UNAMI Office of Electoral Assistance calls on the Expert Committee of the Council of Representatives to ensure adequate women representation in the Next IHEC Board of Commissioners

“We have been following up the proceedings of the expert committee and are taking note of efforts by committee members towards the selection of more women in the next IHEC Board of Commissioners,” stated Mr. Aamir Arain, UNAMI’s Principal Electoral Adviser and Head of the Office of Electoral Assistance. “We welcome a proposal to further specify legal provisions, including Article 3.2 of the Law of the Independent High Electoral Commission mandating that the selection process takes into consideration women representation. This is in line with relevant constitutional provisions and is consistent with the country’s international obligations, including on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325”, Mr. Arain further added.



Recently, a number of civil society organizations and women activists have also approached UNAMI asking for support in advocating increased and more meaningful participation of women in elected bodies and in the IHEC. They state that further increasing women’s participation in the governance and overall decision-making process will enable them to make valuable contribution to the development of Iraq.



As per the IHEC Law, the Council of Representatives is in the process of selecting the next IHEC Board of Commissioners to replace the current commissioners whose term expires in September 2017. UNAMI Office of Electoral Assistance provides advise and attends the meetings of the Committee, upon the latter’s invitation.