Source: United Nations – Geneva
The Committee on the Rights of the Child today concluded its consideration of the fifth and sixth combined periodic reports of Iraq under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with Committee Experts praising the State’s national child rights strategy and raising questions about child marriage and corporal punishment.
Benoit Van Keirsbilck, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Iraq, said that Iraq had devoted efforts to improving its situation after periods of violence. The Committee had seen several improvements in terms of the rights of the child, including the State’s commendable strategy on children’s rights.
Several Experts expressed concern regarding the amendment in 2025 to the civil status law, which reportedly allowed for children to marry from the age of nine. They asked whether appeals had been made to nullify the amendment. Mr. Van Keirsbilck said 28 per cent of Iraqi girls were married before the age of 18 and seven per cent before the age of 15. What measures were in place to prevent child marriage?
Mr. Van Keirsbilck also said the Penal Code allowed parents and educators to use corporal punishment in family and educational settings. Some 81 per cent of children had reportedly been subjected to some form of corporal punishment. How was the State party addressing this?
In an opening statement, Abdulkarim Hashem Mustafa, Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said the Government placed the rights of the child at the heart of its national priorities, and had adopted the national strategy for child protection, which aimed to create a safe and inclusive environment that ensured the well-being and development of children.
Khalid Salam Saeed, Minster of Justice of Iraq and head of the delegation, in his opening statement, said Iraq had exerted efforts to comply with the Convention and the Committee’s recommendations, despite the major challenges it had faced due to aggression from the terrorist group Daesh. As a result of its efforts for children, Iraq had been removed from the United Nations Secretary-General’s list of countries that violated children’s rights.
On child marriage, the delegation said Iraq considered cultural circumstances when setting the minimum age of marriage. The amendment to the civil status law had been assessed by Parliament and workshops with civil society. Marriage from nine years of age was not permitted by the law, which permitted marriages from 18 years, or from 15 years when the children involved petitioned courts directly. Persons who facilitated marriages outside the legal framework were liable for punishment.
Regarding corporal punishment, the delegation said the Higher Supreme Court had ruled that the Criminal Code did not allow the use of violence against children or students in any context. There were many cases in which parents and teachers who treated children violently had been punished.
In closing remarks, Mr. Van Keirsbilck said the dialogue had revealed areas in which Iraq had made important progress since 2015, as well as issues that needed to be addressed. The future law on child protection seemed extremely promising; the Committee hoped that it would be adopted soon and fully implemented, he said.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Saeed said Iraq had presented its progress in implementing the Convention and the recommendations of the Committee. The State party looked forward to receiving the Committee’s recommendations, which would help to consolidate children’s rights in the country. Iraq was determined to promote human rights based on the principles of equality and social justice.
Sopio Kiladze, Committee Chair, said in concluding remarks that the Committee and the State party shared a common goal of improving the situation of children in Iraq. The Committee congratulated the State party on the progress it had made and looked forward to hearing about the future progress that the State would make for children in the next dialogue.
The delegation of Iraq consisted of representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office; General Secretariat of the Iraqi Cabinet; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; Ministry of Justice; Scientific Supervision and Evaluation Agency; Directorate-General for Curricula; Directorate-General of Planning and Follow-Up; Human Rights Directorate; Kurdistan Regional Government; and the Permanent Mission of Iraq to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee will issue concluding observations on the report of Iraq at the end of its ninety-ninth session on 30 May. Those, and other documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, will be available on the session’s webpage. Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here.
The Committee will next meet in public on Tuesday, 20 May at 3 p.m. to consider the combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of Romania (CRC/C/ROU/6-7).
Report
The Committee has before it the fifth and sixth combined periodic reports of Iraq (CRC/C/IRQ/5-6).
