UNAMI Chairs the First Meeting of the Committee on Ethnic and Religious Communities in Ninewa

Participants included representatives of the Christian, Shabak, Turkoman and Yazidi communities, as well as representatives of the Ninewa administration, the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Government of Iraq and UNAMI.

The meeting which focused on addressing the security of the various communities and the protection of their legal, political and human rights, as entrenched in the Constitution, is part of the ongoing talks between the Hadba and Ninewa Fraternal Lists aimed at ending the boycott of the Ninewa Provincial Council by the Fraternal List and subsequently improving the overall situation in the governorate.

Security related issues were identified among other priorities, including representation of the various communities in Iraq security forces. The committee has agreed to develop specific action areas required for tangible results in this field.

Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq, Jerzy Skuratowicz, noted that the meeting was an important first step for establishing a platform for dialogue and action. “While each of the components has its unique and distinct ethnic, cultural and religious heritage that must be preserved, it is also apparent that they all share many common concerns, which need to be addressed”, he added.