Held under the slogan (the stability of Iraq depends on ensuring the rights of its minorities)
Particularly to discuss the mechanisms to ensure minority rights and demands and how to strengthening it
held on June 26, 2010
In the Nineveh Plain - Hamdania (Qaraqush) - Bgdida
To discuss the issue of Iraq's stability and ensure the rights of its minorities, more than a hundred personalities met, including representatives of civil society organizations from small components, researchers and activists, and former ministers, deputies, heads of administrative units and members of local councils, clergy and social figures to discuss the objectives and mechanisms for ensuring the rights of minorities, and to identify priorities required. In this conference, convened by the Hammurabi Human Rights HHRO, under the auspices of the governor of Nineveh Engineer Atheel Al-Nujaifi, in collaboration with Christian Solidarity International CSI, participants devoted their work to discuss the mechanisms and prioritization of issues and topics raised at Baghdad conference, which was sponsored by His Excellency the Vice President Dr. Adel Abdul-Mahdi. The conference started with a minute of silence in memory of the martyrs of Iraq, then gave the governor of Nineveh, the sponsor of the conference a speech, and then came word of CSI, then the word of the secretary-general of the Intifada Shabani, and then came word of Hammurabi Organization for Human Rights.
After the completion of words, participants moved to the first topic, which entitled "Our survival and our role in the national equation, ill-effects of migration on our presence on ancestral lands, where the problem is? and what treatments and solutions." then participants moved to discuss the second topic which included reading and discussing the recommendations and proposals of the Baghdad conference, held for the period from 11 to 12 December 2009, about a dignified return of refugees to Iraqi and the future of the Christian presence in Iraq, then conferees discussed the third topic which included to explore the mechanisms needed to promote and ensure the demands of minorities.
In conclusion, participants made the following proposals and recommendations to the government authorities to take and achieve them in order to improve their status to serve Iraq's stability and prosperity.
- participants asked deal the gaps in the Iraqi constitution, including articles belonging to minorities and enact laws related to them.
- The participants recognized that the bleeding migration among minorities, particularly Christians, is a threat to their existence and their future, as they demanded the need to address the problem of internally displaced persons, compensation and work to return them to their home areas.
- The conferees stressed to form a special national commission on minority issues, to promote peaceful coexistence and dialogue between the various national components.
- Participants asked to speed up the establishment of the University in the Nineveh Plain, especially as the region enjoys all the necessary ingredients for that.
- Participants asked to provide security and protection for all minorities and ensuring the exercise of their activities away from fear, threat and pressure.
- The conferees stressed on the activation of Iraq's compliance with international treaties and conventions signed and ratified by Iraq and that promote human rights and guarantee the rights of minorities ...
- Participants demand the involvement of minority and increase their representation in state institutions and centers of political decision-making.
- Participants asked the central government and local governments need to take care of their own regions and development, and improve delivery of services and infrastructure and encourage investment in these areas.
Hammurabi Organization for Human Rights
Nineveh Plain - Hamdania
June 26, 2010
Translated by
Najim Al-Khaphaji
Institute of International Law & Human Rights