Human Rights Council, Geneva, UK Statement on Iraq
The UK delivers a statement during the Interactive Dialogue on the OHCHR Report on Iraq, 25 March 2015.
The Human Rights Council is held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva
Mr President,
The United Kingdom would like to thank the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for their report.
The United Kingdom is deeply concerned by the human rights abuses and violations of humanitarian law committed by ISIL and associated terrorist groups. The human rights abuses committed by ISIL are horrific. Attacks against individuals based on their religious or ethnic affiliation, sexual and gender based violence, and the use of children as participants in the armed conflict, underline ISIL’s utter disregard for human rights and international law.
We are concerned by reports of militia groups and the Iraqi Security Forces committing human rights abuses and violations. It is vital that the Government of Iraq protects the rights of all Iraqi citizens and holds those responsible for abuses and violations to account. We welcome the commitments which Prime Minister al-Abadi has made in this regard. With this in mind, the United Kingdom supports the resolution that has been tabled during this session of the Council and urges the Government of Iraq to implement in full the recommendations from OHCHR’s report.
The efforts of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL are essential for addressing the source of the problem and providing the Government of Iraq with the support it requires to degrade and destroy ISIL. It is also vital that the international community continues to do all it can to assist survivors and victims, and collect evidence of violations and abuses of human rights to bring those responsible to justice.
Thank you.