ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Office of the Coordinator for International Advocacy (OCIA) has published a report on the government's efforts and activities, presenting statistics in various fields.
The report aligns with Iraq's National Action plan adopted by the Federal Council of Ministers for Human Rights (2021-2025), and the Kurdistan Regional Government has designated the OCIA to implement the plan.
The OCIA, in partnership with the Lutheran World Federation, on Thursday held a forum on KRG’s commitment to the action plan.
The report also highlights the KRG's most prominent practical steps in implementing the national comprehensive plan for human rights.
Joining international conventions
"The Kurdistan Regional Government's plan for human rights is a comprehensive effort within its governance framework to advance the implementation rate of recommendations and compliance with international conventions,” said the report.
The document mentions that the Federal Government of Iraq has rejected several recommendations related to international conventions.
“Iraq declined to ratify major instruments such as the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the Second Optional Protocol on abolishing the death penalty, and the Optional Protocol to CEDAW [Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women]. Key achievements lie in expanding rights for marginalized groups, especially persons with disabilities and workers in vulnerable sectors. Moving forward, dialogue with federal institutions, advocacy by civil society, and sustained engagement with the UN system are vital to enhance accession and ensure full compliance with international legal norms,” it said.
The report emphasizes that joining and ratifying international conventions is the responsibility of the Iraqi government and not within the Kurdistan Regional Government's authority.
According to the latest statistics, Iraq joined five international conventions between 2021-2025 and has signed 11 conventions in total.
Countries praise Kurdistan Region
As stated in the report, before adopting the National Action for Human Rights (2021-2025), 14 laws related to human rights were in effect in the Kurdistan Region.
Between 2020 and 2023, after adopting the plan, 22 additional laws specific to human rights were passed by the Kurdistan Parliament. Additionally, eight other laws are in the legislative process.
The report mentions that several countries have praised the Kurdistan Regional Government's "legal steps" in protecting women's rights, non-implementation of the death penalty, and protecting minority rights.
Parliament's ‘Dysfunction’
The report presents several challenges regarding the passage of human rights laws in the Kurdistan parliament, including the “dysfunction” of the legislature. The new parliament has only convened once since the October 2024 elections. Winning political parties have yet to agree on a new leadership for the Kurdish legislature.
The financial situation is another challenge. According to the OCIA, "Preparing draft laws until they reach the approval stage imposes financial obligations on the Kurdistan Regional Government, which is difficult in this situation."
Additionally, compensation and full justice for victims in areas under "armed terrorist organizations" is one of the challenges facing the implementation of human rights laws.
Despite this, the OCIA participated in various activities related to eliminating gender discrimination, protecting children's and women's rights, combating crime, and eliminating narcotics outside Kurdistan Region from June 2024 to June 2025.
Shelter for sexual assault victims ‘inadequate’
The report highlights several negative aspects in the Kurdistan Region, stating, "Protection mechanisms are inadequate and there is a shortage of protected shelters for women victims of sexual assault."
The report mentions "shortage of psychological and social support units, human resources, and specialists" in the Kurdistan Region.
The Office also notes that within the government's framework, there is no effective self-protection program or free treatment center, and "necessary control at border gates for foreign workers' entry is not conducted."
According to the report, since 2021, the Office has published 109 reports, 113 statements, and 57 announcements on various human rights topics and has conducted 62 workshops and seminars on the KRG's human rights plan.
Documentation of ISIS crimes
A section of the report focuses on activities to document the Islamic State (ISIS) crimes.
The report notes that in two phases, 57.85 gigabytes of evidence on ISIS crimes were delivered to the Kurdistan Regional Government through the Office, "consisting of information and investigations on legal procedures for prosecuting ISIS criminals for international crimes."
The KRG collaborated with the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) to “document ISIS crimes, receiving 45.95 GB of evidence (July 2024) and 11.9 GB (August 2024), in addition to archiving nearly 395,000 pages of documentation on atrocities. UNITAD’s closure in 2024 left a legacy of 52 terabytes of evidence, critical for future prosecutions.”
Crime dropped
The report states that in 2024 compared to 2023, the overall crime rate increased by 16 percent.
The report also notes that illegal behaviors not reaching the level of crimes have increased in the Kurdistan Region.
The report mentions that juvenile crimes decreased by 25 percent last year compared to 2023.
