UNAMI-HRO Launched the First Human Rights Training for NGOs in Halabja

The training course focused on orienting NGOs with various United Nations mechanisms for protecting human rights and how NGOs can contribute to these mechanisms, for example by exchanging reports on various human rights issues. Representatives of 28 NGOs (15 women and 13 men) from Halabja city and surrounding areas participated in the training.

Participant Mr. Qaysser Rahman Ahmed, General Director of Nwe Organization, noted that the training is the first of its kind ever held in Halabja on human rights principles, protection and promotion for NGOs. Halabja, Mr. Ahmed put it, has long been waiting for this opportunity.

“The UNAMI Human Rights Office has taken a timely initiative for launching this training course. The training has been tremendously insightful about using and employing the mechanisms for human rights protection. It was an excellent learning opportunity because the topics and subjects under discussion were new to almost all participants. For NGOs in Halabja, acquaintance with, adoption and use of such UN mechanisms are indispensable in order to arm NGO workers with human rights international protection standards,” Mr. Ahmed added.

Hazha Ahmed Othman, another participant, stated that Halabja has many activists, but they are at a disadvantage because there are few opportunities for training within their city. She added: “more importantly, activities in Halabja have been at the local level, while this course regarding the UN mechanisms for the protection of human rights was at the international level, a step Halabja has long needed.”

UNAMI HRO also took advantage of the opportunity to distribute to participants 60 copies of the nine core international human rights treaties in the Sorani Kurdish language.