Human Rights Council Issues Recommendations on Iraq’s Human Rights Commitments

On Friday, 31 January 2025, the 48th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) concluded at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva.
During this session, the Iraqi delegation approved several recommendations that had been discussed over the preceding days. The Iraqi delegation included Khalid Shwani, Minister of Justice of the Federal Government of Iraq; Dindar Zebari, Coordinator of International Advocacy and Representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG); Ambassador Abdulkarim Hashim, Iraq's Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva; and representatives from various institutions of both the Federal Government of Iraq and the KRG.
The process began on 27 January, with representatives from multiple countries presenting recommendations and observations to the Iraqi delegation. Over the following days, discussions progressed, with the KRG actively contributing to the dialogue. These deliberations featured sessions of the Troika Committee – comprising representatives from Chile, Burundi, and the Marshall Islands- as well as consultations with Human Rights Council experts to refine and organise the recommendations directed at Iraq by the international community.
During the 48th session, the Republic of Iraq received 263 recommendations addressing a wide range of sectors. The Iraqi government is now tasked with submitting its official response -either accepting or rejecting these recommendations- to the Human Rights Council in the coming months. This response will pave the way for reviewing and implementing the recommendations during the 49th session of the UPR.