Presentation of Report
ABDULKARIM HASHEM MUSTAFA, Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said Iraq reaffirmed its commitment to respect and implement its international obligations under the Convention and to include its provisions in national policies, despite the complex challenges that the country had faced during the past decades. The Government placed the rights of the child at the heart of its national priorities, and had adopted the national strategy for child protection, which aimed to create a safe and inclusive environment that ensured the well-being and development of children. The State party had strengthened the national legislative framework by amending several relevant laws to ensure their compatibility with international standards, including the draft child protection law currently before the Parliament. Iraq affirmed that the protection of children’s rights was both a national responsibility and a humanitarian and moral obligation.
KHALID SALAM SAEED, Minster of Justice of Iraq and head of the delegation, said Iraq had exerted efforts to comply with the Convention and the Committee’s recommendations. Iraq faced major challenges due to aggression from the terrorist group Daesh, which had led to violations of the rights of the child. Iraq had undertaken efforts to prevent the spread of terrorism and violence in the country, provide reparation to victims, support the transfer of displaced persons, and prosecute terrorist crimes. The State party had transferred or rehabilitated more than 17,000 victims of the violence.
Seeking to bring its legislation in line with international standards, the State party had implemented several laws, including the legal aid act, the amendment to the act on people with disabilities, the health coverage act, the social services act, the act on the integration of minors, and a draft law against domestic violence.
Several policies and strategies had also been developed, including the technical development strategy. The State party had developed policies on the protection of families, and had continued work to investigate human trafficking. It had set up a hotline for reporting gender-based violence and had also established women’s and girls’ welfare units to combat violence against women and girls. The State party had developed strategies to improve the security environment, reduce poverty and support families, which included measures to increase the number of persons receiving social protection assistance, establish family protection units, and expand the provision of vaccinations.
The Iraqi Government was promoting access to education for all by implementing the act on compulsory education and providing school supplies and scholarships to children in need. The Government had completed the construction and renovation of 6,500 schools, and construction was continuing. Iraq aimed to increase the resources and capacities of educational institutions to improve the quality of education they provided.
The State party had also developed a strategy for the rehabilitation of minors, establishing juvenile rehabilitation units. The Constitution had been amended and laws established to criminalise prostitution, trafficking in illegal substances, and the sale of children. Iraqi laws prohibited the conscription of young people under the age of 18, and many policies had been implemented to prevent the involvement of children in terrorist activities. The State party had also set up a body to monitor the recommendations of international bodies. As a result of these efforts, Iraq had been removed from the United Nations Secretary-General’s list of countries that violated children’s rights.
DINDAR ZEBARI, Coordinator of International Recommendations, Kurdistan Regional Government, said Kurdistan had developed a regional development plan for 2021–2025, which included 11 recommendations on children’s rights, of which nine had been implemented. In 2023, the Kurdistan Council of Ministers approved a policy aimed at protecting children. Kurdistan had raised the age of criminal responsibility to 11 years, banned the death penalty for children, converted detention sentences to rehabilitation programmes, and reactivated juvenile courts.
In the fight against human trafficking, a national campaign was launched that had led to the arrest of 79 people and the sentencing of 12 traffickers. Kurdistan hosted 865,000 internally displaced persons and refugees, and the Government provided this population with shelter, education, and health care.
Measures implemented by the Government had led to a 42 per cent reduction in under-five mortality; the rate was now far lower than the global average. The Government provided social welfare services to approximately 130 children annually, and new care homes for girls had been opened. Some 550 children from government nurseries and 53 from the surrogacy system had been placed in foster families. Procedures for issuing parental certificates to children of unknown origin were carried out in accordance with the civil status law, in a manner that respected their privacy and preserved their dignity.
Questions by Committee Experts
BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator for Iraq, said that Iraq had devoted a range of efforts to improving its situation after periods of violence. The Committee had seen several improvements in terms of the rights of the child, including the State’s commendable strategy on children’s rights. However, challenges remained, and the Committee would address these.
