UNAMI Human Rights Office Consultation with Minority Groups in KR
Erbil, 29 July - 02 August 2019 - UNAMI Human Rights Office conducted several consultations with minority groups in Erbil and Duhok to assess their situation in the Kurdistan Region and explore ways that the Human Rights Office may support the government to address issues affecting minorities and fulfill its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination.
51 representatives of religious and ethnic minorities, government authorities and NGOs including 17 women participated in the discussions.
Unlike Federal Iraq, Kurdistan Region enacted a law for the protection of minority rights in 2015. That Law recognizes all minorities in the region. Representatives of minorities who participated in the discussions were appreciative of the Government’s efforts to protect their rights through enactment of the law but urged the Government to create an implementation mechanism so that the law make a difference in their lives.
Other crosscutting challenges facing minorities in the KR raised by participants include: discrimination stemming from the constitution which only recognizes Islam, Christianity, and the Yazidi and Sabean Mandean religions neglecting the rest; civil documents referring to most of minorities as Muslims; property confiscation; protection issues; discrimination and stigmatization; and islamization of the school curriculum among others. Some of the proposed solutions include; engagement with the Ministry of Interior to solve the issue of being referred to as Muslims when they are not, enactment/amendment of law to remove discrimination including in the constitution, international protection for people living in disputed territories and removal of different factions of government forces and militia, and rehabilitation of infrastructure destroyed during armed conflict among others. A working group composed of government, civil society, the UN and minority representatives has been created to coordinate structured advocacy efforts on issues raised during the discussions.
Photos by UNAMI HRO.
51 representatives of religious and ethnic minorities, government authorities and NGOs including 17 women participated in the discussions.
Unlike Federal Iraq, Kurdistan Region enacted a law for the protection of minority rights in 2015. That Law recognizes all minorities in the region. Representatives of minorities who participated in the discussions were appreciative of the Government’s efforts to protect their rights through enactment of the law but urged the Government to create an implementation mechanism so that the law make a difference in their lives.
Other crosscutting challenges facing minorities in the KR raised by participants include: discrimination stemming from the constitution which only recognizes Islam, Christianity, and the Yazidi and Sabean Mandean religions neglecting the rest; civil documents referring to most of minorities as Muslims; property confiscation; protection issues; discrimination and stigmatization; and islamization of the school curriculum among others. Some of the proposed solutions include; engagement with the Ministry of Interior to solve the issue of being referred to as Muslims when they are not, enactment/amendment of law to remove discrimination including in the constitution, international protection for people living in disputed territories and removal of different factions of government forces and militia, and rehabilitation of infrastructure destroyed during armed conflict among others. A working group composed of government, civil society, the UN and minority representatives has been created to coordinate structured advocacy efforts on issues raised during the discussions.
Photos by UNAMI HRO.
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