased in their time of
grief, and my heartfelt wishes for a
speedy recovery go to those injured”.
SRSG Kubiš condemns Tuz Khurmatu bombing
Baghdad, 28 November 2017 – The
Special Representative of the United
Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for
Iraq, Mr. Ján Kubiš, strongly condemns
the “cowardly” terrorist gun attack and
suicide bombing which left dozens of
civilian casualties in the southeastern
Nahrawan district of Baghdad on the
night of Monday 27 November 2017.
Mr. Kubiš expresses his deepest condo-
lences to the bereaved families and to
the Government and people of Iraq. He
wishes a speedy recovery for those in-
jured.
“Despite defeats at the hands of the
Iraqi security forces, the Daesh terror-
ist group remains a potent force, and
Iraqis need to remain vigilant in the
coming period,” Mr. Kubiš said.
“The terrorists’ cowardly acts to stoke
fear among Iraqis who are about to
relish the imminent total victory over
terrorism will not succeed. With their
unity, strength and determination,
Iraqis will deliver the knockout blow to
the terrorists soon."
UN Envoy Kubiš condemns terrorist gun attack and suicide
bombing targeting civilians in Baghdad
Sulaimaniya, 23 December 2017 –
Senior representatives from the United
Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq
(UNAMI) emphasised in meetings held
in Sulaimaniya on 21-22 December
with government officials, political par-
ty leaders and civil society representa-
tives, the urgency of de-escalating ongo-
ing local tensions in the aftermath of
demonstrations that had turned violent
and led to arrests, injury and, regretta-
bly, loss of life.
The delegation called on a variety of
leaders across the political and social
spectrum. They included the deputy
Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region
of Iraq, H.E. Mr. Qubad Talabani; Gov-
ernor of Sulaimaniya, Dr. Haval Abu-
bakir; Provincial Council Chairman Mr.
Azad Hama Ameen; leaders of the Pat-
riotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the
Gorran Change Movement, Kurdistan
Islamic Union (KIU), Kurdistan Islamic
Group (KIG), Coalition for Democracy
and Justice and the leader of the Kur-
distan Democratic Party (KDP) in Su-
leimaniya; as well as activists, civil
society organisations and citizens di-
rectly affected by the crisis.
The purpose of the meetings was to
underline the deep concern of the Unit-
ed Nations over the violence that ac-
companied demonstrations in the past
few days, including the shooting of de-
UNAMI underlines an urgent need for de-escalation following
violent demonstrations in Sulaimaniya
Volume 4, Issue 6 Security Page 25
monstrators and the torching of politi-
cal party offices and public buildings in
areas of the Sulaimanyia Governorate.
The delegation reaffirmed the funda-
mental right of people to engage in
peaceful demonstrations, in keeping
with the law. They underlined the im-
portance of the Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG) handling protests
in a restrained manner, in keeping
with established modern police tech-
niques, so as to avoid further escala-
tion. The mission’s representatives
highlighted the authorities’ responsibil-
ity to protect their citizens, including
peaceful protestors, and safeguard their
human rights; they urged the security
forces to ensure the safety and dignity
of demonstrators.
The UNAMI team also made it clear
that protestors themselves were re-
sponsible for ensuring that their voices
were heard in accordance with the con-
fines of the law, and did not resort to
violence against the security forces nor
engage in the destruction of public and
private properties.
UNAMI recognises that amongst the
grievances raised by the protestors, the
issue of security of citizens’ livelihoods
in the face of the ongoing budgetary
crisis is paramount. The UNAMI repre-
sentatives reiterated the readiness of
the Mission, in the event of a request
UN casualty figures for Iraq for the month of December 2017
Baghdad, 02 January 2018 – A total
of 69 Iraqi civilians (not including po-
lice) were killed and another 142 in-
jured in acts of terrorism, violence and
armed conflict in Iraq in December
2017*, according to casualty figures
recorded by the United Nations Assis-
tance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). (This
compares with 63 civilians killed and
140 injured in November.)
Baghdad was the worst affected Gover-
norate, with 122 civilian casualties (24
killed, 98 injured). Salahaddin Gover-
norate followed, with 7 killed and 25
injured; and Kirkuk saw 15 killed and 6
injured. UNAMI has not been able to
obtain the civilian casualty figures from
the Anbar Health Department for the
month of December.
“Casualty figures for the month of De-
cember 2017 have remained at a simi-
lar level to November, which is disap-
pointing,” said the Special Representa-
tive of the United Nations Secretary-
General (SRSG) for Iraq, Mr. Ján Ku-
biš. “I very much hope that, as we move
in the new year, these figures will fall
rapidly as much-needed peace and sta-
bility return to Iraq.”
Overall, in 2017 UNAMI recorded 3298
civilians killed and 4781 civilians
wounded - excluding Anbar civilian
casualty figures for November and De-
cember, which are not available.
*CAVEATS: UNAMI has been limited
in effectively verifying casualties in
certain areas; in some cases, UNAMI
could only partially verify certain inci-
dents. For these reasons, the figures
reported have to be considered as the
absolute minimum.
from both parties, to use its good offices
to support negotiations between the
federal government in Baghdad and the
KRG, working within the framework of
the Iraqi constitution and focusing on
all pending issues, including but not
limited to the allocations in the federal
budget, the payment of salaries and
border controls, in response to the
needs of all Iraq’s citizens in the after-
math of the hard-won victory over ISIL.
The delegation inquired about the de-
tention of demonstrators by the author-
ities, and specifically about the treat-
ment of Shaswar Abdulwahid, leader of
the New Generation Movement, and
Rabun Maaruf, member of the Kurdi-
stan Regional Parliament. UNAMI
calls upon the authorities to conduct a
transparent and fair process to address
the activities of all those involved in the
use of violence or the incitement there-
of, within the confines of the law.
Basra, 01 November 2017 – The
United Nations Assistance Mission for
Iraq (UNAMI), jointly with UNWOM-
EN and in coordination with the Imple-
mentation and Follow Up National
Reconciliation Committee (IFNRC) of
the Office of Iraq’s Prime Minister, held
a consultative forum with women lead-
ers and members of the Basra, Muthan-
na, Thi Qar and Missan Provincial
Councils in Basra on 01 November
2017 with the focus on strengthening
women’s political participation. This is
the fourth such meeting within the
context of observing the Global Open
Day and the 17th Anniversary of UN
Security Council resolution 1325.
As in the previous consultative meet-
ings that were held in Karbala, Bagh-
dad and Erbil in October, the partici-
pants in Basra echoed the similar con-
cerns by women leaders across the
country. They noted the retrogression
of women’s participation in Iraq’s poli-
tics. They urged UNAMI and UNWOM-
EN to engage male champions to sup-
port women’s participation and to also
press the heads of political blocs and
political leaders to act in support of
women issues.
In her intervention, Ms. Yusra Naji,
Member of Missan Provincial Council,
decried male political leaders for mar-
ginalizing women. “The Iraqi society is
male dominated, women are not invited
to negotiations, they have no political
rights, they are not represented in the
Presidency, the Council of Representa-
tives presidency, there are only two
women Ministers, yet there is no legis-
lation preventing women from occupy-
ing these high level positions,” Ms. Naji
said.
Ms. Zahra al-Bachari, Member of Basra
Provincial Council, noted that “men can
help lead the charge with women in
enacting legislation that promotes
women’s rights, repealing laws and
policies that discriminate against wom-
On Open Day on UNSCR 1325, calls for men to champion and
support women’s participation in politics and in decision-making
Volume 4, Issue 6 Gender Page 26
en and limit opportunities. She further
added: “Women should be promoted to
leadership positions as we are observ-
ing the upcoming elections of both Pro-
vincial and Council of representatives,
elections we aim to have more women
represented in decision-making posi-
tions.”
Special Representative of the Secre-
tary-General (SRSG) for Iraq, Ján Ku-
biš, in remarks delivered by UNAMI
Director of Political Affairs, Manoj
Mathew, reiterated that Gender bal-
ance in Iraqi politics can only be
achieved if political leaders could work
side by side with women to share re-
sponsibility of breaking cultural norms
and practices as well as institutional,
structural and legal barriers that hin-
der women’s equal and meaningful
political participation.
“We need male champions, proactive
work by male champions, in partner-
ship with women is necessary to estab-
lish an environment that empowers
women’s political participation at all
levels of governance and decision-
making.”
“For the historic settlement and recon-
ciliation to succeed it must be inclusive.
This is critically important for the uni-
ty and stability of the country and
peaceful coexistence amongst all citi-
zens, components and minorities. Wom-
en – and youth - must be critical agents
of such positive change, in building a
new post-Daesh Iraq, in shaping the
future of the country for the genera-
tions to come,” the SRSG’s statement
said.
Mr. Kubiš acknowledged the efforts of
the Cross-Sector Task Force on the
implementation of the Iraq National
Action Plan on 1325, while stressing
that “it is time to strengthen the imple-
mentation of the participation pillar of
the Iraqi National Action Plan on the
Security Council Resolution 1325 which
reaffirms the important role of women
in the prevention and resolution of con-
flicts.”
UNAMI Gender Advisor, Ms. Mma-
batlharo Dihemo, emphasized that po-
litical leaders can support the advance-
ment of women in decision-making
bodies by advocating for temporary
special measures, promoting women to
leadership roles and ensuring woman
have equal career development oppor-
tunities.
UN WOMEN Representative in Iraq,
Ms. Dina Zorba, commended the gov-
ernment, civil society, and national and
international partners for continued
commitment to UNSCR 1325. Ms.
Zorba urged the government to work to
ensure gender issues are incorporated
in all democratization and nation-
building agendas, and called on the
UN, the government, and the Interna-
tional Community to continue to advo-
cate for and protect the rights of women
and girls. Ms. Zorba emphasized UN
commitment to refocusing its work
around women’s political participation
at all levels.
In the context of marking the 17th An-
niversary of UN SCR 1325 and the
Global Open Day, UNAMI and UN
WOMEN also organized in Karbala
capacity-building training on Basic
Mediation and Negotiation skills for
women leaders, Provincial Council
members and civil society representa-
tive from Karbala, Wassit, Najaf and
Diwaniya, (9-12 October). A similar
training was organised for women lead-
ers and activists, members of Provincial
On Open Day on UNSCR 1325, calls for men to champion and
support women’s participation in politics and in decision-making (continued)
Volume 4, Issue 6 Gender Page 27
Councils, district and sub-district coun-
cils from Basra, Missan, Thi Qar and
Muthana (29 October-1 November).
Both training programmes were jointly
organised and funded by UNAMI and
In the words of Pari Ibrahim: “Escaping ISIS is only the beginning,
we cannot leave them alone in that journey.”
Erbil, 15 November 2017 - Pari Ibra-
him, 27, is the founder and Executive
Director of the Free Yezidi Foundation
(FYF), an independent, non-profit or-
ganization that provides services for
women survivors of the violent ISIS
attacks on the Yezidi community, in the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The protract-
ed violence has impacted many, as Au-
gust 2017 marked the three-year anni-
versary of the genocidal ISIS attacks.
There are still thousands of Yezidi
women that are held captive by ISIS.
With support from the UN Trust Fund
to End Violence against Women (UN
Trust Fund), the Free Yezidi Founda-
tion is scaling up the trauma-response
component of the organization’s ser-
vices at their Centre in Dohuk. The
Centre is providing post-trauma care
and preparing women for employment
through livelihood training.
My people have suffered a lot at the
hands of ISIS. If you were a man, you
were shot. If you were a woman, you
were taken away as a sex slave to Mo-
sul in Iraq or Raqqa in Syria. These
women have suffered enormous trau-
ma. They have been raped many times
a day by different men. That’s why I
started the Free Yezidi Foundation—to
get trauma care for women and girls so
that they can start living their lives
again.
Where I come from, people don’t go to
the doctor for mental health issues.
Deep inside, they [survivors] are suffer-
ing immensely, also because of the as-
sociated social stigma that implies it is
[somehow] their fault that they aren’t
virgins, that they can’t marry. In the
beginning, a lot of these women and
girls committed suicide.
Our women’s centre is a safe space and
a refuge for women and girls who have
survived the horrors of ISIS. We pro-
vide post-trauma experts from outside
Iraq so that the women and girls can
talk to them without shame and fur-
ther stigmatization.
We bring the women and girls to the
centre for counselling sessions and visit
them in their homes. We also talk to
their family members. And slowly, I see
that they are becoming stronger and
healthier. All of our staff at the centre
are IDP’s (Internally Displaced Per-
sons) themselves who have been
trained to provide psychological sup-
port. Many of the women survivors look
up to us, working in the centre, because
we are women.
In the three years since we started the
centre, we’ve already seen a lot of
change in the women and girls who
have received support. They now ex-
press what they feel. You see them be-
ing more active, you see them in
groups, and you see them making
friends—and that makes a big differ-
ence, because the social integration is
so important for healing. You also see
their posture has changed—women and
girls are holding their heads up rather
than down.
We have more than 100 women under-
going psychological treatment for a
minimum of three months. Those who
need further treatment, can come back
for weekly conversations with their
therapist.
At Free Yezidi Foundation, we are led
by Yezidi women and we are here to
show survivors the possibilities of a
new life, out of the shadows of shame
and trauma. Escaping ISIS is only the
beginning of a painful journey for many
Yezidi women. We cannot leave them
alone in that journey.”
UN WOMEN under the UN Depart-
ment of Political Affairs (DPA) and UN
WOMEN gender and mediation strate-
gy.
Baghdad, 1 November 2017 – The
United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) published today the “Gender
Based Violence Assessment in Conflict
Affected Governorates in Iraq” report.
The Report starts with the Executive
Summary that presents information
about organization of the Assessment
and brief account of the findings. First
section of the Report, titled Background
to the Assessment features the descrip-
tion of goals, objectives, scope of the
study, limitation of the study and its
methodology. The Report’s second sec-
tion, Background to humanitarian cri-
sis in Iraq, offers the overview of the
armed conflict and humanitarian crisis
in Iraq. The section contains infor-
mation on the main characteristics of
GBV in Iraq and the way it was affect-
ed by armed conflict and forced dis-
placement. The third section of the
Report, titled Main Findings, presents
the account of the key findings revealed
by the Assessment. The section consists
of four sub-sections. Each sub-section
presents a response to the four (4) re-
search questions. Each sub-section
starts with specific research question,
then presents the Assessment findings
relevant to that particular question.
The report’s final section, titled Recom-
mendations, features recommendations
to address the gaps and challenges
identified in the course of the Assess-
ment.
The Report includes one Addendum,
which presents the connections be-
tween the risk of GBV and residence
t y p e u s e d b y I D P s / r e f ug e e s
(information derived from the focus
group discussions and key informant
interviews).
The Report can be downloaded at:
http://iraq.unfpa.org/en/publications/gb
v - as s e s s me nt - c o n f l i c t - a f f e c te d -
governorates-iraq
The Gender Based Violence assessment in conflict affected
governorates in Iraq
Erbil, 20 November 2017 - In view of
the upcoming 2018 Iraqi and Kurdistan
elections, the UNAMI Electoral Assis-
tance Office in Erbil organized a work-
shop as an initial step to liaise and
engage with Women NGOs based in
Workshop on women’s participation in the electoral process held in
Erbil
Volume 4, Issue 6 Gender Page 28
Erbil.
Representatives from six NGOs attend-
ed the meeting. The main objectives of
the workshop were to review and dis-
cuss the major obstacles to women’s
participation in Electoral and political
Standing tall like a Baobab
Baghdad, 28 November 2017 - ‘There
are lots of setbacks in life, but what
matters is standing up again’, said 33-
year-old Gender-Based Violence survi-
vor Cojine*. ‘I want to tell women that
they have a choice and that they can
turn their lives around’.
Violence against women and girls re-
mains one of the most prevalent human
and women rights violations in the
world where many continue to be sub-
jected to verbal, psychological, physical
and economic forms of violence and
abuse. In Iraq, at least 36 percent of
married women are reportedly experi-
encing psychological abuse from their
husbands, 23 percent experiencing ver-
bal abuse, 6 percent facing physical
violence, and 9 percent are subjected to
sexual violence, according to a 2012
study conducted by the Iraqi Ministry
of Planning.
Cojine has been married for four years
now. When her parents passed away,
she relied on her brothers for financial
support. However, her brothers wanted
to build families of their own, therefore,
she accepted a marriage proposal from
a classmate she had met through a
third party. ‘I thought this could be my
new beginning and I could start a new
life with someone who is educated and
can provide a safe home’, she explained.
‘The problems started a couple of
months into our marriage… Every time
we would have an argument, my hus-
band would go to his family and com-
plain about me. They would interfere
only to make the situation worse. I kept
telling him that this was not the right
way to work on our marital problems,
but he wouldn’t listen. He wouldn’t
even spend any money on vital house-
hold appliances, our home, the safe
haven I imagined for him and me. I
repeatedly asked him to spend some
time together as husband and wife, to
go out and do activities like any other
couple, but he would refuse and would
instead ask me to stay with my family
for a week. When I used to protest, I
would get physically abused; he would
sometimes hit me and punch me. He
once hit me so hard on my face that I
now have a hearing impairment’, she
added. ‘I felt like a prisoner in my own
home, I was hopeless and didn’t know
what to do so I cried myself to sleep for
long nights’.
Cojine was also subjected to psychologi-
cal abuse through continuous threats
from her husband to divorce her – a
taboo subject in Cojine’s community.
“As you know, divorce is negatively
perceived in our community; people will
spread rumors, blame me, and consider
me a woman with no honor’, she said.
“He used to tell me that he didn’t want
me and preferred to spend his time
with his friends. I left the house many
times but then he would come back
with his family and convince me to re-
turn”.
When things got worse, Cojine consid-
ered committing suicide. She left the
house again. Nine months later, she
heard about the UNFPA-supported
Women Centre in Bnaslawa, in Erbil.
She visited the centre a couple of times
and when she felt she could trust social
workers there, she shared her painful
story and informed them that she
wished to get a divorce: ‘I was deter-
mined to get a divorce. I was emotional-
ly damaged, I was broken, I was disre-
spected and I needed to get out of the
toxic marriage. I was depressed that I
started losing hair, got skin irritation
and started taking anti-depressants’.
‘A few days later, I sat with a lawyer to
discuss my case but he told me that it
had no ground since I did not have any
physical evidence or medical reports of
the abuse. My brother wanted to re-
solve the issue through the traditional
way. My family-in-law kept asking me
to go back to my husband. I eventually
did but on the condition that I keep
going to the Women Centre”, she said.
‘The centre provided me with a space to
breath; they listened to me, gave ma
advice and provided me with infor-
mation about my rights. They helped
me see things from a different perspec-
tive. The awareness sessions I attended
showed me that I do not have to be the
victim and that I can make a change.
They taught me how to handle my
problems in a healthy way and avoid
depression. I now work at the centre
and I help other women deal with their
problems. I listen to them and share
my experience with them’, she happily
shared.
‘I have now returned home. My hus-
band no longer sees me as the weak
kind, he now respects me as he sees
how confident I have become. Nowa-
days, I feel empowered. This job is a
dream come true, I can have time for
myself and I have a new income. It
changed my life; now I can socialize
with women and learn from them and
their experience’, she concludes.
* Name change for privacy and protec-
tion
processes, and to brainstorm on how to
increase women’s participation in these
areas. Similar workshops are being
planned for the first half of December
to be held in Dohuk and Suleymania.
Erbil, 30 November 2017 - On Mon-
day 27th of November, the KRG High
Council of Women Affairs in collabora-
tion with the United Nations Popula-
tion Fund (UNFPA) as a main partner,
and under the auspices of his H.E Mr.
Nechirvan Barzani the Prime Minister
of Kurdistan Regional Government,
launched the national Campaign of 16
Days of Activism Combating Violence
against Women in Erbil, Kurdistan
region in Iraq.
Under the overarching theme, ‘Leave
No One Behind: End Violence against
Women and Girls”, representatives
from Kurdistan Parliament, Council of
Ministers, the Board of Human Rights,
diplomatic missions, United Nations
agencies and civil society all attended
the event honoring women who were
subjected to violence and calling for a
non-violent Kurdistan.
Speakers emphasized the importance of
protecting women and young girls from
different forms of violence. Prime Min-
ister Barzani said: ‘Over the past 25
years, we worked incessantly on women
rights and social policies in the Kurdi-
stan Region, because we do believe that
establishing and maintaining security,
equality and justice will form the prin-
cipal groundwork and the best gateway
towards a peaceful and prosperous life’.
Representing the United Nations agen-
cies in Iraq, Mr. Ramanathan Bala-
Kurdistan Region and the UN launch the 16 Days of Activism
campaign
Volume 4, Issue 6 Gender Page 29
krishnan, the UNFPA Representative
in Iraq, highlighted the importance of
prioritizing the end of violent practices
in Kurdistan: ‘Along with harmful prac-
tices, such as child marriage and fe-
male genital mutilation, gender-based
violence robs women and girls of their
futures and undermine their health
and well-being. We call on the regional
government, civil society and communi-
ties to continue prioritizing the end of
violence and harmful practices against
women in Kurdistan’. The UNFPA Rep-
resentative also reminded the duty
bearers on the unfinished task of locat-
ing the Yazidi girls and women who are
yet unaccounted and securing their
release.
In her speech, Ms. Pakhshan Zangana
the Secretary-General of the Kurdistan
High Council of Women Affairs enu-
merated achievements of women on the
16 Days of Activism meeting focuses on expanding women’s political
space in Iraq
Baghdad, 6 December 2017 –The
United Nations pressed at a meeting in
the context of the 16 Days of Activism
for expanding the space for women in
State institutions, political parties,
economic and social life and for en-
hanced and effective protection of their
rights.
The meeting in Erbil on 4 December
was organized jointly by the United
Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq
(UNAMI) and the High Council for
Women Affairs of the Kurdistan Re-
gional Government, with the focus on
the participation and representation of
women in decision-making positions. It
was held as a follow-up to the recom-
mendations of the Global Open Day on
UNSCR 1325 on the role of political
parties in advancing women represen-
tation and participation in the political,
electoral and peace processes.
The meeting was co-chaired by Special
Representative of the Secretary-
General (SRSG) for Iraq, Mr. Ján Ku-
biš, and Ms. Pakshan Zangana, Secre-
tary-General of the High Council for
Women Affairs. Participation included
Minister Falah Al-Mustafa, Head of the
Foreign Relations Department of the
KRG, Adnan Mufti, former Speaker of
the KRG Parliament, as well as women
leaders and heads of political blocs in
the KR-I Parliament.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Zangana
said “The role of women in politics is
receding. Political leaders must show
commitment and create conducive envi-
ronment for the effective and meaning-
ful participation of women in peace
negotiations to unite the country.”
Mr. Kubiš urged political leaders to
defend and protect the political, eco-
nomic, social and legal space for wom-
en, to prevent obstacles hindering wom-
en’s participation in political life, nota-
bly now in the pre-election period. He
underlined that “Representation of
women in different leading positions
political, diplomatic and judicial
spheres in the region noting that the
challenges to protect women and girls
persist requiring stronger cooperation
between the government and its part-
ners. Acknowledging the support of
UNFPA, she mentioned ‘More needs to
be done to ensure a protective environ-
ment for women in Kurdistan where all
their rights are achieved and enjoy
equal opportunities to enhance their
skills and participate effectively in dif-
ferent aspects of life’.
The Consuls of the United States,
France, and Germany and the Head of
the European Delegation in Kurdistan
also called for protecting women and
girls from violence, including child mar-
riage.
The conference concluded with an exhi-
bition of handicraft work by gender-
based violence survivors.
will give women a stronger voice in
guiding the work of political parties, of
the parliament, and the government.
This should start with women occupy-
ing leadership positions within political
party structures.”
UNAMI continues to argue against
progressing regress of women’s rights
in Iraq to urge political leaders not to
erode or dismantle the rights guaran-
teed by the Constitution and current
legislation notably as regards the pro-
posed amendments to the Personal
Status Law in Baghdad.
Participants recognized that depriva-
tion of families, lack of economic em-
powerment and economic future, breeds
Gender-Based Violence. They called for
broad legal and political reforms and
recommended amending the political
party’s law to ensure representation of
women in decision-making positions
within political party structures. They
called for meaningful representation of
women in Baghdad – Erbil negotia-
tions. They also recommended develop-
ing an inclusive country policy to pro-
mote women at all levels, including
minorities, and reiterated calls for ac-
countability and justice for the crimes
committed against women and girls by
ISIL (Daesh) to accelerate the reconcili-
ation process.
Mr. Kubiš reiterated that the UN will
continue supporting the Government of
Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Govern-
ment to advance women, peace and
16 Days of Activism meeting focuses on expanding women’s
political space in Iraq (continued)
Volume 4, Issue 6 Gender Page 30
security agenda in Iraq and support the
implementation of the national action
plan on UNSCR 1325.
In a related event, in Baghdad on 9
December 2017 UNFPA and its part-
ners organized a bicycle rally, where
music and theater acts were performed.
Participants called for the end of vio-
lence against women in Iraq.
And in Mosul on 10 December 2017 on
Human Rights Day, which coincides
with the end of the 16 Days of Activism
campaign, UNFPA partners organized
an awareness event advocating for hu-
mans’ rights, especially women and
girls.
UN Women conference "Inclusion modalities: strengthening women’s
influence in peace processes" held in Amman
Amman, 13 December 2017 - The
representatives of UNAMI and of the
UN Department of Political Affairs Iraq
desk participated at a UN Women or-
ganised conference entitled "Inclusion
Modalities: Strengthening Women’s
Influence in Peace Processes". The con-
ference was held in Amman, Jordan
from 12 to 13 December 2017 with
funding/support of the German Federal
Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development.
The meeting aimed to contribute to-
ward peace-building in the Middle East
and North Africa (MENA) region by
enhancing modalities of women’s inclu-
sion for their greater participation and
influence in high-level peace and tran-
sition processes.
The conference brought together ap-
proximately 65 participants, including
women who are engaged in peace pro-
cesses for Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yem-
en, representatives from the UN and
other international organisations, gov-
ernment officials, as well as non-
governmental actors from the focus
countries. Women and other key actors
involved in recent peace processes
around the world, namely the Philip-
pines and South Sudan, as well as in
Guatemala, Nepal, and South Africa
were also present.
The participants hailed progress in
Iraq within the MENA region on ad-
vancing inclusion of women in political
and reconciliation processes as they
identified Iraq as a good practice exam-
ple within the MENA region. The Iraqi
delegation praised the UN role in ad-
vancing inclusion in Iraq.
UNICEF started the marking of the 16
Days of Activism to end violence
against women and girls on 26 Novem-
ber in Sulimaniya.
In Dohuk on 6 December 2017 UNICEF
and partners celebrated 16 Days of
Activism by highlighting work done by
survivors of gender based violence.
These women are in programs run by
our partners at Norwegian People's Aid
and Sewan Women’s Empowerment
Organization and they participated
along with International Rescue Com-
mittee, Harikar NGO, Zakho Small
Villages Project, and Women Survivors
Center supported by UNFPA Iraq.
Baghdad, 18 December 2017 - On
Sunday 17th of December, the United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in
Iraq under the auspices of Dr. Salim
Al-Juburi, Speaker of the Iraqi Parlia-
ment and in collaboration with the
General Secretariat of the Iraqi Council
of Ministers, the local Directorate of
NGOs, organized an advocacy ceremo-
ny to address gender-based violence at
the Iraqi Parliament hall.
The ceremony was attended by repre-
sentatives of the Council of Ministers,
the Parliament, the United Nations
Agencies, the American and Dutch em-
bassies, the Civil Society, and members
of the public.
Addressing the audience, Mr. Al-
Jubouri emphasized on the price Iraqi
women had to pay during the war
against terrorism and the sacrifices
they gave. “Iraqi women, especially
Yazidi women, faced many injustices
because of terrorism and paid a colossal
price in that way. (…) It is our duty to
find the proper environment that will
do them and their sacrifices justice and
protect their dignity.
Mr. Al-Jabouri also paid his respect to
the critical role Yazidis’ supreme lead-
er, Khurto Hajji Ismail, known as Baba
Sheikh, played in facilitating the long-
term recovery and reintegration of
women survivors in their own commu-
nity.
On his part, the UNFPA Deputy Repre-
sentative, Mr. Nestor Owomuhangi,
spoke about UNFPA’s role during the
crises and the services the Fund provid-
ed to women affected by the violence.
“Through the Women Centres, UNFPA
has successfully reached out, in the
past 2 years, to more than 286,000
women and girls with gender-based
violence services. The Fund has also
supported the Department of Health in
Dohuk in establishing and operate a
center which provides comprehensive
UNFPA advocates for women’s rights from the Iraqi Parliament
Volume 4, Issue 6 Gender Page 31
medical, mental health and psychoso-
cial care, and the same model of this
centre has been replicated in Amriyet
al-Fallujah in Anbar governorate.”
Mr. Owomuhangi reiterated UNFPA
support for the post-Daesh period and
called for the endorsement and imple-
mentation of the law to protect families
from domestic violence. “Our pursuit of
gender equality and justice continues
even after the retake of all the Iraqi
territory from Daesh. In the process of
peace-building, stabilization, and recon-
struction, having a legal framework to
protect dignity and safety of women
and girls is of great importance.”
The Prime minister’s office, the Parlia-
ment and UNFPA also honored Baba
Sheikh for his critical role in support-
ing Yazidi survivors of sexual violence
exerted by the Da’esh. Baba Sheikh’s
declaration and fatwa in 2014 on wel-
coming Yazidi women who had been
enslaved by Da’esh back to the commu-
nity was a revolutionary step forward
towards supporting gender-based vio-
lence survivors and challenging the
victim shaming and blaming.
After receiving his award, Baba Sheikh
thanked the Iraqi Parliament, UNFPA,
and the Government of Kurdistan Re-
gion of Iraq for all the support they
provided to Yazidi women, especially
the survivors of Daesh’ reign of terror.
He also insisted on the importance of
ending all kinds of gender-based vio-
lence and enabling a law that protects
women’s rights. The prominent figured
praised the strength of the Yazidi wom-
en and called for action to rescue wom-
en and girls who are still missing.
At the end of the ceremony, Mr.
Owomuhangi on behalf of the NGO
Directorate, the General-Secretariat of
the Council of Ministers, the United
Nations Population Fund, and the Civil
Society representatives presented to
the Speaker of Parliament a statement
in support of swift endorsement of the
law to protect families from domestic
violence.
arena. Ms Dihemo said that “despite
the explicit goal to promote women’s
participation, as envisaged in the Iraq
National Action Plan (INAP), women’s
direct political participation in national
reconciliation has continued to remain
low and this needs to be recognized and
addressed”.
She mentioned that she met with politi-
cal leaders in Baghdad, Erbil and Sul-
eymania and discussed ways to
strengthen the participation of women
in decision making and political pro-
cesses. Ms Dihemo assured that UN-
AMI and UNWOMEN will work with
all stakeholders to ensure the estab-
lishment of measures and legal frame-
works that guarantee the participation
of women in all three arms of the gov-
ernment, particularly the judiciary
where women are underrepresented;
and in national and community recon-
ciliation processes; cabinet and govern-
ment institutions.
Baghdad, 22 December 2017 – An
advanced training to enhance the nego-
tiation and mediation skills of local
civil society groups and women leaders,
organized by the United Nations Assis-
tance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and
UN Women, concluded in Baghdad on
20 December with calls for increased
participation of women and civil society
groups in community reconciliation,
national reconciliation and historic
settlement.
The training was a follow-up to the
basic training and workshop delivered
to the same participants in October
2016. The workshop aimed at training
women leaders to be effective mediators
and facilitators. It also focused on the
important role women can play in peace
building, negotiations and political
processes. Similar training and work-
shops have been delivered to 60 women
leaders, human rights defenders, mem-
bers of provincial, district and sub dis-
UNAMI training ends with a call to strengthen the capacities of
women to participate meaningfully in national reconciliation and
historic settlement process
Volume 4, Issue 6 Gender Page 32
tricts councils in the Southern Gover-
norates of Missan, Karbala, Najaf, Bas-
ra, Wasit and Babil.
