The 70th Session of UNHCR Executive Board and High-level Segment on Statelessness

The representation of the Republic of Iraq in Geneva participated in the 70th session of the Executive Board of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the high-level segment on statelessness, which was held for the period 7-11/ 10/2019 at the United Nations Palace in Geneva.

The Deputy Permanent Representative Dr. Abbas Kadhem Obaid gave Iraq’s national speech in the high-level section on statelessness, highlighting the achievements of the Iraqi government in the field of granting Iraqi citizenship to the missing and those forcibly withdrawn for racial, political or religious reasons and equality between mother and father in granting citizenship to children, speaking of Iraq’s keenness to make all those who live on it to possess official personal documents that give the right of travel, marriage, education, movement and ownership as a human right.

The speech touched on the large displacement crisis that has hit Iraq due to Da’esh in some Iraqi areas, one of the consequences of which is the loss of IDPs’ documents and the Iraqi government’s plan of action by conducting patrols by specialists in the Ministry of Interior and other ministries to re-issue documents to people who lost them.

The Deputy Permanent Representative also presented the results of the positive cooperation between Iraq, UNHCR and other UN, international, governmental and non-governmental humanitarian agencies in accommodating the large numbers of displaced people, providing life-saving assistance and reintegration programs in the host communities on the one hand, and working to create conditions for voluntary, dignified and safe return., after the clearing of the liberated areas from remnants of war, and  the restoration of basic services for life and the reconstruction of educational and health institutions.

High Commissioner for Refugees commented on the statement of Iraq praising the efforts of Iraq, considering the Iraqi experience of the few experiences that have proved success in addressing the displacement crisis and making the number of returnees outnumber the number of displaced.