The report also reveals that in 2024, 14,755 cases were registered in criminal courts in the Kurdistan Region.
Journalists’ syndicate
According to statistics in the report, there are currently 3,400 active members of the Journalists' Syndicate in the Kurdistan Region.
As of June 30 this year, the number of registered websites in the Kurdistan Region reached 149.
The report indicates that in 2024, 733 cases of cyberattacks through social media were registered in Kurdistan Region courts.
The report also notes that women's participation as editors-in-chief in the Kurdistan Region is limited, reaching only 7.6 percent of the total, which is low compared to 92.4 percent male editors-in-chief.
Human Trafficking
The report states that human trafficking nearly doubled in 2024, with 396 cases registered.
It also reveals that forced labor is increasing, "from 17 cases in 2021 to 49 cases in 2024."
Sex trafficking increased from nine cases in 2021 to 25 cases in 2024.
Meanwhile, organ trafficking in the Kurdistan Region increased from 54 cases in 2022 and 2023 to 103 cases in 2024.
According to the report, strict measures have been taken against human trafficking, with 79 people arrested on these charges in the Kurdistan Region.
The Office states that in 2024, 27 specialized training courses were held for employees of relevant institutions on combating human trafficking.
Direct contact numbers have been provided in the Kurdistan Region for receiving complaints about human trafficking and following up on violations.
The report reveals that international and local partner organizations have established hotlines to ensure access to victims.
According to the report, complaint and follow-up mechanisms regarding human trafficking have improved in the Kurdistan Region.
Female drug users
The report reveals that as of June this year, the total number of convicted drug users and traffickers reached 1,599 people, of which 977 were drug dealers.
In the first half of this year alone, 846 people were arrested for drug trafficking and use, with 548 convicted.
According to the report, the amount of drugs seized was 482.124 kilograms in 2023 and 446.172 kilograms in 2024, "but increased in 2025, reaching 372.800 kilograms in the first half alone."
The report states that ten percent of drug users in the Kurdistan Region are women.
The OCIA mentions plans and programs to raise community awareness about drug dangers, "including over 600 speeches in mosques about the dangers, and 765 users have received necessary guidance."
According to the report, 278 convicted drug users benefited from rehabilitation center programs in Kurdistan Region reforms.
Another section focuses on KRG activities to eliminate torture and forced disappearance.
"The Kurdistan Regional Government took urgent measures to rescue ISIS victims,” reads the report.
The report mentions opening a specialized office to rescue ISIS abductees, stating: "The government has intensified efforts to document international crimes and take steps to achieve justice, according to the protection of all persons from enforced disappearance."
After ISIS's attack on Shingal (Sinjar), 6,417 Yazidis of both genders were kidnapped. Through the efforts of the Office for Rescuing Yazidi Abductees, which is affiliated with President Nechirvan Barzani's office, 3,590 people have been rescued so far, with efforts continuing to find and rescue others.
The report notes that as of June 1, 2025, the Investigation and Evidence Collection Board registered 2,991 requests and 3,290 complaints, with 2,848 Yazidi victims receiving psychological and social support.
DNA testing equipment has been placed in the Criminal Evidence Department of the Interior Ministry to determine the fate of the missing.
Terror-related arrests
The Office dedicated a section to combating terrorism in the Kurdistan Region, stating: "From the beginning of 2024 to July 2025, 290 people were arrested for having connections with terrorist groups, especially ISIS, of which 124 were released by court order due to lack of evidence."
The report reveals, "According to the Kurdistan Region Judicial Council, 1,246 terrorism cases have been resolved in courts, and the number of ISIS-related prisoners in reforms is 659 convicted."
Women's Rights
The OCIA notes, "The Kurdistan Regional Government has taken advanced legal steps aimed at strengthening women's rights and protecting them from discrimination and violence."
According to statistics in the report, there are 192 women's organizations in the Kurdistan Region, along with 69 female judges, 58 female prosecutors, 185 female investigators, and 255 female judicial assistants.
It also mentions that nearly 800 women participate in the Peshmerga forces, with 123 women stationed in a special unit for Shingal.
According to the report, of the 3,400 active members of the Kurdistan Journalists' Syndicate, 1,600 are women.
However, it points to weaknesses in reforms in the Kurdistan Region in some areas, "including completing amendments to the law on combating domestic violence and not addressing all observations related to CEDAW.”
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