Iraq maintained its reservation to article 14 of the Convention. Why did it oppose children having the right to protest? Was the Convention used by courts and the Parliament? When would the planned child protection law be adopted? Would this law address all forms of violence against children? How did legislation on refugees that would soon be adopted address refugee children’s rights?
Who was responsible for coordinating and implementing the State’s strategy for children? What budget was set aside for the strategy and how would its implementation be assessed? How would the State party implement the proposed child protection information management system? Did it calculate the percentage of the budget dedicated to children’s policies, and was it working on addressing issues with tax collection to increase funds for children’s policies? How did the State party ensure that the data it collected on children was accurate?
Did the State party plan to ratify the Optional Protocol on the individual complaints procedure? Did children whose rights were violated have access to reparations? How could they lodge complaints? There were reports that police had refused to register some children’s complaints.
The Committee welcomed that Iraq’s National Human Rights Commission had “A” status under the Paris Principles. There had been a legal complaint against the former Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission. What progress had been made in investigating this case? Were there plans to set up an ombudsperson for children? How had cuts in international funding affected programmes promoting children’s rights in Iraq?
Sexual exploitation of children remained a major concern. What measures were in place to support child victims? The Penal Code allowed parents and educators to use corporal punishment in family and educational settings. Some 81 per cent of children had reportedly been subjected to some form of corporal punishment. How was the State party addressing this?
Iraqi law still allowed children to marry from age 15, and there had been a draft law that sought to lower the age of marriage for girls to nine. What was the status of this law? What measures were in place to prevent child marriage? Sexual slavery was still practiced in some parts of the country. How did the State party support child victims of sexual slavery? How many children who were affected by the activities of Daesh had the State party rehabilitated?
MARIANA IANACHEVICI, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, welcomed the State party’s efforts to incorporate the principles of the Convention in its legal and policy frameworks, and to prevent discrimination. The State party taught minority languages in schools and had implemented measures to prevent discrimination against children with disabilities in schools. Were there plans to develop exclusive anti-discrimination legislation that addressed discrimination against children? How would the State promote access to social services for girls in remote communities? How was the principle of the best interests of the child reflected in national legislation? What mechanisms were in place to ensure that children’s views were considered when assessing what was in their best interests?
What measures were in place to ensure that no children were sentenced to the death penalty? How was the civil registration system being strengthened to ensure that all children, including children born in areas formerly controlled by Daesh, were registered? What measures were in place to prevent infanticide?
How was the State party ensuring that the views of children were considered in laws, policies and practices? How was the State party promoting the meaningful participation of children from disadvantaged groups in the development of policies and laws?
The Expert welcomed efforts to support children returning from northern Syria. What was the rationale behind 2025 amendments to the personal status law? There were concerns that these amendments could undermine existing safeguards for women and children. How did the State party ensure that this legislation was in line with the Convention, and that women-led households would continue to receive adequate social support? What efforts were being made to harmonise religious court rulings with international standards?
What efforts were being made to expand family-based care for children whose parents could no longer care for them, and to make foster care a viable alternative for families? Did the State party pursue systematic family reunification when appropriate?
RINCHEN CHOPHEL, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, welcomed legislation from 2006 that allowed women to pass on their nationality to their children. Did children born to unmarried parents receive birth certificates? What measures were in place to regulate the registration of children born in armed conflict situations? The Expert expressed concern about reports that the children of parents who were not of Muslim faith, particularly persons of the Baha’i faith, were not registered. What measures were in place to prevent this? What measures had been adopted to protect children from online risks? What was the status of the draft cybercrime law?
BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said that there had been significant progress for children in Iraq over the last 10 years. What awareness raising campaigns were being carried out to address negative societal attitudes related to children with disabilities? What had been the impact of legislative revisions related to persons with disabilities? How had the State party mainstreamed disability rights? What progress had been made in developing a central database on children with disabilities? The Committee welcomed the “disability stipend” for children with disabilities who attended schools. Were there plans to extend this to children with disabilities who did not attend school? Assessments of children with disabilities tended to focus on medical impairments; were there plans to change this approach? The Kurdistan Government had introduced a universal stipend for children, but its reach appeared to be limited. What efforts had been made to extend it?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said most of the Iraqi population was Muslim, but the Government respected religious plurality and had implemented mechanisms to protect religious diversity. Iraq had expressed reservations related to article 14 of the Convention as its law was based on the Islamic Sharia, but the State party’s laws promoted the freedom of religion. There was one case related to the rights of a 15-year-old girl in which the court had referenced the Convention.
The State party paid salaries to carers of children with disabilities; recently, this salary had been increased. Assistive devices were provided to children with disabilities, who were integrated into public schools. Mobile teams aided children with disabilities in their homes and smart identification cards facilitated access to social services for children with disabilities. The State party also provided primary care to children with disabilities in conflict settings.
The Government had adopted several measures promoting the participation of children in decision-making processes, establishing children’s parliaments in more than 420 schools. Non-governmental organizations promoted the participation of children in decision-making, providing them with training on advocacy.
Around 30 shelters had been established that provided services to vulnerable children, including orphans and victims of domestic violence. The shelters provided food and access to education and technical training. Health examinations were provided for children in these shelters every three months.
The Constitution included articles that prohibited discrimination and guaranteed protection for women and children. Several laws had been adopted to protect minorities, including a law on reparations for Yezidi refugees who had suffered human rights violations during armed conflict.
The State party sought to adopt a draft law on anti-discrimination that was currently before Parliament. The law would prevent discrimination based on religion and other factors. There were several schools that taught Christian values. A centre had been established that taught the minority Assyrian language, and several public schools also taught the language.
The Ministry of Interior accepted complaints from children through a dedicated hotline, which complied with international standards; the children’s support unit; and through hospitals and schools. A range of legal measures had been adopted to combat sexual exploitation. State legislation stipulated punishments for violations of children’s rights online.
Children were guaranteed the right to an identity by the law on identity and other legislative measures. The State party had sought to identify children with unknown parents born in the Daesh era and provide them with identity documents; 120,000 persons in this situation had been registered to date.
The State party considered cultural circumstances when setting the minimum age of marriage. It was re-evaluating the law on child marriage. Marriage could be approved from age 15 if it was in the child’s interests. There was currently no draft law defining the best interests of the child, but some texts recognised the principle, such as the personal status law, which called for an assessment of the best interests of the child in foster arrangements.
The State party was proud of its achievements in rehabilitating child refugees. A centre had been established in 2021 that hosted 17,000 individuals. Currently, 7,000 children resided in the centre, who benefited from cultural activities, education and social rehabilitation services. More than 6,000 children had been supported to return to their homes. Most refugees who came from Syrian camps were women and children. They were provided with various support services, and more than 6,000 of these persons had been supported to return to their homes.
More than nine trillion dinars had been allocated to the health sector, more than 70 per cent of which benefitted women and children. Hospital workers had been trained on dealing with victims of violence against women and children, and medical units providing care to victims had been established. In refugee camps, more than 30,000 vaccinations had been provided to children. There were governorate programmes on sexual and reproductive health and nutrition that benefitted youth. A draft law on mental health had been developed and programmes were in place to provide psychosocial care for students in schools and universities.
Training sessions had been organised on the Convention, international humanitarian law, and the rights of children in armed conflict, for members of the armed forces. The Government had contributed to demining more than 18 million cluster munitions in former conflict zones.
The Constitutional Court had ruled that article 41 of the Criminal Code did not allow the use of violence against children or students in any context; it aimed only at imposing discipline and rehabilitation. There were many cases in which parents and teachers who treated children violently had been punished.
Child benefits were allocated to more than 3.5 million children, while around 3,000 orphaned children also received benefits, and more than two million children received scholarships. Around 154,000 children received disability benefits. Some 12 trillion dinars were invested in children’s education in 2024. Children with disabilities were integrated into mainstream education.
