SRSG Ad Melkert Welcomes Iraq’s Consultative Process on National Human Rights Action Plan

The draft national plan will be discussed on the basis of the recommendations of the 2010 Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Iraq.

The conference will be held under the auspices of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki and will be chaired by the Minister of Human Rights, Mr. Muhammad Shiya\' Al-Sudani.

The conference will permit a range of stakeholders, including representatives of the Government, the Council of Representatives, the Judiciary, members of civil society and human rights experts, to contribute their views on the key human rights issues that the Government of Iraq should address in the national action plan.

Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq Ad Melkert, who will address the conference tomorrow, welcomed  the initiative as an important step toward providing a road map to the future enhancement and protection of the human rights of all Iraq’s people.

“The successful development of a national action plan in an inclusive consultative process that involves not only government officials, but also civil society representatives and human rights specialists would be a landmark achievement in promoting the respect and protection of human rights in Iraq. It would also signal Iraq’s commitment to implement key legal, institutional and policy reforms and to promote human rights as the requisite basis for all government policies.” said Mr. Melkert.

Iraq was examined by the UPR Working Group of the HRC in February 2010 and accepted 135 recommendations to improve the protection of human rights in Iraq. The Ministry of Human Rights, supported by international and national partners, has taken the step of developing and implementing a National Action Plan on Human Rights to implement the recommendations of the UPR.