MOHR TO LEAD DRAFTING OF GOI HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 002596

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/15/2018
TAGS: PHUM PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: MOHR TO LEAD DRAFTING OF GOI HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY

REF: BAGHDAD 2251

Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Steve Walker for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d)


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) will
lead GOI efforts on drafting a national human rights strategy
based on a report MoHR completed in July outlining the
principles for a national strategy. DRL granted $500,000 to
American University (AU) to assist the MoHR and other
ministries and human rights entities in drafting and
implementing the national strategy. PolOffs and DRL's AU
grantee met with Minister of Human Rights Wijdan Salim at her
office in Mansour on August 13 to discuss plans for beginning
this process. AU will begin working with the MoHR
immediately. Wijdan is hopeful the drafting process will
enhance interagency GOI coordination and cooperation on human
rights issues. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) PolOffs visited the Ministry of Human Rights
(MoHR),located in Mansour district of Baghdad, on August 13
to discuss modalities for USG assistance to the ministry as
it it prepares to draft a national human rights strategy.
They were accompanied by Melinda Lord, the representative in
charge of a $500,000 DRL-awarded grant to American University
(AU) to work with the MoHR in designing and implementing a
national strategy. The project proposal includes working
with other ministries in developing the national plan and
then assisting them by conducting training courses on
implementing and monitoring the national strategy. MoHR has
committed to weekly, working-level meetings with AU to ensure
clear lines of communication and collaboration.


3. (SBU) The MoHR recently published a report entitled "The
Basic Principles of Preparing the National Plan." The
62-page report addresses reasons for the need for a national
strategy, how to develop the strategy, who should be involved
in formulating it, and how the plan will be implemented and
monitored. Previously, Minister of Human Rights Wijdan Salim
said the MoHR would bring together all relevant parties to
formulate a national strategy based on this initial report.
Wijdan said the PM had already sent a letter to each ministry
requesting that they help formulate this national strategy
(ref A).


4. (SBU) Wijdan emphasized to the AU representative that
the strategy needs to be designed with input from all
necessary entities, including the Ministries of Interior,
Justice, Education, Higher Education, Labor and Social
Affairs, Displacement and Migration, and Health. Other
participants should be the Human Rights Committee in the
Council of Representatives and Deputy Prime Minister Barham
Saleh's office. AU will help bring together these actors and
involve them in designing the strategy. There will then be a
training component focused on how to implement a national
strategy. AU will also provide training for GOI officials,
and Iraqi NGOs on human rights issues, human rights
reporting, and relationships with independent commissions and
NGOs.


5. (C) COMMENT: Minister Wijdan's determination not only
to complete a national human rights strategy, but to ensure
that the GOI has the lead in doing so is encouraging. It is
essential that Iraqi efforts drive this process, a theme we
have reinforced with the AU grantee. Wijdan welcomed AU's
assistance, but recognizes that the MoHR must take the
overall lead in designing the strategy if it is to receive
greater GOI buy-in. END COMMENT.
CROCKER