UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts

New York, 22nd June 2018

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning!

I would like to thank Poland as President of the Security Council, for inviting me to participate in this debate. I have been working for 50 years as a women and human rights defender across Iraq. For most of this time I have been working to protect civilians living in conflict and instability, helping them to recover in the aftermath of violence and supporting the next generation of Iraqis to do the same. I co-founded the Iraqi Women’s Network in 2004 and the Iraqi Al-Amal Association in 1992, which works to rehabilitate people rather than stone.

I come to you from a country filled with horror, a country that has suffered for more than three decades from the scourge of war and siege. Over the past 15 years, civilians have been plagued by armed conflicts, insecurity and violence. Our people have sacrificed a lot. We endured crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. We suffered mass executions of tens of thousands of people; ethnic and religious cleansing against civilians of religious and ethnic minorities, in particular against Ezidis; and sexual violence and sexual slavery of women and girls. 10 million of us have been displaced from our homes. Essential services like water and electricity are gone. Our hospitals, health centers, schools and social welfare institutions in Nineveh, Anbar and Salahadeen and Diyala have been destroyed.

The operations to liberate Mosul were extremely fierce and costly. I was in daily contact with families and human rights defenders in the city who were hiding in basements. The fighting took place in densely populated areas, involving explosive weapons with wide-area effects. The bombardments were constant, destroying hundreds of thousands of homes. People hiding had nothing to eat, resorting to eating the dirt around them. Women were forced to give birth alone and without any medical treatment. Injured people could not easily access hospitals and many died because they could not reach treatment in time. The departure of civilians from these areas during the operation was extremely risky. Mosul was turned into rubble and became an open cemetery. There are no data and statistics on the numbers of the dead. Now we hear that bodies are appearing in the river around Mosul.

During these dangerous and tragic conditions, voluntary youth civil society initiatives emerged. Young people sought to collect medical assistance and medicines and to cooperate with military forces to deliver them to civilians. A team has emerged to collect the bodies from Mosul and save the city from the spread of epidemics. I know one nurse, Serour whose sister was killed by Da’esh. She turned her grief and anger into leadership of this effort.

In an old house, her team found a room containing 150 stacked bodies – men, women and children – all killed with shots to the head. The team has recovered 1,350 bodies, including the bodies of Da’esh fighters. The mission is dangerous. The bodies may be near unexploded bombs and the smell of bodies is unbearable. They collect the bodies then transfer them to a cemetery without passing through forensics to be able to identify the dead and missing. To date, there are still 3,000 reports of missing civilians in the old city.

All of these efforts require your support. We must recover the bodies, identify the missing and return them to their families. The missing Ezidi women and children must be liberated and be free to return home. They and many of the people who suffered have deep psychological trauma from their experiences and they need more help – which requires particular capacity building inside Iraq to improve local services, led by local organizations and local people.

Civilians who have suffered must have access to justice and accountability. The Security Council Resolution in 2017 on Da’esh accountability, and the Joint Communique on the Reduction and Response to Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict signed in September 2016 are crucial documents. We welcome them and I urge you to support their implementation.

But there must be accountability for all harm committed in Iraq by all parties to the conflict. Accountability should not be limited to some people and some types of violations. All civilians deserve redress for their suffering. This must be clearly linked to reconciliation efforts.

The families of many Da’esh fighters have been badly treated and isolated in camps. Many of the children do not have any legal documents. Women’s organizations deals with many cases of women forced to marry fighters and who are now widows with children, but who lack marriage and birth certificates. Many are threatened with death on the basis of “honor”. Many are at risk of suicide. These women and children bear a huge stigma that must be addressed and they must be involved in rehabilitation and reconciliation.

The national authorities, UN agencies, and international community need to work with local actors to determine and agree on an appropriate minimum package of support and assistance for communities. Humanitarian action as well as longer term assistance must be conflict and gender sensitive to facilitate social cohesion and be actively conflict reductive. This must address longstanding, structural drivers of conflict which remain issues for communities in return. All of the population- civil society, women, youth, and ethnic and religious minorities must be involved. This must also include communities affected by extremism. We must build community capacity for protection of civilians, early warning of conflict and address the legacy of violent extremism. It is essential to protect civilians from harm by avoiding it in the first place.

