Iraq launches a new ‘Human Rights National Action Plan’

On 26 July, at an event chaired by the Deputy Minister of Justice and organized with the support of the Office of the President and UNAMI Human Rights Office, Iraq publicly launched its new five-year Human Rights National Action Plan.

The Human Rights National Action Plan, prepared by the Ministry of Justice and endorsed by the Council of Ministers, seeks to harmonise national legislation with international human rights standards, strengthen national policies for the protection and promotion of human rights, and build human rights capacity within government institutions.

The Action Plan draws on many of the key observations made by UN Treaty Bodies during their ongoing dialogue with Iraq and also reflects the comprehensive recommendations made by UN member states during the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review of Iraq conducted in 2019.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Minister of Justice, Ziad Al Tamimy, said, 

“The Human Rights National Action Plan further underlines the human rights commitments of the Government and provides a five-year roadmap for all the ministries and state institutions responsible for the protection of human rights in Iraq.” 

In her remarks welcoming the adoption and launch of Human Rights National Action Plan, the Chief of UNAMI’s Human Rights Office and Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Danielle Bell, stated:

“The need for strong and coherent action on human rights is more essential than ever. The Human Rights National Action Plan provides a solid framework for the legislative, policy and procedural reforms which can prevent human rights violations in the future and which will make a difference to the lives of all Iraqis”

The Human Rights National Action Plan was presented at the event, followed by an interactive discussion among the participants. While participants strongly supported the launch of the Human Rights Nations Action Plan, they emphasized the criticality of implementation, noting that periodic assessment meetings and reports could help gauge the implementation status of the Plan. 

The event was attended by 40 participants (21 men and 19 women), including government officials, Advisors to the Iraqi President, Members of Parliament, representatives of EU Advisory Mission in Iraq and non-Governmental organizations.

The full text of the remarks made by Chief, Human Rights Office, Ms Danielle Bell are available here