Delite
The Hague, 10 September 2024: Senior government representatives from Iraq, joined Yazidi civil society representatives based in Europe at a roundtable organized in The Hague under the auspices of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) to discuss next steps in finding missing persons.
The Iraqi representatives included Deputy Minister for Political Planning Affairs Dr. Hisham Al-Alawi, Human Rights Advisor to the Prime Minister Dr. Zaidan Khalaf Obaid, and Deputy Head of the Martyrs’ Foundation Mr. Yousif Abduljabbar, along with the Directors General of the Medico-Legal Directorate (MLD) of the Ministry of Health, the Mass Graves Protection Directorate (MGD) of the Martyrs’ Foundation, and the General Directorate for Survivors Affairs of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
The Yazidi representatives included Farida Global Organization, Yezidi Forum e.V. in Oldenburg, Hawar Hilfswerk, Stelle für Jesidische Angelegenheiten (SJA), Yazidi Council in Germany, House of Coexistence, Yazidi Legal Network, International Yazidis Foundation for the Prevention Against Genocide, Yazidi Cultural Center, Religious leaders, and representatives of the Iraqi Yazidi community in Germany.
The roundtable on “Progress in the Process of Accounting for Yazidi Missing Persons in Iraq: Technical Briefings and Discussions between Iraqi Government Agencies and Yazidi Civil Society Based in Europe” examined progress that has been made in accounting for missing persons and explored steps to further enhance the effectiveness of efforts to determine the fate of missing Yazidis. Discussion highlighted outcomes from previous ICMP-facilitated policy events with Iraqi government representatives, in 2021 and 2023, as well as a policy event held in The Hague in September 2024, summarizing and informing civil society organizations and families of the missing about progress that has been made in recent years.
One of the core sessions featured technical briefings by Iraqi institutions involved in the process of locating and identifying Yazidi missing persons. The MLD and the MGD presented the work they are doing to resolve the fate of Yazidi missing persons in Iraq. This was followed by a moderated Q&A session, which allowed for an open exchange between Iraqi officials and Yazidi representatives.
Further discussions focused on the Yazidi Survivors Law: The Directorate General of Female Survivors’ Affairs presented accomplishments, opportunities, and challenges related to implementing the Law. There was also a discussion about the Iraqi government’s plan to determine the fate of missing Yazidis in the Al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria.
The roundtable concluded with “Letters from Genocide Survivors to the World” – a photo exhibition that expands themes that were first presented in „The Woman Who Beat ISIS“ exhibition curated by Farida Global Organization. This features letters from Yazidi genocide survivors and families of missing persons, articulating their experiences and their appeals to the global community
The Hague roundtable reflects ICMP’s continuing effort to foster dialogue and collaboration between Iraqi government agencies and Yazidi civil society based in Europe, building on discussions at ICMP’s 2021 International Human Rights Day event, which focused on the rights of Yazidi families, and a 2023 awareness raising event for Yazidi families of the missing in Europe.
Following decades of conflict, human rights violations, and atrocities, including those committed under the regime of Saddam Hussein, the war with Iran, the first Gulf War, and the crimes of Da’esh, tens of thousands of families still do not know the fate of their relatives. Through its Iraq program, ICMP is helping stakeholders to address the issue of missing persons, providing technical expertise and fostering transparency in the process.
ICMP’s Iraq Program is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, and the Government of the Netherlands.
About ICMP
ICMP is a treaty-based intergovernmental organization with Headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. Its mandate is to secure the cooperation of governments and others in locating missing persons from conflict, human rights abuses, disasters, organized crime, irregular migration and other causes and to assist them in doing so.
