Iraq Submission to the 34th UPR

Introduction

CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide) is a human rights organisation specialising in the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB).

This submission draws attention to particular FoRB and human rights concerns in the Republic of Iraq. It considers Iraq’s current commitments and the legal framework relating to FoRB, countering terrorism and insecurity, and women’s rights.

During the reporting period, CSW conducted several fact-finding visits to Iraq’s Kurdish region, Sinjar and the Nineveh Plains, and repeatedly noted high levels of mistrust between religious and ethnic communities in the country. Many of the individuals that CSW encountered during these visits expressed particular concerns regarding security, even in the aftermath of the liberation of multiple regions from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist organisation.

Read the Submission on the Republic of Iraq in full.