Baghdad, 18 November 2021 –The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Iraq, jointly with UNICEF, launched today U-Report, a youth social messaging platform, following the regional launch with the Kurdistan Regional Government in 2019. This platform is possible thanks to the support of the Governments of Germany, New Zealand and Czech Republic to the digital engagement of youth in Iraq. In Iraq, approximately 50 per cent of the population is under 18 and 70 per cent under 24 years of age. However, following decades of conflict, the potential of young people has been largely overlooked and needs have been overly unmet, leading to high levels of frustration and resentment. To date, over 72,000 young people have joined U-Report Iraq, taking part in polls and receiving life-saving and life-changing information. With this partnership, UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Iraq to increase the number of participants un youth engagement across the country and scale up the capacity of the platform to grow into a sustainable tool to address young people’s needs. The launch was opened by Mr. Adnan Derjal, Ministry of Youth and Sports. In his greeting remarks, addressing the more than 50 young people in the crowd, said: “young people are the leaders of the future and they will help Iraq to achieve SDGs. U-Report will help us to communicate better with young people and listen to their needs”. Ms. Sheema SenGupta, UNICEF Representative in Iraq also expressed her views, “U-Report is an empowering tool for young people. I would like to encourage the youth of Iraq to join the platform as the best way to amplify their voices and express their opinions”. Young people can join the platform through a number of ways, including Telegram, Viber, Facebook Messenger and by soon by phone message, to ensure that regardless of the background or the situation of young people, they have ways to express their voice. So far, the youth of Iraq has expressed their views in issues ranging from why young people migrate from one country to another topics focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, like which has been its influence in violence against children and gener based violence. U-Report Iraq is managed by a Steering Committee with representation from young people. In addition to serving as U-Reporters, young people, along with other members of the steering committee, make sure that poll questions asked to U-Reporters are relevant, suitable and beneficial. For 10 years, U-Report has allowed youths to amplify their voices and take part in decisions that matter to them, currently connecting over 18 million young people in more than 90 countries and growing. How it works U-Report allows young people to speak out via SMS and other social media platforms such as Facebook, Viber, and Telegram through polls and guided feedback features – on what is happening in their communities. It provides a forum to amplify their voices through local and national media and acts as a citizen-sourced, real-time data point for key stakeholders, service providers and decision-makers about the issues being faced in communities. The platform feeds back useful information to the U-Reporters (users that opt into U-Report), so that they are empowered to work for change and improvements in their localities themselves.  Managed and led by UNICEF, partnerships have been developed with NGOs and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to maximize the existing and potential reach for young people and adult community members in Iraq to access information, express their opinions on key social issues and have that information amplified up to service providers, government and other key stakeholders. Actioning the Data U-Report Iraq is used as an office wide tool to support UNICEF Iraq programme interventions in real time to disseminate information, enhance engagement and monitor the implementation of activities. Integration to programmes, such as U-Report being used to support this year’s winterization campaign, allows continued civic engagement and demand creation among young and community members to enhance accountability. Through the U-Report Working Group (consisting of focal points from each programme section), programme sections also utilise U-Report Iraq for programme insights and pulse checks on information they want to disseminate to or solicit from young people. U-Report relies on volunteer U-Reporters to take an active role and provide critical information to decision makers on issues affecting their communities through polls. It is also a valuable tool for sharing information through message alerts. To become a U-Reporter, young people only need to log into their Facebook accounts, look for the U-Report Iraq page, open the messenger app, and click “JOIN.” Upon joining, U-Reporters can start participating in polls and send reports. Learn more about U-Report here. Join U-Report from the links below: Telegram -  http://t.me/UreportBot_bot Viber -  http://www.viber.com/ureportiraq Messenger - https://www.facebook.com/UReportIraq/ Phone message – send a message with the word “Join” to 6990 (phone message service will be available very soon).

