Iraq urged to continue reforms and protect women’s rights by UN officials

UN officials have called on the Iraqi government to continue with political and economic reforms and to engage in talks with Kuwait regarding reparations for the disappearance of Kuwaitis during the 1990 Iraqi invasion. The officials also discussed the human rights situation in Iraq, particularly regarding women’s rights, and urged other countries in the region to respect Iraq’s sovereignty. Jeanine Antoinette Plasschaert, the special representative of the secretary-general for Iraq, spoke about her UN report on the implementation of Resolution 2631, which calls for inclusive political dialogue and reconciliation with women’s participation. Plasschaert noted that Iraq has made some progress with reforms but still faces challenges related to corruption, non-state actors, factional politics, inequality, unemployment, and an overreliance on oil. Pascale Baeriswyl, the Swiss ambassador to the UN, urged Iraq to introduce reforms to fight corruption, improve basic services, protect human rights, and combat climate change. Khanim Latif, founder and director of Asuda, a women’s rights organization in Iraqi Kurdistan, highlighted the prevalence of gender-based violence in Iraq and called for national-level action to address it with international support.