Women leaders at the workshop em-
phasized their readiness to UNAMI/
UNWOMEN to advocate for their full
participation and to offer them opportu-
nities to participate in negotiations and
reconciliation alongside their male
counterparts. They agreed to form net-
works within their communities to ad-
dress post Daesh issues like trust
building among affected communities,
de-radicalization of violent extremism
as well as reconciling communities.
They urged the UN to support their
efforts towards rebuilding broken com-
munities in the aftermath of the con-
flict with Daesh. They also urged the
UN to strengthen women’s participa-
tion in the negotiations and political
arena which was limited for women.
Speaking at the closing session of the
four-day training, Ms. Mmabatlharo
Nono Dihemo, Gender Advisor for UN-
AMI stressed the importance of
strengthening the capacities of women
to participate meaningfully in national
reconciliation and historic settlement.
Ms. Dihemo said: “Limited progress has
been made towards increasing women
representation in negotiation and medi-
ation processes in Iraq. One of the rea-
sons attributed to this is the belief by
some that women lack the confidence
and capacity to participate in such pro-
cesses aimed at shaping the future of
the country”.
However, Iraqi women are resilient,
and have shown that they are capable
of leading and influencing the political
Training of human rights activists, journalists and representatives
of Iraqi civil society organizations on human rights held in Baghdad
Baghdad, 31 October 2017 - The Hu-
man Rights Office of the United Na-
tions Assistance Mission for Iraq
(UNAMI) organized a training on 26
October 2017, for thirty-three human
rights activists, journalists and repre-
sentatives of Iraqi civil society organi-
zations.
Training sessions covered transitional
justice, the protection of civilians, and
Iraq’s Human Rights National Action
Plan to implement the Universal Peri-
odic Review recommendations of the
UN Human Rights Council. The train-
ing broadened the participants’
knowledge of methods of interaction
with national and international human
rights mechanisms.
It also strengthened their skills in mon-
itoring and reporting on human rights
violations and abuses. Many partici-
pants remarked that the training was
informative, interesting, and useful for
their work.
Geneva, 2 November 2017 – A UN
report concludes that the so-called Is-
lamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL/Daesh) perpetrated serious and
systematic violations that amount to
“international crimes” during the nine-
month military campaign to liberate
Mosul City in Iraq.
The report, published on Thursday by
the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq
(UNAMI) and the Office of the UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR), is based on direct witness
testimony, and documents mass abduc-
tions of civilians, the use of thousands
as human shields, the intentional
shelling of civilian residences, and in-
discriminate targeting of civilians try-
ing to flee the city.
In July 2017 Iraqi Security Forces (ISF)
and affiliated armed groups retook the
city which had fallen under the control
of ISIL in June 2014.
“During the course of the operation to
retake Mosul City thousands of civil-
ians were subjected to shocking human
rights abuses and clear violations of
international humanitarian law,” said
the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein. “The
execution-style killing of civilians, the
suffering inflicted on families, and the
wanton destruction of property can
never be tolerated in any armed con-
flict, and those responsible must an-
swer for their heinous crimes.”
The report recounts that early in No-
vember 2016, in areas of Mosul under
ISIL control, members of the group
used loud speakers to announce that
residents of areas retaken by the ISF
were considered as “legitimate targets”
because of their ‘failure’ to fight against
Government forces.
“This so-called ‘fatwa’ was accompanied
by a sustained campaign of ISIL at-
tacks on eastern Mosul that directly
targeted civilians,” the report states.
“Tactics included shelling, use of impro-
vised explosive devices (IEDs) and
shooting fleeing civilians.”
The Special Representative of the UN
Secretary-General (SRSG) for Iraq, Ján
Kubiš, said the report documents evi-
dence of the mass atrocities committed
by ISIL against civilians and Mosul
itself, a city they claimed as their capi-
tal but for which, in reality, they
sought its ultimate and deliberate de-
struction.
“Daesh’s reign of terror has spared no
one, inflicting untold suffering on un-
armed residents whose only guilt is
that they lived in the areas under
ISIL’s control. Their evil acts did not
UN report on liberation of Mosul: ISIL members should face
“international crimes” charges
Volume 4, Issue 6 Human Rights Page 33
stop at killing and terrorising resi-
dents, as they wantonly destroyed cul-
tural and religious monuments, includ-
ing the city’s iconic leaning minaret Al-
Hadba, in total disregard of history and
Islam, the religion this terrorist organi-
sation falsely claimed to represent.”
The report called on the international
community, including the UN Security
Council and the Human Rights Coun-
cil, to take action to ensure that those
responsible for international crimes
such as genocide, crimes against hu-
manity and war crimes are held ac-
countable.
At least 2,521 civilians were killed dur-
ing the military operation, mostly as a
result of ISIL attacks, the report found,
including 741 people who were execut-
ed. Another 1,673 were wounded. Addi-
tionally, as of 26 October 2017, the Civ-
il Defence Corps reported that they had
recovered the remains of 1,642 civilians
from underneath rubble in Mosul.
Large numbers of the city’s civilian
population were forced to flee as a re-
sult of the military operations. As of 11
July, 137,339 families (824,034 individ-
uals) were displaced.
The report noted that since 2014, at
least 74 mass graves had been discov-
ered in areas previously held by ISIL in
Iraq. The number of bodies contained in
these locations varied greatly, from a
few bodies to possibly thousands. The
report called on the Government of Iraq
to ensure the protection of mass graves,
and for due care to be taken to preserve
evidence of crimes committed to assist
in identifying the perpetrators.
The report also urged Iraqi authorities
to investigate alleged violations and
human rights abuses by ISF and associ-
ated forces during the military opera-
tion. It recorded 461 civilian deaths as
a result of airstrikes during the most
intensive phase of the ISF-led offensive
from 19 February. In almost all cases,
UNAMI/OHCHR could not determine
the responsibility for the airstrikes, but
the report urged that all civilian casu-
alties in which the international com-
munity was involved be thoroughly
investigated and the results made pub-
lic.
It also called on the Government of Iraq
and the Kurdistan Regional Govern-
ment to ensure that crimes committed
in connection to the armed conflict are
subject to the jurisdiction of national
courts and tribunals. It urged Iraq to
introduce amendments to national leg-
islation to grant domestic jurisdiction
over international crimes and to accept
the International Criminal Court’s ju-
risdiction with respect to the specific
situation Iraq is facing, as an immedi-
ate step.
The report stated that by prosecuting
those responsible for “international
crimes” in Mosul the Iraqi authorities
would be sending a message to the peo-
ple of Iraq who have suffered, no mat-
ter when or where, that justice is even-
tually delivered.
It added that ensuring justice would be
vital to the process of rebuilding trust
between communities in Iraq, and the
key to lasting reconciliation in the
country.
Access full report at
http://www.uniraq.org/images/factsheet
s_reports/Mosul_report%2017Oct2016-
10Jul201731%20October_2017.pdf
sues statements on the killing of media
workers in line with Resolution 29
adopted by UNESCO Member States at
the Organization’s General Conference
of 1997, entitled “Condemnation of Vio-
lence against Journalists.” These state-
ments are posted on a dedicated
webpage, UNESCO condemns the kill-
ing of journalists.
those commitments. It could also in-
crease divisions at a time when Iraq is
recovering from the impact of the con-
flict with Da’esh as well as conflict-
related sexual violence,” Patten and
Gamba added. They further noted that
these proposed legal amendments
could lead to possible breaches of
Iraq’s legally binding commitments
under the Convention on the Elimina-
tion of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) as well as
the Convention on the Rights of the
Child.
SRSG Patten and Gamba concluded by
strongly “urging the Government of
Iraq to reconsider these proposed
amendments to the Personal Status
Law” and reaffirming their commit-
ment “to stand with both the Govern-
ment and people of Iraq to ensure that
the scourge of sexual violence is elimi-
nated and that children affected by
armed conflict are protected.”
protection from and service response
to sexual violence crimes.’
My Office was repeatedly assured by
H.E. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi
and the Speaker of the Council of Rep-
resentatives Salim al-Jabouri that the
fulfilment of each of the pillars of the
Joint Communiqué are essential to
Iraq’s post-Da’esh reconstruction,”
SRSG Patten stated.
“The boys and girls of Iraq, already
victims of grave violations resulting
from years of conflict, are now at risk
of being deprived of their childhood.
The Government of Iraq must take all
necessary actions to protect every
child by preventing the adoption of
policies that can harm children al-
ready exposed to armed conflict,”
SRSG Gamba added.
“The Iraqi Council of Representative’s
approval in principle of a draft law
that does not explicitly set the mini-
mum age of marriage to eighteen-
years- for both women and men would
represent a significant step back from
United Nations values.
Women and girls in Iraq have suffered
violations of their basic human rights
and violence in armed conflict, in par-
ticular under the terrorist group Daesh.
They aspire that the realization of their
rights should be prioritized with a view
to achieving equality with men. This
requires a comprehensive understand-
ing of legal and judicial remedies that
sometimes hinder the realization of this
equality. There is also a dire need for
legal and institutional strategies to
eliminate discrimination against wom-
en and girls.
“I call upon the Council of Representa-
tives to seize this opportunity of the
process to amend the Personal Status
Law, repeatedly criticized by the Unit-
ed Nations treaty bodies, and conduct a
wider consultation on the draft amend-
ments in a participatory manner to
recommit to and ensure the full respect,
protection and fulfillment of women
and girls’ rights in Iraq in relation to
matrimonial and other matters,” Spe-
cial Representative of the Secretary-
General for Iraq Ján Kubiš said.
Paris, 03 November 2017 - The Direc-
tor-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova,
today called for an investigation into
the killing of television cameraman
Arkan Sharifi in the Iraqi city of
Daquq, in the Governorate of Kirkuk,
on 30 October.
“I condemn the murder of Arkan Shari-
fi,” said the Director-General. “In the
interest of defending both freedom of
UNESCO Director-General condemns assassination of journalist
Arkan Sharifi in Iraq
Volume 4, Issue 6 Human Rights Page 34
expression and freedom of information,
I urge the authorities to investigate
this crime and take all legal steps
available to end violence against the
media.”
In the early hours of 30 October, armed
men broke into the home of Kurdistan
Television camera operator Arkan
Sharifi and killed him.
The Director-General of UNESCO is-
Baghdad, 09 November 2017 – In
response to the public reaction to the
draft law amending the Personal Sta-
tus Law Number 188 of 1959, the Unit-
ed Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq
(UNAMI) believes that inclusive and
wide consultations over these amend-
ments are necessary to ensure women’s
rights are fully respected and protect-
ed.
Attaining equality between women and
men and eliminating all forms of dis-
crimination against women and girls
are fundamental human rights and
UNAMI urges wider consultation on Draft law amending Personal
Status Law to ensure respect and protection of women’s rights
New York, 4 December 2017 - The
Special Representatives of the United
Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) on
Sexual Violence in Conflict (SVC),
Pramila Patten, and for Children and
Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba urged
Iraq to reconsider the draft amend-
ments to the Personal Status Law that
alter fundamentally the legal provi-
sions governing marriage. It is a mat-
ter of concern that these draft amend-
ments are silent on the minimum age
of consent to marriage and do not ap-
ply to all components of Iraqi society.
“On 23 September 2016, H.E. Dr. Ibra-
him Al-Eshaiker Al-Jaffari, the Minis-
ter of Foreign Affairs of the Republic
of Iraq, signed with the United Na-
tions a Joint Communiqué formally
committing to prevent and address
conflict-related sexual violence in the
wake of Da’esh’s sexual violence
crimes that shocked the world’s con-
science. One of the key pillars of the
Joint Communiqué is to ‘support legis-
lative and policy reform to strengthen
Joint statement by the Special Representatives of the Secretary
General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and for Children and Armed
Conflict regarding proposed amendments to the Iraqi Personal
Status Law
program with an advanced “training of
trainers” in the near future.
Dohuk, 13 November 2017 – The
United Nations Assistance Mission for
Iraq (UNAMI) Human Rights Office
launched a training course in Dohuk
for journalists, media workers and civil
society activists in the field of freedom
of opinion and expression in the Kurdi-
stan Region of Iraq.
This training course, which took place
on 12 – 13 November, was entitled
Freedom of Opinion and Expression
and its Role in Promoting Reconcilia-
tion, Harmony and the Protection of
Human Rights for Journalists & Media
Workers in Kurdistan Region – Iraq.
The two-day training course was in-
tended to enhance the knowledge of
journalists and media workers about
the United Nations human rights pro-
tection system and mechanisms and
laws relating to freedom of opinion and
expression in Iraq and the Kurdistan
Region. The course also examined ethi-
cal principles for media relating to re-
porting on human rights violations and
Freedom of expression training takes place in Dohuk
Volume 4, Issue 6 Human Rights Page 35
the role of the media in promoting pub-
lic discourse in line with human rights
values and principles.
Twenty-nine (29) participants (13 wom-
en and 16 men), including journalists,
media workers and civil society activ-
Human rights training for teachers in Kurdistan Erbil, 16 November 2017 - the United
Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq
(UNAMI) Human Rights Office (HRO)
in cooperation with the Ministry of
Education in Kurdistan Region of Iraq
organized a four-day training course in
Erbil for 23 teacher, including 9 fe-
males, during 13 – 16 November on
human rights education.
This was the second in a series of cours-
es organized by HRO and supported by
the Flemish Government and the Min-
istry of Education in the Kurdistan
Region of Iraq (KR-I).
Mr. Yousif Othman, Director-General
of the Planning Department in Minis-
try of Education in KR-I welcomed the
training, which targets Public School
teachers in KR-I. He also highlighted
the importance of mainstreaming hu-
man rights principles in the curricula
and teaching methods and techniques.
Ms. Shahla Saeed, Human Rights Edu-
cation Project Manager at HRO empha-
sized the role of teachers in influencing
students’ attitudes in line with human
rights values and fundamental free-
doms in schools.
The overall goal of the training focused
on raising awareness of teachers and
supervisors of secondary schools on
human rights education in Erbil Gover-
norate and its surroundings and dis-
tricts (Soran, Koya, Khabat, Makhmour
and Shaqlawa).
ists in the field of human rights and
freedom of expression participated in
the training, representing newspapers,
TV channels, radio stations and news
websites in the Kurdistan Region of
Iraq.
Mr. Hemn Mamand a freelancer stated
“raising awareness about human rights
values and violations by journalists
leads to building healthy and produc-
tive social members, for it is media that
mainly shapes the way people think in
the world today.”
On his side, Mr. Hazhar Anwar a Re-
porter with KNN TV highly described
the content of the course as being time-
ly: “Kurdish society is desperately in
need of embracing the values and prin-
ciples highlighted in this course. Both
journalists and audiences have to adopt
the notional interpretations of human
rights in order to get along with inter-
national media standards while ad-
dressing varieties of violations and
values.”
Dohuk, 7 December 2017 - Enhanc-
ing human rights education for stu-
dents in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
was the focus of a three-day training
course for 24 secondary school teachers
in Dohuk.
The training course, held 3-5 Decem-
ber, was the fourth in a series of train-
ing courses on human rights education
organized by the United Nations Assis-
tance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Hu-
man Rights Office (HRO). The project is
in cooperation with the Ministry of
Education of the Kurdistan Region of
Iraq. Financial support was provided
by the Government of Flanders.
Human Rights Education training for
teachers in Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
The training sessions focused on devel-
oping teachers’ expertise with regard to
human rights concepts and terminolo-
gies, including women’s and children’s
rights, as well as methods of teaching
and preparing lessons on human rights
values and principles. The participants,
who came from all over Dohuk Gover-
norate and included eight women, prac-
ticed developing and delivering lessons
for each other on these topics.
Mr. Omar Ali Taha, Director-General of
the General Directorate of Education
for Dohuk Governorate, noted with
thanks that the training will help make
students better informed on human
rights values and principles.
HRO plans to continue the training
Human Rights education training for teachers in Kurdistan Region
of Iraq
Baghdad/Geneva, 27 November
2017 - The Government of Iraq must
ensure that the military defeat of ISIL
translates into a victory for accounta-
bility and an end to impunity, the UN
Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial,
summary or arbitrary executions, Ag-
nes Callamard, has urged after an offi-
cial mission.
“As the military threats from ISIL re-
cede, the country has now entered a
transitional phase which is both com-
plex and fragile, presenting the oppor-
tunity to break with the past,” said Ms.
Callamard in a statement at the end of
her first visit to the country.
“There is a risk that old tensions arise
where these have not been mended,
and that grievances that were set aside
for the duration of the conflict may
return.”
Of the many urgent issues to be dealt
with, Ms. Callamard urged the Govern-
ment to ensure that all illegal depriva-
tions of life – including those not relat-
ed to the conflict - are promptly investi-
gated, and the perpetrators brought to
justice.
“The Iraqi people have been subjected
to inconceivable suffering at the hands
of ISIL,” said the UN expert, whose
visit took place from 14 to 23 November
2017.
“Justice for victims demands that the
possible crimes against humanity be
investigated. I welcome the govern-
ment’s commitment to this. But hasty
judgment and execution of ISIL mem-
bers for acts of ‘terrorism’ is a disser-
vice to the country.
The people of Iraq, the victims and sur-
vivors of the conflict, deserve a legal
framework and a judicial response that
properly reflect the nature of the
crimes committed, which are on a par
with atrocity crimes investigated and
tried in other parts of the world. Such a
role cannot be performed by a counter-
terrorism law.”
Ms. Callamard urged the government
to rapidly initiate legal reforms and
equip domestic courts to try interna-
tional crimes.
Ms. Callamard met victims of ISIL’s
violence, visited camps housing people
forced to flee their homes, and talked to
expert teams working on the identifica-
tion of the thousands of Iraqis buried in
mass graves.
“I will always carry with me the voice
of a young woman in a camp. ‘We don’t
have to be like them,’ she told me. ‘We
have seen enough killings. Do not exe-
cute more people.’ She had lost several
family members to ISIL and insisted on
Iraq: Full justice for all sides is key to lasting peace, says UN expert
after official visit
Volume 4, Issue 6 Human Rights Page 36
accountability and prison sentences for
ISIL members, speaking out against
revenge,” Ms. Callamard stated.
The UN expert acknowledged that the
military defeat of ISIL would open a
new phase for Iraq. “To help ensure the
promise of peace is secured on strong
foundations, extrajudicial killings and
disappearances in retaliation for ISIL’s
crimes, such as those which occurred in
the liberation of Fallujah and Mosul,
must cease immediately and all must
be investigated,” she said.
“Building a new Iraq requires the confi-
dence of all communities. That will be
achieved only if all allegations are thor-
oughly investigated, victims’ voices are
heard and perpetrators are promptly
brought to justice. It also demands
prompt reparations and remedies for
the victims.”
The Special Rapporteur also spoke to
people particularly vulnerable to kill-
ings, such as journalists and people
from the LGBTI community, whose
protection she said had to be a priority
for the Iraqi Government.
Ms. Callamard said so-called honour
crimes remained a grave problem in
Iraq, and Article 409 of the Penal Code
– which reduces punishment for men
who kill women for “honourable mo-
tives” – should be amended in line with
changes already introduced in Iraqi
Kurdistan, to end impunity for such
acts.
Her preliminary findings also highlight
the urgent need for the management of
mass graves, the plight of families of
people who have disappeared, and the
role of religious and tribal leaders in
the transitional phase and accountabil-
ity.
Ms. Callamard urged the international
community to support the transitional
justice process, including by providing
comprehensive and impartial assis-
tance, and by paying equal attention to
international crimes, including war
crimes and crimes against humanity,
no matter who had committed them.
“The ratification of the Rome Statute of
the International Criminal Court would
allow the Government to obtain inter-
national support in ensuring accounta-
bility for international crimes commit-
ted in Iraq,” she added.
The Special Rapporteur, who visited
the country at the invitation of the Ira-
qi authorities, thanked the Government
for its cooperation. She will present a
comprehensive report containing her
findings and recommendations to the
Human Rights Council in Geneva in
June 2018.
+ + +
Ms. Agnes Callamard (France) is the
UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudi-
cial, summary or arbitrary executions.
She has a distinguished career in hu-
man rights and humanitarian work
globally. Ms. Callamard is the Director
of Columbia Global Freedom of Expres-
sion at Columbia University and has
previously worked with Article 19 and
Amnesty International. She has ad-
vised multilateral organizations and
governments around the world, has led
human rights investigations in more
than 30 countries, and has published
extensively on human rights and relat-
ed fields.
The Special Rapporteurs are part of
what is known as the Special Proce-
dures of the Human Rights Council.
Special Procedures, the largest body of
independent experts in the UN Human
Rights system, is the general name of
the Council’s independent fact-finding
and monitoring mechanisms that ad-
dress either specific country situations
or thematic issues in all parts of the
world. Special Procedures’ experts work
on a voluntary basis; they are not UN
staff and do not receive a salary for
their work. They are independent from
any government or organization and
serve in their individual capacity.
Full text of the end of visit statement of
the Special Rapporteur on extrajudi-
cial, summary or arbitrary executions
on her visit to Iraq can be accessed at
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/
Pag-
es/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22452&
LangID=E
can contribute to Iraq’s human rights
reporting obligations to the UN.
Participant Mr. Ibrahim Ismaeil, Head
of the Al Messala Organization NGO,
stated that “NGOs in Iraq have worked
locally on human rights, but without
being able to transfer their efforts, ob-
servations and activities to the interna-
tional level, especially regarding the
human rights treaty mechanisms. With
this study trip, UNAMI has given us
our first opportunity to get familiar
with United Nations mechanisms for
the protection of human rights.”
Geneva, Switzerland, 27 November
2017 – The United Nations Assistance
Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Human
Rights Office (HRO) launched a Study
Tour for NGOs in Iraq and the Kurdi-
stan Region of Iraq (KR-I). The study
tour focuses on the Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC) of the United Na-
tions, including how NGOs can obtain
consultative status. Representatives of
17 NGOs and related institutions in
Iraq and the KR-I (12 men and 5 wom-
en) are benefiting from the study tour.
The first part of the study tour (21-23
November) took place in Amman, Jor-
dan. UNAMI HRO delivered three days
of training sessions in cooperation with
the National Center of Human Rights
in Jordan and the Geneva Institute for
Human Rights. These training sessions
aimed to refresh the knowledge of the
participants about international mech-
anisms for the protection of human
rights, the role of NGOs in promoting
human rights, and the importance of
obtaining ECOSOC consultative status.
The second part of the study tour start-
ed on 27 November in Geneva. The
Geneva portion of the study trip will
examine coordination and consultation
UNAMI Human Rights Office launches study tour for NGOs in Iraq
and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Volume 4, Issue 6 Human Rights Page 37
between the UN human rights system
and civil society in the Middle East as
well as the rules for working with
ECOSOC. Over four days, experts from
the United Nations Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights and
the Geneva Institute for Human Rights
will conduct presentations. The partici-
pants will also attend discussions of
Australia’s National Report to the Com-
mittee on the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination. Observing these discus-
sions will help participants to under-
stand how Iraqi NGOs and civil society
International Human Rights Day marked in Iraq
Iraq, 10 December 2017 - The United
Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq
and the Office of the High Commission-
er for Human Rights today marked the
International Human Rights Day in
Erbil, with calls for standing up for
human rights and upholding these
rights and protecting them through
actions and policies.
This year’s Human Rights Day calls on
everyone to stand up for human rights
and take a pledge. The event was orga-
nized in collaboration with Cihan Uni-
versity and attended by more than 275
students of the Faculties of Law and
International Relations and their pro-
fessors (both female and male).
In greeting the participants, the Presi-
dent of the Cihan University, Dr. Faud
Mawlood, stressed the importance of
such cooperation between the Cihan
University and UNAMI HRO, and
highlighted the role of the higher edu-
cation institutions in promoting human
rights especially when implemented
through the joint activities with spe-
cialized departments like the Human
Rights Office of UNAMI. He also
thanked for the continued technical
support provided by HRO to the Uni-
versity.
Officer in Charge of Erbil’s HR Office,
Mr. Nedim Osmanagic greeted partici-
pants on behalf of the HRO and Mr.
Zito Siany, a Human Rights Officer,
made a presentation on the significance
of the importance of the human rights,
and the role of students in advocating
for the rights of others and cultivating
the culture of human rights in the soci-
ety. Finally, a law student made a short
presentation about the Universal Dec-
laration of Human Rights.
Human Rights Day, observed every
year on 10 December, commemorates
the day on which, in 1948, the UN Gen-
eral Assembly adopted the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. In 1950,
the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V),
inviting all States and interested or-
ganizations to observe 10 December of
each year as Human Rights Day.
+ + +
Children were the center of the day,
performing a play about the conse-
quences of child labor and showcasing
handicrafts made by adolescents at a
UNICEF supported child friendly
space.
This event was made possible through
funding from the Government of Ger-
many.
The United Nations Assistance Mission
for Iraq (UNAMI) Human Rights Office
in partnership with the Ministry of
Culture and Civil society groups com-
memorated today the International
Human Rights Day in Basra. The
theme for this year’s celebration was
“Stand up for your rights and those of
others’ and was aimed to promote and
raise awareness of the 70th Anniver-
sary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights.
The Human Rights Day in Basra was
attended by more than 100 partici-
pants, including the representatives of
the Iraqi Government from Basra Gov-
ernor Office, members of the Human
Rights Commission, and representa-
tives of the civil society and human
rights activists, journalists and mem-
bers of media, colleagues from the UN
country team, the Kuwait Consulate,
the Head of Basra Police, representa-
tives of the judiciary and members of
the Basra Provincial Council.
The event was opened by Elshareef
Mohammed, Head of the Human Rights
Office in Basra, said that this year’s
event was a special one, as it marked
the 70th anniversary of declaration
which had been adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly on 16 De-
cember 1948. He also stated that this
was an occasion to honor the exception-
al work of ordinary Iraqi citizens, who
with great courage had been working
on advancing the basic rights in the
Iraqi society.
The acting Head of Office UNAMI Bas-
ra, Mr. Patrick Kiezit, asked the audi-
ence to join him in observing one mi-
nute of silence in remembrance of hu-
man rights activists who lost their lives
while protecting the rights of innocent
people. He also stated that “everyone
should stand up for yourself and other’s
rights. Those strong enough to protect
and advocate for those who don’t have a
voice. Please don’t waiver, we need to
increase our vigilance, as disrespect
and insolence for basic human rights
continues to exist in many parts of the
world”.
International Human Rights Day marked in Iraq (continued)
Volume 4, Issue 6 Human Rights Page 38
The gathering was also addressed by
Mahdi Tammai, the Head of the Iraqi
High Commission for Human Rights in
Basra, who stated that “We hope to
build a new Iraq free from violations
and in Basra it is necessary to have UN
and international support to enhance
culture of human rights, especially in
building mindful, participatory and
responsible states and the three gov-
ernmental authorities should cooperate
with each other, especially in security,
education, and health fields to develop,
enhance and protect rights of people in
this city of sacrifice”.
Short films with human rights messag-
es were shown, followed by a perfor-
mance of a traditional musical group
and a theatrical performance on vari-
ous human rights themes, and promo-
tional material was distributed.
At the end of the event a special exhibi-
tion organized by Civil society groups
was opened to honor the Human Rights
Day and to promote and raise aware-
ness of the 70th Anniversary of the
Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.
+ + +
UNICEF celebrated International Hu-
man Rights Day in Tikrit, with a two
day long event that was held in cooper-
ation with UNICEF partners to empha-
size the importance of child rights.
Tikrit, 14 December 2017 - At the
invitation of the Martyrs Foundation,
Deputy Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Political and
Electoral Affairs Ms. Alice Walpole
visited Tikrit to observe the work being
done to exhume and identify the vic-
tims of the Camp Speicher massacre,
DSRSG Walpole visited Tikrit to observe the work being done to
exhume and identify the victims of the Camp Speicher massacre
Volume 4, Issue 6 Human Rights Page 39
which took place in June 2014 when
ISIL killed, according to the Founda-
tion, up to 1,935 Iraqi boys and men
whom they had captured. The DSRSG
also laid a wreath to honor the victims
at one of the sites she visited.
The DSRSG noted the importance of
identifying remains so they can be re-
turned to their loved ones, and thanked
the Iraqis working on the graves for
their tireless efforts to bring to light
evidence of the crimes of ISIL. She reit-
erated UNAMI’s commitment to sup-
porting their efforts and to hold the
perpetrators of these crimes accounta-
ble.
Baghdad, 20 December 2017 –The
United Nations Assistance Mission for
Iraq (UNAMI) is deeply concerned
about the violence and the reported
casualties during demonstrations in the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) in the
last two days, and calls for restraint
and calm on all sides.
The people have the right to partake in
peaceful demonstrations, and the au-
thorities in KRI have the responsibility
of protecting their citizens, including
peaceful protestors. KRI security forces
also are urged to exercise maximum
restraint in dealing with the demon-
strators. UNAMI also calls on the de-
monstrators to avoid any act of vio-
lence, including the destruction of pub-
lic and private properties.
UNAMI calls upon the authorities to
respect and protect the media, after one
outlet, NRT TV, was ordered to sus-
pend its broadcasts because of the con-
tent of its reporting on the demonstra-
tions. The Mission urges the media to
abide by the law, while emphasising
the critical role of free and impartial
media in any democratic society.
UNAMI decries violence in Kurdistan Region of Iraq, urges calm
Statement on closure of some offices of Al-Sharqiya TV
UNAMI expresses hope that this latest
incident with Al-Sharqiya TV will find
its resolution without delay.
Baghdad, 19 December 2017 –The
United Nations Assistance Mission for
Iraq (UNAMI) follows with concern the
reports of the closure of some offices of
Al Sharqiya TV.
A free and impartial media forms the
basis of a democratic society. Any steps
taken against the media must be avoid-
ed and must not be applied except in
exceptional cases and in full conformity
with domestic law and international
human rights obligations.
It is imperative that the authorities
ensure that journalists are protected
and able to do their job in an environ-
ment free of threats and intimidation.
The media has professional responsibil-
ities and must operate in full compli-
ance with the laws and the applicable
rules and regulations. At the same
time, hate speech and incitement to
violence based on religion, race or polit-
ical affiliation, have no place in a de-
mocracy.
The Mission recalls that journalists
have been caught up in the conflict over
the years – most recently a journalist
was killed and two others assaulted,
and two TV stations have been ordered
closed for failure to obtain licenses,
actions that have been criticized by
international media watchdogs.
Baghdad, 15 December 2017 - “I was
so desperate, I had lost hope; commit-
ting suicide seemed the only escape
from the abuse, back then,” said Fati-
ma*. “I didn’t know how to handle the
pain, but now I do. I am strong enough
to survive.”
According to different reports on sui-
cide, one in three women is victimized
by domestic violence at some point in
her life and one out of every four wom-
en who are the victims of domestic vio-
lence attempt suicide.
Mother-of-eight Fatima had suffered
from spousal abuse for more than a
decade.
“I never expected that my loving hus-
band could lay a hand on me,” she not-
ed. “It took one disagreement with his
family, nine years into our marriage, to
destroy the beautiful nest we had built
together.”
The disagreement happened when Fati-
ma’s brother-in-law wanted her and her
husband to vacate the house they were
renting from him ever since they got
married. When she refused, he verbally
abused her, called her a woman with no
honor, and sent her back to her par-
ents’ house. She explains that her hus-
band did not defend her nor stand by
her in this ordeal, however, a while
after he asked her to return home to
take care of the children.
One year later, the 35-year-old became
pregnant again. “Despite the instability
in my marriage, I was happy to have
another child. My husband’s reaction,
however, wasn’t a positive one; he re-
fused to support my pregnancy needs,
buy baby clothes, or spend any money.”