This contribution, which amounts to €300,000, is critical for the continuation of psychosocial activities and assistance to UNITAD investigations. A substantial part of this contribution will allow UNITAD to broaden the implementation of its psychosocial capacity-building activities for Iraqi judicial and investigative authorities, and other relevant national entities with respect to support and sensitivity to the needs of victims and witnesses. The capacity building activities primarily focus on training to strengthen technical knowledge and skills, including access to clinical supervision and mentoring for staff who work on mental health and medical needs of survivors of ISIL crimes. Moreover, in support of the protection of vulnerable witnesses, UNITAD is committed to ensuring the psychological safety of victims, survivors and witnesses of ISIL crimes so that they can testify in an emotionally safe environment to reduce the risk of re-traumatization. The contribution would enable vital psychological support to be maintained to assist witnesses, while also enhancing the professional capacities of Iraqi mental health service providers who offer specialist aftercare to witnesses. "Finland values highly the work carried out by the UNITAD in helping bring ISIL perpetrators to justice. Promoting accountability is among the key priorities of the Finnish foreign policy. On this basis, we are very happy to support the witness protection work of the Investigative Team. Finland is a strong proponent of multilateralism and the rules based international order. We therefore look forward to deepening further our cooperation with the UNITAD, too,” says Ms. Kaija Suvanto, Director General of the Legal Service of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Pursuant to UNITAD’s mandate, the Team will utilize this new funding by Finland to continue to support domestic efforts to hold ISIL accountable for international crimes committed by ISIL in Iraq, to the highest possible standards, to ensure the broadest possible use before national courts.

This support will help ongoing investigative activities being conducted by UNITAD’s investigative unit that focuses on ISIL crimes that targeted the Christian community and will include investigations into the destruction of Christian cultural heritage between 2014 and 2017. Additionally, Hungary’s commitment to the UNITAD and to the people and government of Iraq will help UNITAD continue its work to deliver on its promise of justice and accountability for all communities in Iraq regardless of their faith or ethnicity. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary notes that “Hungary is committed to supporting multilateral efforts that aim to improve local livelihoods and foster sustainable development. In this regard, especially in conflict-affected regions, justice and accountability are essential pillars forming the backbone of long-term, peaceful development amongst communities. We therefore support UNITAD’s efforts in promoting justice and accountability for all, thereby aiming to heal divisions and foster partnerships on the local, regional and international level.”. UNITAD was established pursuant to Security Council resolution 2379 (2017) to support domestic efforts to hold ISIL accountable by collecting, preserving, and storing evidence of acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed by ISIL in Iraq, to the highest possible standards, to ensure the broadest possible use before national courts.

It aims to develop the value chain of milk production, processing, and marketing of traditional dairy at the home level within the framework of practical training courses that will last for a period of six months to involve 50 women groups (1,000 women) from all project target sites in Nineveh Governorate, The project organized training courses entitled "Improving the Processing and Marketing of Traditional Dairy Products" from 7 to 11 November 2021, in the presence of 50 women from Bartella and Al-Hamdaniya Districts. Participants gained techniques on good practices of handling and processing dairy, while implementing an illustrative practical demonstration for making traditional dairy products (Laban, cheese, butter, ghee, labneh). This introduction of new techniques on how to make different types of cheese, to get healthy and safe dairy products along with ideas for making great products that can be competitive in the market. Also, participants received training on the correct milking methods for cows and buffaloes and how to follow the steps of milk hygiene and animal health standards. During the training period, which lasted for five days, the FAO Representative in Iraq, Dr. Salah El Hajj Hassan praised the efforts made in the training and stressed the active participation of women's groups and their keenness on the courses, expressing that this comes among the priorities of the organization to find a real partnership for these groups, and that these practical courses will improve the capacity of the private sector in the dairy industry. Dr. Salah El Hajj Hassan also highlighted that the priorities of the FAO are to seek a real partnership with these groups and empower them to support their families independently, emphasizing the need to activate their role. Furthermore, adding that these courses will improve the competitiveness of the sector and contribute to the local development process and the development of the quality of the dairy products.  While the FAO International Livestock Expert, Dr. Chedly Kayouli, the supervisor and trainer in these courses, said that the practical training on the processing of new cheeses, are delivered in a participatory and interactive approach, this is what reflects the spirit of teamwork and self-development. Also, it contributes to the introduction of expertise to produce new types of cheese produced for the first time by rural women at home level in Nineveh, such as the manufacture of Akkawi cheese, Halloumi, Mozzarella, Double cream, Ricotta and Labneh. The attendance and interaction during the workshops were very fruitful and encouraging, and the participants showed great interest in learning basic and new ideas and practices in dairy processing, while a family atmosphere prevailed during the trainings.