Questions by Committee Experts
BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said that Iraq relied on external support for health sector financing. What measures were in place to reduce reliance on external support? The Committee commended the State party’s efforts in immunisation, but there were low immunisation rates in conflict areas and rural areas. How was the Government addressing this?
Obesity rates were rising among Iraqi children, anaemia was an issue for women, and Iraq had low breastfeeding rates. How were these issues being addressed? How was the State party working to reduce the exposure of children to tobacco and unhealthy food marketing, strengthening children’s mental health and reducing health costs for families? The adolescent birth rate was concerningly high. How was the State party addressing teenage pregnancy?
Iraqi schools were fully closed for 51 weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic. What catch-up measures had been implemented? Access to online services was limited in schools in Kurdistan; how was this being addressed? Mr. Mezmur congratulated the State party on implementing legislation on pre-primary education. Enrolment in this education was still at around 10 per cent; how was the Government promoting increased access? What was being done to identify children who were out of school and encourage their return? How could children without documentation access education and health care?
MARIANA IANACHEVICI, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked about care being provided for children returning from northeast Syria. What training was provided to professionals who worked with children coming from abusive family environments? How were the rights of incarcerated children protected? Did they have access to education and mental health care? The Expert welcomed efforts to improve the standards of living for children through social safety net programmes. Were there plans to strengthen the programmes to support vulnerable children? How was the Government promoting access to safe drinking water for vulnerable children and families, particularly in conflict-affected areas?
RINCHEN CHOPHEL, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, said children in Iraq were exposed to extremely high temperatures. Were there national initiatives to monitor children’s environmental health, and reduce and monitor air and water pollutants? What measures were in place to increase children’s preparedness for disasters?
BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, asked whether the State party was considering ratifying the 1951 Refugee Convention or the Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons? What protections were provided to asylum seekers and migrants in Iraq? Had the State party conducted analysis into the causes of child labour and developed measures to address the issue? Were labour inspectors trained to deal with child labour? Why had the number of inspections decreased recently? What was being done to reintegrate victims of child labour into society and support their access to rehabilitation? How were children in street situations identified and supported to return to their families? Were there referral services for child victims of trafficking? Were the perpetrators of child trafficking brought to justice? How did the State party ensure that child victims of trafficking were not treated as perpetrators?
Had the State party assessed legislation on child justice and considered establishing juvenile courts? The minimum age of criminal responsibility was 11; were there plans to raise this to 14? What happened to children below 11 years of age who committed crimes? The treatment of children in detention was very worrying. How many children were detained? What non-custodial measures were in place? How did the State party assess the age of children in conflict with the law? Were there still children detained with adults?
There had been improvements regarding children involved in armed conflict. How was this issue monitored and how was the recruitment of children criminalised in practice? Were there military schools in Iraq? Was the State party considering incorporating the Safe Schools Declaration in national policy?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Iraq had taken numerous measures to address child labour, which was prohibited for children under 15 years old, and there were strict measures regulating work for children aged 15 to 18. Iraq had ratified the International Labour Organization Conventions 138 and 182 on child labour. The State party was working to raise awareness of the risks of employing children and the punishments imposed. Social support programmes had been bolstered to reduce the need for children to engage in labour; around 1.5 million households benefitted from these programmes.
There was a workplace oversight and monitoring programme that sought to protect children from economic exploitation. Employers could be fined or punished for using child labour. Children who were authorised to work could only work reduced hours and could not work at night. These children had the right to equal pay and a safe and healthy workplace. An exceptional surprise inspection campaign had been carried out since 2019, which had identified more than 600 cases of child labour in total, with several employers of children transferred to judicial authorities.
