Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

113 th session

Geneva, 5–23 August 2024

Item 4 of the provisional agenda

Consideration of reports, comments and information submitted

by States parties under article 9 of the Convention

List of themes in relation to the combined twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh periodic reports of Iraq

Note by the Country Rapporteur *

1.The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination decided at its seventy‑sixth session that the Country Rapporteur would send to the State party concerned a short list of themes, with a view to guiding and focusing the dialogue between the State party’s delegation and the Committee during the consideration of the State party’s report. The present document contains a list of such themes. It is not an exhaustive list; other issues may also be raised in the course of the dialogue. No written replies are required.

Statistics

2.Statistics on the demographic composition of the population based on self‑identification, disaggregated by ethnic and ethno-religious origin, languages spoken, and on migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons and stateless persons. Economic and social indicators on the various groups living in the territory of the State party, disaggregated by ethnicity, sex, gender, disability and age.

The Convention in domestic law and the institutional and policy framework for its implementation (arts. 2, 4, 5 and 6)

3.Measures taken to incorporate the Convention into the domestic legal order, and information on the mandate and activities of the Legal Review and Amendment Committee, established by the Supreme Judicial Council.

4.Measures taken to develop and adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination law that includes a definition of direct and indirect discrimination and prohibits racial discrimination, in line with articles 1, 2 and 4 of the Convention. Information on the implementation of the national human rights plan (2021–2025) and on measures taken to adopt a comprehensive strategy and a national action plan to combat racism, racial discrimination and related intolerance.

5.Steps taken to ensure that the provisions of the Criminal Code and other relevant legislation prohibit and punish racist hate speech, incitement to racial hatred or to racial discrimination and racist hate crimes, in line with article 4 of the Convention.

6.Information on measures taken to combat racist hate speech, including in political discourse, in the media and over the Internet, including on the mandate and activities of the Media and Communications Commission. Specific measures taken or envisaged to ensure that police and other law enforcement officers do not engage in racial discrimination, including racially motivated violence and practices that amount to racial profiling.

7.Statistics and detailed information on complaints registered with the courts or any other national institution, including the High Commission for Human Rights, concerning acts of racial discrimination, racist hate speech and racist hate crimes, including over the Internet and in the media, and information on the outcomes of those complaints, on the number of investigations, prosecutions and convictions or disciplinary measures for perpetrators and on reparations for victims.

8.Information on the mandate and activities of the High Commission for Human Rights to combat racial discrimination and to evaluate the implementation of the Convention and on the allocation of adequate human, financial and technical resources to enable it to discharge its mandate fully and effectively.

Situation of ethnic and ethno-religious groups (arts. 2, 5 and 6)

9.Updated information on the national reconciliation and transitional justice processes, in particular on measures taken to guarantee the safety and security of members of all ethnic and ethno-religious groups, to address the root causes of inter-ethnic and interreligious violence and ethnic and ethno-religious discrimination and to ensure the meaningful participation of members of all ethnic and ethno-religious groups. Information on measures taken to investigate allegations of human rights violations and abuses committed against members of ethnic and ethno-religious minority groups in the context of the armed conflict, to prosecute perpetrators and to provide reparations to victims. Detailed information on measures taken to protect women belonging to all ethnic and ethno-religious groups from all forms of gender-based violence, to investigate reports of gender-based violence, to prosecute perpetrators and to provide reparations to victims.

10.Measures taken to guarantee the full and equal enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights by all ethnic and ethno-religious groups, in particular their access to education, adequate housing, health and employment. Measures taken to ensure access for members of all ethnic groups to quality education in the official languages and minority languages at all levels.

11.Measures taken to ensure the effective participation and representation of all ethnic and ethno-religious groups in public and political life, in particular in State institutions, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary.

12.Updated information on measures taken to resolve the issue of the disputed territories and to ensure the security of ethnic and ethno-religious minority groups.

13.Information on targeted measures taken to combat the structural racial discrimination and marginalization faced by Roma and people of African descent and to guarantee their full and equal enjoyment of all human rights.

Situation of migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons and stateless persons (arts. 2 and 5)

14.Information on measures taken to prevent and combat the exploitation and abuse of migrant workers, including domestic workers, by their employers and to facilitate the lodging of complaints by victims, and statistics on registered complaints, on investigations, prosecutions and convictions of perpetrators and on reparations to victims.

15.Information on the legislative and policy frameworks relating to migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons and stateless persons, in particular the drafting of a refugee law in line with internationally recognized standards, including the principle of non-refoulement. Measures taken to protect migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, stateless persons and internally displaced persons and ensure their access to health care, employment, education and basic services. Information on the plans announced to close all camps of internally displaced persons in 2024 and on measures taken to create safe conditions for their return.

16.Updated information on measures taken to prevent and protect against statelessness, including updated statistics on stateless persons and those at risk of statelessness, in particular among Feyli Kurds and internally displaced persons. Statistics on birth registration rates and the issuance of identity cards, in particular among groups in vulnerable situations, such as internally displaced persons and Feyli Kurds.

Human rights education to combat prejudice and intolerance (art. 7)

17.Information on the measures taken to promote human rights education, including with a view to combating racial discrimination, in all school curricula, university programmes and teacher training programmes and on measures taken to raise awareness among the general public, civil servants, law enforcement officers and judicial authorities of the importance of ethnic, ethno-religious and cultural diversity and tolerance.