UNAMI HRO workshop aimed at strengthening civil society engagement with the UN CERD

Today, the UNAMI Human Rights Office held a workshop aimed at strengthening civil society engagement with the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in preparation for CERD’s upcoming review of Iraq, which will take place in August. 25 participants (20 men and 5 women) attended the event, including representatives and members of Iraq’s religious and ethnic component groups, faith leaders, representatives of civil society and the IHCHR.
During the workshop the participants received guidance on how to prepare and submit reports to UN Treaty Bodies, including the CERD. They then engaged in focus group discussions on the status of the government’s implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and identified key issues for inclusion in the ‘shadow reports’ which Iraqi civil society organisations will prepare and submit to the CERD as part of its review process.