Fatima found herself relying on the
neighbors’ financial support to get by.
“One day, I decided to talk to him about
Surviving domestic violence, one day at a time
Volume 4, Issue 6 Human Rights Page 40
it. It was winter and we were sitting
around the heater. He refused to give
me money. I felt so desperate, I did not
have a dime to spend on my children.
In a moment of despair, I threatened to
self-immolate. He smirked at me and
told me to do it; so I came closer to the
heater to scare him but I got burnt,”
she said.
Fatima’s left side was burnt from head
to toe. Her husband refused again to
provide her the financial means to get
the proper treatment, holding responsi-
ble for the situation. She was so
ashamed and had no one to turn. She
reached out to her family who took care
of her treatment.
By then, Fatima had decided to no
longer have children; she believed it
was not healthy to bring children to a
broken marriage and a dysfunctional
family. She started taking contracep-
tive pills without her husband’s
knowledge.
With time, their relationship got better
and her husband asked for another
child. “I thought… why not. He is treat-
ing me with more respect.” She decided
to stop taking the pills and soon after,
she got pregnant.
What Fatima thought was a step for-
ward towards a happy marriage,
turned out to be a temporary happi-
ness. “I don’t know what triggered it,
but during my pregnancy my husband
started physically abusing me; he
would slap me on the face and beat me
on a daily basis. He would even use a
wooden bat or any home appliance he
could get his hands on; I would faint for
hours at times. Not only was the abuse
physical, but he also keeps repeating
that I am not a fit mother and that I
am a bad influence on my daughters.”
Yazidi documentary "a positive weapon" against ongoing genocide
New York, 20 December 2017 - Doc-
umenting the horrors suffered by the
Yazidis at the hands of ISIL, or Daesh,
terrorists provides a "positive weapon"
to confront the dangers of modern-day
genocide.
That's one of the hopes expressed by
the German-Yazidi producer of a new
film screened at the UN this week
called Háwar – A Cry For Help.
Düzen Tekkal was a journalist and
filmmaker who became a human rights
activist "overnight" when Daesh invad-
ed the Yazidi villages around Mount
Sinjar in northern Iraq in August 2014.
An estimated 5,000 members of the
minority community were killed in the
following days, while hundreds of thou-
sands were displaced and approximate-
ly 3,000 girls and women were forced
into sexual slavery.
Matt Wells sat down with Düzen before
the screening, and they were joined by
Michael Blume who runs a project fi-
nanced by the German state of Baden-
Württemberg which managed to evacu-
ate more than a thousand women and
children captured by Daesh terrorists.
Düzen began by outlining the film.
Full interview is available at
http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/eng
lish/2017/12/yazidi-documentary-a-
positive-weapon-against-ongoing-
genocide/#.Wk37v9VuavF
Fatima explains that the thought of
leaving her husband occurred to her: “I
wanted to leave him many times. It
sounds crazy that I decided to stay, but
my children rely on me to protect and
support them and give them the securi-
ty and stability that every child de-
serves”.
When her neighbor introduced her to
the UNFPA-supported Women Centre
in Bnaslawa, she was reluctant to join;
she was afraid of being judged. She
remembers the first time she attended
a course, it was the sewing course. The
social workers welcomed her with
smiles; they didn’t approach her but
they let her feel comfortable, and gave
her the space to be ready to share her
story. “They gave me time to trust
them. What I like the most is that they
didn’t judge me for staying nor felt bad
for my condition. On the contrary, they
empowered me and offered a shoulder
to cry on. Before I joined, I was lonely, I
was physically ill and mentally ex-
hausted. The centre really changed my
life; I am now taking psychosocial sup-
port counseling which helps me face
every day with a positive attitude.”
*name changed for privacy and protec-
tion
Geneva, 15 December 2017 - Spokes-
person for the UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights, Liz Throssell,
briefed today journalist on Iraq execu-
tions and Tuz Khurmatu clashes. Here
is the text of the briefing notes:
(1) Iraq executions
We are deeply shocked and appalled at
the mass execution on Thursday of 38
men at a prison in the southern Iraqi
city of Nassiriya, Iraq, which once
again raises huge concerns about the
use of the death penalty in the country.
These 38 prisoners had been convicted
for terrorism-related crimes.
Given the flaws of the Iraqi justice sys-
tem, it appears extremely doubtful that
strict due process and fair trial guaran-
tees were followed in these 38 cases.
This raises the prospect of irreversible
miscarriages of justice and violations of
the right to life.
So far this year, we have learned of 106
executions in Iraq, including the mass
hanging of 42 prisoners in a single day
in September.
We once again urge the Iraqi authori-
ties to halt all executions, establish an
immediate moratorium on the use of
the death penalty and carry out an
urgent and comprehensive review of
the criminal justice system.
(2) Iraq: Tuz Khurmatu clashes
We are seriously concerned about the
UNHCHR Press briefing notes on Iraq executions, Iraq and Tuz
Khurmatu clashes
Volume 4, Issue 6 Tuz Khurmatu Page 41
situation in the city of Tuz Khurmatu,
in Salah al-Din Governorate in Iraq,
where on 9 and 12 December residen-
tial areas were reportedly shelled, caus-
ing casualties among civilians. It is not
clear who is carrying out the shelling
which is reported to be coming from the
mountains overlooking the area. Iraqi
forces are still working to discover the
exact locations from which the shelling
has come and the identity of those re-
sponsible.
Tensions have been increasing in Tuz
Khurmatu following September’s inde-
pendence referendum in the Kurdistan
Region of Iraq and in disputed areas,
which include Tuz Khurmatu. In recent
weeks, clashes have broken out be-
tween Kurdish Security Forces – also
known as the Peshmerga - and Turk-
men Popular Mobilization Units or
PMUs. This fighting has to date result-
ed in an unconfirmed number of deaths
in each group.
UN human rights officers visited the
area on 7 December and again on 14
December to investigate reports of the
burning of homes and looting of busi-
nesses. They spoke to residents of Tuz
Khurmatu in Kirkuk and Erbil who
had fled the violence and also saw for
themselves in Tuz Khurmatu some 150
premises that had been burned or oth-
erwise damaged. This follows reports
that, on 16 and 17 October, a similar
number of houses were looted and
burned by Turkmen PMUs and civil-
ians, and that up to 11 houses reported-
UNAMI investigates reports of human rights violations in Tuz
Khurmatu
Baghdad, 12 December 2017 - A
team from the Human Rights office of
the United Nations Assistance Mission
for Iraq (UNAMI) conducted a mission
to Tuz Khurmatu in Salah al-Din Gov-
ernorate on 7 December 2017 to investi-
gate reports of punitive destruction of
property of residents who have been
displaced by the clashes in the area in
October and reports of intimidation to
prevent the safe return of the displaced
to their homes.
This visit has been i.a. prompted by
repeated reports about indiscriminate
targeting of civilians, forced evictions
and destruction of property prior to but
notably after 16 October 2017 that UN-
AMI addressed i.a. in its statement of
19 October. In that statement and in a
briefing to the UN Security Council
meeting in New York on 22 November
by Special Representative of the Secre-
tary-General for Iraq Ján Kubiš, at
least 150 houses belonging to Turkmen
and Kurds were reportedly set ablaze
and there were other reports of acts of
violence. Moreover, the United Nations
expressed concern about the clashes in
the town which have inflicted casual-
ties, and triggered a new wave of dis-
placements primarily from the Kurdish
community.
During the mission to Tuz Khurmatu
last week, the UNAMI team visited
several areas in the town and met with
a number of officials. UNAMI officials
also have met in Erbil with a number of
representatives of Tuz Khurmatu dis-
placed residents and listened to their
accounts about the circumstances sur-
rounding the alleged attacks. Another
UNAMI mission to Tuz Khurmatu was
planned in the coming days to visit also
other areas including those suggested
by the displaced residents to further
investigate the allegations.
UNAMI also expresses its concern
about the recent repeated indiscrimi-
nate mortar attacks which has inflicted
losses, including civilian casualties
from among the Turkmen community
in the town that were followed by a
retaliatory action. It calls for an imme-
diate end to acts that threaten the se-
curity and the safety of Kurdish and
Turkmen communities and their civil-
ian residents. It also calls upon the
Government of Iraq to deploy all neces-
sary measures that will put an end to
any violence and violations of human
rights, ensure law and order and estab-
lish calm and stability in Tuz Khurma-
tu, also to facilitate return of IDPs and
normal functioning of the city, district
and all its communities.
ly belonging to Kurdish families and
officials were destroyed by explosives in
the city. Thousands of residents, main-
ly of Kurdish origin left for the Kurdi-
stan Region of Iraq, apparently fearing
repercussions, and to date many have
not returned.
Iraqi Government forces are in control
of Tuz Khurmatu, supported by Popu-
lar Mobilization units. The city’s popu-
lation is a mix of Turkoman, Kurd and
Arab communities and there is a seri-
ous risk that given the ethnic and reli-
gious fault lines in the area, that vio-
lence could escalate and spread.
We urge the end of all acts that threat-
en the fundamental rights of the Tuz
Khurmatu population. We also call on
the Iraqi authorities to ensure that
civilians there are protected and those
responsible for human rights abuses
brought to justice.
The team noted that it was difficult to
spot looted buildings unless doors were
open, and that many houses were inac-
cessible behind high walls or within
compounds, making it impossible to
determine whether there was damage
or looting. The team cannot therefore
exclude the possibility that the number
of houses destroyed and/or looted could
be higher; indeed, UNAMI has received
allegations about a significantly higher
number of houses affected.
The UNAMI team also observed wide-
spread graffiti marking homes as be-
longing to Turkmen, allegedly to pre-
vent damage and/or looting. IDPs re-
ported they would ask Turkmen friends
and/or neighbours to mark their prop-
erties to protect them.
UNAMI has consistently expressed
concern about the situation of the civil-
ian population in Tuz Khurmatu and
allegations of the destruction of proper-
ty, both in press statements on 19 Octo-
ber and 12 December and during the
briefing by Special Representative of
the Secretary-General for Iraq, Mr. Ján
Kubiš, to the UN Security Council on
22 November. UNAMI requests the
Iraqi authorities to take all necessary
measures to protect civilians in Tuz
Khurmatu, not least in light of recent
shelling attacks; to facilitate the safe,
dignified and voluntary return of IDPs;
and to hold accountable those responsi-
ble for the violations that occurred
since mid-October. UNAMI also ex-
presses its concern over the recent re-
peated indiscriminate mortar attacks
which have inflicted losses, including
civilian casualties from among the
Turkmen community, in the town and
calls for an immediate end to acts that
threaten the security and the safety of
the Kurdish and Turkmen communi-
ties.
Baghdad, 23 December 2017 –
Teams from the United Nations Assis-
tance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) con-
ducted monitoring missions to Tuz
Khurmatu where they observed de-
stroyed homes and businesses in sever-
al primarily Kurdish neighbourhoods of
the ethnically and religiously mixed
city in the wake of the transfer of secu-
rity authority in the area in October.
Since the outbreak of violence in Tuz
Khurmatu in October, UNAMI has
received a number of allegations of
human rights abuses and violations, in
particular with regard to civilian casu-
alties and two allegations of sexual
violence. These incidents are still being
investigated. UNAMI also received and
investigated a large number of allega-
tions concerning the destruction of
property that took place on 16 and 17
October. A number of sources and wit-
nesses alleged that civilians and mem-
bers of Turkmen armed groups carried
out these acts as well as intimidating
residents, many of whom left the city in
fear. The identity of the perpetrators of
these acts remains unknown.
UNAMI received reports of these inci-
dents from internally displaced persons
(IDPs) from Tuz Khurmatu who are
currently in Kirkuk, Sulaymanyia and
Erbil, government and security forces,
media reports and journalists, commu-
nity and political representatives and
national and international NGOs.
Many IDPs attributed the violence to
the tensions between the Kurdish and
Shia-Turkmen communities. They al-
leged much of the destruction and loot-
ing occurred after the Kurdish inhabit-
ants left the city, most of whom have
not yet returned. Moreover, many al-
leged that while looting was apparently
carried out widely and at random in
their neighbourhoods, more serious
damage was of a targeted nature - for
example, on the basis of political or
security affiliation.
As of 14 December, according to figures
provided by the International Organi-
zation for Migration,[1] 1,440 families
(8,694 individuals) from Tuz Khurmatu
are currently displaced following the
events of mid-October. 444 displaced
families (2,664 individuals) have re-
turned to their homes. One IDP told
UNAMI "I am afraid for my family's
security. We do not want to go back
until this issue is resolved. The deploy-
ment of Iraqi Army commandos from
outside Tuz Khurmatu to secure our
neighbourhoods is a good thing because
they are neutral." Another IDP stated:
"We are afraid to go back because there
is also shelling now into our neighbour-
hoods."
Summary of UNAMI findings in Tuz Khurmatu
Volume 4, Issue 6 Tuz Khurmatu Page 42
Teams from UNAMI undertook two
monitoring missions to Tuz Khurmatu
on 7 and 14 December, primarily to
assess allegations concerning property
damage. They visited the neighbour-
hoods of Askari and Imam Ahmed, and
subsequently Jumhori and Jamila. UN-
AMI observed during the first mission
in the Askari and Imam Ahmed neigh-
bourhoods, both of which have a large
Turkmen population, one building dam-
aged from what appeared to be a mor-
tar strike. UNAMI also observed dam-
age to the local Kurdish PUK party
office and severe fire damage to an au-
tomobile business north of the city.
During the mission, UNAMI also met
representatives of the Tuz Khurmatu
City Council, representing Sunni-Arab,
Shia-Turkmen, and Kurdish communi-
ties. A representative from the Shia-
Turkmen Popular Mobilisation Units
(PMUs) was interviewed, as well as a
senior police officer responsible for the
area. The team sought to obtain inde-
pendent accounts of what transpired,
as well as accounts of security opera-
tions, and information about investiga-
tions being carried out.
Before the follow-on visit on 14 Decem-
ber, UNAMI received an analysis of
satellite imagery of the primarily Kurd-
ish quarters of Jumhori and Jamila
prior to and after the violence. The im-
agery indicated that at least 29 build-
ings had been destroyed in Jumhori
and 11 in Jamila. During the visit, the
UNAMI team observed approximately
100 shops burnt or damaged along the
main market road in Jumhori, many of
which could not be observed in the sat-
ellite imagery. The team also observed
approximately 30 homes that were
burnt or damaged. Five houses were
demolished in Jamila and one in Jum-
hori.
Baghdad, 30 October 2017 - Dis-
placed Iraqis staying in camps have
been affected by heavy dust and sand
storms that hit major areas of the Kur-
distan Region of Iraq from Saturday
evening.
Dozens of youngsters in several camps
needed medical assistance after report-
ing breathing problems. In one camp,
Al Salamiyah 1,south of Mosul, which
is managed by UNHCR through its
partner, ACTED, camp officials said
around 47 tents were badly damaged
and had to be removed. Around half of
the damaged tents were empty at the
time. Tents that were occupied have
been repaired.
“Everyone was coughing a lot and it
UNHCR: Heavy dust and sand storms in KR-I affect Iraqis in
displacement camps
Volume 4, Issue 6 Humanitarian Page 43
was so windy”, said Yazi Ahmed, from
Zummar, who lives at the camp with
eight family members. “I have asthma,
and it was very difficult”.
Another father, 56 year old Abduljab-
bar Salman, from Qayrawan, Ninewa
governorate, said: “Because of the sand-
storm, many tents fell over. So many
children had difficulty breathing.”
Hundreds of tents collapsed in three
UNHCR camps east of Mosul
(Hasansham U2, U3 and Chamakor).
Staff from UNHCR and BCF have been
replacing damaged tents.
“We couldn’t sleep all night”, said
grandmother, Khadijah Ibrahim.
“”Dust whipped up into the tent and we
couldn’t breathe. We held fast to the
tent; we feared it would blow away.”
Around 50 people from the eastern
camps were taken by ambulance to a
local hospital with respiratory difficul-
ties. One 53 year old man, who suffered
from severe asthma and had received
medical treatment the week earlier,
later died.
Mosul, 31 October 2017 - For Qasim
Jamel and his brother Faris, the emer-
gence of the so-called Islamic State of
Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) marked the
end of normality as they knew it. They
lived with their families under ISIL
occupation for almost two years until
they finally escaped and took refuge in
a camp near Mosul, Debaga 2.
While living conditions were far from
ideal, the camp has become a safe ha-
ven for thousands of families that faced
the same struggle.
At first, the main source of humanitari-
an assistance Qasim and his relatives
received came from WFP. Food rations
containing a month’s supply of wheat
flour, bulgur, lentils, salt, sugar, and
cooking oil gave them relief and ingre-
dients to cook family meals.
Now, WFP is transitioning from food
rations to cash assistance, allowing
people like Qasim and Faris to buy food
for their families, something they have
not been able to do in a very long time.
For the past three years, ISIL occupa-
tion in Iraq has forced more than three
million people out of their homes. When
fighting to retake Mosul and surround-
ing areas began in October last year,
insecurity deepened, development came
to a halt, and humanitarian needs sky-
rocketed.
The presence of ISIL and the ensuing
conflict prevented Qasim, Faris and
their families from finding a safe place
to settle. First, they had to flee from
their hometown of Makhmur to Hawija
with their wives, small children, and
siblings. As time passed, feeding a fam-
ily in Hawija became increasingly diffi-
cult; a siege cut supply routes and ac-
cess to food, clean water and medicine,
so the brothers were forced to upend
their families once more.
While their families received ready-to-
eat food from WFP when still on the
road, the journey was no less treacher-
ous. They had to leave in the night and
pass a field full of mines in order to
escape ISIL in Hawija.
Faris arrived in Debaga camp first,
with his wife Sahar and their three
children — the youngest was not yet
born. Then followed Qasim and his wife
Suhan, also pregnant at the time, and
their small toddler. Their parents, sib-
lings, and older brother’s family soon
followed.
“I should have gone with my brother,
when his family left five months before
us, because the situation only got worse
and worse. It was so bad. We had no
food, no medicine, the water was dirty
and we never had electricity,” Qasim
explained.
One lady told WFP that she would try
to save up from the cash assistance and
buy a little meat. “I want to taste lamb
again. It has been such a long time,”
she said.
With generous support from the Euro-
pean Commission’s Humanitarian Aid
and Civil Protection department
(ECHO), Qasim and Faris will receive a
text message from WFP announcing
when and where they can pick up their
entitlement of around 14 euros per fam-
ily member each month.
The brothers try to take construction
work when possible. But, if lucky, they
will only work one or two days a week,
earning a meager and unreliable in-
come.
WFP cash assistance will help ensure
these brothers can continue to provide
for their growing families, despite the
challenging circumstances.
“I know that my wife is excited to start
receiving cash,” Qasim says. “She is
very happy and looking forward to
shopping for the family and deciding for
herself what we need to buy and cook.”
By Inger Marie Vennize, WFP.
Cash provides choice and relief for families in Iraq
Baghdad, 01 November 2017 - IOM
has delivered more than 800 non-food
item (NFI) kits in the past month to
recently displaced families from West
Mosul to Amiriyat Al Fallujah. The kits
were funded by the Office of US For-
eign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).
In 2017, more than 64,950 individuals
have been displaced by military opera-
tions in west Anbar. Of these, more
than 19,000 have been displaced from
20 September through 31 October, fol-
lowing the intensification of the Iraqi
Forces’ offensive against ISIL in the
west Anbar districts of Ana, Al Ka’im
and Ru’a on 19 September.
Staff from IOM, the UN Migration
Agency, spoke with a newly displaced
woman, Zahraa, who was receiving
medical assistance from an IOM mobile
medical team:
IOM mobile medical teams provide
assistance to nearly 1,000 primary
health care beneficiaries per week in
Anbar governorate.
“We had a good life in west Anbar. We
owned a house and farm in Al-Qaim
district where we grew crops. After
ISIL entered the city, the situation
quickly deteriorated. We were regularly
harassed and had to stop planting our
crops. When our savings ran out we
survived only on our remaining crops.
We sold everything we owned to cover
the family’s basic needs –my husband,
As Iraqis flee conflict, their everyday needs go with them
Volume 4, Issue 6 Humanitarian Page 44
our three sons and our three grandchil-
dren.
“One day a bomb fell close to my grand-
children while they were playing. Two
of them, aged 8 and 9, were killed and
the third one was injured. Our house
was damaged. We decided to leave Al-
Qaim and displace.
“We paid smugglers; they drove us out
of the area at night until we reached
the Iraqi Forces. We first went to the
checkpoint, then to Kilo 18 camp in
Ramadi and then moved to Ameriyat
Fallujah Camp.
“I had severe psychological and health
conditions, especially after losing my
two grandchildren. I attended the IOM
medical clinic and received advice from
specialist doctors. I was treated for
irritable bowel syndrome. My family
and I normally visit the clinic around
UNHCR begins its winter assistance programme for displaced Iraqis
and refugees
Baghdad, 2 November 2017 - This
week, UNHCR Iraq began its winter
assistance programme to help vulnera-
ble displaced Iraqis and Syrian refu-
gees. Altogether, more than 100,000
households will benefit from additional
help over the next four months.
A large part of the assistance will be
cash-based, allowing families to decide
for themselves how to spend the money
on their most urgent needs during the
difficult winter months.
In the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I),
where temperatures can fall to below
zero centigrade at night, UNHCR plans
to provide cash assistance to over
20,000 refugee households and to more
than 30,000 recently-displaced Iraqi
families, including those living in and
outside of formal camps.
The transfer value of help has been
designed to align with the Iraqi Minis-
try of Migration and Displacement
(MoMD) plans to provide kerosene for
displaced families.
Some of the most vulnerable house-
holds in camps will also receive winter
kits, including a heating stove, high
thermal blankets and tent insulation
kits.
Assistance targeting families displaced
as a result of the recent Mosul offensive
will also cover 8,000 households living
in urban areas, while 17,500 house-
holds living in camps will receive cash
payments and winter kits.
In central and southern Iraq, 15,500
displaced families (including 3,000 liv-
ing in urban areas) will receive cash
assistance or winter kits.
“We will manage better with this help”,
said mother, Yazi Ahmed, who was
registered for cash assistance in UN-
CHR–managed Al Salamiyah 1 camp,
south of Mosul. “I plan to buy clothes
and food for the children.”
Father-of-seven, Mohammed Ibrahim,
from Abu Maria, near Telafar, ¬said:
“We have no money, so this help is very
important for us; we really need it. Our
house was destroyed back home and we
have no idea how we will spend this
winter.”
“This assistance is an important lifeline
for families as winter approaches, espe-
cially in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,
where temperatures plummet at night”,
said UNHCR Iraq Representative, Bru-
no Geddo. “Winter is the hardest time
for displaced Iraqis, especially those
still living in tents or unfinished build-
ings.
“To ensure we reach displaced families
as quickly as possible, the bulk of our
help this year has been monetized. The
aim is to give families more flexibility
in making decisions about their spend-
ing priorities.”
UNHCR is grateful to donors who have
made this vital assistance possible.
twice per week. We have access to the
necessary medical care and medicine.
“Displacement is difficult, and my fami-
ly has been deeply affected by the situ-
ation. We hope to return to Al-Qaim to
go about our normal lives, to rehabili-
tate our damaged house and return to
planting and harvesting,” said Zahraa,
who displaced from Al-Qaim in Septem-
ber 2017.
IOM Iraq Displacement Tracking Ma-
trix (DTM) has been monitoring the
west Anbar crisis since January 2017,
when significant displacement move-
ments were already taking place due to
hostilities in the area and in anticipa-
tion of major military operations.
This testimony was collected by Sandra
Black at IOM Iraq and edited by Jorge
Galindo at IOM HQ in Geneva.
many thanks to the generous contribu-
tions of donors, including the (DFID -
UK Department for International De-
velopment).
Baghdad, 09 November 2017 - The
United Nations World Food Programme
(WFP) welcomed a contribution of
US$1.5 million from the Republic of
Korea that will provide food assistance
for some 30,000 vulnerable Syrian refu-
gees in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq for
two months.
“In the aftermath of conflict, the Re-
public of Korea was once a recipient of
food assistance, including from WFP,”
said Song Woong-Yeob, Ambassador of
the Republic of Korea to Iraq. “We have
now become donors and maintain a
strong partnership with WFP in over
30 countries. We sincerely hope this
contribution will provide much needed
relief to Syrian refugees and their fami-
Republic of Korea contribution provides WFP food assistance for
Syrian refugees in Iraq
Volume 4, Issue 6 Humanitarian Page 45
lies in Iraq.”
This contribution will allow WFP to
provide food assistance to Syrian fami-
lies that have sought refuge in Iraq.
Through electronic food cards that
WFP provides to vulnerable people in
Iraq, each family member will receive
US$19 per month to purchase the food
they prefer from local shops. In addi-
tion to allowing for greater choice in
their diets, this programme injects cash
into the local economy, which benefits
shops and producers with increased
demand for their products.
“Thanks to this generous and timely
donation from the Republic of Korea,
WFP will continue to address the un-
derlying causes of vulnerability for
UNHCR prepare to launch its cash-based winterization assistance in
Laylan -1 displacement camp in Kirkuk
Baghdad, 13 November 2017 - UN-
HCR Iraq, with the support of the mo-
bile service Asiacell Hawala has started
distributing cash-based winterization
assistance to displaced Iraqis in Kir-
kuk. The cash assistance approach
gives families the freedom to decide
how to spend money on their priority
needs during winter.
The cash assistance initiative in Kir-
kuk was first launched in Laylan 1
camp. It will be rolled out to four other
camps jointly managed by UNHCR and
International Relief and Development
(IRD). More than 4,780 households will
benefit from this project. The first
phase, currently in progress, is regis-
tration, where household information is
verified. After that, the cash distribu-
tion of the winterization project is trig-
gered and new mobile SIM cards are
distributed enabling cash transfers to
families.
Zohour Khalil (31) is a displaced widow
and mother of 7 young children who
has benefitted from the cash assistance.
She describes how she fled her village
during the conflict in Northern Iraq.
“While we were fleeing Hawija in 2016,
and making our way to Kirkuk city, we
crossed the path of some fighters and
were caught up in heavy gun fire. My
husband was killed.” said Zohour in
tears, “I was not even able to bury his
body. I had to leave him behind and all
I was thinking of was how to keep my
children out of the shooters’ sight”.
When Zohour and her children arrived
in Kirkuk she looked for a place to live.
She looked for an unfurnished house to
rent, but soon ran out of money and
was unable to pay the rent. She took
her children to Laylan 1 camp knowing
she would receive assistance and free
accommodation.
Because she had no money, Zohour had
to sell some of the assistance she re-
ceived whist living in the camp. She
spent the money on much needed items
like clothes and shoes; and on medica-
tion that she could not get at the public
health center in the camp.
The cash assistance that Zohour and
her family will receive will help her
support her family’s needs in the best
way. “Monetizing the assistance gives
us a better opportunity to prioritize our
needs and demands”. She said.
Zohour’s 12 year old son, Ahmed, also
feels the benefit of the money received.
He asks his mother, “Will this mean
that you can buy new clothes and shoes
for me? For all of us? Will I be able to
get rid of these worn out clothes I have
been wearing since we left home? This
means I won’t have to listen to hurtful
words about the way I am”.
Syrian refugees in Iraq, increase fami-
lies’ self-reliance and reduce the need
for international assistance in the fu-
ture,” said Sally Haydock, WFP Repre-
sentative in Iraq.
Since 2014, the Republic of Korea has
provided US$4.8 million in support of
WFP food assistance for Syrian refu-
gees in Iraq.
Samarra, 15 November 2017 – UN-
HCR Iraq has begun rolling out its win-
ter assistance programme to help vul-
nerable refugees and displaced Iraqis.
Altogether, more than 100,000 house-
holds will benefit from additional help
over the next two months.
A large part of the assistance will be
cash-based, allowing families to decide
for themselves how to spend the money
on their most urgent needs during the
winter.
UNHCR staff talked to some of the
families being registered for assistance
at Al Salamiyah 1 displacement camp:
Ahmed Ibrahim Khudur, 42, from Zan-
jali, Mosul:
“Our house was destroyed and I have
no work. We will have to spend winter
in the camp.
“This money will be of great help, and
we need it urgently. Money is better for
us. I need to pay for medical treatment
for my epilepsy and we will be able to
buy winter clothes. We only have sum-
mer things with us.”
UNHCR continues to provide cash as-
sistance to vulnerable families with
UNHCR Iraq continues to roll out its winter assistance programme
Abu Ghraib, 16 November 2017 -
This week, UNHCR Iraq Representa-
tive Bruno Geddo met displaced fami-
lies at Al Ahal camp in Abu Ghraib
district, Baghdad Governorate, where
the agency is working with its partners,
and heard some of the challenges they
are facing.
More than 230 families (over 1,000
individuals) are staying at the camp.
Several had moved to the camp follow-
ing the closure of other displacement
sites in Baghdad.
“There is strong pressure for displaced
families to return home, but some of
them cannot return due to the levels of
destruction, levels of contamination of
unexploded devices or because their
houses have been completely demol-
ished in the conflict”, said Geddo in a
meeting with camp manager, Raad
Farhan, Abu Ghraib mayor, Othman Al
UNHCR Iraq Representative visits displaced families in Abu Ghraib
district, Baghdad
Volume 4, Issue 6 Humanitarian Page 46
Maadhedi and Kamil Al Owaisi, head
of Abu Ghraib District Council.
“The camps in Abu Ghraib are very
important …they offer families a place
to stay inside Baghdad until they can
return home, a place for families who
Radio programme lends a voice to refugees and displaced Iraqis in
Kurdistan
Erbil, 17 November 2017 – Micro
Camp Radio held a series of radio work-
shops in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
(KR-I) in September and October 2017.
Over 100 refugees and displaced Iraqis
of mixed age and gender took part in 12
camp and community centre radio
workshops, broadcasting in and across
the region.
Every Friday, UNHCR Iraq is sharing
an episode of the radio workshops, in
co-ordination with Micro Camp Radio.
This week, the broadcast is from Basir-
ma Camp for Syrian refugees, just
north of Erbil in northern Iraq and has
been providing shelter to over 3,000
Syrian refugees since it opened in 2011.
The episode begins with a song in
Kurdish played on the Bağlama, a lute-
like instrument by one of the refugees,
Ali, who played alongside his son Mo-
hammed. The sad tones tell of their
migration and estrangement.
One of the topics of this week’s episode
centres on migration to Europe and
becoming an asylum seeker. Many par-
ticipants voiced their desire to leave
and seek a better future for them and
their children.
“I want to go abroad, to Europe, to pre-
serve the future of my kids,” said one of
the women, who preferred to be un-
named.
People in the camp spoke about their
hopes for the future and their desire for
peace.
The episode closes with another song,
Bella Ciao that added a cheerful tone
and in had all the participants clapping
along.
You can enjoy the episode on the follow-
i n g l i n k : h t t p : / / r a d i o -
activite.fr/basirma/
cannot return for now.”
He said UNHCR would continue to
support the camp authorities and the
remaining families, including replacing
damaged shelters and providing a gen-
erator for the camp.
Salah al-Din, 19 November 2017 -
UNHCR Iraq Representative, Bruno
Geddo, met Salah al-Din Governor, Dr.
Ahmed al-Jabouri during a visit to the
Governorate and discussed the humani-
tarian situation facing displaced Iraqis
living in camps and measures to facili-
tate returns.
UNHCR has been involved in providing
shelter and humanitarian assistance to
vulnerable displaced families in Salah
al-Din as well as providing legal protec-
tion to hundreds of displaced individu-
als who have lost their documents
while fleeing areas of conflict.