In conclusion, I come to you at a crucial time for the protection of civilians in Iraq. The successful elections, following the liberation of areas under the control of Da’esh offer us a chance to move forward to build inclusive peace and justice. In this effort, the rights of all women to full participation should be respected. We must continue to focus on people not stones.

As we look towards our future, I remain concerned about many other civilians, and especially in my region. Many live in deep hardship because of the many wars ongoing. They live without protection in places like Syria, Yemen, Libya and Gaza. I stand in solidarity with them and civilians across the world who are suffering and urge you to do all you can to ensure they are protected in line with your legal obligations under international humanitarian and human right law, and as fellow human beings.  Thank you

Ms. Ibtisam Aziz / General Director of Iraqi Woman Empowering Directorate received Iraqi Women Network delegation on Monday 23^th January 2017 which included Hanaa Edwar, Shatha Naji, Hanaa Hmood and Amal Kbashi at the headquarters of the directorate in the general secretariat of the council of ministers.

The delegation offered their congratulations and wishes of success to her on the occasion of receiving her new tasks. The meeting focused on the challenges facing Iraqi women in light of the escalation of violence and what programs and projects are needed to protect and empower her through legislating the Victims of Domestic Violence Act and amend the laws that discriminate against her. The situation of the displaced women and the freed from ISIS was addressed. Working to provide their human, health and psychological needs and ensure their re-settlement after freeing their areas in addition to the participation of women in the national reconciliation and the mediation efforts and negotiations and recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

On her side Ms. General Director of Woman Empowering Directorate she declared her support to the project of Victims of Domestic Violence Act and her endeavor to work for its approval confirming the importance of partnership with the civil society organisations and uniting vision through setting priorities for the directorate action plan for 2017.

The meeting was in a positive and friendly mood to reinforce the bonds of cooperation and coordination between both sides in order to implement the strategies and the national plans (The National Strategy for Combating Violence, Advancement of Women strategy, the national plan and the emergency plan to Security Council resolution 1325), which is accredited by the government through setting timetables and resources necessary for it and activating the proper mechanisms to achieve its goals.

A workshop to discuss the Bill on

Protection against Domestic Violence

Iraqi Al-Amal Association (IAA) conducted its second workshop in Beirut, which continued for three-days (22-24, July 2016), to discuss the draft bill on “Protection Against Domestic Violence”. The workshop was held in cooperation with the Women, Family and Children’s Parliamentarian Committee and it was supported by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Norwegian Foreign Ministry. Legal Counselor Leila Awada, from “Kafa” Lebanese Society,   directed most of the workshop’s sessions. IAA had already held the first workshop in Beirut in the summer of 2012.

The workshop was attended by 12 members of the Iraqi Council of the House of Representatives, of various political blocs, two representatives of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, a legal consultant of the house of representatives, and two judges, experienced in the field of personal status and Islamic jurisprudence and violence against women, and a representative of the National Security Agency and a number of civil society activists and one journalist.

About workshop’s objective, activist Hanaa Edwar head of IAA said: “Our aim is to explain and discuss the important bill, and to work with the MPs and consultants, in order to reach the full conviction required to adopt and defend this bill, which we hope that the current session of the House of Representatives will be able to vote on and pass it”. Adding: “this law will be a real shield against domestic violence, committed by one family member against another reaching to a relative of the fourth degree, mostly women and children are the victims of such practices, which constitute a hidden crime. The bill includes mechanisms for the protection of victims such as creating safe centers and providing the necessary care and rehabilitation, and to punish the perpetrators of these crimes. Also, there are other steps that could be taken by the media and civil society organizations and other parties to limit the phenomenon of domestic violence, which escalated to levels that cannot be tolerated”.

It was clear, since the first few minutes, that the workshop will witness a fruitful debate, when a proposal was made to amend the law’s name from (protect) to (anti).  The proposed articles of the law were discussed, article by article; some of the articles took a long time in order to arrive to a formula that satisfied everyone. The two specialized judges made great and significant input    in   clarifying and resolving the re-drafting of the articles, and it appeared clearly that many MPs participants had a solid legal background and high competence in the field of law.

Experts, who attended the workshop, stressed that the discussions, and the convictions reached by MPs, will help to make the bill into a law, when presented to parliament for a vote after the completion of the second reading, and should be followed by meetings and other conversations with the heads of political blocs about the importance of this law in family protection, and for the community’s healthy recovery from violent behavior and social norms degrading to human dignity.

