Roundtable Discussion for Kurdistan Region Parliamentarians on Promoting and Protecting Human Rights

The Human Rights Office (HRO) of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) conducted a one-day roundtable discussion for Members of Parliament of the Kurdistan Region on promoting and protecting human rights.

Fifteen Parliamentarians representing three committees - Human Rights, Legal and Defending Women Rights - discussed law-making, oversight and representational functions of Parliament as well as the importance of human rights-based approach in fulfilling these roles.

A33X2994Deputy Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament, Mr. Jaafar Eminki, and the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq for Political, Electoral & Constitutional Affairs, Mr. Gyorgy Busztin, opened the event, emphasizing that the Parliament has a crucial role in promoting, protecting and realizing human rights through law-making, oversight, and representational functions. They highlighted that Parliamentarians can demonstrate the key tenets of democratic governance, and the universal principles that underpin human rights through the exercise of inclusive participation, accountability to citizens, and influencing good functioning of institutions to ensure democracy, rule of law and human rights.

“The law-making process should ensure that human rights values and principles are given due consideration,” stated Mr. Busztin. He added: “This requires analyzing laws with a view to ensuring that they comply with international human rights standards, mainly through the very important role of the main parliamentary committees”.

Participants debated a number of human rights challenges in Kurdistan Region, including legislative, institutional and operational reforms. They emphasized the need for Parliament to empower people, represent their voice, and fulfil their needs through passing laws and overseeing executive action.