“UNHCR is co-ordinating with the local
government to facilitate returns of dis-
placed people to their areas as well as
helping 950 individuals by issuing re-
placement documents, through co-
operating with the Kirkuk Civil Direc-
torate and many more documents are
to come,” Said Bruno Geddo at a press
conference.
“We are also rehabilitating a number of
pedestrian bridges, three water treat-
ment facilities, and a school in Yathrib
and Balad areas of Salah al-Din to help
restore normal life to these areas and
support the return of displaced individ-
uals”, he said.
UNHCR Iraq Representative meets Salah al-Din Governor, discusses
humanitarian situation in the Governorate
families had started to arrive at two
camps, originally built for displaced
Iraqis from Mosul. When families start-
ed to arrive at the front gate of Surdash
camp, water, showers, toilets and cook-
ing facilities were not yet installed.
DAY 3 — The Rapid Response Mecha-
nism
When WFP arrived at Surdash camp,
partners were already organizing the
distribution site. The night before, the
local community provided home-cooked
meals and in the morning, locals ar-
rived in small trucks with blankets,
cook wear, clothes and shoes.
Other UN agencies, and Iraqi NGOs
were installing water, bathrooms, elec-
tricity and other services. All the while,
family after family appeared at the
gate to register for a new home.
Before noon, the UN distribution site
was up and running. WFP together
with UNICEF and UNFPA have an
emergency system called the Rapid
Response Mechanism (RRM). Besides
food rations from WFP, each family
receives bottles of clean drinking water,
diapers, sanitary items, clothing for
women and other essential items.
At the end of day, three over 400 fami-
lies had picked up their assistance,
giving them a few days of respite until
all services were in place and the Iraqi
authorities had organized food aid to
meet families longer term needs.
By Inger Marie Vennize, WFP
Kirkuk, 20 November 2017 - In just
three days, conflict in the disputed are-
as of Kirkuk —almost 240 kilometers
north of Iraq’s capital city— forced
thousands of terrified families to flee
their homes. With only enough time to
grab their children and run for their
cars, many left with nothing but the
clothes they were wearing.
In situations like this one, a rapid hu-
manitarian response can be the differ-
ence between life and death. Within 72
hours, the World Food Programme
(WFP) and partners distributed food
boxes containing biscuits, dried fruits,
canned meat and chick peas, as well as
other life-saving essentials to support
thousands of affected people.
On October 16, the Iraqi Security Forc-
es (ISF) launched an offensive to retake
disputed areas in Kirkuk and Sinjar
governorates that had been under the
control of the Kurdish Peshmerga Forc-
es since ISIL’s invasion in 2014.
Day 1 — The Assessment
The morning after the offensive began,
WFP staff headed to Chamchamal,
about an hour east of Kirkuk, where
many families were sheltering. Other
staff went south to Kalar to assess the
needs and conditions there.
The situation was extremely fluid, de-
veloping by the hour. Talking to the
displaced families and coordinating
with local authorities and other part-
ners would be the first step in getting
food to those that needed it most.
In Chamchamal, hundreds of people
were sheltering in mosques, abandoned
buildings, and some even out in the
open. A lot of families had come from
Kirkuk city, while others escaped Tuz
Khurmatu, a town some 50 kilometers
to the south.
Having survived conflict for decades,
Iraqis are used to supporting each oth-
er and many do so with great empathy
and generosity. In Chamchamal, many
families opened their homes to the dis-
placed, volunteers cooked hot meals
and distributed fresh bread, whilst
others provided any clothes and blan-
Fleeing Iraq’s Kirkuk - what the first few days of a UN emergency
Volume 4, Issue 6 Humanitarian Page 47
kets they could spare to new families
who had arrived with next to nothing.
WFP worked around the clock with
partners and local community leaders
to organize food distributions the fol-
lowing day. As families were scattered
in abandoned buildings, roadsides and
small parks, WFP needed to spread the
message that life-saving ready-to-eat
food would be available the next morn-
ing at key locations in Chamchamal.
Similar distributions were organized
for people who fled to other locations.
Late that afternoon, WFP staff found
that the check point on the Kirkuk road
was packed with hundreds of families.
After some confusion, it became clear
that these families were returning
home. Less than 24 hours after the
offensive had started, a statement
made by the Iraqi Security Forces as-
sured that it was safe to return; the
fighting in Kirkuk was over.
Day 2 — The Immediate Response
By the second day, WFP distributed
ready-to-eat food boxes to more than
4,500 people staying at the container
site in Chamchamal and near a sports
stadium on the outskirts of the town.
The distributions were organized off
the back of a large truck and partners
registered families lining up for food,
making sure bigger families received
two food boxes.
As the last boxes were picked up that
day, authorities informed WFP that
work as a civil servant and had a
monthly contract, but ISIL threatened
me because I worked for the govern-
ment. My parents and I had to leave
the city and flee to Baghdad by car; our
journey was a dangerous one, and some
of our convoy’s cars caught fire when
we were hit by shelling from the con-
frontations between the Iraqi forces
and ISIL. We eventually arrived safely
to Baghdad, and now we live in an un-
finished building rent-free; we live on
social welfare and receive assistance
from the host community” says Dhuha
Sulaimaniyah, 20 November 2017 -
Challenges to the return of internally
displaced people to Beiji, Salah al-Din
Governorate, were discussed in a meet-
ing held in Sulaimaniyah in mid No-
vember 2017. Representatives of the
local authorities, communities, key
security actors and other stakeholders
examined establishing a mechanism to
analyze, understand and address the
situation at the community level. They
suggested expanding community based
social cohesion and reconciliation activ-
ities targeting different ethnic and reli-
gious groups.
“We believe in the importance of
strengthening individuals and building
human capacities prior to implement-
ing infrastructure projects. Through
this meeting, UNDP has provided a
platform for the government and stake-
holders to have a critical discussion on
Challenges to the return of internally displaced people to Beiji,
Salah al-Din Governorate, were discussed
Volume 4, Issue 6 Humanitarian Page 48
current issues in Beiji,” stated the
Prime Minister’s Advisor for National
Reconciliation Affairs of Salah al-Din
Governorate, Dr. Faal Niema Al-
Maliki.
In turn, the Mayor of Beiji, Mr. Mo-
hammed Mahmood Ahmed, said: “We
IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Gerard Waite met with Minister of
Planning Salman Jumaily
Baghdad, 21 November 2017 - IOM
Iraq Chief of Mission Gerard Waite met
with Minister of Planning Salman Ju-
maily this past week in Baghdad. “In
support of the Government of Iraq’s
priorities, IOM is focused on providing
support to displaced Iraqis and improv-
ing areas of return, in close coordina-
tion with the United Nations’ country
team in Iraq,” said Waite. “We appreci-
ate the efforts of the Ministry to coordi-
nate international development and
reconstruction programmes, to address
the needs of the most vulnerable Ira-
qis.”
Waite and Jumaily discussed the re-
turn of displaced people within Iraq,
assisted voluntary return and reinte-
gration of Iraqi migrants from Europe,
and data services and data collection,
for which IOM is working closely with
Government of Iraq.
Minister of Planning Jumaily said, “We
confirm our readiness for the Iraqi Min-
istry of Planning to cooperate with
IOM. The country continues to face
challenges with displacement and mi-
gration. We encourage IOM in its work
and are ready to put our resources into
innovating together for our migration
management efforts.”
are in urgent need for rehabilitation
programmes for returnees.”
This meeting was organized by UNDP’s
Iraq Crisis Response and Resilience
Programme (ICRRP), with generous
funding from the Austrian Develop-
ment Agency.
Baghdad, November 2017 -
“Displacing with my wife and three
children from Shirqat was very diffi-
cult. In August 2017 we fled ISIL in a
dangerous journey, in the dark, despite
my physical challenges. Moving quickly
is difficult for me; I am diabetic and
had to have my leg amputated in 2010
due to gangrene. But I am the family’s
head and I only thought of saving them.
We were able to reach the western of
Shirqat side by boat, and now live in an
unfinished building. Unfortunately, I
need another operation, but I cannot
have it because I would have to travel
abroad,” said َ Qasim, who displaced
from east Shirqat.
With funds from Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance Ismail received a
non-food item package including a bed
sheet, cool box, hygiene kit, jerry can,
kitchen set, mattresses, rechargeable
fan, rechargeable light, sewing kits and
towels, which will contribute to allevi-
ating the hardships of displacement.
+ + +
“I was living in the area of Mosul’s
Dam, in Ninewa Governorate. I used to
IOM’s aid opens new perspectives for displaced Iraqis
electricity network and installing the
250 metre-long water pipes to fixing
doors and windows. They also gave us
water heaters, fire extinguishers, air
cooling units and first-aid kits and we
were also taught how to use the equip-
ment they gave us.
We live in a much better condition now,
but as long as we live away from home
we will be strangers. I hope that the
situation goes back to normal and that
we can go back to whatever remains of
my city. What has been destroyed, we
can build again.” Said Hussien, dis-
placed from Sinjar.
+++
Abu Abdullah and his family live in an
unfinished school in east Mosul; they
displaced from Wana town, north of
Mosul, after his house was destroyed in
military operations. The unfinished
school does not have any doors or win-
dows, and in response IOM provided
him and another 180 displaced people
families who live in the neighborhoods
of Altameem, Sukar, Karma, Mithaq
and Wahda with sealing-off kits. The
kits include material and tools that
who is 50 years old.
Dhuha received a package to start a
small income-generating project. The
package includes home furnishings
such as bed sheets, blankets, pillows,
bedding and other items.
Funded by the U.S. Department of
State: Bureau of Population, Refugees,
and Migration, and through IOM’s
Community Revitalization Programme,
business packages will help IDPs, re-
turnees and the host community to
start small business projects to help
them improve their monthly income
and their living conditions. As part of
the assistance to the project, the benefi-
ciaries, including Dhuha, go through a
business development course to build
their capacities in in commercial skills
such as preparing business plans, mar-
keting and bookkeeping.
+++
“With the equipment I have received
from IOM, I will be able to cover the
costs of my studies, continue my pro-
jects, work and develop,” said Ahmed.
Ahmed fled in 2014 after ISIL took
control of his city. He was a high school
student and had to leave his hometown
and six-member family, in a difficult
journey that lasted for three days until
he finally reached Baghdad. His family
was only able to join him a year later,
IOM’s aid opens new perspectives for displaced Iraqis
Volume 4, Issue 6 Humanitarian Page 49
Essam, a camp representative in Amri-
yat Al Fallujah Camp.
“This is the first time I have participat-
ed in a camp management training
session. The session was organized by
IOM and helped me to understand
many aspects of camp management as
well as given me insight on how to bet-
in 2015.
Through the business start-up package,
Ahmed received various equipment to
allow him to open a shop. The package
includes an air cooler, a show refrigera-
tor, generator, display shelves, an elec-
tric digital scale, and other necessary
items.
+++
“I used to have a car oil change garage
and was doing very well. But when
ISIL entered the city of Ramadi, every-
thing changed for the worse. We were
harassed to the point I had to close my
shop and leave with my wife and four
children. It took us two days to reach
Amiriyat Fallujah Camp; we have
adapted to our lives here and I have
even been chosen as a camp sector rep-
resentative because I have actively
participated in the camp’s life to im-
prove everyone’s living conditions,” said
ter coordinate with all parties to im-
prove the camp and provide better ser-
vices and useful solutions to the dis-
placed people who live here,” added
Esam.
This training is funded by European
Commission - Civil Protection & Hu-
manitarian Aid Operations – ECHO.
+++
“My sister, mother, uncle’s family and
I fled our hometown by bus on 3 August
2014, as ISIL advanced on our town.
We headed towards the mountain be-
cause there was no other place to go
and staying could cost us our lives. We
later heard that had we been half an
hour late, ISIL would have captured us
and that 35 people were killed on the
first day ISIL entered the city. Alt-
hough the bus could only accommodate
20 people, more than 40 people were
crammed in. We eventually had to get
off so women could ride in the bus. We
continued our hike up the mountain on
foot. Two weeks later, ISIL committed
their massacre against our Yazidi
brothers and sisters. We crossed into
Syria, and then back into Iraq near
Duhok. We decided to go to Pirzin in
Erbil , where we now live in an old
poultry farm and have been here for
three years.
At the beginning, the farm’s condition
was very bad, and there were scorpions
everywhere. We used to kill six or sev-
en of them daily. We started to improve
the place, rehabilitating what we could
with IOM’s help from setting up the
allow setting up partitions for privacy,
build doors to increase safety, and seal
off openings and cracks in the building
to prepare for the winter season.
+++
“I am grateful for this opportunity. I
have received what I needed to start
my own business, a beauty and wed-
ding salon. My sister, Um Ahmed, is
participating in this project by using
one of the rooms in her house as the
salon. This business will help me to pay
my rent and provide for the needs of my
children – aged 6, 9 and 13 –who are
going to school this year,” says Iman, a
33-year-old woman who was displaced
from Salahaldin in 2013 following ISIL
attacks on the town.
On 12 October 2017, IOM distributed
30 small business packages to displaced
Iraqis and host community members in
the framework of the Community Revi-
talization Programme (CRP) in Basra.
These businesses will enable beneficiar-
ies such as Iman to improve their in-
come and their living conditions.
The CRP is funded by the U.S. Depart-
ment of State: Bureau of Population,
Refugees, and Migration.
security of the most vulnerable Afghan
refugees in Iran. The Chinese govern-
ment and people are together with
those brothers and sisters who are in
difficulty. We appreciate the efforts and
efficiency in implementing this project
by our WFP and Iranian colleagues."
WFP has been providing food assis-
tance to these refugees since the first
asylum seekers arrived from Afghani-
stan and Iraq in the late 1980s.
ghan and Iraqi refugees in Iran,
strengthen their livelihoods and pro-
vide food security,” said WFP Repre-
sentative in Iran Negar Gerami.
Chinese Embassy in Iran said: "As part
of the implementation of the South-
South Cooperation Assistance Fund
declared by Chinese President Xi
Jinping at the UN Sustainable Devel-
opment Summit in September 2015,
efforts are being made to achieve food
Tehran, 27 November 2017 - The
United Nations World Food Programme
(WFP) welcomes China’s contribution
to provide food assistance to Afghan
and Iraqi refugees and promote educa-
tion for refugee girls residing in the
Islamic Republic of Iran.
The US$1 million contribution will be
used to purchase fortified wheat flour,
sunflower oil enriched with vitamins,
lentils, rice and sugar for food distribu-
tions among Afghan and Iraqi refugees
living in settlements across Iran. The
commodities will be locally purchased
to ensure speedy delivery and conformi-
ty with Iranian standards.
Each month, WFP provides 30,000 of
the most vulnerable refugees with food
assistance that includes bread, rice,
sugar, lentils and oil. In addition, WFP
provides a take-home ration of sunflow-
er oil to 3,000 refugee schoolgirls and
their female teachers in 20 settlements
across Iran, which help to promote
girls’ education and bridge the gender
gap.
“WFP is very grateful to the Govern-
ment of the People’s Republic of China
for its contribution that will enable us
to address the basic food needs of Af-
World Food Programme welcomes contribution from China to
support Afghan and Iraqi refugees in Iran
Volume 4, Issue 6 Humanitarian Page 50
UNFPA increases its life-saving interventions in newly liberated
areas of West Anbar
Erbil, 30 November 2017 – The com-
pletion of the second phase of the liber-
ation of West Anbar towards end of
October 2017 has resulted in need for
humanitarian assistance for the cur-
rent and displaced residents in the are-
as of Ana, Rua, Qaim & Obaidi. It is
estimated that approximately 60,000
people, out of whom 15,000 are women
of reproductive age, remain in Qaim,
Ana, Rawa, Obeidi and the surrounding
villages.
The United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) in Iraq and its partners were
at the forefront to assist pregnant wom-
en and girls in West Anbar as part of
its rapid response to emergencies. To
meet the needs of women and girls,
UNFPA supported its partner, the
United Iraqi Medical Society (UIMS) to
deploy two mobile delivery units in
Qaim and Ana areas where no health
facilities were functional due to lack of
supplies, equipment and medical per-
sonnel.
In a month’s time, the mobile delivery
unit set-up in Ana had conducted 30
deliveries, while the one in Qaim de-
ployed on the 26th of November con-
ducted two deliveries in one day. In
addition, UNFPA is sending equipment
and medical supplies to meet the re-
quirements for complicated deliveries.
Traumatized young girls and women
living under ISIL rule and suffering
from different forms of gender-based
violence for the last 3 years were also
provided treatment and psychological
care. UNFPA facilitated the establish-
ment of a Women Community Center
and outreach teams in Ana and Qaim.
The trained social workers identify and
provide counseling to women and girls
who faced, and often continue to be
subjected to gender-based abuse includ-
ing forced marriages. Dignity kits were
also provided in West Anbar.
Internally displaced persons were also
given access to reproductive health
(RH) and GBV services through the
clinics in different camps in Anbar Gov-
ernorate and the remote areas such as
Rutba and Heet, where services have
been halted and facilities were dam-
aged.
These life-saving interventions were
the outcome of a major funding support
received from the Government of Japan
and the European Civil Protection and
Humanitarian Aid Operation (ECHO).
breakfast for the girls, the view from
her window reveals the ruins that sur-
round her home. But there is a market
stall close by where Noora spends can
buy food with cash vouchers provided
by UNICEF.
The vouchers are a lifeline for the fami-
ly: $30 per child, per month, helps cov-
er daily needs. Families in Mosul are
assessed by partners at Mercy Hands
for critical needs, and the funding
comes from the governments of Poland,
Germany, and Kuwait.
The critical element is that the families
decide how to spend the money so that
it fits with their specific needs. “I use
the money for food,” Noora says. “This
is the most important thing for the
children because it helps them focus
more on the classes. Who can learn on
an empty stomach?”
Once a journalist, Noora now is looking
for work so she can support her family
without cash vouchers. Her daughter
Maryam wants to become a teacher to
give children hope, and Sara wants to
become a pediatrician because she loves
babies. Noora wants to give both
daughters the best chance for their
future careers.
By Krman Kamal, Communications
Consultant, UNICEF Iraq.
look after them or get them ready in
the mornings.
Maryam and Sara’s contact with their
mother was an occasional phone call,
and the girls would tell Noora how
much they missed school. Despite the
heavy fighting at the time, Noora decid-
ed to return. “It was worth it because I
got to spend time with my girls,” she
said.
Noora and her two daughters now
share a small two-bedroom house with
extended family. As Noora prepares
Mosul, 3 December 2017 - Noora
prepares breakfast for her two daugh-
ters Maryam, 11, and Sara, 10, as they
get ready for school. A familiar scenario
played out all over the world, but this is
East Mosul in northern Iraq, a city just
out of the flames of war.
In 2014, when Mosul fell, Noora was
divorcing her husband, and had to re-
turn to her home in Baghdad without
her daughters. Maryam and Sara
missed a year of school because their
father told them there was no one to
Cash vouchers are a lifeline for families in Mosul
Volume 4, Issue 6 Humanitarian Page 51
Generous German funding will significantly help vulnerable people
in Iraq
Baghdad, 10 December 2017 - The
Federal Foreign Office of Germany has
generously donated EUR 30 million
(USD 34.8 million) to the Iraq Humani-
tarian Fund (IHF), a pooled fund led by
the Humanitarian Coordinator and
managed by OCHA.
“We are deeply grateful to the German
Government and the German people for
this very generous contribution,” said
the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq,
Ms. Lise Grande.
The German Government has already
channeled USD 10.9 million to the IHF,
bringing Germany’s total contribution
for the year to the pooled fund to USD
45.7 million.
“The pooled fund is the backbone of the
humanitarian operation in Iraq,” said
Ms. Grande. “More than 125 projects
targeting 4.2 million Iraqis in nine gov-
ernorates have received funding
through the IHF in 2017 alone.”
“The military campaign against ISIL is
over, but the humanitarian crisis is
not,” said Ms. Grande. “More than 3.3
million Iraqis are displaced--hundreds
of thousands are living in camps and
improvised shelters. They need help.”
The IHF has provided more than USD
70 million to front-line partners in sup-
port the Mosul humanitarian opera-
tion. In October 2017, USD 14 million
was allocated for the Hawiga operation.
“Millions of Iraqis have suffered terri-
bly,” said Ms. Grande. “Our top priority
now is to help ensure that people who
need help receive it. In the months
ahead we will be working closely with
the Government so that people are able
to return to their homes safely, volun-
tarily and in dignity.’
strained by long years on the move. In
locations where there are female-
headed households, and particularly
households headed by minor females,
“lack of money” is consistently among
the top three obstacles to return.
Long-term concerns over economic se-
curity persist with 80 per cent of dis-
placed people and 63 per cent of return-
ees cited access to employment as one
of their top three needs.
However, the main obstacle to return
reported by the displaced population
remained lack of security in the place
or origin, whether due to ongoing con-
flict, presence of UXO, landmines and
militias.
The ILA Part I: Thematic Overview,
the ILA Part II: Governorate Profiles
and Questionnaire can be downloaded
on the DTM ILA II portal page.
have returned to houses that have suf-
fered significant damage, and 60 per
cent to moderately damaged residences.
Regarding infrastructure, most damage
appears to affect roads, followed by the
public power grid and water networks.
The share of displaced Iraqis who have
settled in critical shelters and return-
ees unable to return to their habitual
residence seems to have slightly in-
creased compared to 2016. This might
be related to the lack of legal documen-
tation for houses, land and property
which was reported among the top
three challenges in nearly one out of
four locations.
Difficulties in returning to the habitual
residence may also be related to the
fact that in some cases, those who re-
main in displacement are among the
poorest and most vulnerable families,
Erbil, 12 December 2017 - As the
Iraqi Government celebrated its final
victory over ISIL this week, IOM, the
UN Migration Agency, released a new
study, which shows that 90 per cent of
displaced Iraqis are determined to re-
turn home. This is similar to the long-
term intentions recorded in 2016.
More than 1.3 million internally dis-
placed persons (IDPs) have returned to
their places of origin so far in 2017. In
total since the start of the crisis in
2014, IOM estimates that more than
2.8 million displaced Iraqis have re-
turned, while more than 2.9 million
people remain displaced.
The IOM study, Integrated Location
Assessment (ILA) analyzes both dis-
placement and return movements of
conflict-affected people across Iraq.
Approximately 2.1 million displaced
persons and more than 1.6 million re-
turnees, based in 3,583 locations across
Iraq, have been covered in the assess-
ment, which was carried out between
March and May 2017.
Only in Basrah and Najaf did families
report that they consider integrating
into the local community, where they
are displaced.
According to the findings, Anbar was
the single governorate where most re-
turns took place in both 2016 and 2017,
followed by Ninewa in 2017.
Among the main findings, this study
identifies that residential and infra-
structure damage is widespread. Near-
ly one third of returnees are reported to
UN Migration Agency publishes assessment on displacement and
returns in Iraq
Volume 4, Issue 6 Humanitarian Page 52
UNHCR and the Iraqi Salvation Humanitarian Organization (ISHO)
completed a rehabilitation of the Al Furat Park in Diwaniya
Diwaniya, 14 December 2017 - On 14
December 2017, UNHCR and the Iraqi
Salvation Humanitarian Organisation
(ISHO) completed a Quick Impact Pro-
ject (QIP) in Diwaniya city, Diwaniya
Governorate, to rehabilitate Al Furat
Park. The project would benefit 50 dis-
placed families and 247 families of the
host community with their children.
An inauguration ceremony was organ-
ised by UNHCR and ISHO’s Protection
Assistance and Reintegration Centre
(PARC) team. Also present were the
mayor of Diwaniya, the chairman of the
Women Affairs Committee at the Di-
waniya Provincial Council, representa-
tives of the Ministry of Displacement
and Migration, UNICEF, and members
of the displaced and host communities
and their children.
In his speech at the ceremony, the
mayor of Diwaniya appreciated the
efforts of UNHCR and its partner’s
efforts to implement such a project.
Iraqi displaced and host community
families had a good time while their
children played together in the park.
This quick impact project is intended to
foster peaceful co-existence between
members of the host community and
the displaced families living in the ar-
ea.
Iraq to include 1,200 vulnerable dis-
placed families in its essential winter
assistance programme, supporting
them with emergency kits to cope with
winter conditions. Each emergency kit
includes a carpet, plastic mat, thick
blankets, rechargeable light, and a hy-
giene kit.
“With the winter setting in, we really
need this heater, blankets and winter
clothes,” said Abu Mashari, a displaced
man from Hatra district, around 170
kilometres south of Mosul, pointing to
the winter kit he received from IOM.
“We left all our belongings behind in
the middle of the night, as we were in
hurry to leave our home. We didn’t
bring anything other than what we
were wearing in the beginning of sum-
mer,” he added. “We don’t have enough
money to buy clothes and other items to
warm ourselves and our tent during the
cold nights.”
The additional financial support also
allows the population of the two emer-
gency sites constructed by IOM, in Haj
Ali and Qayara, southeast of Mosul
which, combined, currently shelter
more than 73,000 IDPs, to access medi-
cal services and receive quick support
and referral in case of medical emer-
gencies.
IOM has mental health and psychoso-
cial centres in selected IDP camps to
reach out to the IDP community
through mental health and psychoso-
cial assistance, raising awareness on
mental health issues and specialized
care when needed.
tation of residential areas ravaged by
conflict and help returnees upon their
arrival to settle in their areas of origin.
Many of these beneficiaries still face
urgent needs for shelter and access to
basic services, including water, electric-
ity and health care.
“The German Government is very hap-
py to support returnees in areas of re-
turn and strengthen government au-
thorities in their efforts to restore es-
sential services in the most affected
areas of return,” said the German Am-
bassador in Iraq, Cyrill Nunn. “Our
scaled-up support includes restoring
the electricity grid and water supply in
retaken areas, as these services have
been heavily damaged and are priori-
tized for immediate rehabilitation by
host communities and returnees,” the
German Ambassador added.
The German funding will enable IOM
Baghdad, 19 December 2017 - As the
winter temperatures continue to drop
in Iraq and nearly 2.9 million people
are still living in displacement across
the country, the Government of Germa-
ny has extended its partnership with
IOM Iraq by injecting another 7 million
euros to address the urgent humanitar-
ian needs of those who remain internal-
ly displaced.
With these additional 7 million euros,
the total contribution of Germany to
IOM Iraq’s emergency operations
reaches 18 million euros from 2015
through 2019. Since 2015, Germany’s
support has enabled IOM to respond to
critical humanitarian needs of internal-
ly displaced persons (IDPs), especially
in areas such as Mosul, Fallujah, and
Ramadi, which had recently been re-
taken from ISIL.
The funding also supports the rehabili-
Germany assists UN Migration Agency’s humanitarian operations
in Iraq as winter advances
Volume 4, Issue 6 Humanitarian Page 53
Funding from Germany underpins WFP cash assistance to conflict-
affected Iraqis
Baghdad, 20 December 2017 – The
United Nations World Food Programme
(WFP) has welcomed a contribution of
€4.4 million (US$5.2 million) from the
Government of Germany, which will
provide cash-based assistance to almost
a quarter of a million Iraqis for one
month.
“The German Government greatly ap-
preciates its strong and effective part-
nership with WFP in Iraq,” said Dr.
Cyrill Nunn, Germany’s Ambassador to
Iraq. “WFP plays a critical role in
providing life-saving assistance to the
most vulnerable people in this country.
With this additional contribution to
WFP’s Emergency Operation, we recon-
firm our commitment to those who are
in desperate situations - they will not
be forgotten.”
This contribution will allow WFP to
increase the scale and reach of cash-
based transfers through WFP’s food
assistance management system, known
as SCOPE. This allows vulnerable Ira-
qis to buy nutritious foods of their
choice from local shops. Every month,
families are notified by text message
that their electronic credit allocation of
around €15 euros (US$17) per family
member has been reloaded. Using a
WFP SCOPE card, they can withdraw
cash from a local money transfer agen-
cy or pay for food in designated stores.
“We’re grateful to the German Govern-
ment for its contribution to assist Iraqis
still affected by conflict,” said Sally
Haydock, WFP Representative and
Country Director in Iraq. “By giving
cash assistance to families, we are giv-
ing them a broader choice in what they
buy while helping strengthen the local
food market.”
Since 2014, Germany has contributed
€104 million (US$122 million) to WFP’s
operations in Iraq. These funds have
enabled WFP to provide nutritious food
to the most vulnerable Iraqis and Syri-
an refugees every month.
ter months.”
The generous funding from Germany
will also enable UNHCR to carry out its
protection activities for internally dis-
placed Iraqis including prevention and
response to gender-based violence and
child protection, support to the govern-
ment to issue/renew civil status and
identity documents to displaced Iraqis,
protection monitoring and psychosocial
support. These services are provided
through both community based ap-
proaches and individual interventions.
Acknowledging this urgently needed
and timely support, Germany’s Ambas-
sador in Iraq, Dr. Cyrill Nunn, notes:
“The first cold waves of this year’s win-
ter season have already reached Iraq.
Hundreds of thousands of displaced
people are facing another winter away
from home. With this additional contri-
bution, the German Government would
like to ease the suffering of those most
in need, especially children, women and
female-headed households, older per-
sons and persons with disabilities.”
Baghdad, 27 December 2017 - UN-
HCR, the UN Refugee Agency, wel-
comes the additional contribution of
34.5 million euros for 2017 and four
million euros for 2018 from the Federal
Republic of Germany to provide assis-
tance to displaced Iraqis. This brings
the total amount received from Germa-
ny for this contribution for the period
2015-2018 to a total of 90.5 million
euros.
The German contribution will enable
UNHCR to provide life-saving support
to address winter needs for displaced
families in a timely manner. UNHCR’s
winter assistance programme for 2017
aims to reach 673,000 internally dis-
placed people in Iraq in the gover-
norates of Anbar, Kirkuk, Ninewa, Er-
bil, Dohuk, and Sulaymaniyah over
four months.
UNHCR’s winter assistance package
includes winter kits consisting of high
thermal blankets, a stove, a heater,
plastic sheeting, jerry cans for water
and kerosene. Vulnerable families re-
UNHCR welcomes additional contribution from Germany to help
protect and assist displaced Iraqis
Volume 4, Issue 6 Humanitarian Page 54
ceive cash assistance allowing them to
decide for themselves how to meet their
most urgent winter needs.
Bruno Geddo, UNHCR Representative
in Iraq said, “Many displaced Iraqis
fled their villages in the summer with
little more than the clothes they had
on. The winter assistance that is made
possible through the generous contribu-
tion of Germany will enable UNHCR to
provide people with in-kind and cash
assistance necessary to brave the win-
UNDP support for renewable energy in Iraq
Baghdad, 2 October 2017 - To pro-
mote sustainable energy in Iraq, the
United Nations Development Pro-
gramme (UNDP) is providing technical
and capacity building support to the
Government aiming to integrate the
renewable energy source of solar photo-
voltaic in the energy mix to meet the
country’s electricity demand. Creating
provisions for clean and sustainable
energy have become urgent for Iraq to
accelerate the implementation of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
adopted in 2016. This support is being
channe led under the pro jec t
“Catalyzing the Use of Solar Photovol-
taic Energy”, in partnership with the
Regional Center for Renewable Energy
and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) and
the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
On 02 October 2017, forty representa-
tives of the Ministries of Electricity,
Health and Environment, Industries
and Science and Technology, as well as
the private sector, participated in a
technical workshop in Baghdad on poli-
cy options and incentives for renewable
energy. Participants analysed the po-
tential for renewable energy in Iraq
and explored policy, legal and regulato-
ry framework best practices from the
region.
“The Government of Iraq deeply appre-
ciates the support and technical inputs
of UNDP and RCREEE,” stated Advisor
to Iraq’s Prime Minister for Energy,
Mr. Raad Mohsin Alhares. “Together,
we look forward to harness the poten-
tial of solar photovoltaic energy in
meeting the electricity demand of Iraq
whilst keeping our commitment to the
cause of climate change."
