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Kurdistan
KRG's Dindar Zebari (middle) meets with the representatives of European countries in Erbil Date: December 14, 2021. Photo: handout/Zebari
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) coordinator for international advocacy on Tuesday met with the representatives of several European countries in Erbil, presenting his government’s plan to improve human rights. The German and Polish consulates described the roadmap as “important” on Wednesday.
KRG’s Regional Plan for Human Rights is a “comprehensive roadmap through which the government takes international recommendations and materialises them in legislation, judicial process and enforcement,” Dindar Zebari, KRG’s coordinator for international advocacy, told Rudaw English on Tuesday after meeting with the representatives of Germany, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Poland, Netherlands, Hungary and the European Union.
He added that his office oversees the implementation of the plan in the relevant institutions.
The German and Polish consulates in Erbil thanked Zebari on Wednesday for presenting them the plan during the Tuesday meeting, saying the plan is “an important work.”
Had productive exchanges with a number of EU member states' representatives. The focus was primarily placed on the Regional Plan for Human Rights and broadening areas of cooperation. Foreign representations have a significant advisory role in implementing the plan. pic.twitter.com/r5wm48R4yH
— Dr. Dindar Zebari (@KRG_Coordinator) December 14, 2021
“Implementation is the key and we will all continue to engage you on the situation of human rights in KRI,” said both missions in their retweets to Zebari’s tweet.
The KRG was locally and internationally criticized for the detention of dozens of protesters, including journalists and activists, in Duhok province last year. The German consulate was among foreign missions condemning the court decision regarding some of the detainees.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said on December 8 that the judicial power in the Kurdistan Region should be independent, calling on judges to prevent anyone or any party from interfering in their affairs.
Zebari told Rudaw that the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), a number of NGOs and diplomatic missions in the Region “are contributing to this plan in various ways,” adding that the diplomats “have an advisory role, providing insights in specific areas and ensuring their manifestation.”
“We sent the regional plan to the diplomats and they made their reading of it. And today's meeting was within this framework. Each of the representatives leaned on a number of subjects and gave his or her points of view,” said the KRG official.
The KRG said in September that it wants to “explore how it can achieve greater compliance with international treaties that Iraq is party to, and other best practices” through the plan for 2021-2025. The measures are aimed at improving human rights in the Region and secure a “brighter future for the next generation.”
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