The UNAMI Human Rights Office (HRO) organised a series of trainings on human rights reporting for the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR) in Kirkuk, Diyala and Salah al-Din

20 September 2023 - The UNAMI Human Rights Office (HRO) conducted over the past 10 days a series of trainings on human rights reporting for the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (IHCHR) in the governorates of Kirkuk, Diyala and Salah al-Din, as part UNAMI’s efforts to support its partners through capacity-building activities.

The trainings - held in Diyala on 10 September, Salah al-Din on 13 September and in Kirkuk on 20 September - covered the different aspects of the human rights report-drafting process and its fundamental role in the human rights monitoring cycle. HRO provided participants with insights and practical information on the drafting of human rights reports, from methodological considerations, information gathering and verification, to quality control. Participants were given practical exercises to apply the information received and to collectively discuss each group’s input. Concrete examples pertaining to IHCHR’s work and previously encountered challenges were discussed in order to adequately link the training’s content to IHCHR’s day-to-day responsibilities.

Ten IHCHR staff benefitted from the training in Kirkuk today, bringing the total to 31 IHCHR staff members who have participated in the trainings in the three governorates in September.  Participants in the Kirkuk training stressed the importance of quality human rights reporting and the significant role played by IHCHR in this regard. One participant stated: “The knowledge acquired in this training will definitely be put to use in upcoming IHCHR reports.”

The event contributed to the realisation in Iraq of Sustainable Development Goal #16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.