Strengthening monitoring and reporting on human rights and counter-terrorism in Iraq

The United Nations of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and Iraq’s Office of the National Security Advisor (ONSA) co-organized a workshop on “Monitoring and Reporting on Human Rights in Counter-Terrorism” from 5 to 7 March 2024, in Bagdad.

The workshop brought together Iraqi and international experts to share experiences and expertise in addressing the following questions:

• How can security and justice agencies monitor human rights violations in countering terrorism?
• What would their roles be in ensuring accountability for such violations?
• How to engage with international bodies to report on human rights compliance and counter-terrorism? 
• How to incorporate their recommendations to improve the respect of human rights while countering terrorism?

Over 80 officials from entities represented in Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Committee, which is chaired by ONSA, participated in the workshop. The participants assessed aspects related to human rights and counter-terrorism in Iraq, especially those related to monitoring, accountability and reporting violations. They exchanged on good practices from various fields of expertise in Iraq and other countries. They also examined the relevance of these good practices in addressing some of the current local challenges.  

The outcomes of this workshop will inform the next phases of the project to foster a culture of compliance with international human rights.

The workshop was organized by the UNOCT Human Rights and Gender Section as part of the project entitled Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism: Capacity-building Support to Law Enforcement and Intelligence Services in Iraq. The project was launched in 2023 and will conclude in 2025. It aims at building the capacity of Law Enforcement and Intelligence Services in Iraq to incorporate human rights in their counter-terrorism efforts. The project is funded by Canada and implemented by UNOCT in coordination with ONSA.