Press Release

UNAMI Training Course in Sulaimaniya to Strengthen Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation

22 May 2016

Sulaimaniya, Iraq, 22 May 2016 – The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Human Rights Office conducted on 17-19 May 2016 a training course in Sulaimaniya for staff members of the Kurdistan Independent Commission of Human Rights (ICHR), and representatives of civil society.

The training course, entitled “Strengthening Human Rights Monitoring and Documentation Skills”, was part of a series of activities that the Human Rights Office is providing in order to support regional institutions and civil society actors in protecting, promoting, and fulfilling human rights in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The training course focused on deepening participants’ understanding of key principles and legal frameworks, such as the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement as well as on sharpening core skills, including fact-finding missions, interviewing, and report-writing skills. Sessions were provided by United Nations human rights professionals, as well as one member of ICHR and two civil society activists who had benefited from earlier training of trainers provided by Human Rights Office.

Head of ICHR Office in Sulaimaniya, Mr. Nawshwerwan Kake stated that the staff of ICHR in Sulaimaniya Office and the other offices in the area have benefitted from the training through raising the knowledge of the Staff in the relevant area. ICHR Staff Member, Ms. Midya Abdullah, stated that the training was “very important because our knowledge was limited and we were not fully aware about the international standards in human rights monitoring and documentation - now our skills have been improved and consequently our efficiency and the quality of reports will be improved as well”.

UN entities involved in this initiative

OHCHR
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
UNAMI
UN Assistance Mission for Iraq

Goals we are supporting through this initiative