The budget for the Ministry of Health had increased to over nine trillion dinars in 2024. This budget was devoted to health care programmes for women and children, constructing and rehabilitating medical centres, and other areas. The Government was implementing the national vaccination programme to provide vaccinations to vulnerable populations, including asylum seekers and refugees. The Government provided equal access to health services regardless of religion, ethnicity or other characteristics. In 2023 and 2024, more than 43,000 children in refugee camps received vaccinations against polio. Iraq had become one of the first countries in the Middle East to become free from polio. More than 88 per cent of children in kindergarten and 91 per cent of primary school students had been vaccinated.
Awareness raising campaigns on the importance of healthy diets were carried out in schools. The nutritional quality of school meals was examined and the safety of schools’ drinking water was tested. Schools were supported to organise sports activities. The State party also supported non-governmental organizations working to improve children’s nutrition. The Government had adopted a law prohibiting the sale of cigarettes to children under the age of 15 and a law prohibited the sale and production of e-cigarettes. A smoking ban had been imposed in schools.
The State party promoted exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life, and there had been a 10 per cent rise in breastfeeding recently. Iron supplements were provided to pregnant women and vitamin A supplements were provided to children, blood test campaigns were carried out to detect anaemia, and awareness raising campaigns on the dangers of anaemia were carried out. Since 2021, there had been a 46 per cent decrease in maternal mortality, influenced by a 96 per cent rise in the number of specialised doctors covering deliveries.
Iraq’s nationally determined contribution, approved in 2021, spelled out the State party’s goal of developing renewable energy sources and transitioning to a low-carbon economy. The State party was pursuing climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in its policies and programmes, including the national development strategy. Projects and programmes to cut pollution and minimise the effects of greenhouse gases were being developed. A technological action plan on the energy transition had also been drafted.
All persons from minority groups enjoyed the rights and privileges guaranteed to all Iraqi citizens. Electoral laws ensured quotas for minority representatives, and there were also quotas for minorities in the civil service. There were nine seats in Parliament reserved for minority representatives, and there were also minority representatives in the Council of Ministers. The State party had encouraged Yezidi and Christian minorities to return to their places of residence. There were 79 non-governmental organizations working tirelessly to protect minority children’s rights. A programme to restore minority religious buildings had been implemented following the destructive campaign of Daesh, which had led to the reconstruction of four Christian churches and more than 20 mosques.
The Kurdistan Government had provided support to 185,000 children abducted by Daesh. Around 1,000 survivors were sent to Germany to receive additional healthcare. Many cases had been submitted related to the crimes of Daesh.
Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts
BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, asked when the child protection law would be adopted. Some 28 per cent of girls were married before the age of 18 and seven per cent before the age of 15. What were the rights of former wives after divorce? Was the State working to prevent the practice of forcing girls to marry their cousins? Corporal punishment by parents and teachers appeared to be permitted by the Criminal Code. Was there an awareness raising campaign on the prohibition of corporal punishment? There were reports of female genital mutilation still being practiced in some regions; how was this being addressed? How was the State party pursuing demining activities to make land safe for children?
BENYAM DAWIT MEZMUR, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked about the implementation of legislation on illegal drugs, which had increased in prevalence in Iraq in recent years. How was Iraq addressing the impact of drugs on children?
MARIANA IANACHEVICI, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member, asked about amendments in 2025 to the civil status law and the expanded role of religious courts in family matters. How did the decisions of these courts affect children?
Other Committee Experts asked about why Iraq was not present at the Bogota interministerial conference on violence against children; how it was expanding coverage of the hotline for reporting violence; whether marriages between people of different religions were permitted; plans to revise legislation allowing husbands to beat their wives; whether there was an authority monitoring standards in residential homes; whether children incarcerated with their parents benefitted from support programmes; whether there was a disease surveillance system in place; how the State party was combatting tuberculosis in children, obstetric fistula and child obesity; measures to prevent child road deaths; and screening programmes to assess disability in children.
