Universal Periodic Review (UPR), Sawtuha Network as a Model

Dr. Nibras Almamory

Since 2003, civil society in Iraq has witnessed a major transformation. The experiences of national networks and organizations in the field of civil and human rights work are the best evidence of effective work accompanied by participation in meetings and conferences organized by the United Nations through its specialized agencies and committees.

What attracted my attention in the session of the Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Iraq held on 11 November this year and the resulting recommendations to the Iraqi government by the participating member states, on the human rights situation in Iraq that the recommendations reached 298 recommendations distributed among several axes differed in the title, but agreed in the ultimate goal of protecting human rights and public freedoms.

the size of the recommendations reflect the effort made by Iraqi civil society to detect violations, especially in light of high public protests and recent demonstrations, and civil society sought to pressure the implementation of recommendations and turn government commitments into action.

One of the most prominent workers on the Universal Periodic Review, along with other organizations, is Sawtuha network for women human rights defenders officially registered with the NGO Department, which includes 90 Iraqi organizations from most of the governorates of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, where the network presented its report on (the situation of women journalists and human rights defenders and the level of freedom of media and expression).

Following its submission, the report received the acceptance of the member states of the Human Rights Council, which led to the adoption of most of its recommendations by the countries participating in the universal periodic review:

– Amendment of the Penal Code No. 111 of 1969 towards the abolition of penalties for the views published by journalists / ways of expressing opinion

– Stop the violence against the demonstrators and not to cut off the Internet during the period of peaceful demonstrations for the purpose of ending the demonstrations and curtail freedom of expression.

– Amend Law No. 21 of 2011 on the Protection of Journalists to ensure adequate protection for women and men journalists to perform their work.

– Legislation of the Freedom of Peaceful Demonstration Act as provided for in Article 38 (c) of the Constitution.

– Ensure and promote equal opportunities for women in the decision-making positions they deserve according to their competence without discrimination.

– Take measures to protect women human rights defenders from defamation campaigns and fabricated charges by some political parties.

– Legislation to reduce domestic violence.

– Limit the use of criminal, civil and administrative laws to target, harass and blackmail human rights defenders and take the necessary legal measures against perpetrators of crimes.

– Provide freedom for local organizations and associations to protect women human rights defenders and to include repression and violence against women defenders and journalists in local and international reports and consider it a grave violation that requires immediate and prompt intervention and investigation of crimes against this segment.

Those who review the above recommendations come to the conclusion that the real professional civil society is able to be a real voice that show the  violations that occur in the file of human rights, and the experience of Sawtuha network to be collective action and not individual fruitful and produced international and national acceptance, we hope that this will be the path to obtain rights and rectify the situation ..

We have a long way to go, perhaps the first course of that report is to follow up on the government’s commitment to the recommendations of the Human Rights Council (the Universal Periodic Review Committee).