UNDP Country Director for Iraq, Mr.
Mounir Tabet, said: “Renewable energy
acts as a strong catalyst and a force-
multiplier for the SDGs. Key to pro-
gressing on its generation and on
measures to achieve energy efficiency
in Iraq is catalyzing private sector in-
vestments in national policies and
strategies. This will create conditions
necessary for renewable energy to con-
tribute to achieving the SDGs.”
In partnership with RCREEE, UNDP is
rolling out targeted policy initiatives
including the development of Feed-in-
Tariff and grid code for electricity in
the coming months. The proposed poli-
cy inputs and support are expected to
create an enabling environment for the
promotion of and increased investment
in renewable energy, helping Iraq to
meet its energy commitments.
Stabilization and Development
sufficient and assist in maintaining
their households, especially since many
women lost their husbands or family
members during the war and are now
the sole providers for their children.
“They are given an opportunity to learn
new concepts and ideas on how they
can improve on one if not the major
source of their family income,” Culaton-
Viray said.
“Improvement in production process
and productivity can all translate to
higher profits - which eventually go
back to the welfare of the family.”
Cutalon-Viray added that if women are
able to improve on their home-based
micro businesses, it will contribute to
their self-sufficiency and once they re-
turn back to their homes, if they do
return, they will carry with them the
knowledge to continue their livelihood
activities for resettlement.
UNIDO hopes that its training for the
women will “help them become more
resilient in facing the day to day adver-
sities of life, help them realize their
strengths and values as individuals and
encourage the drive in them to pursue
their goals."
By A.C. Robinson, Rudaw
Erbil, 24 October 2017 – The United
Nations Industrial Development Or-
ganization (UNIDO) has recently
launched a new program in the Kurdi-
stan Region for Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs), refugees and host com-
munities to train them in the agri-
business sector to enhance livelihoods
and employability opportunities that
could contribute to their future econom-
ic stability and food security.
“The premise is that we need to
strengthen the local economy and the
local enterprises so that the economy
can continue to support the presence of
the IDPs and the refugees,” said Pee-
wee Culaton-Viray, Chief Technical
Adviser for the Employment and Food
Security Project of UNIDO.
“Overall, the training programs seek to
contribute to the development of the
human resource base of the KRG for
economic development,” she added.
The primary goal of UNIDO is to
“strengthen economic resilience of Syri-
an refugees, Iraqi IDPs, returnees and
their host communities and promote
inclusive sustainable industrial devel-
opment” within the Kurdistan Region.
UNIDO’s target is to train 520 people
in which at least 40 percent are women.
Youth with a minimum age of 18 are
also encouraged to enroll in all areas of
the agri-business training programs.
These areas include teaching modern
farming techniques in vineyards and
orchards for fruits such as figs and
pomegranates, household micro enter-
prises which includes producing fruit
leather, pomegranate concentrate, jams
and other confectionaries and food pro-
cessing factories such as tahini facto-
ries or confectionary production facto-
ries.
Training is also provided in IDP and
refugee camps.
UNIDO's project, which is funded by
the Austrian and Japanese Govern-
ments, had trained trainers from the
Ministry of Agriculture and Water Re-
sources as well as the Ministry of Trade
and Industry of the Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG). The KRG Ministry
of Planning is the main coordinating
agency in implementation of the pro-
grams.
The initial training block began on Oc-
tober 8, 2017 and will continue through
December 14 with plans to follow
through with the training courses up
until May 2018.
Training takes place at several loca-
tions throughout the KRI, mainly in
rural communities where employment
opportunities are scarce in order to
UN program trains Iraqi IDPs, refugees on family income,
economic growth
Volume 4, Issue 6 Development Page 55
improve family incomes and economic
stability within their host communities.
UNIDO tries to limit class size to 20
persons per group in order to enhance
the effectiveness of training. Study
materials and tools are provided, de-
pending on the sector for which the
training is provided, as well as trans-
portation to encourage participation.
Since the rise of ISIS in 2014 along
with military operations to liberate
ISIS controlled areas, the UN has reg-
istered through January 2017, 3.9 mil-
lion IDPs as well as over 230,000 Syri-
an refugees. Of these numbers, the KRI
currently hosts 1.5 million IDPs and
refugees.
Nearly 25 percent of all IDPs and refu-
gees have sought refuge in the Erbil
Governorate while another 25 percent
live in host communities and camps
within the urban areas of Baharka,
Khabat, and Shaqlawa while the re-
maining live in camps or have returned
to their homes.
Besides providing training to increase
employability and economic improve-
ment to IDPs and refugees, UNIDO
also stresses the empowerment of wom-
en so that they can become self-
plied. An equal number of electricity
generators and transformers have also
been delivered and installed. So far, 11
bridges have been reconstructed, with
13 more under implementation and
over 200 kilometers of key road links
have been repaired.”
The Emergency Operation for Develop-
ment has created opportunities for col-
laboration with development partners
which will complement the objectives of
the additional financing operation. In
addition to United Nations agencies,
these partners include several govern-
ments that have committed to making
financial contributions, including gov-
ernment of Germany and Kuwait, and
the Japan International Cooperation
Agency.
In order to promote an inclusive ap-
proach in the reconstruction process,
the additional financing project will
strengthen its focus on citizen engage-
ment mechanisms. These will encour-
age community participation and en-
hance ownership of subprojects by ben-
eficiaries and communities. The project
will also establish a transparent and
accountable reconstruction monitoring
framework that will improve the avail-
ability of timely and comprehensive
information that is useful to the public
to actively participate in the national
efforts towards reconstruction and de-
velopment.
The additional financing operation is
aligned with the priorities of the World
Bank Group’s engagement in Iraq and
the Government’s plan to capitalize on
the liberation of ISIS-held areas and
the slow recovery in oil prices to rein-
state trust with the citizens, namely by
implementing critical economic and
governance reforms, providing basic
services efficiently and equitably and
ensuring inclusive and sustainable
recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Washington, 31 October 2017 - The
World Bank approved today a US$400
million financial assistance package to
support the recovery, reconstruction
and rehabilitation of priority infra-
structure to restore delivery of public
services in areas of Iraq newly liberated
from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syr-
ia (ISIS). The package represents an
additional financing to the Iraq Emer-
gency Operation for Development Pro-
ject (US$350 million) approved back in
July 2015 and already underway in
seven cities in Diyala and Salah Ad-Din
governorates.
The additional financing will allow the
geographic scale-up of existing project
activities to additional cities liberated
from ISIS in the Salah Ad-Din and Di-
yala governorates, as well as in the
governorates of Anbar (including
Ramadi), Kirkuk, Ninawah (including
Mosul) and the Kurdistan Regional
Government’s (KRG’s) governorate of
Dohuk. Similarly, implementation re-
sponsibilities will also expand to subna-
tional governments in addition to the
central government institutions.
“The international community has ex-
pressed its commitment to support the
urgent need for the Government-led
reconstruction of Mosul and other re-
cently liberated cities. The World Bank
is committed to work with Iraqi author-
ities to ensure that this much-needed
reconstruction takes place in a sustain-
able, inclusive and equitable manner to
foster long term development and cre-
ate opportunities for everyone,” said
Saroj Kumar Jha, World Bank Mashreq
Regional Director.
The current project activities span over
five primary sectors: water and sanita-
tion, electricity, health, transport and
municipal services. The additional fi-
nancing will continue to support these
sectors, as well as address pressing
education, agriculture/irrigation and
urban service delivery needs of commu-
nities in liberated areas. It will also
support the restoration and preserva-
tion of key cultural heritage assets es-
pecially in the Old City of Mosul. But
beyond the physical repair, emphasis
will be given to improving the quality of
education for boys and girls, and in-
creasing the employment of women,
youth as well as the poor in both urban
and rural areas.
The additional financing will also sup-
port the Government of Iraq in attract-
ing private sector participation in re-
construction efforts. To this effect, stud-
ies will be carried out to assess the fea-
sibility of public private partnerships in
$400 million for the reconstruction of Mosul and newly liberated
areas in Iraq
Volume 4, Issue 6 Development Page 56
the reconstruction, operation and
maintenance of Mosul airport, which
was severely damaged during the liber-
ation of Mosul. Similar efforts will also
extend to restoring public transport
terminals that serve intercity transport
and reconstruction of key segments of
the railway network.
“The Emergency Operation for Develop-
ment Project has restored the access of
2 million people to drinking water, im-
proved sanitation and electricity con-
nectivity, and reconnected 2.5 million
people through reconstruct ing
transport infrastructure. This recon-
struction process has created thou-
sands of employment opportunities to
Iraqi people”, said Ibrahim Dajani,
World Bank Program Leader for Sus-
tainable Development and Infrastruc-
ture, Mashreq Department and Coordi-
nator of the Iraq Reconstruction Pro-
gram. “Over 100 water tankers, gar-
bage collection trucks and other munic-
ipal services equipment have been sup-
Basra, 01 November 2017 - The
southern Governorate of Iraq, Basra,
now has a three-year strategic plan for
oil and gas. As a key pillar of Basra’s
economy, this industry is supposed to
employ thousands of workers and gen-
erate billions of dollars of revenue each
year. Unfortunately, the industry is
falling short of its expected develop-
mental goals. It has been assessed that
the industry’s performance can be
boosted through sound management
and improved capacity and expertise.
The Provincial Council of Basra is seek-
ing to address this issue, in part, with
its Committee for Oil and Gas.
To this end, the Committee has formu-
lated a strategic plan with the support
of the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP). This support was
channeled under the Basra Compact
agreement signed between UNDP and
the Governorate of Basra in 2015 to
provide the Governorate with technical
assistance in major thematic areas,
including strategic planning.
Starting November 2016, UNDP
worked closely with the Committee for
Oil and Gas to develop the strategic
plan. In July 2017, the Provincial
Council of Basra endorsed the first
draft, and approved the final version
for printing in September 2017. Hun-
dreds of copies were distributed to rele-
vant stakeholders in October 2017.
Chairman of the Committee for Oil and
Gas, Mr. Ali Shaddad Al Fares, said:
“We believe in the importance of strate-
gic planning to achieve comprehensive,
Provincial Council of Basra formulates strategic plan to contribute
to effective management of the oil and gas sector
Volume 4, Issue 6 Development Page 57
sustainable development in all aspects
of life. Given that oil and gas are the
most important sources of Iraq’s na-
tional wealth at the present time, the
Committee for Oil and Gas had to fol-
low a scientific methodology in plan-
ning for the future of Basra.”
Mr. Shaddad added: “We thank UNDP
for providing technical and logistic sup-
port during the whole process. We fol-
lowed the mandate of the Committee in
the plan to ensure control over the op-
erations of oil companies and play an
effective legislative role.”
Formulating the strategic plan followed
a participatory approach, engaging
respective stakeholders in rounds of
consultation meetings and a concluding
three-day workshop in Basra. Partici-
pants were members of the Provincial
Council and Committee for Oil and
Gas, Director of the Governorate’s En-
ergy Department, together with repre-
sentatives of the Basra Oil and Gas
University, technical colleges and insti-
tutes, and experts. They identified and
Fifteen informal settlement sites cleaned from trash and rubble in
an effort to improve the living conditions of displaced Iraqis
Salah al-Din, 1 November 2017 -
IOM’s Camp Coordination and Camp
Management (CCCM) staff joined
hands with volunteers from displaced
communities across Salah al-Din Gov-
ernorate and brought the necessary
machinery to clear 15 informal settle-
ment sites, including damaged and
unfinished buildings occupied by IDPs,
from trash and rubble in an effort to
improve the living conditions of dis-
placed Iraqis. IOM CCCM team in Sa-
lah al-Din trains volunteers from the
local IDP communities to endow them
with the necessary skills in site mainte-
nance – fixing pipelines, windows,
doors and floors as well as electricity
wiring, rehabilitating bathrooms and
toilets and more. The volunteers coordi-
nate their efforts through a volunteer
site representative who oversees volun-
teer groups for women, youth and a
maintenance group who get together to
discuss the issues in the sites and come
up with an adequate solution. The
CCCM activities in Salah al-Din are
supported by European Commission -
Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid
Operations – ECHO.
tackled challenges that ranged from
political dynamics, to economic and
environmental aspects, to social com-
plexities such as tribal conflicts, minor-
ities and ethnic differences, as well as
technology constraints.
The key objectives of the strategic plan
are to set up the Governorate’s vision
for supporting the development of the
oil and gas sector in Basra, generating
employment especially for youth, whilst
considering related social and environ-
mental impacts. The plan further prom-
ises a framework of cooperation with
stakeholders that can only develop such
a big and complicated sector.
UNDP Head of Basra Office, Mr. Thair
Shraideh, said: “This new strategic
plan will serve as an essential guiding
tool that the Provincial Council of Bas-
ra can rely on for years to come. UNDP
will continue to provide technical sup-
port contributing to the effective man-
agement of an important sector that
can be utilized for human develop-
ment.”
Karbala, 05 November 2017 - The
Governorates of Karbala and Babil are
developing transportation plans with
technical assistance from UN-Habitat
and UNDP. This support is being chan-
neled under the Local Area Develop-
ment Programme (LADP), implement-
ed by UNDP and funded by the Europe-
an Union. On meetings held on 24 and
25 October 2017, members of the
Transportation Plan Committees in
both Governorates discussed the exist-
ing transportation infrastructure and
the potential of adopting environmen-
tally sustainable solutions.
Karbala and Babil are developing transportation plans
Volume 4, Issue 6 Development Page 58
UN-Habitat reaffirms strong partnership with the Government of
Japan in supporting recovery and reconstruction in Iraq
Ramadi, 8 November 2017 - The
United Nations Human Settlements
Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Em-
bassy of Japan in Iraq organized a joint
press conference to mark the inaugura-
tion of the returnees’ shelter site in Al
Karama, Ramadi, and to acknowledge
the significant contributions that the
Government of Japan has provided to
UN-Habitat Iraq to support recovery
and reconstruction projects in Iraq.
Since 2015 to date, the Government of
Japan has generously funded the reha-
bilitation of 1,315 war-damaged houses
and construction of 2,692 durable shel-
ter units implemented by UN-Habitat
in 17 sites across Iraq. Altogether,
these projects have benefitted an esti-
mated 26,000 vulnerable IDPs and re-
turnees.
On 5 November 2017, a new low-cost
housing site in Al Karama, Ramadi,
was inaugurated to accommodate 3,150
returnees. The site is equipped with
basic services such as electricity, drink-
ing water and sewage, as well as public
facilities such as a primary school, a
women’s social center and a women’s
safe space that were established and
will be operated in collaboration with
other UN agencies such as UNICEF,
WHO and UNFPA. The Al Karama
shelter site also utilizes advanced and
environmentally-friendly technology
imported from Japan, such as solar
lanterns and water-resistant floor pan-
els produced from recycled plastic wa-
ter bottle caps. On the same day, UN-
Habitat also handed over rehabilitated
houses in Mo’almeen neighborhood,
Ramadi, which employed returnees as
labourers to improve their livelihoods.
During the inauguration event, H.E.
Mr. Mohamed Rikan Alhalbousi, Gov-
ernor of Anbar, expressed his apprecia-
tion to the Government of Japan on
behalf of the citizens and the govern-
ment of Anbar. He stated that the sup-
port from the Government of Japan
implemented through UN-Habitat has
had a real impact in Anbar Gover-
norate to bring back displaced people to
their home.
Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, UN Assistant
Secretary-General and UN-Habitat
Deputy Executive Director, stated that
Iraq offers one of the best examples to
showcase how the support from the
Government of Japan is contributing to
human security, and confirmed that
UN-Habitat is committed to continue
working in partnership with the Gov-
ernment of Japan, national and local
authorities in Iraq, communities, and
UN sister agencies to rebuild conflict-
affected communities.
H.E. Mr. Fumio Iwai, Ambassador of
Japan to Iraq, notes that Japan has
contributed to this project not only by
financing, but also by using its environ-
ment-friendly technology such as solar
light and floor panel. He expresses his
hope that Iraqi Government makes
more self-effort in order to achieve a
better future for the Iraqi people.
new Housing Policy will help to offer a
useful and scientific tool to complement
the outstanding efforts of the Govern-
ment of Iraq on Reconstruction and
Development”
On her side, H.E. The Minister of Mo-
CHMPW, stated that “the meeting and
the endorsement of the new housing
policy coincide with the liberation of
most of the previously controlled areas
by ISIL and the exacerbation of chal-
lenges to reconstruct the damaged are-
as, and its timely occasion to discuss
the future role of UN-Habitat to en-
hance its contribution to support the
Government’s efforts in reconstruction
and to transform the Iraqi cities into
more inclusive, secure, sustainable and
resilient.
UN-Habitat collaborated with the con-
cerned Ministries and the local authori-
ties who are responsible on the assess-
ment of the correlation between the
housing policy with other plans and
strategies and identified the challenges
and obstacles encountered by different
institutions for the implementation of
the housing policy and provided recom-
mendations for monitoring and evalua-
tion.
Assistant Secretary General and Depu-
ty Executive Director of UN-Habitat
Dr. Aisa Kacyra Kirabo with the Minis-
ter of Construction, Housing, Munici-
palities and Public Works Dr. Anne
Nafi’ Aoussi in Baghdad, Dr. Kirabo
congratulated the Government of Iraq
for the endorsement of the updated
housing policy and confirmed that UN-
Habitat will continue to do its utmost
to ensure that its ongoing engagement
and support will result in visible im-
pact and tangible results on the ground
to make differences in the lives of vul-
nerable people in Iraq”. She added: “We
are confident that the launching of the
Baghdad, 6 November 2017 – The
Council of Ministers of Iraq endorsed
the updated housing policy and its
working plan matrix and requested
from the concerned ministries and enti-
ties to undertake the needed arrange-
ment for implementation -each accord-
ing to its respective mandate- to pro-
vide decent housing to Iraqi citizens.
The new housing policy was developed
through the technical support of UN-
Habitat to the Ministry of Construc-
tion, Housing, Municipalities and Pub-
lic Works (MoCHMPW) and other con-
cerned Ministries.
During the meeting between the UN
The Council of Ministers endorses the updated housing policy of
Iraq by the Ministry of Construction, Housing Municipalities and
Public Works through the support of UN-Habitat
Volume 4, Issue 6 Development Page 59
Collaboration between the United Nations Human Settlements
Programme and the Ministry of Planning to launch a data platform
for recovery, reconstruction and resilience projects
Baghdad, 06 November 2017 – Dur-
ing the visit of Dr. Aisa Kacyra Kirabo
the UN Assistant Secretary General
and Deputy Executive Director of the
United Nations Human Settlements
Programme to Iraq, the Ministry of
Planning signed with UN-Habitat a
letter of intent to launch a data plat-
form for recovery, reconstruction and
resilience projects.
Within the event, the Deputy Executive
Director stated that “the Programme
undertakes numerous contributions to
support the efforts of the Iraqi Govern-
ment for the recovery and reconstruc-
tion in the liberated areas from the
terrorist group (ISIL), and in addition
to providing housing and urban recov-
ery projects in the damaged areas and
in a complimentary approach, UN-
Habitat supports the polices and tools
needed to carry out the national plan
for reconstruction through the agree-
ment with the Ministry of Planning to
launch the data platform for recovery,
reconstruction and resilience in Iraq”.
On his side, the Technical Deputy Min-
ister of Planning Dr. Maher Hamad
Juhan, clarified that “the signature of
this document as a joint effort between
the Ministry of planning represented by
its sectorial departments and the Unit-
ed Nations Human Settlements Pro-
gramme to launch the data platform
that will offer comprehensive infor-
mation about the projects and clear
image on the monitoring mechanisms
of reconstruction projects, in addition to
depicting prospects of destruction in
the affected areas aiming at identifying
the activities and their geographic dis-
tribution at the sectorial level” . Dr.
Juhan added that “the destruction of
Infrastructure in Iraq is unprecedented
therefore we need to build a monitoring
mechanism for the projects and set
clear priorities for implementation.”
Baghdad, 08 November 2017 - The
newly released Doing Business Report
2018 titled Reforming to Create Jobs
finds that Iraq has implemented in
2016/17 substantive changes in the
local regulatory framework in two main
areas: Starting a Business and Getting
credit.
In fact, starting a business in Iraq has
become easier by combining multiple
registration procedures and reducing
the time to register a company. Entre-
preneurs are no longer required to reg-
ister separately with the tax authority.
Furthermore, the time required to reg-
ister a company has declined due to an
increase in resources at the registry,
and an improvement of the online reg-
istration system.
Iraq has also improved access to credit
information by launching a new credit
registry managed by the Central Bank
of Iraq. As of January 1, 2017, the reg-
istry listed 234,967 consumers and
4,877 commercial borrowers with infor-
mation on their borrowing history with-
in the past five years.
“Doing Business data show that fragile
economies are reforming and approach-
ing crises as opportunities for better
business regulations,” said Saroj Ku-
mar Jha, World Bank Mashreq Region-
al Director. “As part of its Vision 2030
program, the Government of Iraq is
embarking on a substantive reform
Doing Business 2018: Recent reforms in Iraq pave the way for more
progress going forward
Volume 4, Issue 6 Development Page 60
agenda that builds on the Governmen-
tal General Framework Program (2014-
2018) which prioritizes institutional
economic reforms and private sector
development. The World Bank Group is
committed to support its efforts in iden-
tifying and pushing forward priority
reforms that can help foster the busi-
ness environment and generate growth
and better opportunities for all Iraqis.”
Overall, Iraq ranked at 168 on the ease
of doing business, compared to 165 in
last year’s report. It should be noted,
however, that these two rankings are
not comparable because of the introduc-
tion of some methodology refinement
and data revisions that impact how
countries rank. In the Doing Business
2017 report, the paying taxes indicator
was expanded to include post-filing
New playgrounds opened in Duhok and Erbil
Duhok/Erbil, November 2017 – Over
50 participants including representa-
tives of Governorate of Duhok and the
municipality and engineers and experts
in energy efficiency joined UNDP on 7
November 2017 for the opening of the
Sunshine Energy Club playground in
Duhok, part of the Local Area Develop-
ment Programme, implemented by
UNDP and funded by the EU.
The playground is not just for enter-
tainment, but has educational purpose
– with innovative ways, equipment and
activities teaching young generations
about energy efficiency and saving,
protecting environment and staying
active and healthy. Children from
ISHIK Private Kindergarten with their
teachers became the first members of
the Sunshine Energy Club in Duhok.
On 20 November 2017 the Sunshine
Energy Club playground was opened in
Erbil, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
The Head of the European Union (EU)
Liaison Office in Erbil, Ms. Clarisse
Pasztory, representatives of the Gover-
norate of Erbil and the Ministries of
Education and Higher Education, engi-
neers and experts in energy efficiency
gathered for the opening ceremony.
processes—the processes that occur
after a firm complies with its regular
tax obligations. This year, the method-
ology was further refined in accordance
to best practices. In particular, the indi-
cator reviewed the way it captures val-
ue added tax and corporate income tax
audits.
On the distance to frontier (DTF) met-
ric, Iraq’s score went from 44.39 in Do-
ing Business 2017 to 44.87 in Doing
Business 2018, using a comparable
methodology. This means, that in the
last year, Iraq has improved its busi-
ness regulations as captured by the
Doing Business indicators in absolute
terms—the country is narrowing the
gap with the global regulatory frontier.
The full report and its datasets are
available at www.doingbusiness.org
for meetings with the teachers, stu-
dents, administrators as well as FFS
engineers and key city officials.
“Rapidly bringing back some sense of
normalcy to people’s lives is of vital
importance to the recovery of Iraq,”
said Mayor of Fallujah, Mr. Issa Sayer
Al-Issawi. “It is equally critical that all
Iraqis know and feel that their govern-
ment is there for them, sparing no ef-
fort to help them return to their
hometowns, restore their livelihoods
and maintain hope in brighter future
for themselves and their children.”
Erbil, 13 November 2017 - Many
Iraqis confronting the judicial system
do not have either the legal knowledge
on how to defend or enforce their rights
nor have the financial means to afford
counsel.
Eliza, a 14 year old Iraqi Kurdish girl
fell in love with the neighbours’ son and
became pregnant.
“When our families found out, they
denounced both of us and sent us to
prison. Many of our friends were fearful
that we would be killed under the so-
called honour killing.” Eliza says.
Due to the sensitivity of the situation,
the two families were unable to com-
municate with each other directly.
They, therefore, sought assistance from
the Legal Help Desk, which they have
heard about from their neighbours.
In cooperation with the Kurdistan Re-
gional Government and implementing
partners, “Heartland Alliance” and the
“Women Empowerment Organisation,”
Easy and affordable legal counsel
Volume 4, Issue 6 Development Page 61
UNDP Iraq established three legal
Help Desks in Erbil, Sulaimaniyah and
Duhok, as part of its “Access to Justice
Programme for Vulnerable Iraqis.”
Help desk teams including four Iraqi
lawyers and a social worker receive
daily visits from Iraqis who have no
access to legal resources or means to
achieve justice.
The programme covers the entire Kur-
distan Region and is funded from the
European Union with US$ 150,000.
This is part of the EU’s support to pro-
jects in support of Rule of Law and Hu-
man rights in Iraq where they have so
far contributed Euros 14 million.
“A large number of people were able to
attend and receive information on their
legal rights, obtain one-on-one counsel-
ling on specific issues and in some cas-
es request that one of the Legal Help
Desk lawyers represents them” said
Peter Batchelor, Country Director of
UNDP Iraq.
Eliza is grateful that her family and
her neighbouring family finally found
their way to the Help Desk.
“A Help Desk Lawyer, discussed our
situation with the two families and
after lengthy negotiations both families
agreed for us to marry” Eliza added. “I
now live happily with my husband and
we have a beautiful new-born baby.”
Eliza’s story is one example of the huge
threat that “honour killings” impose on
women and at times their unborn chil-
dren in Iraq.
Baghdad, 29 November 2017 – The
Ambassador of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands to Iraq, H.E. Matthijs
Wolters, visited the city of Fallujah
today accompanied by senior officials
from the United Nations Development
Programme’s (UNDP) Funding Facility
for Stabilization in Iraq and the UN
Mine Action Service (UNMAS), to as-
sess progress achieved on the city’s
stabilization effort, particularly in the
areas of education and health. The
Netherlands is the fourth largest donor
supporting stabilization work in Iraq,
contributing close to US$ 28 million.
“The Iraqi people have endured un-
speakable hardship due to years of ISIL
occupation and the fierce effort to liber-
ate their cities and towns from ISIL,”
said H.E. Ambassador Wolters. “We are
proud to be associated with this great
effort by the local government support-
ed by UNDP to stabilize liberated are-
as, rehabilitating essential infrastruc-
ture and basic services, to allow people
to return home.”
At the request of the government of
Iraq, UNDP established the Funding
Facility for Stabilization (FFS) in June
2015 to safeguard against the resur-
gence of violence and extremism, facili-
tate returns and lay the groundwork
for reconstruction and recovery. Since
then the Facility has managed over
1,489 projects that helped local authori-
ties quickly restore essential infrastruc-
tures in 23 newly liberated cities and
districts in the governorates of Anbar,
Ninewah, Salah al-Din, Diyala and
Kirkuk. More than 95 percent of all
stabilization projects are done through
the local private sector employing local
labour. This approach is highly effec-
tive, helping to inject liquidity into the
local economy, generate local jobs and
reduce overall costs.
More than 2.6 million of the 5.8 million
Iraqis who were forced to flee their
homes have returned to their communi-
ties. In addition to the electricity, wa-
ter, sewage, health, and education pro-
jects it has implemented in Fallujah
since the middle of 2016, FFS has dis-
tributed cash grants to hundreds of
vulnerable female-headed households,
and local small businesses. More than
490,000 people have returned to Fallu-
jah since its liberation. Today, Fallujah
is once again flourishing as a hub of
economic development.
The visit in Fallujah included stops in
Fallujah University, Al-Shuhadda Pri-
mary School and Playground and the
Fallujah Teaching Hospital, allowing
The Netherlands renews commitment to Stabilization in Iraq
Baghdad, 17 November 2017 - A new
Irrigation Sub Canal project was com-
pleted in Yathrib sub-district of Salah
al-Din. With a length of 3,970m, the
Canal irrigates 1,888km2 of agricultur-
al lands benefiting nearly 48 house-
holds. The project was implemented by
United Nations Development Pro-
gramme - UNDP and funded by Germa-
ny.
New irrigation sub canal project was completed in Yathrib
Volume 4, Issue 6 Development Page 62
UNDP trains a pool of civil society master trainers on training
assessment and reporting
Istanbul, 20 November 2017 - “We
now have improved knowledge of tools
and standards of assessment and re-
porting on training activities.” This is
what one representative of civil society
organizations (CSOs), Mrs. Etimad Al-
Azzawi, said at the conclusion of a two-
day training of master trainers held in
Istanbul on 17-18 November 2017. “We
used to conduct assessments randomly,
but now we are able to proceed within a
framework and open space for partici-
pation and interaction with other mas-
ter trainers,” she added.
The United Nations Development Pro-
gramme (UNDP) organized this activity
under its Strengthening Participatory
and Accountable Governance project
(SPAG). The activity followed a needs
assessment for the capacities of a pool
of master trainers providing support to
civil society and non-governmental
organizations in their governorates.
The workshop assessed training design
submissions to select the Best Training
Design Award for Iraq 2017, and tack-
led techniques and challenges of design
and implementation, as well as prepa-
ration of comprehensive activity re-
ports. Participants developed a work-
plan for 2018, focusing on cooperation
and networking between the master
trainers themselves, as well as between
the master trainers, the NGOs Direc-
torate of the Council of Representative,
and respective local and national or-
ganizations.
CSOs representative and trainer, Mr.
Haider Alawadi, said: ”The training
provided an opportunity for us to ex-
change information, experiences and
lessons learned from previous design
and implementation of training activi-
ties.”
UNDP will continue providing tech-
nical support to ensure sustainability of
the pool of master trainers who are
helping to build Iraqi expertise and
provide a knowledge base for civil socie-
ty and respective entities in Iraq.
Under SPAG, UNDP has been support-
ing Iraq’s Council of Representatives in
modernizing its internal procedures, in
order to empower its oversight role over
legislative processes and strengthen
participatory and accountable govern-
ance in line with national reform plans.
Anti-corruption efforts that UNDP is supporting discussed in Berlin
Berlin, 19 November 2017 – UNDP
recently organized a visit to Germany
for a group of Iraqi civil servants. “Iraq
led the fight against Daesh in the Coa-
lition and won, and it will lead the fight
against corruption and will win," said
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Prime Min-
ister of Iraq, Dr. Naufel Al-Hassan. He
was addressing Chair of Transparency
International, Ms. Delia Matilde Fer-
reira Rubio, during a visit to their offic-
es in Berlin along with UNDP repre-
sentatives. Discussions focused on
Iraq’s anti-corruption efforts that
UNDP is supporting.
ments. The head of the Services Com-
mittee suggested to organize a compre-
hensive presentation about the national
programme and the draft legal frame-
work and its social, economic and envi-
ronmental impact to be hosted in the
Parliament to ensure wider under-
standing and to facilitate the way for-
ward.
This seminar was organized within the
framework of the National Programme
for Regularization and Rehabilitation of
Informal Settlements and IDPs Areas
which is implemented by UN-Habitat
and funded by the Office of Refugees
and IDP Affairs at the US Embassy.
Mosul, 27 November 2017 – Mosul’s
Al Qasoor Water Treatment Plant is on
the eastern bank of the Tigris River
which bisects the city that was, until
about six months ago, one of the last
strongholds of the Islamic State of Iraq
and the Level (ISIL).
The water treatment facility – which
looks from the air like two dark-green
turn tables – today holds about 12,000
cubic metres of fresh water pumping to
300,000 people in 24 neighbourhoods;
but shortly after ISIL fell, no one want-
ed to go near the site for fear that it
was riddled with explosives.