Several Experts expressed concern regarding the amendment in 2025 to the civil status law allowing for children to marry from age nine. They asked how the State party determined the best interests of the child in decisions authorising marriages under age 18? What measures were implemented to protect vulnerable girls from forced marriages? Had appeals been made to immediately nullify the amendment?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the amendment to the law on personal status had been assessed by Parliament and workshops with civil society. Marriage from nine years was not permitted by the civil status law, which permitted marriages from 18 years of age, or from 15 years when the children involved petitioned courts directly, with their parents’ permission. Such children were required to undergo medical examinations to ensure that they were mentally and physically capable of marriage. The new civil status law ensured that only judges had the ability to sign minors’ marriage contracts. There were no religious courts or judges in Iraq. Persons who facilitated marriages outside the legal framework were liable for punishment.
The Supreme Court had issued a clear verdict on article 41 of the Criminal Code, finding that it did not allow violence against children in any form. Courts were bound to follow this interpretation of the law. When parents exercised corporal punishment, they faced legal punishment. Civil police monitored cases of corporal punishment and had responded to around 100 cases.
State legislation regulated disciplinary measures imposed against school principals and teachers who harmed children’s health. Perpetrators of such acts could be brought before the courts. The Ministry of Education combatted all forms of violence in schools. School management boards included experts on preventing violence.
The Ministry of Interior had departments fighting trafficking in persons and supporting victims, and departments supporting poor families and children to keep them out of street situations. The law on trafficking in persons specified that minors involved in trafficking were victims. The national strategy for 2023 to 2026 on child protection included measures to combat trafficking. In 2024, the State party had arrested more than 1,000 persons involved in trafficking in persons. The department combatting trafficking had been linked with the secret services department to strengthen transnational activities to combat the crime.
The Ministry of Interior had implemented measures to prevent the spread of illegal drugs under the national strategy to combat drugs for 2025 to 2030. Educational programmes were carried out to strengthen public servants’ capacity to treat drug addicts. Some 16 rehabilitation centres had been established for drug addicts, who were treated as victims rather than criminals and supported to reintegrate into society. The State party had cooperated with other States to dismantle international drug trafficking networks. The volume of confiscated drugs had increased recently.
Parliamentary committees were examining the draft law on children’s protection, which promoted children’s rights and prohibited all forms of abuse against children. The law would ensure that children enjoyed protection from discrimination regardless of their ethnicity, religion or other characteristics, and the right to live in a safe family environment.
Concluding Remarks
BENOIT VAN KEIRSBILCK, Committee Expert and Taskforce Coordinator, said that the size and high level of the delegation showed that Iraq highly valued children’s rights. The dialogue had revealed areas in which Iraq had made important progress since 2015, as well as issues that needed to be addressed. Based on it, the Committee would develop recommendations to help the State party better implement the Convention. The future law on child protection seemed extremely promising; the Committee hoped that it would be adopted soon and fully implemented. It was important that children knew their rights and were able to implement them. Iraq still faced many challenges. The Committee looked forward to the future progress that it hoped the State would make.
KHALID SALAM SAEED, Minster of Justice of Iraq and head of the delegation, said Iraq had presented its progress in implementing the Convention and the recommendations of the Committee. The State party looked forward to receiving the Committee’s recommendations, which would help to consolidate children’s rights in the country. The concluding observations would be carefully studied by authorities drafting policies and plans on the rights of the child. Iraq was determined to promote human rights based on the principles of equality and social justice. The Government cooperated with various stakeholders to implement the Committee’s recommendations and its international obligations. Iraq thanked all persons who had facilitated the dialogue.
ABDULKARIM HASHEM MUSTAFA, Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said the dialogue reflected the Iraqi Government’s resolve to protect the rights of the child pursuant to the provisions of the Convention. Iraq thanked the Committee for its moral support, which encouraged it to further improve the situation of its children.
SOPIO KILADZE, Committee Chair, said that the Committee and the State party shared a common goal of improving the situation of children in Iraq. The Committee congratulated the State party on the progress it had made and looked forward to hearing about the future progress that the State would make for children in the next dialogue.
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