In conclusion, civil activist Jamal Jawahiri  said: “This law, is as significant as any important laws (which make a difference in the society), it needs the efforts of many parties to introduce it, and explain its contents through media and advocacy campaigns, explaining  the importance of the law, to limit violence that affects families, and which seems sometimes like a reality resistant to change” he added:” the positive heartening thing is that many MPs seem enthusiastic about the passing of the bill. They and others will be remembered for being behind the elimination of deep rooted phenomenon in our society. “

Iraqi Women Network Delegation Visits the Popular -Civil Protest Tents at the Green Zone Gates

Baghdad 24/3/2016

Iraqi Women Network (IWN) delegation, in conjunction with the Women’s office / Al-Sader Political Mainstream, visited the protesters’ tents organized by the popular – civil movement in protest at the procrastination in the implementation of the promised reforms to the political process. The delegation expressed its support to the protestors in their demands  for change, tackle corruption and shun sectarian quotas. They demanded,  through a statement by IWN,the need to take serious and decisive actions within a defined timeline radical changes in the political, economical, legal and administrative infrastructure of the Iraqi government through a comprehensive strategy to build peace, accelerate the formation of a technocrat government and the National Federal Services Council made up of independent, honest and

competent people far from the  balance and quotas policy of the ruling parties.

The statement alsostressed the necessity for addressing the problems of the displaced persons, working towards reforming the Judiciary system as an independent, neutral and professional authority that is effective in applying the law and justice and fighting corruption and crime. The statement also demanded at least a third of the next government to be women, empowering them in the stakeholder positions and enhancing their leadership skills in the political work. The government should open the doors to cooperating and coordinating with civil society organisations and human rights defenders including the young leaders and the women movement representatives to achieve alert social monitoring in order to build equal citizenship state, fight terror and extremism and achieve national reconciliation and social cohesion.The delegation met with a number of the coordinating committees members who welcomed the initiative of IWN in supporting the protestorsand  stressing the importance of cooperation and coordination with the civil society organisations to deliver their legitimate demands which are the demands of thepeople. The delegation also expressed their admiration o

On International Women’s Day, March 8^th

As global women movement celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8th, while everyone is silent listening to the anthem of freedom and peace, and what has been achieved in progress toward full substantive equality in rights, Iraqi women celebrate this day while they are either internally displaced, refugees, abducted, or as slaves and victims of sexual and physical and community violence, with extreme deterioration of their rights under a scene of growing projects and plans  devoted to persecution and the violation of their dignity and degrade of their humanity, with alarming practices of exclusion and marginalization of women in decision-making places, which can be Inferred from the content of the Political Parties Law (No. 36) for 2015, which lacked the inclusion of Women Quota representation at the founding of the party and leadership structures.

March 8th comes this year, with mounting concern, towards serious challenges that faces the country, given the weakness of the State and its institutions, and the escalation of the armed conflict among multiple groups, with the resurgence of violent extremism and terrorism through Daesh (ISIS) control of vast areas of Iraq, corruption and religious and political sectarianism at the State institutions and society levels, and absence of trust between the parties in the political process with the lack of national vision and concept of community reconciliation and social cohesion, as the protest movement widens among our people.

The advancement of current status of Iraqi women, requires a national vision within the frame of comprehensive reform of economy and the political process, a concept vision that believes in the importance of investing in women positive potential and participation in decision-making and in building peace and security, fighting terrorism and extremism, on the basis of equality and equal opportunities within the constitutional framework, and securing necessary resources for the implementation of the National Strategy for the advancement of Women, the National Action Plan (NAP) for the implementation of SCR No. 1325, which the Iraqi Government ratified both in 2014.  

On the International Women’s Day, and in the name of women movement, we would like hereby to present our stance and suggestions to handle the current situation, and to strengthen the role of women in building a State of equal citizenship:

1. As a priority in the reform of the political process, it requires the development of an inclusive peacebuilding strategy, addressing all crises and conflicts, based on comprehensive political dialogue to rebuild State institutions on the base of equal citizenship, where national reconciliation and social cohesion are one of the essential pillars of this National Strategy, through provision of the necessary means for transitional justice, to achieve Equity, Equality, Justice, Security, and preparing the legal environment, an independent and effective judiciary system, and impartial law enforcement institutions. It requires opening cooperation and coordination with civil society organizations (CSOs) to achieve conscious monitoring by the community in the implementation of the comprehensive reform of the political process.
2. The need for Plans and effective mechanisms of monitoring and include sufficient resources to address the problems of internally displaced persons, forced displacement, and the sustainability of Humanitarian Aids and providing basic needs, and to provide a secure environment near their places of temporary residence to encourage and ensure their return and rebuild their devastated areas, ensuring the preservation of these areas’demographic diversity, with providing required needs for the implementation of the Emergency Plan for Resolution 1325, ratified by the Government last May 2015.
3. “Government of Technocrats” is not a magic wand to solve the political and economic crisis and worsening security, unless associated with actions and decisive measures against the policy of balance and quota compromises that is rooted now in the State structure, legislation, and ending abuse and discrimination and the exclusion of competent women in formations of successive Governments and in political negotiations.
4. Revision of the Constitution, laws and regulations, and the structure of State institutions to identify structural violence and exclusion rooted in Iraqi legislation and institutions inherited from the former regime as Penal Code and Resolutions by dissolved Revolutionary Command Council and the Anti-terrorism law, to modify/cancel and the enactment of new laws aimed at combating violence, extremism and segregation, and promote the concepts of human rights, equal opportunities, diversity and social cohesion.
5. The Formation of the National Commission for Women’s Empowerment, consisting of representatives of of Government, Parliament and High Judicial Council, and civil society organizations, media and relevant research centers and studies, that works on follow-up and monitoring of the implementation of national policies to improve the status of women in Iraq, as well as raising social awareness of women’s rights, and the importance of their participation and empowerment politically, economically, culturally and socially. We have an integrated project on this matter taking into account the difficult financial situation of the country.

Finally, we pay tribute to all our sisters enduring and being steadfast under control of ISIS terrorists group, to martyr fighters who fought for national freedom and their families, and all women striving for their security and safety of their families and struggling for dignity, freedom, equality and social justice. 

The Iraqi Women Network

Baghdad in March 2016

iraqiwomennet@gmail.com

• In August 2005, IAA organized, in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the NGOs Forum in Baghdad, with the participation of ninety delegations representing international and local NGO’s The Forum aimed to strengthen the role of Iraqi
• non-governmental organizations in human  development, and in democratization and social change.
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• As of April 2006, IAA, with a number of NGOs formed a group called; “The Initiative for the Freedom of Iraqi NGOs”, which held a series of meetings, agreed to issue a work paper summarizing the principles and rules of the new law draft on NGOs. Discussions are still ongoing in-depth, to enrich the new draft. The Association, at the beginning of 2007, translated and printed 2000 copies of the book “Guide to the Laws Affecting Civil Society Organisations.”
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• In March 2008, a representative of IAA, participated in a round-table discussion, held in Arbil, with the support of the UNOPS,concerning the bases of the NGOs law, in which various relevant official bodies, representatives of NGOs and international experts in this area participated. The participants managed to formulate the bases of the draft of the NGO law, which was later made available for relevant parties.

       The Association was very keen on joint action, cooperation and networking with NGOs, local, regional and international, for the success of various campaigns and activities, to mobilize public opinion and to influence decision-makers, also, the media was employed;publications and posters were issued for this purpose.   

A – Development of Community Participation in the Political Process & National Unity

• During the years 2004 and 2005, the Association called for the establishment of The Iraqi Women Network (IWN), whose membership includes more than 80 organisations and women’s groups. It is through cooperation and coordination between these organisations and others, that the success in recognizing the active role of women in the political system was achieved, and the abolition of the resolution 137, which aimed to codify sectarianism in personal status law and to cancel the Personal Status Act No. 188 of 1959.

•  IAA played a key role in defending women’s movement, focusing on the representation of women in decision-making positions, through adopting a representation of not less than 25 percent (quota) for them in the National Assembly, then in the House of Representatives. The campaign succeeded in confirming the issue of the percentage in the permanent Iraqi constitution.

• During the month of June 2004, IAA organized the National Conference for Women Empowerment in the Democratic Process, which was attended by approximately 350 participants from all parts of the country.

• Two workshops were organized on women empowerment in the electoral process, in August 2004 and January 2005, with the participation of 28 different women’s organisations from different govern orate.

• Making preparation for a training workshop on the Contribution of Youth in the Electoral Process, held in Ammanin December 2004, in which 18 young women and men, aged between 17 to 27 years participated.