“The explosive contamination [in Iraq]
is very extensive. It is on an industrial
scale,” Pehr Lodhammar, Senior Pro-
gramme Manager for United Nations
Mine Action Service (UNMAS), told UN
News by phone from Iraq. “I’ve worked
in 14 countries, I’ve worked with this
my whole life, but I’ve never seen the
complexity or the variety.”
He described improvised explosive de-
vices combined with the ammunition
that has been fired but failed to deto-
nate.
Six months after ISIL, life is returning to Mosul despite hidden
bomb threats
Volume 4, Issue 6 Development Page 63
“All the improvised explosive devices
are with homemade explosives, differ-
ent types of switches, ranging from
pressure plates, anti-lift devices, infra-
red devices and even remote-control
devices,” he said, adding that there are
also belts that go on for kilometres with
tens of thousands of attached explo-
sives that will set off like dominos.
The water treatment plant was, unlike
the hospital in west Mosul or the Uni-
versity of Mosul, without explosives.
Once UNMAS confirmed it was safe,
the facility was rebuilt – most of the
plant’s pumps, valves, switches and
control panels were destroyed, as was
its chlorination system and filtration
pools. It opened this past August.
Despite this danger, life is returning to
Mosul and services are being re-
established – school classes are resum-
ing, hospitals are starting to treat pa-
tients, people play football in open are-
as.
This return to life was captured
through the lens of Cengiz Yar, a docu-
mentary photographer based in the
Middle East and on assignment for
UNMAS in Mosul.
Baghdad, 4 December 2017 – Follow-
ing to the Cabinet’s endorsement on the
draft legal framework to address infor-
mal settlements and to prevent en-
croachments on public lands, the Minis-
try of Planning and the United Nations
Human Settlements Program (UN-
Habitat), organized an orientation sem-
inar with the heads and members of
the Legal, Services, Security and De-
fense committees in the Iraqi Parlia-
ment in preparation for the official dis-
cussion of the draft legislation.
The General Secretary of the Council of
Ministers H.E. Dr. Mahdi Al Allaq,
opened the event and presented the
efforts of the Government through the
Poverty Reduction Strategy under
which the “National Programme for
Regularization and Rehabilitation of
Informal Settlements and IDPs Areas”
has been established with UN-Habitat.
Dr. Al Allaq referred that more than
three million Iraqis currently live in
more than 3,600 informal settlements,
exacerbating the burden of the Iraqi
cities which are already strained by the
repercussion of the displacement crisis.
He added that under the ongoing na-
tional programme, the institutional
setup was established and technical,
legal and financial solutions introduced
and called for the support of the parlia-
mentarians to conclude the discussion
process and ratification of the new legal
framework.
The Parliamentarians confirmed their
positive approach towards this initia-
tive and emphasized on the critical
need to address comprehensive and
sustainable solutions for the informal
areas. They referred to the resulted
challenges related to buildable lands
scarcity, the obstacles to change the
official land description. They called
the Government to consider the estab-
lishment of new cities and to avoid the
impact of demographic changes due to
the uncontrollable urban encroach-
Parliamentarians’ seminar on the new legal framework to address
informal settlements in Iraq
grammes in Iraq as one of the most
effective and efficient mechanisms in
Iraq to lay the ground for the safe re-
turn of internally displaced persons,
giving hope to those who strive for a
normal life again.
“I am happy to see Iraqi youth today
taking the lead in shaping the future of
their country. Germany is committed to
Erbil, 08 December 2017 - Key Minis-
ters and officials from the Kurdistan
Region of Iraq (KR-I) alongside repre-
sentatives of the private sector, civil
society, labour unions, the internation-
al community, donors and development
agencies convened at a high-level con-
ference yesterday in Erbil on E-
Governance and Public Service Cen-
tres. The Ministry of Interior of the KR-
I organized the conference under the
auspices of the Prime Minister of the
Kurdistan Regional Government, H.E.
Mr. Nechirvan Barzani, and with the
support of the United Nations Develop-
KR-I Ministry of Interior presents pilot efforts to simplify access to
government administrative services using Information and
Communication Technologies
Volume 4, Issue 6 Development Page 64
ment Programme (UNDP).
The conference examined progress on
efforts of the Ministry of Interior to
simplify citizens’ access to basic govern-
ment administrative services, such as
the e-visa and the new drivers’ licence
renewal system, through online elec-
tronic platforms that can be used also
from the convenience of their homes.
This comes under a project entitled E-
Governance for Better Service Delivery
that the Ministry launched in March
2017, with help from UNDP, aiming to
improve the responsiveness, transpar-
ency, and accountability of its delivery
of quality administrative services to the
public. To that end, the project pro-
motes the use of Information and Com-
munication Technologies (ICTs), includ-
ing computer-aided platforms that can
also be accessed remotely through the
internet.
“The Ministry of Interior is committed
to providing the quickest high-quality
services to the citizens,” emphasized
the Minister of Interior, Mr. Kareem
Sinjari. “This will not only save consid-
erable time and money for the citizens
and Ministry alike, but it will help ad-
dress potential administrative and fi-
nancial corruption as well.”
The Ministry showcased its planned
pilot Public Service Centres – new hubs
equipped with automated ICT plat-
forms to deliver a variety of adminis-
trative services to the community, such
as issuing personal status certificates
(birth, divorce, death, etc.). These cen-
tres will serve as an example for the
wider application of e-governance in
the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
“Responsive and accountable institu-
tions are a key objective that UNDP is
helping to achieve within its primary
focus on democratic governance and
peacebuilding in Iraq. Central to this
objective is more efficient quality ser-
vices to citizens whilst ensuring that no
one is left behind.” said UNDP Country
Director for Iraq, Mr. Mounir Tabet.
“Any such effort must pay special at-
tention to helping the most vulnerable
and marginalized segments of the pop-
ulation, who may not have access to or
experience with ICT platforms to be
equally served with these modern
means.”
Partners of the KR-I Ministry of Interi-
or from Azerbaijan and the Asan Khid-
met Institution, which have provided
technical advice and know-how through
the course of the project E-Governance
for Better Service Delivery also partici-
pated in the conference.
Baghdad, 13 December 2017 – The
Government of the Federal Republic of
Germany has contributed an additional
USD 94 million (EUR 80 million) to two
major UNDP programmes that are
helping to stabilize newly liberated
areas – the Funding Facility for Stabili-
zation (FFS), which finances fast-track
initiatives in areas liberated from the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL) and the Iraq Crisis Response and
Resilience Programme (ICRRP), which
promotes recovery and resilience-
building. This latest instalment brings
Germany’s total contribution to both
programmes to USD 263.2 million,
making it the top supporter of UNDP’s
work in this area.
“Nothing is more important right now
in Iraq than stabilizing the areas which
have been liberated from ISIL,” said
Lise Grande, UNDP Resident Repre-
sentative for Iraq. “The task is huge.
Electricity grids need to be rehabilitat-
ed, water systems repaired, rubble re-
moved and schools and hospitals
opened. Germany’s support comes at
just the right time. Three million Iraqis
are still displaced. Helping to improve
conditions in their home towns is the
first step in giving people confidence in
their future.”
H.E. Dr. Cyrill Nunn, Ambassador of
the Federal Republic of Germany in
Iraq lauded UNDP’s stabilization pro-
Generous contribution ranks Germany as top contributor to
stabilization in Iraq
Iraq, UNDP established the Funding
Facility for Stabilization (FFS) in June
2015 to facilitate the return of dis-
placed Iraqis, lay the groundwork for
reconstruction and recovery, and safe-
guard against the resurgence of vio-
lence and extremism.
The Facility currently has 1,500 pro-
jects underway in 23 liberated cities
and districts, helping local authorities
to quickly rehabilitate essential infra-
structure. More than 95 percent of all
stabilization projects are done by the
local private sector employing local
labour. In Mosul, FFS is implementing
548 projects; 105 electricity, water,
sewage, health, education and liveli-
hoods projects are already completed.
“I recall well my own mother’s stories of
the devastation of her hometown of
Rotterdam, during World War II,” said
Ambassador Wolters to a group of grad-
uate students whom he met as part of
his visit to the Women’s Education Fac-
ulty in Mosul University, drawing par-
allels with the current destruction of
Mosul. “Rotterdam has recovered, and
today it is a vibrant city. In the years to
come, I am hopeful that Mosul will fol-
low in Rotterdam’s footsteps.”
support recovery in Iraq, but we firmly
believe that it is the people of Iraq who
will ultimately determine how success-
ful and sustainable that recovery will
be,” stressed Ambassador Nunn on his
first visit to Mosul, on 12 December
2017, to review progress of stabilization
work in Mosul, especially focusing on
Generous contribution ranks Germany as top contributor to
stabilization in Iraq (continued)
Volume 4, Issue 6 Development Page 65
health and education projects.
He toured the Old City and visited Mo-
sul University, Nineveh University,
West-Mosul Hospital Complex and
West-Mosul General Hospital. “The
destruction that we saw today is of
staggering scale. Mosul had suffered
enormously under ISIL, and it is time
now to help this ancient city restore its
strength and diversity,” remarked Am-
bassador Nunn. “I was very happy to
meet with the students of Mosul Uni-
versity as they resume their studies in
newly rehabilitated facilities. A univer-
sity represents a city’s future.” The
German Ambassador encouraged the
President of Mosul University to pur-
sue possible academic partnerships
with German universities and other
higher education vocational training
colleges.
Based on priorities identified by the
Government of Iraq and local authori-
ties, the FFS helps quickly repair pub-
lic infrastructure, provides grants to
small businesses, boosts the capacity of
local government, promotes civil en-
gagement, and provides short-term
employment through public works
schemes. Established in June 2015, the
FFS is working in newly liberated are-
as in Anbar, Salah al-Din, Nineveh,
Diyala and Kirkuk Governorates. Close
to 1,500 projects are underway across
23 locations. ICRRP, which was estab-
lished in 2014, focuses on restoring
livelihoods and promoting social cohe-
sion in areas impacted by the crisis.
Baghdad, 17 December 2017 – The
Government of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands has contributed an addi-
tional USD 14.2 million (EUR 12 mil-
lion) to UNDP’s Funding Facility for
Stabilization (FFS), which finances
fast-track initiatives to stabilize areas
liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq
and the Levant (ISIL). The Nether-
lands is currently the fourth largest
donor supporting stabilization work in
Iraq, with a total contribution of over
USD 42 million.
“Now that combat operations against
ISIL are over, the highest priority in
the country is stabilizing the areas that
have been liberated,” said Lise Grande,
UNDP Resident Representative for
Iraq. “There are urgent needs every-
where. This contribution from the
Netherlands means that we can accel-
erate progress in the most sensitive
areas, including Mosul.”
“Today, in the Old City of Mosul, I have
seen firsthand the devastating destruc-
tion that ISIL has left behind. But I
have also seen how life in other areas is
coming back, thanks to the courageous
work of the Iraqi people and local au-
thorities, supported by UNDP’s critical
rehabilitation projects.” said H.E. Mat-
thijs Wolters, the Ambassador of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands to Iraq,
who visited several areas in Nineveh
Governorate last week accompanied by
senior officials from the United Nations
Development Programme’s (UNDP)
Funding Facility for Stabilization in
Iraq and the UN Mine Action Service
(UNMAS), to assess progress achieved
on stabilization efforts across the prov-
ince, particularly in the areas of educa-
tion and health. “The Netherlands
stood with Iraq in its war to uproot
ISIL. Today, we also stand with Iraq in
peace, as a focus country for Dutch
development aid. We are proud to sup-
port UNDP’s impressive stabilization
effort in Iraq.”
At the request of the Government of
The Netherlands increases its support to stabilize newly liberated
areas in Iraq
The project will aim to involve 1,000
women, including from ethno-religious
minorities; especially Yazidis –
considered one of the most vulnerable
communities of internally displaced
persons (IDPs) in Iraq.
The Yazidi community is mostly con-
centrated in northern Iraq. Its mem-
bers, especially women, went through
ordeals when ISIL swept into their
areas, beginning in 2014 and seized
large swathes of territory, killing and
enslaving thousands of Yazidis.
“The active participation of women is
essential to reach sustainable peace
and community stabilization. This live-
lihood training will assist vulnerable
women to strengthen their skills and
allow them to support themselves and
their families. We are pleased to pro-
vide support, especially during this
time of transition, as families continue
to recover from devastating conflict,”
said Bruno Antonio Pasquino, Italian
Ambassador to Iraq.
“Gender and minorities are the two
Mosul, 19 December 2017 - UN-
Habitat in collaboration with its imple-
menting partner, the local NGO Mercy
Hands, organized its 13th awareness
raising sessions on Housing, Land and
Property rights (HLP) in East Mosul
under its project titled “Housing, Land,
and Property Rights Response for Vul-
nerable People in Mosul and Surround-
ing Areas” funded by the Iraq Humani-
tarian Pooled Fund.
Many families have lost their occupan-
cy or ownership documents in Mosul
due to the wave of hostilities to liberate
the city from ISIL, in which a high
number of properties were damaged or
destroyed. The loss of property docu-
ments put displaced families, in partic-
ular female-headed households, in vul-
nerable positions as their property
rights could not be recognized. Thus,
UN-Habitat focused its activities on
restoring occupancy and ownership
documents of vulnerable households, by
providing free legal assistance and con-
sultations through the team of lawyers
under their implementing partner.
Households mappings and recording
the type of incidents are essential in
identifying HLP violations, and are an
integral part in prioritizing interven-
tions. Since the beginning of the pro-
ject, the assessment teams mapped
HLP incidents in seven neighbourhoods
in East Mosul, reaching 1,985 houses
and 12,654 individuals.
Housing, land and property rights response in Mosul
Volume 4, Issue 6 Development Page 66
UN-Habitat has been conducting
awareness raising sessions with benefi-
ciaries seeking information about their
HLP rights, as well as capacity building
and advocacy sessions with local au-
thorities in order to highlight the issue
of HLP and the need for additional in-
terventions. Thirteen sessions with the
households have been conducted since
the beginning of the project, covering
different neighbourhoods in East Mo-
sul, and providing necessary infor-
mation on HLP rights and referral
pathways. As the project has a particu-
lar focus on female-headed households,
a number of sessions were held exclu-
sively for females in order to provide
them with a comfortable space to raise
claims and understand their rights and
available mechanisms for reclaiming
their rights.
The Mukhtar of the Al-Quds neighbour-
hood, Hamid Hameed Ehmaid, high-
lighted the importance of the interven-
tion, and positive impact it has with
regards to referring cases to the team
lawyers, based in the courts in Mosul
and Baghdad.
The Mukhtar also underlined how “Al-
Quds is a poor neighbourhood; there
are 6,000 families living here with more
than 1,000 Internal Displaced Persons
(IDPs). We have only two schools and
no health center. I work from 8am to 10
pm everyday as I have so many cases to
deal with as well as many complex is-
sues in Al-Quds, at times you can find
four families sharing the same house so
you can imagine. Many displaced peo-
ple have settled here because the rent
price is cheaper. Before the implemen-
tation of the HLP project, there was no
one to support the citizens in the neigh-
bourhood. The intervention of UN-
Habitat is essential for families to
claim their rights, otherwise no one
would be able to pay the fees of the
lawyer and the court process”
Accordingly, 539 cases have been re-
ferred to the legal team, 212 of which
are at the final step in the court pro-
cess.
The project will run until the end of
January 2018, and UN-Habitat is com-
mitted to increase its HLP interven-
tions in Mosul, and other areas in Iraq
in 2018.
Baghdad, 22 December 2017 – After
the end of the successful first phase of
the IOM Iraq - Italian Government
partnership to strengthen community
stabilization initiatives in Diyala Gov-
ernorate (between August 2016 to No-
vember 2017), a new project has been
launched to support the psychosocial
well-being of vulnerable displaced wom-
en in Dohuk and Ninewa governorates.
Funded by the Italian Agency for De-
velopment Cooperation (AICS), the one-
year project, with a budget of half a
million euros, will enable IOM Iraq to
empower vulnerable women who have
been affected by conflict, including
through the provision of livelihood sup-
port.
IOM, Italy broaden stabilization efforts for conflict-affected
communities in Iraq
should look at the past to understand
the causes behind these issues and to
pave the way for prevention measures,”
said a police officer attending the train-
ing.
traditional focal points of the Italian
activities in the field of development
cooperation,” Ambassador Pasquino
added.
In addition to individual livelihood sup-
port for women, the project will provide
a dozen grassroots local civil society
organizations (CSOs) with training and
follow-up coaching to address the es-
sential psychosocial needs of communi-
ty members, in partnership with Gov-
ernment of Iraq and Kurdistan Region-
al Government authorities including
the Ministry of Labour and Social Af-
fairs and the Ministry of Health.
The training courses will cover a broad
range of topics such as psychosocial
support and social cohesion, enhancing
CSOs management and networking
skills, as well as providing beneficiaries
with entrepreneurial livelihood support
by creating self-help groups to improve
interactions, social cohesion, and confi-
dence among them.
“Engaging local CSOs will enable us to
transfer the experience we gained over
the last three years in providing psy-
chosocial support in emergency con-
texts, and prepare the community-
based partners to take the lead in
providing psychosocial services,” said
Renato Libanora of IOM Iraq’s psycho-
social support team.
The project in Dohuk and Ninewa
builds on the similar recently complet-
IOM, Italy broaden stabilization efforts for conflict-affected
communities in Iraq (continued)
Security Sector Reform
ed project that IOM implemented in
Diyala, in partnership with AICS.
Khalida Nouri of Khanaqin, one of Di-
yala project’s participants, says that
the project economically empowered
dozens of women by teaching them sew-
ing skills.
“About 44 women participated in the
course I taught; they were mostly dis-
placed from their homes, and included
Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen,” she said.
“The course’s contents and the interac-
tion among us made me more confident.
I learned many things; since taking
this course I have become more self-
sufficient. I also had an opportunity to
learn about other people’s traditions
and lifestyles,” Nouri said.
Nouri added that she is still in contact
with a number of participants who
opened small sewing businesses, either
at home or in shops, thanks to the
skills they learned in the course. Nouri
said that there are now nearly 500 ap-
plicants who want to enroll in this
course to be able to help themselves
and their families.
According to the latest Displacement
Tracking Matrix (DTM) figures, since
January 2014, more than 2.9 million
Iraqis are still displaced This includes
941,000 in Ninewa 360,000 in Dohuk
and nearly 83,000 in Diyala gover-
norate. More than 2.7 million of former-
ly displaced Iraqis have returned to
their place of origin.
Baghdad, 30 October 2017 - The IOM
Iraq Community Policing (CP) Pro-
gramme organized between 15 and 18
October 2017 a training for police offic-
ers. The programme, funded by the
German Government, aims at improv-
ing the security environment in Iraq by
facilitating dialogue and information-
sharing on security-related issues be-
tween police and local communities.
“When issues arise, resolving them
promptly should be the priority, so they
do not escalate into bigger problems.
People involved in problem solving
Community policing training organized by IOM
Volume 4, Issue 6 Development Page 67
By Hoshyar Abdullah, Member of Iraq’s
Council of Representative, Parliamen-
tary Security and Defence Committee
Baghdad, 31 October 2017 - As a mem-
ber of Iraq’s Council of Representatives
(CoR) and the Parliamentary Security
and Defence Committee for the past
three years, I participated in numerous
workshops, trainings and discussions
organized by national and international
organizations. Amongst these, the most
significant and beneficial were those
organized by UNDP, owing to its inte-
grated approach and relevant topics
related to Iraq’s present and future.
A major challenge for Iraq is security,
especially in light of the fight against
the terrorist organization, Daesh. Since
2003, the country has been struggling
to maintain its security, in the absence
of capable security institutions that are
resilient to mounting challenges with
minimum losses. In this regard, UNDP
focused its assistance on security sector
reform efforts in Iraq. On many occa-
My experience with UNDP: An integrated approach to meet the
aspirations of citizens
Volume 4, Issue 6 Security Sector Reform Page 68
sions, I stressed that existing security
institutions need restructuring.
I participated in a few workshops
UNDP organized in Sulaimaniyah,
Amman, Cairo and Tunis. Amongst
others, discussions revolved around
security sector reform and restoring
institutional and economic capabilities
and collaboration between institutions,
ensuring effective workflow, capacity
building and training requirements,
and advocating for quality work - issues
of paramount importance to our current
situation.
UNDP’s focus on these topics was re-
markable, as well as generating con-
crete recommendations for the develop-
ment of security cooperation frame-
works between the executive and legis-
lative institutions. Similarly, involving
the executive, judicial and legislative
authorities was key to the success of
these efforts; i.e. in the area of security
sector reform oversight, adopting an
integrated approach that extends be-
yond the CoR to the state level and
strengthening civil society collabora-
tion.
During my time in office, I have noticed
the following strengths in UNDP work:
1- Selection of relevant and sensitive
topics: many workshops organized by
national and international organiza-
tions tackle issues proportionally relat-
ed to the Iraqi context. However, some
are not priorities or even of tangible
benefit. I can say that the topics we
tackled in the Security and Defence
Committee workshops were critical and
UNDP is helping to strengthen criminal defense in Iraq
Baghdad, 25 November 2017 - Today
the United Nations Development Pro-
gramme (UNDP) conducted a seminar
and workshop in Baghdad for 30 senior
criminal defence lawyers of the Iraqi
Bar Association. Operating since 1933,
the Iraqi Bar Association is a well-
established organization with around
107,000 members.
The Government of Iraq’s international
commitments pursuant to the Interna-
tional Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights to enable effective criminal de-
fence and recognized best defence prac-
tices were reviewed. Essential rights
for a criminal defendant include his
right to a defence counsel during police
custody; access for defence counselto
prosecution files to enable meaningful
preparation of defence; and, the right of
the defence to have witnesses called to
be heard in the main trial.
UNDP’s Rule of Law programme Crimi-
nal Justice Advisor, Mr. Andreas
Kirsch-Wood, stressed: “A robust de-
fence from the moment of arrest of a
suspect and scrutiny by the defence of
all evidence used by the court for deter-
mining its verdict is a prerequisite for a
fair trial.”
Participants discussed the shortcom-
ings the defence faces in the Iraqi crim-
inal justice system. Defence lawyers
mentioned cases of incommunicado
detention of their clients, denied access
to detainees, denied access to examine
records used by the courts to determine
guilt or innocence of accused, the right
denied to question evidence presented
in court, and cases of intimidations,
including arrests, of defence lawyers for
conducting defence work. The defence
lawyers emphasized the need to change
procedural rules and practices in Iraq
to strengthen the rights of the defence
to protect the innocent and wrongly
charged defendants, and to build trust
in the justice system. The lawyers un-
derlined that a criminal justice system
that leaves only limited space to the
defence cannot develop the necessary
reliability and recognition.
UNDP supports a comprehensive pro-
gramme on security sector reform in
Iraq. UNDP collaborates with all main
stakeholders, including the Bar Associ-
ation of Iraq.
sensitive. Security sector transfor-
mation through assessing its strengths
and weaknesses is one example.
2- Careful planning with the Security
and Defence Committee to develop a
work mechanism and future vision.
From the very beginning, we had a
clear roadmap to guide a series of tech-
nical, well-prepared workshops that
concluded with recommendations, fol-
lowed by implementation of the desired
results relevant to security sector re-
form.
3- Objective and realistic handling by
the expert facilitators through the ap-
plication of theories combined with
practical examples and experiences
that are relevant to the Iraqi context.
4- Teamwork: There was a spirit of
teamwork between the Security and
Defence Committee and the UNDP
team, as well as with other organiza-
tions and stakeholders, such as the
executive and judiciary.
5- Follow-up: after each workshop,
UNDP coordinates with the Committee
to implement the recommendations,
thus ensuring our joint efforts are sus-
tained and produce tangible results.
Finally, I would like to say that my
experience with UNDP was very benefi-
cial at the professional level. Overall,
UNDP efforts were an added value to
our work, especially in terms of facilita-
tion of our work and identification of
gaps in the security sector in order to
apply reforms and create a security
environment that meets the aspirations
of citizens.
Baghdad, 20 December 2017 - A
training programme to integrate hu-
man rights principles into the work of
community police in newly liberated
areas of Iraq has given 60 Iraqi Interior
Ministry staff of community policing
the opportunity to focus on the basic
concepts of human rights and gender-
based policing to better serve their com-
munities.
Community policing is an important
aspect for creating an assuring environ-
ment for the displaced to return in safe-
ty and security to their homes in the
newly liberated areas.
The “Training Workshop on Improving
the Impact and Effectiveness of Com-
munity Police in the Newly Liberated
Areas in Iraq” was delivered by the
Training on Community Policing for newly liberated areas of Iraq
Volume 4, Issue 6 Security Sector Reform Page 69
Human Rights Office of the United
Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq
(UNAMI) in cooperation with UNOPS
and the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior.
Funding was provided by the Govern-
ment of Japan.
The training programme included two
intensive training courses from 11-20
December for 60 staff of community
police (men and women) from liberated
areas in Ninewa, Diyala, Salah al Din,
and Kirkuk. The courses focused on
basic concepts of human rights and
gender-based policing, the United Na-
tions human rights system, and stand-
ards of conduct for community police to
protect women, children and vulnerable
groups.
For participant Hatham Adnan Has-
IOM Iraq holds Community Policing conference on Ninewa
Baghdad, 23 December 2017 - In
cooperation with Iraq’s Ministry of In-
terior, IOM Iraq held a conference on
20 December on Community Policing in
Ninewa Governorate, which aims to
promote cooperation between law en-
forcement agencies and community
members towards peace and security.
Ninewa was deeply affected by the oc-
cupation by ISIL and associated con-
flict, with heavy damage to its infra-
structure – especially in its capital Mo-
sul – and extensive displacement, with
more than 941,000 individuals still
displaced across the governorate.
In 2016, with funding from the German
Federal Foreign Office, IOM Iraq start-
ed the project to strengthen community
policing in retaken areas of Ninewa and
other conflict-affected areas in Iraq.
This is done through the establishment
of Community Policing Forums (CPFs)
which are inclusive platforms that in-
volve police officers, local leaders, civil
society organization representatives
and community members, where citi-
zens can raise and discuss their securi-
ty concerns. CPFs identify and develop
initiatives that lead to safer communi-
ties, protect the most vulnerable and
enhance cooperation, transparency and
mutual trust between these actors.
CPF members analyze the available
resources in their respective communi-
ties and assess the ability of a wide
range of actors to find solutions to situ-
ations that are potentially dangerous
and harmful. As such, CPFs are tools
for conflict prevention.
The conference followed a series of ac-
tivities in November and December
that included the establishment of five
new CPFs in Ninewa and training for
more than 400 individuals, including
police officers, community members
and civil society representatives, on
applying community policing in a con-
text of post-conflict returns.
The conference was preceded by a
three-day workshop exploring the role
of women in security dialogue. Over 80
women and men from across Iraq par-
ticipated, including police, civil society
representatives and the community
members, to discuss the impact of gen-
der-based violence on community secu-
san, from the Diyala police force, the
course exposed him to ways to apply
international human rights standards
to police work.
“I hope that we can apply what we
learned in this training about Conven-
tions and Codes of Conduct in practice
in our society. I also hope that the Unit-
ed Nations will continue such training,
because many police members have
heard about the United Nations but
don’t know about the relationship be-
tween international human rights
standards and police work.”
Trainer Shahla Saeed, a Human Rights
Officer from UNAMI, said “the partici-
pants made great progress in under-
standing community privacy and inter-
national standards of human rights.
They increased their support for hu-
man rights concepts and their under-
standing of gender and child rights.
The participants showed their happi-
ness to learn how respect for human
rights can improve relations with the
communities they serve.”
The UNAMI Human Rights Office
plans to follow up on this programme
with a “training of trainers” in January
2018. The training of trainers will pre-
pare 12 participants to conduct effec-
tive training courses with community
police officers to support their role,
reinforced by the values, principles and
standards of human rights.
rity, the role of women in violent ex-
tremism and how women and children
affiliated with ISIL should be treated.
Workshop participants formed working
groups on these topics, and discussed
how to implement action plans devel-
oped in the event.
The Community Policing conference on
Ninewa was held in Baghdad and was
attended by government officials, nota-
bly Mr. Saad Maan, spokesman of the
Ministry of Interior and the Head of
Community Police Directorate, Briga-
dier General Khalid Al Mhannah, NGO
staff and CPF representatives from
Mosul, Fallujah and Baghdad.
Brigadier General Saad Maan, spokes-
person of the Ministry of Interior,
thanked the German Government, IOM
IOM Iraq holds Community Policing conference on Ninewa (continued)
Volume 4, Issue 6 Security Sector Reform Page 70
and guests for their efforts in support of
the CP model. “We have been working
very hard to put Iraqi citizens first.
There will be no sustainable security in
the governorates unless citizens are
part of it, and that is exactly the foun-
dation of this initiative, by strengthen-
ing community policing forums across
the country, especially in Ninewa. We
have achieved great results in stabiliz-
ing the country thanks to the coopera-
tion with our international partners,”
said Saad Maan.
Speakers also included CPF members
from Al-Amiriat Al-Fallujah and Mosul
(Baasheka), police officers, community
members and civil society organization
representatives, who introduced and
discussed the successes and challenges
of the CPFs in Ninewa. The conference
gave CPF members the opportunity to
network and share experiences.
“The sharing of experiences, successes
and challenges of Community Policing
Forums in retaken areas will help us to
improve the next phase of this project
and build on mutual trust that has
been established”, said IOM Iraq Chief
of Mission Gerard Waite.
“I am very grateful for the cooperation
between the government of Iraq and
Germany on this Community Policing
The Government of Germany continues to support the clearance of
explosive hazards in the newly retaken areas of Iraq
Baghdad, 5 November 2017 – The
United Nations Mine Action Service
(UNMAS) welcomes a renewed contri-
bution of EUR 7 million from the Gov-
ernment of Germany for survey and
clearance of explosive hazards, includ-
ing improvised explosive devices and
explosive remnants of war, in Iraq. The
support will facilitate rehabilitation of
infrastructure in areas retaken from
ISIL/Da’esh, assist the stabilization
process and allow for the safe return of
displaced persons to their communities.
The conflict with ISIL/Da’esh in Iraq
has resulted in complex and extensive
explosive hazard contamination and
has displaced more than three million
people since 2014. Explosive hazards
present a significant risk for individu-
als returning to their communities, as
well as those providing the initial re-
sponse.
Clearing explosive hazards from infra-
structure is a critical first step before
any rehabilitation can commence. UN-
MAS and its partners have recently
carried out survey and clearance of a
major hospital complex in West Mosul
where close to 2,000 explosive hazards,
including improvised explosive devices
and suicide belts, have been removed to
date, which has enabled rehabilitation
work to begin.
With the contribution from the Govern-
ment of Germany, UNMAS will contin-
ue conducting critical first-step activi-
ties, such as clearing hospitals and
schools and supporting people to return
to safer communities.
Since 2016, the Government of Germa-
ny has contributed EUR 12 million to
UNMAS in Iraq.
Germany’s Ambassador to Iraq, Mr.
Cyrill Nunn, said: “Germany remains
committed to stabilization efforts in IS-
liberated areas. In close cooperation
with Iraq and the international commu-
nity and as Co-Chair of the Working
Group on Stabilization, we must not
reduce our efforts to allow IDPs to re-
turn to their homes, enhance their re-
silience and help the people of Iraq
towards a prosper future and social
cohesion.”
