Agenda Item 3: Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

General debate

Statement by: International Organization for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (EAFORD) and Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ)

11 September 2019

Thank you, Mr. Vice-President.

We would like to draw the Council’s attention to the alarming situation of trafficking in persons in Iraq. Twenty-seven human trafficking networks have been documented in the country, most of which practice human organ trafficking and prostitution of women and girls, including IDPs and refugees. New recruits were reportedly exposed to sexual torture and gang rape by members of government affiliated militias.

Regrettably, there’s evidence indicating that key government officials, are involved in this trafficking activity, using their powers and security positions to aid the traffickers in escaping justice.

Mr. Vice-President,

The acute water crisis in Iraq equally needs to be addressed. In 2018, at least one hundred eighteen thousand people from Basra were hospitalized with symptoms identified as related to water quality. Government engineering projects to improve water quality have failed to tackle this crisis, due to mismanagement and corruption, which violate the Basra population’s rights to water, sanitation and health.

EAFORD and Geneva International Centre for Justice urge this Council to appoint a special rapporteur for Iraq to investigate all the gross human rights violations, including human trafficking, and to monitor corruption and water mismanagement. Finally, we call on the government to put an end to its alliance with private militias and their exploitation of innocent civilians.

Thank you.

Justice, Human rights, Geneva, geneva4justice, GICJ, Geneva International Centre For Justice