KRG delegation attends Arab Charter of Human Rights meeting in Cairo
Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (GOV.KRD) – A delegation of legal experts from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), led by Head of KRG’s Office of the Coordinator for International Advocacy, Dr. Dindar Zebari, traveled to Cairo with the Republic of Iraq’s delegation to discuss the country’s adherence to the Arab Charter of Human Rights.
Dr. Zebari delivered the following remarks in response to recommendations by the Arab League to the Kurdistan Region, within the framework of the Republic of Iraq.
Internally Displaced People and Refugees
“The KRG will continue to accommodate IDPs and refugees, including supporting voluntary returns. In this respect, the KRG has facilitated the return of more than 700,000 IDPs since 2016.”
Insecurity in Liberated Areas
“The security situation in liberated areas is still unstable and requires meaningful solutions to prevent violence. The Shingal Agreement has yet to be implemented and the presence of several non-Iraqi armed forces in the area has contributed to a security vacuum and the resumption of hostilities by ISIS terrorists.
“The KRG supports the swift implementation of the Shingal Agreement and stresses the need to restore the country’s official security apparatus in liberated areas.”
Accountability for ISIS Crimes
“During the liberation of ISIS-held territory, 1,719 Peshmerga soldiers were martyred, 10,368 were injured, and 46 are still missing. Coordination between the KRG and the United Nations Investigation Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh (UNITAD) remains robust and coherent.
“The initial step is to collect, process, and digitise evidence related to ISIS crimes. As such, the KRG has handed over more than 17,000 pieces of evidence to UNITAD. This process is supporting the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2379, which stresses on the formation of a team to assist Iraq in prosecuting ISIS terrorists for crimes contravening international law.”
Cross-border Confrontations
“In 2021, there have been 216 airstrikes and 403 artillery shells and a number of ground operations that have targeted the border areas of the Kurdistan Region.
“The KRG has requested the PKK and other armed elements to put an end to their provocations against neighboring states and refrain from launching attacks from the Kurdistan Region territory. It also urges neighboring countries to prioritize protecting civilian lives in those border areas as they are currently exposed to bombardments and forced to flee their homes and abandon their farming lands.”
Advocacy
Through the KRG’s Office of the Coordinator for International Advocacy (OCIA) and relevant federal agencies, the regional government will continue to play an active role in international forums related to human rights, rule of law, and good governance, along with its responsibility to help navigate the opportunities and challenges in those areas. The KRG is committed to promoting human rights and good governance in the Kurdistan Region with the support of the international community, which will be bolstered through meaningful KRG representation in the development of federal frameworks of norms and principles.