• An umber of IAA representatives, participated in monitoring the elections in January 2005, in the govern orate of Arbil. Many of them also participated in the control of the second elections, which took place in December 2005, in various locations in the govern orates of Arbil and Duhok. A number of the Association’s representatives monitored the referendum on the constitution,which took place in October 2005 in the govern orate of Arbil.

·        IAA implemented an extensive project on the dissemination of constitutional education, with the emphasis on rights and freedoms, and on treaties and international conventions on human rights, in particular (CEDAW). For several months during 2005, several work shops were held in Baghdad, Babil, Karbala,Kirkuk and Salahadeen for the activists, and more than 25000 citizens participated, in more than 730general meetings, in urban and rural areas of 13 govern orates. Also, dozens of mobile teams, and a numbers of activists of the media joined the program.

• In collaboration with the (IWN), IAA participated actively in the Conference of Women of the South, which was held in Basra in September 2005, and in the National Women’s Conference held in Karbala in October of 2005, which was held under the motto (Future Horizons of Iraq, Women and the Constitution).

• At the beginning of 2006, IAA contributed to the establishment of The National Group, in order to ensure human rights in the Iraqi constitution, which,throughout the year, carried out a range of advocacy activities and campaigns in this regard.

• In February through April 2006, The Association in conjunction with a group of NGO’s in Arbil, undertook the implementation of the (People’s Awareness Project, on the Role of Members of the House of Representatives in Iraq), through a referendum to determine the citizens demands addressed to the MP’s. 40 meetings were held, led by activists in the field of law, and attended by(1420) citizens.

• In June 2006, IAA participated in the Multilateral Dialogue on Human Rights and the Iraqi Constitution, which was organized by UNAMI, in Austria, in cooperation with the UNDP, the UN High Commission for Human Rights, and the Austrian Presidency of the European Union. The dialogues, between the representatives of political parties and civil society organisations and experts, focused on important issues concerning the application and promotion of the Bill of Rights and Freedoms stated in the Constitution, and the possible redrafting of it, in the context of the constitutional revision and implementation process.

• The Association participated in the Iraqi Judicial Independence Group, formed in mid 2006, which made a number of proposals to the Constitutional Amendments Committee, in the spring of 2007, on the judiciary and the Federal Supreme Court.

• In April 2006, IAA launched, with other women’s groups, the media campaign of the Iraqi women’s movement, under the motto of “Equality Not Discrimination”,aimed at mobilizing the public opinion on issues of national unity against terrorism and sectarianism, for peace and stability, the rule of law, as well as to maintain the personal status law in force, and the promotion of international human rights treaties, (CEDAW), and SCR 1325 in particular. The wide spectrum of activities included ; the organisation of symposium,conferences, festivals and workshops, in Baghdad, Najaf, Nasiriya, Basra,Hilla, Saddat Al Hindiya , Arbil, Sulaimaniya and Kirkuk. Also, a number of television and radio programs were prepared.

• At the end of 2006, the Association participated in the delegation of Iraqi women’s movement that submitted a memorandum concerning the position of women’s organisations on the Constitution amendments to the Constitutional Review Committee in Parliament. Follow-up activities in this regard took place in the first half of 2007, through interviews with decision-makers, political leaders in the head of state and government , the House of Representatives and the Presidency of Kurdistan Region, in addition to discussing the subject with a number of international parties, to win their support on the demands of the women’s movement in order to rid  the Constitution from the sectarian formulations of article 41, and the recognition of international human rights conventions as a source of national legislation.These activities had an impact, which led the constitutional amendments committee to include article 41 of the constitution as one of the debatable points.

• Asa part of its program in the  follow-up of constitutional amendments, practically article 41, which was considered one controverted points before the Committee on constitutional amendments, and in order to help the Iraqi legislature to find common grounds when performing amendments on the constitutions as to maintain the unity of Iraq and to lay the foundations for the rule oflaw, the (IWN), in collaboration with IAA, during March and May of 2008, held four seminars on the comparison of personal status  in the Constitution and the law, in different province, including Baghdad, Diwaniyah, Najaf and Karbala. A number of judge sand lawyers, specialists and researchers in this area participated in these seminars, as well as representatives of the government and political entities,clergymen, members of governorate’s councils, and activists in women’s and human rights organisations, and other civil society organisations, the total attendance was 82 persons. The campaign was accompanied by extensive media coverage by satellite channels, daily newspapers and web sites.

