Iraq’s First Independent High Commission for Human Rights, Landmark Achievement

Baghdad, 9 April 2011 - The United Nations hails as a landmark achievement for Iraq today’s vote by the Council of Representatives to appoint the Commissioners who will serve on Iraq's first Independent High Commission for Human Rights. عربي



"For the first time in its history, there is an independent national institution to promote and protect the rights of all Iraq's people, irrespective of their national, ethnic, religious, gender or other differences. This is certainly a landmark achievement,” said Mr. Martin Kobler, the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Iraq and the chief of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).



The process of selecting the 11 permanent and three back-up Commissioners has taken exactly one year to be completed. It was conducted by a special Committee of Experts that was appointed by the Council of Representatives. The Committee consisted of representatives of members of Parliament, the Judiciary, the Government of Iraq, civil society, and the United Nations.


Welcoming the news, Dr. al Jabouri, the Chairman of the Committee of Experts said: "The process of selecting the Commissioners has been long, but it has now been successfully concluded. We are particularly grateful for the technical, training, and logistic support provided by UNAMI, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the United Nations Development Programme, which contributed to the good result achieved today."



The Committee of Experts was chaired by Dr. Al Jabouri, who also serves as the Chair of the Council of Representatives Human Rights Committee. In reaching the final list of nominees for endorsement by the Council of Representatives, the Committee of Experts processed some 3085 applications, completing its work on 5 April 2012.