Mr. Pehr Lodhammar, Senior Pro-
gramme Manager, UNMAS Iraq, stated
that “The generous contribution from
the Government of Germany will ena-
ble UNMAS to provide explosive haz-
ard management technical advice and
training for the Government of Iraq as
well as assistance with clearance of
IEDs and unexploded ordnance in re-
taken areas in support of critical stabi-
lization efforts”.
project,” said Dr. Cyrill Nunn, German
Ambassador to Iraq. “We have high
hopes that the success of the project
can contribute to the much-needed rec-
onciliation and stabilization in Iraq,”
added the Ambassador, highlighting
the valuable contribution of CPFs for
the stabilization of the Iraqi social fab-
ric.
A total of 66 CPFs have been estab-
lished across Iraq; of which 42 with the
support of IOM Iraq; the other 24 have
been independently established by local
police and communities.
The "Community Policing in Iraq"
booklet features stories from Communi-
ty Policing Forums, and the community
members who have received assistance
through them.
Mine Action
Baghdad, 05 December 2017 – The
United Nations Mine Action Service
(UNMAS) welcomes the contribution of
5 million Czech crown (US$232,000)
from the Government of the Czech Re-
public to support the training of Iraqi
local police.
The conflict with ISIL in Iraq has re-
sulted in complex and extensive explo-
sive hazard contamination ranging
from improvised explosive devices to
hand grenades and mortar bombs. Ex-
plosive hazards have displaced more
than three million people since 2014
and present a significant risk for fami-
lies returning to their communities, as
well as civil servants providing initial
Government of Czech Republic to support training of Iraqi Police
Volume 4, Issue 6 Mine Action Page 71
response.
The Explosive Hazard First Responder
training course aims to develop the
knowledge of local police officers on
what to do if they find a suspected ex-
plosive hazard or if someone in the
community makes a report. After the
training, they are able to identify, mark
and report so that the qualified opera-
tors in the Ministry of Interior or Min-
istry of Defense can respond. The train-
ing programme establishes the founda-
tion for the management of any inci-
dent involving an explosive hazard.
Iraqi local police play a critical role in
responding to explosive hazard threats
in communities as people return to
Commencement of the explosive hazards clearance activities in
Mosul’s Old City
Baghdad, 06 December 2017 – The
United Nations Mine Action Service
(UNMAS) has recently been granted
access to the Old City of Mosul to as-
sess, survey and clear explosive haz-
ards including improvised explosive
devices and explosive remnants of war
to complement the work of the Iraqi
Security Forces. This will not only facil-
itate rehabilitation of infrastructure
and assist the stabilization process but
also allow for the safe return of dis-
placed families to their homes.
A general assessment of the Old City
started on 20 November following a
multi-partner technical workshop,
which was held in Mosul on 16 Novem-
ber. The aim of this assessment is to
get a better understanding of the explo-
sive hazards threat levels in the Old
City to advise UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO
and UNHABITAT on possible areas
that need to be cleared before they start
their respective work. This, together
with other assessments by the above
UN organizations, will also assist in
giving the best advice to the Govern-
ment.
In the first two days of the assessment,
over 100 explosive hazards were report-
ed by civilians and other national agen-
cies to the clearance teams on Ninewa
Road, the main street running from
West to East through the Old City. On
22 November, during the monitoring
visit to Al Shifa Hospital Complex,
West Mosul, the Delegation of the Eu-
ropean Union to Iraq had the oppor-
tunity to pass through the Old City via
the Ninewa road, on a street that had
just being cleared. They were the first
members of the international communi-
ty to access this part of the Old City.
Thanks to the generous contribution of
the European Union, UNMAS and
partners could clear this critical access
road.
If the current assessment and clear-
ance pace is maintained and no major
events occur, it is estimated that Mo-
sul’s Old City will still need many years
of clearance before being declared free
from the threat of explosive hazards.
Clearing explosive hazards from infra-
structure is a critical first step before
any rehabilitation can commence. With
the contribution from the EU Delega-
tion to Iraq, UNMAS and partners will
continue conducting clearance activities
in the Old City of Mosul and supporting
families to return home safely.
Mr. Pehr Lodhammar, Senior Pro-
gramme Manager UNMAS Iraq, stated
that “The extent of explosive contami-
nation in Mosul is of a previously un-
seen magnitude. The generous support
from the EU is critical for UNMAS to
establish access to Mosul Old City.”
Mr. Tomas Reyes Ortega, Deputy Head
of Mission at the EU Delegation in
Baghdad, who recently visited Mosul's
Old City together with an EU delega-
tion, highlighted the key coordinating
role played by the EU in facilitating the
clearance of explosive contamination in
Iraq and the excellent cooperation with
UNMAS.
Mr. Reyes Ortega said that "the clear-
ance of explosives creates the condi-
tions for a safe, voluntary and dignified
return of internally displaced persons
who are striving to return safely to
their homes", adding that "the EU has
recently agreed on a further contribu-
tion of 10 million euros in support of
UNMAS' work in Iraq."
their homes. There are multiple reports
of families returning to find explosive
hazards in their houses. The police are
at the front line to provide immediate
response at the community’s request.
To date, UNMAS has trained 168 police
officers in Anbar and is working with
other partners to strengthen linkages
into community policing initiatives.
With the contribution from the Czech
Republic, UNMAS is able to conduct
additional critical Explosive Hazard
First Responder training courses for
the local police.
Mr. Jan Vyčítal, Ambassador of the
Czech Republic to the Republic of Iraq,
stated: “The Czech Republic has been
an active supporter of the conflict af-
fected population in Iraq throughout
the current conflict both in the humani-
tarian field and in the stabilization
phase, including through our contribu-
tion to the training of Iraqi police forc-
es. The current contribution to UNMAS
confirms our active approach, while
combining our focus on stabilization
and capacity building.”
Mr. Pehr Lodhammar, Senior Pro-
gramme Manager, UNMAS Iraq, stated
that “The generous contribution from
the Czech Republic will further enable
UNMAS to support the Iraq Govern-
ments efforts to protect civilians from
the threats of explosive hazards.”
Baghdad, 07 December 2017 – The
Government of Portugal will support
explosive hazard management, risk
education and capacity enhancement
initiatives to address explosive hazards
in Iraq, with a contribution of one hun-
dred and fifty thousand Euros (USD
175,000) to the United Nations Mine
Action Service (UNMAS).
The conflict with ISIL has resulted in
complex and extensive explosive hazard
contamination and has displaced more
than three million people since 2014.
One of the main concerns for displaced
populations in retaken areas are booby-
trapped houses and the extensive pres-
ence of explosive hazards such as Im-
provised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Un-
til areas have been assessed, it is not
safe for people to return home. In coor-
dination with the Directorate of Mine
Action, risk education to create aware-
ness regarding the dangers of explosive
hazards is being provided in IDP camps
and affected areas.
As west Anbar has been retaken from
ISIL by Iraqi Security Forces, UNMAS
UNMAS welcomes generous contribution from Portugal to support
safe returns in retaken areas
Volume 4, Issue 6 Mine Action Page 72
teams have conducted two initial as-
sessment missions to Haditha, Rawa,
Al Qaim and Anah. UNMAS assess-
ments have enabled UN humanitarian
agencies to conduct assessments and
planning for potential provision of hu-
manitarian aid. During one of the mis-
sions, UNMAS was shown three houses
with explosive hazards inside. The
houses had subsequently been marked
United Nations and Mine Action community commemorate 20th
anniversary of signing of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention
Baghdad, 10 December 2017 - The
United Nations Mine Action Service
(UNMAS), the Directorate of Mine Ac-
tion (DMA), and the Embassy of Cana-
da to Iraq, celebrated the signing of the
Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention
twenty years ago, through a special
photo exhibit of photographs from Mo-
sul and beyond showcasing the clear-
ance work undertaken by mine action
operators.
The photos reflect the human stories
behind the destruction and now recov-
ery of Mosul. One storyline follows a
mechanic and a technician at a water
treatment plant and how mine action
operators cleared the facility of explo-
sive hazards which allowed for the re-
habilitation of the facility, which pro-
vides water to over 500,000 people and
employs 75. Another illustrates life on
campus at Mosul University, which
recently reopened after being cleared of
explosive hazards by mine action opera-
tors, with photographers showing stu-
dents attending classes and socializing
despite the destruction.
Photos for the exhibit, which was held
on 3 December, were provided by the
Directorate of Mine Action, Baghdad
Organization, Handicap International,
iMMAP, Mines Advisory Group, Norwe-
gian Peoples Aid and Optima Group to
highlight their work across Iraq carry-
ing out risk education, victim assis-
tance, demining, and other clearance
activities. The photos also highlighted
the need for the significant resources
required to continue this critical work.
Twenty years ago, the Anti-Personnel
Mine Ban Convention, commonly
known as the “Ottawa Treaty” or “Mine
Ban Treaty”, opened for signature. Be-
fore the Treaty, anti-personnel
landmines had been used by armed
forces across the world, causing tens of
thousands of civilian casualties a year
and threatening the lives, limbs and
livelihood of people who could not safe-
ly access land, buildings and natural
resources.
The Republic of Iraq acceded to the
Mine Ban Treaty on 15 August 2007,
becoming a State Party on 1 February
2008. Iraq ranks among the world’s
most heavily landmine-affected coun-
tries. Contamination left from past has
been intensified by new explosive con-
tamination, specifically improvised
explosive devices. The Directorate of
Mine Action and UNMAS, together
with local security sector services,
NGOs, and commercial partners, are
supporting people to return home safely
and through clearance of explosive haz-
ards, enabling the rehabilitation of
critical services such as hospitals, wa-
ter treatment plants and schools in
areas recently retaken from ISIL.
Mr Andrew Turner, Chargé d’Affaires
of the Embassy of Canada to Iraq, and
special guest to this event given Cana-
da’s instrumental role in the Treaty,
stated: “For Canada, mine action is
essential to the success of the Sustaina-
ble Development Goals, as it underpins
peace and stabilization efforts, and the
delivery of humanitarian assistance –
two of the main pillars of Canada’s
engagement in Iraq."
by the local authorities. The families
who lived in these houses will be una-
ble to return until the explosives have
been cleared.
“The generous contribution from the
government of Portugal will allow UN-
MAS to continue to ensure safe returns
in retaken areas for the population of
Iraq” stated Mr Pehr Lodhammar, UN-
MAS Iraq Senior Programme Manager.
supported by the United Nations Mine
Action Service (UNMAS) in the re-
sponse to complex explosive hazards in
liberated areas. Explosive hazards are
mixed in with an estimated 11 million
tonnes of infrastructure debris in Mo-
sul, posing a significant obstacle to
people trying to return home. UNMAS
provides risk education to women, girls,
boys and men in internally displaced
people’s (IDPs) camps and to those who
have already returned home to reduce
the probability of accidents. Also, UN-
MAS encourages the employment of
female community based risk education
volunteers to spread lifesaving educa-
tion messages to female community
members.
Baghdad, 13 December 2017 - “I was
not afraid. All I cared about was com-
pleting my tasks professionally to prove
that women are able to succeed in eve-
rything they do.”
Ms. Montaha Khudair is an Iraqi wom-
an who works hard in pursuit of a bet-
ter future for herself and all women in
Iraq. When first joining the Directorate
of Mine Action of the Ministry of
Health and Environment, as Deputy
Director of the Planning Department,
she could not visit minefields like her
male colleagues. In a society where
gender equality is yet to be realized,
she had no high expectations either.
In November 2016, UNDP organized a
training workshop in Erbil on the role
of gender in disaster risk reduction,
environment and climate change. Ms.
Montaha was one of the participants.
Only then, she started to think how
achieving gender equality would im-
prove the work environment in the
Directorate of Mine Action she joined.
Ms. Montaha began to conduct research
on various sections of the Directorate
that do not engage women, and identify
the root causes and potential solutions.
A few weeks later, she submitted the
research findings and recommenda-
tions to her management aiming to
improve engagement of women by the
Directorate, as well as the work envi-
ronment for women. Soon after, man-
agement approved the inclusion of
women in mine action missions and,
with support from UNDP, established
the Gender Unit, which will work to
ensure integrating gender perspective
in mine action policies and pro-
grammes. This unit is the first of its
kind in the Directorate.
“My first field mission was to a mine-
field in Missan, far away in the desert
south of Iraq. I was aware I am putting
myself in danger. Any small mistake
would cost me my life, but giving up
has never been an option for me,” says
Ms. Montaha.
In fact, Ms. Montaha was one of the
very first female engineers to join the
male-dominated Directorate of Mine
Action and later head the Gender Unit
in 2016. There was no female field staff
back then. A few months into her arri-
val, the number hiked up to eight.
“I faced some obstacles,” Ms. Montaha
recalls. “Some colleagues rejected the
idea of women going out to minefields
and performing dangerous tasks such
as demining.” In an attempt to change
this culture, she conducted a workshop
at the workplace to explain the im-
portant role women can play “in any
Engineer Montaha Khudair helps to reduce gender inequality in
the field of mine action, inspired by UNDP
Volume 4, Issue 6 Mine Action Page 73
field, including mine action.” She says:
“I made it clear to everyone that my
plan is not just about including women
in missions to mine-affected areas; it is
also to build women’s capacity and
skills, and raise their risk awareness to
be equals of male colleagues in per-
forming the duties they signed up for.”
Director General of the Directorate of
Mine Action, Mr. Khalid Rashad, said:
“Engaging women in such tough field is
a challenge for us, but it is also neces-
sary to improve the Directorate’s work.
Women have indeed played an effective
role since they joined our team. Their
contributions to mine action, including
through field assessments and
demining, have been of added value to
the Directorate.”
Demining had been a male-only domain
of work in Iraq, but not any longer.
UNDP and other UN agencies are sup-
porting government plans to reduce
gender inequality in various sectors, in
accordance with the Sustainable Devel-
opment Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2016.
UNDP has reached out to thousands of
women in dozens of gender related ac-
tivities over the years.
The Directorate of Mine Action is also
Erbil, 14 December 2017 – The Unit-
ed Nations Mine Action Service
(UNMAS) held a certification ceremony
for 11 mine action personnel from the
Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency
(IKMAA) and 8 mine action implement-
ing partners, following their completion
of the ‘risk education managerial skills’
workshop to enhance the respond to the
explosive hazard threat in liberated
areas in Iraq. A similar workshop was
organized last October in Baghdad.
UNMAS celebrates certification ceremony for Mine Action personnel
in Erbil
Volume 4, Issue 6 Mine Action Page 74
Participants from IKMAA, Danish
Demining Group (DDG), Mines Adviso-
ry Group (MAG), Handicap Interna-
tional and Spirit of Soccer were actively
engaged in discussions and group work
throughout the five-day workshop,
which covered various tools and tech-
niques, development of new and inno-
vative materials, as well as a report
and proposal writing.
“We aim at establishing a new format
for risk education practice with new
UNMAS second ‘risk education managerial skills’ workshop to
enhance the capacity and skills of the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action
Agency (IKMAA) personnel organized in Erbil
Erbil, 24 December 2017 - United
Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS)
recently organized a second ‘risk educa-
tion managerial skills’ workshop to
enhance the capacity and skills of the
Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency
(IKMAA) personnel as well as mine
action implementing partners working
in liberated areas and IDP camps.
The aim of the workshop, funded with
support from Denmark, Estonia, Fin-
land, Italy and the United Kingdom,
was to support a coordinated approach
for those organizations accredited to
respond to the explosive hazard threat
in liberated areas.
The 19 participants from IKMAA, Dan-
ish Demining Group (DDG), Mines Ad-
visory Group (MAG), Handicap Inter-
national and Spirit of Soccer were ac-
tively engaged in discussions and group
work throughout the five-day work-
shop, which covered various tools and
techniques, development of new and
innovative materials, as well as a re-
port and proposal writing.
“We aim at establishing a new format
for risk education practice with new
methods and tools. We encourage such
workshops which contribute to upgrad-
ing the planning and managerial capac-
ities, and we welcome the cooperation
from all risk education operators here
present”, said Mr. Ali Hamad Beg, Dep-
uty Head of IKMAA, during the certifi-
cation ceremony.
methods and tools. We encourage such
workshops which contribute to upgrad-
ing the planning and managerial capac-
ities, and we welcome the cooperation
from all risk education operators here
present” said Mr. Ali Hamad Beg, Dep-
uty Head of IKMAA, during the certifi-
cation ceremony.
Ms. Shaimaa Ahmed, a participant
from DDG, stated: “We are deeply
grateful to UNMAS for holding this
training which gave us additional infor-
mation for our field work. I particularly
benefited from the session about pho-
tography”.
“I benefited a lot from the training by
acquiring important knowledge and
understanding about new topics, spe-
cially Communications, Case Studies,
and Call for Proposals.” mentioned Mr.
Mutassem Saadallah, a participant
from MAG.
UNMAS appreciates the support of the
Governments of Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Italy and the United Kingdom,
which have funded this second training
course.
West Anbar, 04 November 2017 –
IOM, the UN Migration Agency, medi-
cal teams are providing assistance to
nearly 1,000 primary health care bene-
ficiaries, including displaced persons,
returnees and host communities, per
week in Anbar Governorate.
In anticipation of military operations,
and due to recent military operations in
remaining ISIL held areas, more than
7,100 individuals (over 1,150 house-
holds) have been displaced from west
Anbar between the 12¬–31 October,
mostly from the districts of al-Kai’m
and Rau’a. Since January 2017, more
than 64,950 individuals have been dis-
placed by military operations in West
Anbar. Of these, more than 19,000 have
been displaced since 20 September fol-
lowing the intensification of the Iraqi
Forces’ offensive against ISIL in the
west Anbar districts of Ana, Al Ka’im
and Ru’a.
IOM staff spoke with Noriah, a mother
of seven children recently displaced
from Al-Qaim, at an IOM mobile medi-
cal team clinic. “We have been dis-
placed because of the very bad situation
and the lack of food. Our lives used to
be normal. After ISIL entered the city,
my children stopped studying and our
lives became very difficult. We got to a
stage at which I could not always afford
to feed my children,” said Noriah.
“We decided to move at night; we bor-
rowed money from our relatives to pay
the smugglers. We fled only in the
clothes that we were wearing. We
walked with other families who were
UN Migration Agency provides medical care to newly displaced
persons from West Anbar
Volume 4, Issue 6 Healthcare Page 75
also trying to get out of the city. Our
journey lasted for three days via the
Trabeal road and then to Kilo 160 until
we reached the camp of Amiriyat Fallu-
jah.”
IOM medical teams provide primary
health care consultations, obstetric and
gynecological consultations, and refer-
ral of emergency cases. The most com-
mon ailments reported include upper
respiratory tract infections, diarrhea,
leishmaniasis, scabies and chronic dis-
eases, including hypertension and dia-
betes. Some trauma patients present
injuries sustained during the conflict.
IOM medical teams are also providing
awareness raising sessions on preven-
tion of communicable diseases and good
health practices.
The locations for the mobile medical
teams are determined according to the
needs of the population and in coordi-
nation with Anbar’s Department of
Health. Current locations include Am-
riyat Al-Falluja, Falluja, Heet,
Kubbaissa, and two locations in Garma.
WHO’s life-saving work in Iraq continues with support from the
European Commission
Baghdad, 8 November 2017 – The
World Health Organization (WHO) has
received an additional seven million
Euros from the European Commission
Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid
Operations (ECHO) to support emer-
gency trauma care and essential life-
saving health care for people affected
by conflict in Iraq.
The funds will be used by WHO to pro-
vide emergency health care for tens of
thousands of people in Mosul, Telafar,
Hawija, Anbar and other locations.
ECHO’s support will help improve ac-
cess to first-line emergency health care
and referral services for communities,
and ensure timely response to potential
disease outbreaks. It will also help im-
prove data collection, analysis and dis-
semination aimed at improving the
quality and timeliness of WHO’s and
other medical humanitarian partners’
health services and activities at field
level.
“This support demonstrates the strong
partnership between the European
Commission and WHO with a shared
goal of delivering quality health ser-
vices to all vulnerable communities in
Iraq,” said Altaf Musani, WHO Country
Representative in Iraq.
“In such critical times, where health
infrastructures and services in Mosul
and other parts of Iraq have been ei-
ther destroyed or severely curtailed,
these funds will enable WHO to work
closely with health authorities, nation-
al and international partners to step up
front line services, bring back to life
health structures in newly retaken
areas and provide basic health services
in displacement camps,” Musani added.
“The conflict in Iraq continues to strike
thousands of Iraqis. Bringing back the
basic services able to help them recover
from their wounds, from the trauma
they experienced, is a priority for
ECHO. Helping Iraq’s health system
recover and cater for the health needs
of those most vulnerable cannot wait,”
said Javier Rio Navarro, head of the
ECHO office in Iraq.
These medical services are life saving
for many newly displaced people who
suffer from health conditions that were
complicated by insufficient access to
health assistance in ISIL-held areas.
In addition, IOM medical teams are
running a tuberculosis response and
prevention project in several gover-
norates, funded by the Global Fund. In
Anbar, this project provides support to
the National Tuberculosis Programme
centres in Anbar; conducts screening
for suspected cases and awareness ses-
sions on tuberculosis symptoms and
prevention; follow-ups on tuberculosis
patients and provides them with trans-
portation and high-protein foods; as
well as training sessions for staff mem-
bers of Anbar’s Department of Health.
IOM Iraq Displacement Tracking Ma-
trix has been monitoring the West
Anbar crisis since January 2017, when
significant displacement movements
were already taking place due to hostil-
ities in the area and in anticipation of
major military operations. Of the total
displaced, 42,800 are registered in
camps, and more than 22,150 are in out
-of-camp locations (over 21,500 in pri-
vate settings, and 570 in critical shelter
arrangements, including unfinished
buildings). The majority of the dis-
placed from West Anbar are within
Anbar Governorate; more than 28,400
have been displaced to the district of
Falluja, and over 22,000 to Ramadi.
Others have fled to Baghdad gover-
norate (over 4,200) and Erbil gover-
norate (4,400).
Baghdad, 9 November 2017 - As part
of UNICEF's Water, Sanitation and
Hygiene (WASH) activities in raising
awareness on best hygiene practices,
handwashing with soap, and how to
avoid water-borne diseases, a UNICEF
booth has been placed on the road
(Baghdad, Al-Qanat) where pilgrims
are marching through to the holy
shrines in Karbala.
UNICEF and supported by UNAMI-
FriendsOfUNICEF volunteers distrib-
uted awareness brochures and talked to
the families and children about the
importance of handwashing, and best
practices to avoid getting sick.
Everyone who visited the booth appre-
ciated the work that UNICEF and the
FriendsofUNICEF volunteers are do-
Raising awareness of best hygiene practices campaign
Volume 4, Issue 6 Healthcare Page 76
ing, especially during the commemora-
tion of the occasion of Arbaieen where
millions of people are walking towards
one destination, and getting generous
amounts of food, water, and services
along the way.
UNICEF partner Mercy Hands for Hu-
manitarian Aid is visiting schools in
Baghdad to talk with students about
good hygiene.
Now that the weather is changing,
there is an increased risk of water and
air borne diseases to spread. Good hy-
giene helps protect against the transfer
of germs.
After the presentation, there was a
competition among students to see who
had learned the most. Winners received
copybooks, crayons and branded brace-
WHO strengthens the capacity of family physicians in Iraq as an
approach towards achieving universal health coverage
Baghdad, 15 November 2017 – As
part of its support to strengthen service
delivery for universal health coverage
in Iraq, and in line with the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goal
3 to achieve universal health coverage
by 2030, WHO supported a 4-day train-
ing of trainers course.
The training was designed by the Fami-
ly Medicine Department at the Ameri-
can University of Beirut Medical Cen-
ter at the request of WHO, aimed at
building the capacities of 21 family
medicine practitioners in the Ministry
of Health in Iraq and Ministry of High-
er Education and Scientific Research to
better prepare them to host, adapt and
facilitate a combined theoretical
(online) and practical bridging course
for general practitioners in the country
and to orient them on the principles
and elements of primary care services.
This will improve general practitioners
technical skills in service delivery for
universal health coverage as well as to
increase the number of family practi-
tioners.
Forty five percent (45%) of Iraq’s medi-
cal doctors are general practitioners.
WHO has identified family practice as
an efficient and effective approach to
improve the delivery of primary health
care services in countries of the East-
ern Mediterranean Region. A prelimi-
nary assessment of primary health care
(PHC) conducted in 22 countries in the
Region, showed that 90% of PHC facili-
ties are managed by general physicians
who are certified to work without fur-
ther specialized training after graduat-
ing from medical schools.
Universal health coverage aims to en-
sure that everyone receives the quality
services that they need, and are pro-
tected from health threats, without
suffering financial hardship. It is a way
of reducing poverty and increasing
health security, so that no one is left
behind.
lets.
The school is also now decorated with
posters on hand washing to remind the
children of good habits they learned!
UNICEF, Iraqi Red Crescent Society
and #FriendsOfUNICEF volunteers
were also at the Baghdad International
Fair promoting the use of safe water,
best hygiene practices and handwash-
ing.
In a related activity, UNICEF distrib-
uted Aquatabs water purification tab-
lets in Baghdad and Iraqi Red Crescent
Society (IRCS) volunteers are talking to
people in their homes, in the markets
and at school about how to use them to
have fresh, clean water at home.
plies Manager at Rizgary Hospital said:
“Every day, we perform more than 50
surgeries in three operating rooms; the
availability of intravenous fluid for
these surgeries is crucial. Our hospital
provides services to the local communi-
ties, displaced Iraqis and Syrian refu-
gees alike, free of charge.” He added,
“These are essential life-saving sup-
plies. Shortages due to the current fi-
nancial situation have placed a high
burden on the hospital, but the supplies
we have just received will cover for at
least 200 major operations and 100
minor interventions.”
Displacement continues across Iraq
Mosul - According to IOM Iraq’s Dis-
placement Tracking Matrix (DTM),
more than one million individuals were
displaced during operations to retake
Mosul (which began in October 2016).
From Markaz Mosul sub-district, en-
compassing the city of Mosul, nearly
600,000 people continue to be dis-
placed, and more than 222,400 people
have returned, since the end of the of-
fensive in July 2017.
Across Iraq - more than 2,991,000 Ira-
qis continue to be displaced due to the
current crisis, which began in January
2014. More than 2,679,000 of those who
were displaced have returned (as of 15
November 2017).
Mosul, 21 November 2017 – To
strengthen government-run health
facilities in the wake of the Mosul cri-
sis, IOM Iraq has donated medical
equipment and supplies valued at ap-
proximately USD 500,000 to Al-Salam
Teaching Hospital in east Mosul.
The equipment was funded by the Unit-
ed Kingdom Department for Interna-
tional Development (DFID) and the
Government of Kuwait.
The Ninewa Governorate’s Department
of Health coordinated the donation and
nominated Al-Salam Teaching Hospital
in east Mosul to receive the supplies,
due to the hospital’s increased patient
load following the influx of returning
displaced persons and high numbers of
vulnerable host community members.
The donation aims to contribute to the
stabilization of communities in east
Mosul.
Prior to the handover in October, the
equipment and consumables were used
in IOM’s field hospital in Hammam al-
Alil, about 30 km south of Mosul. Since
its establishment in March 2017, a few
months into the battle to retake Mosul
from ISIL, IOM’s field hospital in Ham-
mam al-Alil played a critical role in
providing emergency care and treating
patients displaced from conflict zones,
mainly West Mosul.
Between March and September 2017,
IOM’s field hospital in Hammam al-Alil
served approximately 9,300 outpatients
and admitted 664 cases for non-trauma
and trauma surgeries, including inju-
ries and fractured limbs sustained as
result of the conflict.
The medical equipment and supplies
donated to Al-Salam Hospital include:
operating tables, anesthesia machine,
ventilators, medical monitors, infusion
pumps, heart defibrillators, hospital-
grade autoclave sterilizers, patient
trollies, X-ray machines, laboratory
equipment, and consumable medical
supplies.
“It was the right time to carry out this
upgrade, which will double the capacity
of the hospital to deliver health ser-
vices,” said Dr. Sangar Perdawed, IOM
Iraq’s National Emergency Health Co-
ordinator. “This donation is part of
IOM’s capacity building activities,
which strengthen government-run
health centres to better serve all pa-
tients.”
“This is the only intensive care unit
(ICU) currently operational in Mosul,”
said Dr. Raad Abdulhady, Manager of
Al-Salam Hospital. Referring to the
defibrillator and medical monitors that
will be installed in the ICU, he added,
“We needed the donated equipment; it
IOM equips Mosul Hospital with a half-million dollar donation
Volume 4, Issue 6 Healthcare Page 77
will contribute to saving lives, whether
in operating theatres, intensive care or
emergency units.”
The original Al-Salam building – once
Mosul’s main hospital – was severely
damaged almost a year ago, during
military operations to retake the east-
ern part of the city. The hospital reo-
pened in March 2017 in a nearby East
Mosul location. It has a capacity of 150
beds.
According to Dr. Abdulhady, between
450 to 500 patients currently visit the
hospital daily, mainly for orthopaedic,
cardiac and internal medicine, and
injuries, many from road traffic acci-
dents. Patients receive treatment free
of charge.
In addition to the upgrades in Al-Salam
Hospital, IOM Iraq has recently donat-
ed consumable supplies and medical
equipment valued at approximately
USD70,000 to other health facilities
throughout the country. The benefi-
ciary health facilities include Raparen
Teaching Hospital, Rizgary Teaching
Hospital, Nanakali Hospital, Razhan
Clinic, Hawler Teaching Hospital, West
Emergency Hospital, East Emergency
Hospital (all in Erbil Governorate); and
Al-Areage Primary Health Care Center
in Mosul and the health clinic in Gwer.
Dr. Ibrahim Khalil, the Medical Sup-
Kirkuk, 27 November 2017 - For
more than 3 years, the people of Hawii-
ja district in Kirkuk Governorate, Iraq,
were cut off from lifesaving health care
and immunization services, leaving
many children susceptible to vaccine-
preventable diseases. “For years, I wor-
ried that my children may contract
polio and measles or die,” said Hadija, a
32-year-old mother of 3 children.
In September 2017, the district became
accessible following military operations
launched by the Government of Iraq.
WHO, together with Kirkuk Direc-
torate of Health, immediately deployed
mobile medical teams to provide im-
munization services, and health care
for people suffering from trauma inju-
ries or chronic disease conditions.
Five mobile medical teams were de-
ployed to Khan, Tal Ali, Abbassi, Masa-
naa, Al Zab and Ryadh areas. Since
then, from mid-September to 15 No-
vember 2017, more than 10000 people
in Hawiija district have benefited from
WHO’s support, including 1563 chil-
dren vaccinated against childhood im-
munizable diseases.
Lifesaving mobile health teams reach people in newly liberated
areas of Hawiija, Iraq
Volume 4, Issue 6 Healthcare Page 78
Although these newly accessible areas
are still security compromised, WHO
saw urgency in delivering health care
to thousands of people that had been
cut off from aid for years, and whose
health was being compromised day by
day. Five main health facilities have
been partially or completely damaged,
in addition to Hawija general hospital.
Currently, only the Kirkuk Directorate
of Health and WHO-supported frontline
health teams are delivering immuniza-
tion services in these areas.
Among the beneficiaries is Hadija, who
brought 2 of her children to the mobile
teams for vaccination. “I believe that
vaccination prevents many childhood
diseases and can save my children. I
take this seriously and it has always
been a top priority when it comes to the
health of my children,” she said.
“Being cut off from regular health ser-
vices worried me. I thought of my chil-
dren and how they may become disa-
bled or die. Now we have health teams
that move around our village to ensure
that not only children, but everyone
has access to health care,” added Had-
A new post-operative care facility opens in Mosul’s Al-Salam
Hospital
Baghdad, 1 December 2017 – The
World Health Organization (WHO),
with funds from the Government of
Kuwait, has established a post-
operative care unit in Al-Salam Hospi-
tal, East Mosul to enhance the capacity
of Ninewa’s Directorate of Health to
provide quality post-operative care for
surgical patients during the first 24 to
72 hours.
