U.N. special rapporteur on the Iraq human rights situation, Ambassador Andreas Mavrommatis has completed an initial visit to the country, the first that Baghdad has permitted in a decade, and is drafting his report to the U.N. Human Rights Commission, scheduled to begin its annual meeting next month in Geneva, according to a U.N. Press Release dated February 18.
Mavrommatis visited Iraq last week in hopes of setting a foundation for a full-scale, follow-up mission later this year.
“In general, he had a meaningful exchange of views with the government on human rights issues,” the U.N. statement said.
“He expected that this dialogue might be continued in the future with a view to achieving concrete positive results”.
“Given the nature and duration of the mission, only a pre-selected number of human rights issues were discussed during those meetings, including the question of missing persons and prisoners of war, the right to life, religious freedom, rule of law, the rights and status of minorities, the situation of women as well as economic and social rights.”
The Special Rapporteur also met with the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, Tun Myat, and other top officials from various UN agencies, who, he indicated, provided “useful background information”.
During his three-day visit, the Special Rapporteur met with government ministers, Parliamentarians, religious leaders and lawyers and went to two prisons, a children's hospital, a food distribution center, a primary school and religious sites. (Albawaba.com)
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