Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative

The Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative (ICSSI) is dedicated to bringing together Iraqi and international civil societies through concrete actions to build together another Iraq, with peace and Human Rights for all.

Security Council meeting Protection of civilians in armed conflict Ms. Hanaa Edwar, Secretary-General, Iraqi Al-Amal Association

Hanaa Edwar speech – in front of the United Nations Security Council

Ms. Hanaa Edwar, Secretary-General, Iraqi Al-Amal Association and co-founder of the Iraqi Women Network.

“As a defender of human rights and an activist for many years in iraq. I worked with my colleagues tirelessly after 2003 to restore society’s awareness to the values and principles of human rights and gender equality.

As a civil society community we achieved  tangible achievements in campaigns defending the laws,politics and programs,by strengthen the movement demanding the rights amongst the young’s,women,minorities and civil society’s weakened groups,reflected from the peaceful protest  movements in 2011 which reached its peak in october’s civil uprising in 2019,2020.

We realise that the process of change to build democratic system and just rule requires hard perseverance and an enormous patience to build.now after almost 20 years,indicators-discussed  by united nations agencies and national research agencies-indicates sawer regression in the economical,social,cultural,environmental and health in iraq.

in the light of a political system based upon Sectarian and ethnics quotas without any constitutional or legal ground.the country’s resources and budget were plundered for personal and  narrow factional interests,corruption and ruins spread in governmental institutions,Despite the campaigns for reform and fighting corruption which is a larger corruption.The country’s sovereignty was profaned due to constant forgein security and military interferences.

Mr.President

Rule of law in my country replaced by gun spread among armed clans and groups.impunity in iraq is the defining feature in the justice system.therefore citizens seek to end their conflicts and disagreements on the ground of clan justice instead of trials.as we witness the politicisation of justice law where crul ruling based on false allegations against human right defenders,journalists and peaceful protests reaching death penalties. 

The results of the investigations yet to be publish regarding assassinations and assault patterns claimed to “unidentified aremd groups”. The fate of a number of activists and media figures arrested and kidnapped anonymously is yet to be determined.

Not mentioning the thousands of forcefully vanished individuals.in which the justice system did not take actions for their cases nor provide answers to their families on the other side those who are accused of drug trafficking and  corruption are ruled with light sentences in some cases exonerated or provided with special pardons.

The democracy in Iraq was reduced due to the execution of 5 public elections, which led to a non-democratic alternatives titled “consent between the governing political parties, we now have reached the political stagnation level. The government’s purpose is to facilitate daily life,its institutions can not perform their duties,due to the absence of a budget. As well as the parliament being on hold, despite it’s been over five months to the Federal Supreme Court ratifying the results of elections .

 Unfortunately, even the federal Supreme Court, concerned in explaining the constitution scripts, its final decisions contributed to political stagnation , instead of putting the effort into dismantling it for the public’s  interest.

The crisis of distrust the people have in the governing authorities and the public institutes crisis has been deepened, even in the October 2021 elections, the ratio of the voters did not exceed 35% in its best case. And about the reform and change calls that were announced by the political decision makers, there is an Iraqi saying: “what has been tried once can not be tried twice” ladies and gentlemen.

Due to the bitter and dangerous reality that we’re living in, Reform and change has become a necessity . To achieve the stability, safety and peaceful coexistence among Iraqis, according to a new social charter, that ensures an equal citizenship to diversity  , social justice and peaceful conferment of authority that is subject to the terms of  a civil country.

I call the International Society, before it’s too late, to launch a calculated initiative, under a specific deadline, into the direction of pressing the Iraqi authorities and the political decision makers, onto serious work to overcome the political Stagnation and their separation, and make the benefits of the Iraqi people a priority against the denominative and narrowed benefits, and to respect the international obligations to the human rights agreements, and it is important to involve the civil society organisations in the initiative to activate their role in defending human rights, general freedoms and the law sovereignty, pressure towards ending impunity and to promote peaceful coexistence, transparency, questioning, just ruling and sustainable development.”