The 42-bed facility was constructed and
equipped at the request of Ninewa Di-
rectorate of Health and contains female
and males wards: each equipped with
admission and physician consultation
rooms, nurses and doctors rest rooms.
The facility will be used to admit pa-
tients who are recovering from a surgi-
cal procedure.
Al-Salam Hospital is one of the 6 major
hospitals that were severely damaged
during the Mosul operations. It is
among the few that recently re-opened
and are currently experiencing a surge
in the patient caseloads.
Mosul’s 3-year crisis and insecurity has
left devastating effects on the city’s
health sector and infrastructure in turn
affecting life-saving and disability-
preventing surgical services including
emergency, trauma, obstetrics and
post-operative care.
The construction of the facility was
timely, and will help to accommodate
increased caseloads of trauma and
emergency patients seeking surgical
interventions, and to improve in-
patient comfort in the hospital. The
hospital currently serves the needs of
people from east and west Mosul given
that all hospitals in west Mosul remain
non-functional and closed.
As the situation normalizes, and as
more people return to their homes of
origin, the need for essential lifesaving
emergency, trauma and post-operative
health services remains incredibly
high. These, however do not match the
capacity of the few functional hospitals
in Mosul.
WHO and other health partners are
working tirelessly hard with health
authorities to restore, rehabilitate and
rebuild the health system and infra-
structure so that all people receive
quality health care. Thanks to WHO’s
donors, The Government of Kuwait,
European Union Humanitarian Aid
(ECHO), the Office of United States
F o r e i g n D i s a s t e r A s s i s t a n c e
(USAID/OFDA), the Government of
German and the Government of Japan.
ijah.
The WHO-supported mobile teams de-
liver a comprehensive package of life-
saving health services that include
vaccination, medical consultations,
medicines, referrals, health promotion
and treatment for chronic conditions. In
addition, the teams conduct water qual-
ity monitoring, and distribution of chlo-
rine tablets at household levels.
Additional 30 mobile medical teams
will be deployed to Hawiija on 3 Decem-
ber 2018 to vaccinate children during
an upcoming immunization campaign.
To date in 2017, financial support from
European Union Humanitarian Aid
(ECHO), the Office of United States
Foreign Disaster Assistance
(USAID/OFDA) and the Government of
Germany has allowed WHO to deploy
more than 70 lifesaving mobile teams
to hard to reach areas and newly acces-
sible locations across Iraq.
Baghdad, 4 December 2017 -
UNICEF launched today the Maternal,
Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH)
survey results. MNCH activities aim at
saving the lives of women, newborns
and children.
UNICEF launched MNCH survey results
Volume 4, Issue 6 Healthcare Page 79
UNICEF partnered with Central Sta-
tistical Organization, Kurdistan Re-
gional Statistical Office and the Feder-
al & Kurdistan Ministries of Health to
conduct a MNCH survey in areas
where UNICEF is collaborating with
MOH to support implementation of
health care activities.
The findings launch in Baghdad was
attended by Minister of Planning, Dr.
Salman Ali al-Jumaili; Dr. Ihsan Jafar
on behalf of Dr. Adeelah Hammood,
Minister of Health; Shanelle Hall,
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director,
Hamida Ramadhani, UNICEF Iraq
Deputy Representative and Moazzam
Hossein, Chief of Health and Nutrition
section at UNICEF Iraq
Key Survey Findings:
*A high proportion of mothers (85.3%)
received antenatal care more than once
UNICEF’s “Back to School” campaign continues
Baghdad, 25 October 2017 - As part
of its "Back to School" campaign,
UNICEF is working with partners to
distribute school kits to displaced chil-
dren and to children in vulnerable are-
as.
Student kits, school in carton, recrea-
tion kits, math kits, science kits are
designed to motivate children to return
to class and to encourage parents to
send their children to school.
Recreation kits are a tool for psychoso-
cial support. Other supplies to aim to
improve the quality of education chil-
dren are receiving and reduce the drop
out rate by providing materials chil-
dren need to attend classes.
These school kits are funded through
the support of European Commission -
Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid
Operations - ECHO, U.S. Department
of State: Bureau of Population, Refu-
gees, and Migration and the govern-
ments of Canada and Germany.
and over half of mothers received ante-
natal care at least four times (58.3%).
*The Under-Five mortality rate was
37/1,000 live births. It was higher in
females compared to male children.
*44.3% of children age 6-23 months
were receiving a minimally acceptable
diet.
*The percentage of children fully vac-
cinated before the age of 2 years was 50
percent.
Priority areas of programming based on
survey results:
*Improving neonatal health care and
reduction of neonatal mortality;
*Promoting appropriate infant and
young child feeding;
*Strengthening routine immunization
*Strengthening prevention and man-
agement of diarrhea and acute respira-
tory infections in children.
UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director visits Iraq
Ramadi, 5 December 2017 -
UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director
Shanelle Hall, visited Iraq to show her
support for the children of the country,
visited the vaccine warehouse in
Ramadi, funded by European Commis-
sion - Civil Protection & Humanitarian
Aid Operations - ECHO. This ware-
house is a critical step in providing life-
saving vaccines for children across
Iraq.
"They're storing all the basic immun-
izations for children. It's an impressive
facility that's serving the governorate.
We know we have more work to do and
more support to give," said Ms. Hall,
after the visit.
Education
Erbil, 1 November 2017 - When 26
year old Zahra was displaced alongside
her family from Mosul in 2014 they all
headed to the Muthana Governorate in
southern Iraq. Zahra lost many things,
including her chance to attend college
after graduating from high school.
“When we were displaced, things were
very difficult. We had to give up so
much that my family decided I should
stop my education and stay at home,”
said the young Iraqi girl.
“Despite the many financial difficulties,
I didn’t want to give up my dreams.”
she added.
Zahra and her family suffered major
difficulties when they settled in south-
ern Iraq. At first, they had to share a
UNHCR Iraq assistance empowers displaced Iraqis from Mosul to
continue their education
Volume 4, Issue 6 Education Page 80
small house with five other families (40
individuals) and there was also the
language barrier. Zahra being from the
Iraqi Turkmen minority spoke little
Arabic.
With the loss of her home, friends and
college education Zahra underwent
some psychological issues, but thanks
to the intervention of UNHCR’s part-
ner’s, Canadian Aid Organization
CAOFISR, she received mental health
support and was able to recover. She
also began to focus on her studies.
“I decided to, improve my Arabic, and
enroll in an accounting course at a
technical institution.”
With the help of UNHCR’s support,
Zahra was able to resume her educa-
UNICEF is working with NRC - Norwegian Refugee Council to help
kids affected by conflict catch up with classes
Baghdad, 13 November 2017 - Over
10,000 children -- nearly half of them
girls -- in Hasansham, Khazir and
Chamakor camps in northern Iraq have
access to catch up classes, recreational
activities and psychosocial support.
These activities are critical to helping
children cope with distressing experi-
ences. They also give the kids opportu-
nities to continue studying so that the
time they spend displaced is not a lost
chance at an education.
These activities are made possible
through funding from the government
of Germany and U.S. Department of
State: Bureau of Population, Refugees,
and Migration.
In a related event, thanks to support
from Dubai Cares, 735 children in Su-
limaniyah now have access to education
as a result of a new school being built.
tion and graduate with an accounting
degree and is very proud of her achieve-
ment.
Vocational training continues
Erbil, 10 November 2017 - UNDP
continues to help build capacity in Iraq
with the aim of developing skills and
increasing employability, especially
amongst the most vulnerable popula-
tions.
Most recently in Duhok and Zakho, 239
internally displaced people, host com-
munity members and Syrian refugees,
over half of whom are females, received
one-month vocational training. Courses
included mushroom cultivation and
greenhouse farming; pastry-making
and cooking; information technology,
webpage design, computer and mobile
maintenance; ceiling decoration; and
air conditioning installation and
maintenance in construction. Female
oriented courses included childcare,
sewing and coiffure.
On 6 November 2017, 102 participants
celebrated their successful completion
of the training in Zakho. And, a day
later, another graduation ceremony
took place in Duhok for 137 graduates.
These activities were implemented un-
der UNDP’s Iraq Crisis Response and
Resilience Programme (ICRRP), and
made possible through generous fund-
ing from the Government of Germa-
ny/GIZ. In total, 1,000 internally dis-
placed people, host community mem-
bers and Syrian refugees have benefit-
ed from vocational training opportuni-
ties in Duhok, Zakho, and #Erbil dur-
ing the period of April - November
2017. More than 400 trainees have
been directly placed in private sector
jobs.
Dohuk, 20 November 2017 - Educa-
tion is a basic human right, enshrined
in the 1989 Convention on the Rights of
the Child and the 1951 Refugee Con-
vention. It is also a vital aspect of our
work at UNHCR. In times of displace-
ment, education is crucial as it can fos-
ter social cohesion, provide access to
life-saving information, address psycho-
social needs, and offer a stable and safe
environment for those who need it
most. It also helps people to rebuild
their communities and pursue produc-
tive and meaningful lives.
With support from UNHCR Iraq, Min-
istry of Education - Kurdistan Regional
Government and other education ac-
tors, Qandil and its Community Out-
reach Volunteers launched “back-to-
school campaign” reaching out to refu-
UNHCR Dohuk launches the “back-to-school campaign” by
supporting students with notebooks and textbooks
Volume 4, Issue 6 Education Page 81
gees, IDPs and host population in ur-
ban areas in Duhok Governorate. Dur-
ing the campaign, Qandil raised aware-
ness regarding the importance of edu-
cation and also distributed 1,000 note-
books to secondary and high school
students. The same platform was used
to encourage Children and Youths who
have been out of school to enrol in the
KRG formal education system.
UNHCR opened the first high school for Syrian refugees in Domiz-2
refugee camp in Duhok Governorate
Duhok, 14 December 2017 - UNHCR
opened the first high school for Syrian
refugees in Domiz-2 refugee camp in
Duhok Governorate. Paiam High school
was constructed by the NRC - Norwe-
gian Refugee Council, UNHCR Iraq's
education partner, in close coordination
with the Department of Education in
Duhok.
This is the first hard structure school in
Duhok’s refugee camps and it is the
first high school in Domiz-2. Previously,
refugee students had to go to high
schools located outside the camp, which
made it difficult for them to continue
their education beyond the ninth grade.
This was especially the case for girls.
The school will help to solve the prob-
lem of students who are on the verge of
dropping out of school.
Through its educational activities and
in partnership with NRC and close
collaboration with the Department of
Education, UNHCR in Duhok provides
opportunities for refugee students to
receive an education bringing a sense of
normalcy and stability to their lives.
UNHCR’s Public Information and Ex-
ternal Relations Officer in Duhok Gov-
ernorate, Rasheed Hussein, spoke to
the media during the opening ceremony
of the school on 5 December, 2017.
UNHCR has also continued its support
to strengthen education infrastructure
and systems to provide opportunities
for refugee students to get education
and bring a sense of normalcy and sta-
bility to their lives. Through its part-
ner, (NRC - Norwegian Refugee Coun-
cil ; UNHCR distributed 3,000 text-
books to all refugee schools in Dohuk
Governorate as a part of UNHCR’s
support to the Directorate of Education.
In partnership with NRC, UNHCR has
also completed the construction of a
secondary school in Domiz-2 Refugee
Camp to decongest the existing school
in the camp. In Akre Refugee Camp,
Human Appeal contributed to the ex-
tension of the existing school in Akre
Refugee Camp which accommodate
high school students.
UNICEF is running a pilot e-leaning program for 300 Syrian refugee
students in KR-I
Erbil, 30 November 2017 – UNICEF
is running a pilot e-leaning program for
300 Syrian refugee students in Erbil,
Sulimaniya and Dohuk in partnership
with SABIS and supported by the gov-
ernment of Germany.
All class materials are on tablets that
they bring with them to class three
times a week. This way, they have a
teacher with them all the time--lessons,
homework, tests, and textbooks are all
on the tablets!
This program is recognized by the Min-
istries of Education in Kurdistan as
well as in Syria, which means that if
these children return to their homes,
the e-learning classes will count as part
of their education.
Baghdad, 7 November 2017 - Majala-
ty is a children’s magazine which was
In cooperation with UNICEF, Majalaty is back!!!
Volume 4, Issue 6 Youth Page 82
first published in 1969. It aims to edu-
cate children, raise awareness and
IOM publishes children’s coloring book to promote social cohesion
Baghdad, 12 November 2017 - The
country of Iraq is rich in traditions,
culture, and languages; each brings its
own color and texture. Joined like
stitched threads, they together make
up the diverse and vibrant fabric of
Iraqi society.
This coloring book recognizes an im-
portant tradition in Iraq: the role of the
hakawatis, or storytellers. The coloring
book is an effort to promote social cohe-
sion through sharing a piece of Iraq’s
rich cultural heritage.
In Iraq’s oral tradition, the hakawati
was a source of folk wisdom and stories.
Later, mothers told these stories to
their children, which contribute to cre-
ating a sense of shared custom and
belonging within the society. Years
later, those children, as adults, fondly
remember the stories, and may use
them to recall shared traditions.
Acknowledging the contribution of sto-
rytelling to tighten the threads towards
the weaving of a cohesive Iraqi society,
this book gathers various folk stories
from many of Iraq’s ethno-religious
groups. It includes Kurdish, Arabic,
Shabak, Yazidi and Turkic folk stories,
but does not mention their origin.
This is intentional, as the book aims to
present the younger generation with an
interconnected view of Iraq’s cultural
heritage; and to offer the opportunity to
bringing readers and those who share
the stories closer together.
You can access the coloring book at
http://iomiraq.net/file/39297/download
guide learning.
In cooperation with UNICEF Iraq a
special edition of Majalaty was pro-
duced that addresses health and per-
sonal hygiene issues.
Copies of the magazine are being dis-
tributed in schools in Baghdad where
the messages in the magazine are being
discussed to promote good health and
hygiene practices among children.
This special issue of Majalaty was pro-
duced through the support of the gov-
ernment of Kuwait.
New skills, new you — giving kids in Kirkuk a place to grow
Kirkuk, 9 November 2017 - Children
displaced by conflict from Hawija, and
local children from Kirkuk spent every
day of their summer holidays visiting a
youth centre in Kirkuk. The youth cen-
tre is on the main street in downtown
Kirkuk. Its walls are covered in a chil-
dren’s drawing of flowers, trees, houses,
beautiful nature, and drawings taken
from their imaginations. The kids are
in individual classrooms, divided by
age, but boys and girls are together.
The youth centre opens its doors to over
3,200 young people who come to learn
English, Arabic and Kurdish and enjoy
theatre, art and drawing classes run by
UNICEF’s partner Intersos. UNICEF
supports this youth centre through a
generous donation from the European
Commission’s Directorate-General for
European Civil Protection and Human-
itarian Aid Operations (ECHO).
Zina is one of the teachers who works
with the children. She explained that
there were students who were too
afraid to even pick up a pen and try
writing when they first arrived. They
had experienced so much violence and
conflict that it was difficult for them to
function normally in non-stressful situ-
ations. Now, they help each other with
their lessons, and are happiest when
they are learning new things.
“It’s great to see the kids’ eyes shining
when they’re mastering a new skill. I
hope that all of these children have the
chance to live normal lives their lives
like other children in the world,” she
said.
8-year-old Abdulrahman has been com-
ing since here since the beginning of
UNICEF’s activities in January 2017.
He spends most of the time in art class,
and learning English. “My favourite
activity is drawing. I come here because
I want to improve. Sometimes drawing
helps us to express hidden feelings,” he
said.
For youths, there are courses in how to
repair cell phones and tailoring. Adoles-
cents are also encouraged to attend
awareness raising sessions on early
marriage and premenstrual syndrome.
Gender based issues such as early mar-
riage, violence, and sexual education
are of particular concern for displaced
people, and the youth centre offers a
safe space to receive information.
These courses aim to fill gaps left be-
hind by a broken educational system
and for displaced people living in camps
or improvised shelters.
By Krman Kamal, Communications
Consultant, UNICEF Iraq.
Baghdad, 20 November 2017 – Years
of conflict have severely curtailed the
rights of children in Iraq. Their rights
to protection from violence, education
and access to safe drinking water are
under assault from nearly every direc-
tion.
“UNICEF is working with partners like
the German government to champion
the rights of Iraqi children and to en-
sure they have every opportunity to
fulfill their potential,” said Peter Haw-
kins, UNICEF’s representative to Iraq.
A new contribution of 23 million USD
from the German government will ena-
ble UNICEF to deliver educational ser-
vices to some 265,000 children who may
have missed school for a year or more.
The generous contribution will also be
used to repair damaged water networks
UNICEF thanks the people of Germany for their continued support
to the children of Iraq
Volume 4, Issue 6 Youth Page 83
in conflict affected communities, so that
families can return to their homes.
“The extent of violence and poverty
faced by Iraqi children because of the
long-lasting conflict is deeply concern-
ing,” said Dr. Cyrill Nunn, the German
Ambassador in Iraq.
“Children are abused, abducted, injured
or even killed without a chance to es-
cape this cycle of violence and despair
on their own. I am pleased that the
German Government can support
UNICEF in addressing the most urgent
needs of these children, be it through
protection, education or lifesaving wa-
ter and sanitation,” Dr. Nunn added.
Over 3 million Iraqis are currently dis-
placed. During the past year, more
than one million people —half of them
children—have been displaced as the
result of the conflict in Ninewa, Anbar
and Kirkuk governorates. Nearly
200,000 of those children are still dis-
placed and receiving on-going humani-
tarian assistance.
New York, 13 November 2017 – The
United Nations stands ready to assist
efforts to respond to the earthquake
that struck Iran and Iraq on Sunday,
the Organization's top official has said.
UN Secretary-General António Gu-
terres “is deeply saddened by the loss of
life and damage” following the quake
that struck the border regions of the
two countries, said a statement issued
by his Spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric.
The statement said the Secretary-
General conveyed his condolences to
the bereaved families and to the Gov-
ernments and people of Iran and Iraq,
and wished those injured a speedy re-
covery. He also commended the local
response efforts underway.
“The United Nations stands ready to
assist if required,” read the statement.
By United Nations News
UN ready to assist response efforts following quake in Iran and
Iraq, says Guterres
Inauguration of replica of the Statue of the Lamassu at UNESCO
HQ in Paris, France Paris, France, 6 November 2017 -
Nimrud’s Lamassu stands proud at
UNESCO Headquarters - thanks to
Italy, Association Incontro della Civili-
ta and the Iraqi Ministry of Culture.
Nimrud has been the target of deliber-
ate attacks by extremists - this replica
stands as a symbol of recovery and re-
silience.
Timeline
es to Sulaymaniyah Hospital, the pri-
mary hospital in the area, along with
trauma and surgical kits,” said Ms
Grande.
"The key is to act quickly so we can
help prevent any further loss of life.”
Baghdad, 13 November 2017 - An
earthquake measuring a magnitude of
7.3 on the Richter scale struck last
night approximately 32kms from the
city of Halabja, Iraq. The earthquake
was felt across Iraq, including in the
cities of Baghdad, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah,
Kirkuk and Basra.
“There have been reports of six fatali-
ties and upward of 500 casualties,” said
Lise Grande, Humanitarian Coordina-
tor for Iraq. We are deeply saddened by
the loss of life and we extend our sin-
cerest condolences to all of the people
impacted by this tragedy.”
"Our priority right now is to help local
authorities respond as quickly as possi-
ble," said Ms. Grande. “An assessment
team has just arrived in Darbandikhan,
one of the areas worst impacted by this
quake. We’ve also received a request
from the Government to dispatch a
United Nations Disaster Assessment
and Coordination (UNDAC) team from
OCHA: Humanitarian partners are rushing to help the victims of
the earthquake
Volume 4, Issue 6 Timeline Page 84
Geneva. This is a highly specialised
team that will help to assess conditions
and coordinate the response."
"This morning, the World Health Or-
ganization (WHO) has sent an Immedi-
ate Response Team and two ambulanc-
IOM Iraq provides medical assistance to earthquake-affected
families
Sulaymaniyah, 15 November 2017 –
On Monday, 13 November an IOM Iraq
Mobile Medical Team arrived in Kani
Bardina village, Warmawa district, to
provide medical assistance to families,
following an earthquake of 7.3 on the
Richter scale the previous evening,
which struck 32 kilometres from the
city of Halabja in the governorate of
Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
Approximately half of the 40 homes in
Kani Bardina village were damaged or
destroyed in the earthquake.
The IOM Mobile Medical Team is
providing assistance in response to a
request from the Joint Crisis Coordina-
tion Centre of the Kurdistan Regional
Government of Iraq, for medical sup-
port in the area to assist those who
were injured in the earthquake. The
team is receiving guidance from local
health authorities.
In Kani Bardina, the Team provided
primary health consultations for adults
and children, and tests, treatment and
medication for chronic diseases such as
diabetes and asthma. The few cases
needing further treatment were re-
ferred to Sulaymaniyah hospital and to
Halabja hospital – which was also dam-
aged in the earthquake.
The IOM Mobile Medical Team visited
Halabja Hospital, which during the
earthquake sustained damage to the
ceiling, floor, and walls, with blocks
falling onto empty hospital beds. The
hospital’s director Dr. Ranj Zangana
explained that throughout yesterday
they continued to provide services for
visiting patients, but those who needed
longer-term care were transferred or
referred to Sulaymaniyah hospital.
The IOM Mobile Medical Team spoke
with and provided medical support to
Jamil, 58 years old, and his family. He
said: “All my family was sleeping when
the earthquake hit. We did not get out
of our house fast enough and then we
could not open the doors, which were
damaged in the earthquake, so my wife
and I helped our five children to climb
out the window, and then we climbed
out ourselves.
“Our house has many cracks in the
walls, it is not safe to stay inside. The
shelter we had for our animals col-
lapsed – we have lost seven of our
sheep and a few of the other sheep have
serious injuries. We are now living in a
tent in our garden, which we used for
planting vegetables. We need to stay
close to our house because we cannot
leave the remaining animals alone; we
depend on them for income."
Jamil added, “Today we received medi-
cal check-ups from IOM. My wife re-
ceived treatment for her blood pres-
sure; it was too high because of the
earthquake. We hope to receive help to
repair our house before the winter sea-
son begins.”
continue to deliver assistance to health
facilities receiving patients affected by
the earthquake. This emergency re-
sponse by WHO has been made possible
with funds from European Union Hu-
manitarian Aid (ECHO) and the Office
of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance
(USAID/OFDA).
Baghdad, 15 November 2017 - In
response to the recent earthquake in
the border region between Islamic Re-
public of Iran and Iraq, WHO’s office in
Iraq has deployed a medical team sup-
ported with 3 ambulances, 4 tents and
emergency lifesaving supplies to Sulay-
maniyah governorate in northern Iraq.
The health supplies, sufficient for 200
surgical operations, have been preposi-
tioned at the Emergency Hospital in
Sulaymaniyah governorate.
An interagency assessment mission to
Sulaymaniyah governorate reported
that 8 people had been killed, more
than 500 people injured and 3 health
facilities damaged, 2 of which remain
nonfunctional as a result of the earth-
quake. WHO’s support is in response to
a request from the Directorate of Joint
Crisis Coordination Centre, Ministry of
Interior, Kurdistan Regional Govern-
ment and the Directorate of Health
Sulaymaniyah.
On Sunday, 13 November 2017, an
earthquake measuring a magnitude of
7.3 on the Richter scale struck approxi-
WHO delivers urgent health assistance for earthquake trauma
patients
Volume 4, Issue 6 Timeline Page 85
mately 32 kms from the city of Halabja,
Iraq. The earthquake was felt across
Iraq, including in the cities of Baghdad,
Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk and Bas-
ra. Five districts in Sulaymaniyah were
struck the hardest.
WHO and health partners continue to
closely monitor the situation and will
UNFPA scales up response after earthquake hit Iraq
Erbil, 19 November 2017 – In the
aftermath of the powerful earthquake
that struck the Iraq-Iran border last
Sunday evening, the office of the Unit-
ed Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
in Iraq scaled up its emergency inter-
vention.
The 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck
the border region between Iraq and The
Islamic Republic of Iran, 30 km south-
west of Halabja in Iraq, on Sunday 12
November 2017. According to the inter-
agency assessment mission to Sulay-
maniyah, the earthquake left eight
people dead, more than 500 injured and
hundreds of families displaced. Fur-
thermore, three health facilities were
damaged in Darbandixan and Halabja
alone.
To respond to the needs of the newly
displaced women and girls, UNFPA
deployed one gynecology mobile clinic
in Shahid Azadi Mama Alaa primary
health clinic (PHC), the only function-
ing health facility in Darbandixan in
Sulaymaniyah, the area which suffered
the most serious damage in Iraq. The
PHC is being turned into a makeshift
hospital, where tents are being set up
in the clinic’s courtyard. The mobile
clinic, which will be part of the make-
shift hospital, is crucial at this time as
the maternity wards were damaged
and are no longer operational.
The UNFPA team also distributed med-
icines and reproductive health kits as
well as dignity kits to more than 500
women and girls in the areas and pro-
vided much-needed psychosocial sup-
port to traumatized women in Darban-
dixan. In addition, UNFPA plans to
conduct psychosocial sessions in Hala-
bja during the upcoming week.
The United Nations Population Fund,
with the support and collaboration of
local partners, continues to monitor the
situation and stands ready to provide
necessary support to government and
women in need.
Baghdad, 23 November 2017 - En-
suring accountability for most serious
crimes, UNAMI Human Rights Office
organized an Expert Meeting on 23
November 2017 in Baghdad to discuss
the Draft law on the establishment of
the National Specialized Court on the
most serious crimes in Iraq.
teams at the dam locations in carrying
out a deep dive assessment of the dam-
age caused by the earthquake and put-
ting together a rehabilitation plan to
address immediate and longer term
concerns,” said Yara Salem, World
Bank Iraq Country Manager.
Baghdad, 27 November 2017 - A
joint team from the World Bank and
the Ministry of Water Resources visited
Sulaimaniyah Province to assess the
impact of the recent earthquake that
hit the Iraq-Iran border on the Dar-
bandikhan and Dokan Dams. Both
dams are very strategic. They were
built in 1961 for flood control, irriga-
tion, drinking water supply and later
power generation was added.
Concerns about the safety and manage-
ment of these two dams were raised
after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake
struck the Iraq-Iran border on Novem-
ber 12, centered 30 km southwest of
Halabjah in Iraqi Kurdistan, around
217 km northeast of Baghdad.
At the request of H.E. Dr. Haider Al-
Abadi, Prime Minister of the Republic
of Iraq, the World Bank mobilized a
technical support mission to carry out a
fact-finding assessment of the damage
the earthquake has inflicted on the
Darbandikhan and Dokan dams.
“We highly value the partnership be-
tween the Government of Iraq and the
World Bank office in Baghdad and we
appreciate the Bank’s prompt response
and cooperation in answering the Min-
istry’s request for assistance in dealing
with this emergency,” commented H.E.
Hassan Al Janabi, Minister of Water
Resources.
The objective of the Bank mission is to
support the Ministry of Water Re-
sources in preparing a detailed diagnos-
tic of the damage that has been caused
by the recent earthquake, reviewing
the emergency preparedness plan, and
preparing an action plan for managing
the dams.
The mission found that the dam opera-
tor and the technical staff of the Minis-
World Bank and Ministry of Water Resources evaluate
Darbandikhan and Dokan Dams following Iraq quake
Volume 4, Issue 6 Timeline Page 86
try of Water Resources are managing
the post-earthquake situation in a
highly satisfactory manner. The extent
of the further technical support needed
will be based on the mission’s findings.
“The World Bank is working hand in
hand with the Government of Iraq
Expert meeting on the Draft law on the establishment of the
National Specialized Court on the most serious crimes in Iraq held
in Baghdad
After the ceremony, few groups of vol-
unteers set out to selected neighbor-
hoods of the Iraqi capital on a cleaning
campaign as part of their work to raise
awareness to volunteering.
Every year, over 6,500 UN Volunteers
serve with UN entities in some of the
most challenging environments across
the world, and 12,000 UN Online Vol-
unteers complete over 20,000 assign-
ments online through the UNV Online
Volunteering service.
Baghdad, 09 December 2017 - The
United Nations Assistance Mission for
Iraq (UNAMI), in collaboration with
the Mayoralty of Baghdad, marked
today the International Volunteer Day
in a ceremony at the Al-Zawraa Park in
Baghdad.
International Volunteer Day (IVD)
mandated by the UN General Assem-
bly, is held each year on 5 December. It
is viewed as a unique chance for volun-
teers and organizations to celebrate
their efforts, to share their values, and
to promote their work among their com-
munities, non-governmental organiza-
tions (NGOs), United Nations agencies,
government authorities and the private
sector.
The event was addressed by Dr. Ali Al-
Attar, Prime Minister’s Youth Advisor,
and by Samir Ghattas, Director of UN-
AMI Public Information Office, as well
as by representatives of the Office of
the Mayor of Baghdad and volunteer
organizations.
Dr. Al-Attar praised the volunteers as
an important partner in the process of
building their country and encouraged
them to continue their good work.
Mr. Ghattas said the commemoration
was to show appreciation and increase
awareness about the work of volunteers
who “are driven by a sense of dedica-
tion and their passion to assist those in
need.”
IVD 2017’s theme “Volunteers Act
First. Here. Everywhere” recognizes
the contributions of volunteers as first
responders in times of crisis. Volun-
teers are present, all around us, an-
swering calls in times of need, helping
Baghdad marks International Volunteer Day
Volume 4, Issue 6 Timeline Page 87
save lives today, and supporting those
who want to continue living their lives
with dignity tomorrow. Risking their
lives every day to care for people affect-
ed by conflict, violence and humanitari-
an crises, volunteers brave many dan-
gers to help others, driven by the desire
to make a difference in the face of hu-
man suffering. This year, IVD promotes
the contributions of such volunteers at
the local, national and international
level.
Baghdad, 18 December 2017 - The
United Nations Assistance Mission for
Iraq (UNAMI) and the United Nations
Migration Agency (IOM) have orga-
nized tonight in Baghdad the marking
of the International Migrants Day with
a Global Migration Film Festival's
screening of the movie - “Lost in Leba-
non”.
The second annual Global Migration
Film Festival, organized by the Inter-
national Organization for Migration
(IOM), the UN Migration Agency, is
organized by more than 100 of IOM’s
country missions across the world and
is an opportunity to celebrate the diver-
International Migrants Day marked in Baghdad with a Global
Migration Film Festival’s movie screening
Volume 4, Issue 6 Timeline Page 88
sity and unique contributions of mi-
grants to the communities and coun-
tries where they live. It is also a tribute
to the many films that capture the
beauty of migrants and challenges that
they face and bring these realities to
audiences around the world.
The Film Festival is part of the UN's
“Together” global campaign to promote
diversity and inclusion. The movies and
documentaries shown during this festi-
val come from all regions of the world.
IOM Iraq organized Global Migration
Film Festival in Erbil from 14 to 18
December 2018 during which 6 short
and 5 feature movies were presented.
Greetings Message
Baghdad, 24 December 2017 – Spe-
cial Representative of the United Na-
tions Secretary-General for Iraq
(SRSG), Ján Kubiš, extends his greet-
ings to the Iraqi people, in particular
the Christian community, on the occa-
sion of Christmas and of the New Year
celebrations.
“This is a time of joy and celebration,
and it is particularly so this year be-
cause this is the first Christmas after
the defeat of Daesh,” Mr. Kubiš said.
“All Iraqis, regardless of their religion
or tribal affiliations, have stood togeth-
er to drive the terrorists out of the
country. Let us remember those who
have lost their lives over the past year
as a result of terrorist acts and pray to
God for their souls,” he added.
“My best wishes and greetings go to all
on this joyous occasion, particularly
those who are celebrating Christmas on
25 December. Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year,” SRSG Kubiš said.