SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR COMPLETES MISSION TO IRAQ

18 February 2002

Ambassador Andreas Mavrommatis, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Iraq, has completed an initial visit to that country and is preparing his report to the Commission, which begins its annual meeting next month.
Prior to this visit, the Government of Iraq had accepted only one mission, conducted in 1992 by the then Special Rapporteur, Max van der Stoel. During this exploratory visit, which lasted just over three days, the delegation of the Special Rapporteur met with several Government Ministers, Parliamentarians, politicians, religious dignitaries, and with two prominent Kurdish persons from Baghdad. The delegation also met with the president and judges of a criminal court in Baghdad, as well as with the chairman and members of the Iraqi
Bar Association. It visited two prisons, a hospital for children, a food distribution outlet, a local primary school in Baghdad, as well as religious sites in Baghdad and Kerballa.
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 senior officials from various UN agencies, who, he indicated, provided useful background information.
A series of meetings was held at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs with various officials, including from the Department for Human Rights. During these meetings, which according to the Special Rapporteur constituted the first step in a proposed constructive dialogue, the mechanisms and procedures for prompt and specific replies from the Government to material submitted by Mr. Mavrommatis were discussed.
The Special Rapporteur said that, in general, he had a meaningful exchange of views with the Government on human rights issues. He added that he expected that this dialogue might be continued in the future with a view to achieving concrete positive results.



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