• IAA called, with a number of local NGO’s, for a Conference on National Unity,parallel to the official conference called for by the League of Arab Nations.The conference was held during the months of July and August 2006, and included three regional conferences (Shaqlawah and Hilla and Nasiriya), which were attended by representatives of more than (260) NGO’s, and political, cultural,social and media personalities. The conference forwarded its recommendations tothe political parties and the League of Arab States. And IAA delegated representative on behalf of civil society organisations to attend the preparatory meeting of the League of Arab States Conference, held in Cairo at the end of July. In March 2007, The Civil Conference for National Unity was held in Baghdad, with the presence of more than one hundred participants. The conference took the form of dialogue between representatives of NGO’s and civil society organisations with several MP’s on issues relating to the rule of law and justice, constitutional amendments, the role of community organizations in the promotion of civil dialogue and social coexistence and the relationship of civil society organizations with the government.

• On the 8th October 2007, the Association held in coordination with network of civil society organisations, a press conference under the motto(“Yes” to Federal Iraq, “No” to Sectarian Division), in order to declare the position of approximately (100) Iraqi NGOs that reject the”non-binding” decision of the US. Senate, to divide Iraq to three sectarian regions, which was attended by representatives of NGO’s and the media.

•  At the end of May 2008, and on the sidelines of the annual inspection of the International Convention for Iraq Compact Conference,a delegation on the behalf of IWN, which included a representative from IAA,participated in a seminar held in Stockholm under the title “Iraqi Women Demand to Participate in the Future of Iraq”, organized by the Swedish organization; Women for Women, and with the support of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In which Ms. Colonel a Carson the Minister of Development and Swedish International Cooperation, Mr. Staff an Disturb the UN Special Representative in Iraq, and Ms.Dina Zorba Head of UNI FEM programs in Iraq participated. A detailed presentation on the situation of Iraqi women was presented, the demands of thew omen’s movement were identified in order to ensure the active participation and partnership of civil society organisation sin the implementation of the objectives of the Compact International for Iraq and monitoring its application, and to create a healthy environment to enable women to achieve gender equality, and to give them equal opportunities in all areas, and expand their participation in decision-making positions, and assign the activities of women’s organisations in lobbying and advocacy on violence against women and the constitutional amendments. It was covered by the Swedish and other foreign countries media.

• In June 2008, IAA supported the meeting on behalf of the Iraqi women’s movement with 25 representatives of foreign diplomatic missions in Baghdad, as well as representatives of UNAMI and Human Rights Office in Iraq, to gain support for the participation of Iraqi women in the process of democratic transformations,the dialogue was conducted on the political situation in Iraq, the viewpoint of the women’s movement on the Law of the Iraqi Provincial Elections  , and certainly the importance of women’s quota, as well as on the constitutional amendments, and the increase of violence against women, and women’s movement activity in this regard, and to urge the international community to give priority to providing financial grants to civil society organizations and women’s groups in accordance with SCR. 1325, and to support civil society organizations in Iraq to urge the government to adopt the NGOs law draft. 
  
  

 For Civil Society Organizations

October 2006

Preview:

In view of the political and economical deterioration, the rampage of holy shrines and houses of prayers, killing of clergymen and academia and army officers, in addition to murdering Iraqis from other categories of men and women, young and old,  recurrence of unprecedented violence through car bombs and death squads, paving the grounds for a civil war; comes the Arab States’ League initiative to convene a preparatory meeting for an Iraqi National Accord Conference, ( planned for August 2006), elaborating on the success of the preparatory meeting convened in Cairo in November 2005, with a broad prospective of a diverse political, ethnic, and religion Iraqi participations. Amongst the main recommendations of the preparatory meeting was to encourage/enhance the participation and role of the Civil Society Organizations in the National Accord Process, where the activists’ of these organizations devote their work regardless of the existing ethnic, sectarian, and political vision and policies.

The initiative by the Iraqi AlAmal Association came in order to enhance the participation of the CSO in the National Unity Process, and strengthen their contribution in political decision making to promote the culture of dialogue between the different Iraqi social components, while paving a common ground for all to build a new Iraq, based on tolerance and commitment towards national identity, denouncing all kinds of violence. The initiative was implemented in collaboration with 10 other organizations to form a preparatory committee, where multi cultural backgrounds, with regional and gender balance representation was assured, this committee set to prepare for a Parallel Conference  – with attendance of nearly 100 organizations- to the Official National Accord Conference, the parallel conference was to be convened in August, prior to the official conference where political and religious institutions and parties were to be represented.

Objectives and Activities:

The preparatory committee convened several meetings in sequence, prior to calling for the Parallel Convention, focussing on the topics:

–   Citizenship as a basic rule for equality in front of the law

–   The civil society and the democratic transaction into a civil movement, the role of women in decision making.

–  The security file, resolution of armed militias, and programmes to reintegrate them in civil society.

–  Reconstruction/recovery of Iraqi economy based on transparency, monitoring and auditing.

A delegation of the preparatory committee held a meeting with the Arab States’ League Envoy in Baghdad, H.E. Mukhtar Lammany, where it was agreed to invite representatives from the Parallel Conference to attend the Official Conference, in order to convey the CSO vision into the conference. A representative from the Iraqi AlAmal Association attended the preparatory meeting for the Official Iraqi National Accord Conference, convened in Cairo July 25-26.

The official conference postponement came without specifying a new convening date; this has provided the preparatory committee for the parallel conference with the opportunity to broaden the participation of NGOs by planning to convene four regional conferences where recommendations will be presented in the final one. On this basis, regional preparatory committees were formed and held meetings with faculty, academia, clergymen, heads of tribes, and civil society organizations, from each region, in preparation for topics’ discussions and facilitation. A representative of IAA was present in all regional preparatory committees meeting to facilitate the following regional conferences:

Summary of recommendations from the three conferences:

• Neutrality of government institutions against all sectarian and ethnic ideologies,
• Revision of the constitution towards purifying the draft from sectarian, religious and ethnic orientation.
• Mobilizing an independent Iraqi judiciary system, specifically with relevant to human rights, and removal of special courts and jails, that appeared lately under chaos and lawless system.
• Work towards halting the sectarian violence, returning forced IDPS to their cities and homes, and study options for compensating damages.
• Pressure the political powers to rid their programmes and speech from sectarian, tribal, and ethnic tendencies, which will encourage sectarian violence and congestion, while tearing the social tissue of the Iraqi society apart.
• Assure the independence of CSOs, their freedom and neutrality, while emphasizing their role in promotion for citizenship, human rights, sovereignty of law concept, spreading the culture of non violence, fighting illiteracy and extremism in the society.
• Deleting article 41, related to personal status law, from the constitution as it contradicts the national unity of legislations, and endangers the unity of the social texture.
• Building neutral and professionally qualified security forces, without considerations of sectarian and ethnic quotas and balances.
• Demobilization of non governmental armed forces, reintegrate them in civilian institutions, not military institutions.
• Demands for scheduling withdrawal of US forces.
• Transparency and monitoring for the State budget.
• Modernizing the oil excavation and extracting industries, away from the monopoly of the big firms, investment to be controlled by a legislation and system accessible to monitoring, while safeguarding the national oil wealth.
• Demanding dedicated and professionally lead Economy of the country, a management which is subject to monitoring, immune to exploitation by high ranks and political compromising.

The preparatory committee for Baghdad, Salahddin, Anbar, and Diala governorates convened a meeting to prepare for the last regional conference dedicated to these governorates, it was agreed to postpone the scheduled date because of the recent security deterioration, another preparatory meeting will convene in November to settle for the conference date.

Final notes:

–    In addition to CSO activists, academia and experts, the three regional conferences witnessed the presence of few local governments representatives, clergymen, heads of tribes, Deans of few scientific and economical faculties.

–   There were full media coverage for the three regional conferences, with interviews and publish of few researches, while the rest will be published later on.

–   The main topics for discussions were points of meeting for all participants and groups, in spite of the ethnic, religious, and sectarian discrimination, the discussions covered unprecedented areas of concern, specifically the role of civil society in the political process and in the economy.

–  The conferences were the first initiative that was followed by similar initiatives by other CSOs and governmental institutions, it was acknowledged by the UN agencies and International organizations, the international press, in addition to the moral support and encouragement by the Arab States’ League, which has considered the credibility and accountability of the conferences’ recommendations, and considered them as the closest to the whole Iraqi society aspirations.