Head of the Department of Human Rights Meets Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Iraq

On 7/4/2022, Ambassador Dr Hisham al-Alawi, Head of the Department of Human Rights, met Mr Michel Rentenaar, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands accredited to Iraq, at the Ministry’s headquarters, with the presence of First Secretary Dr Haider Mahmoud Mohsen and Second Secretary Amna Raed Daoud.

At the beginning of the meeting, Ambassador Rentenaar commended the efforts of the Ambassador al-Alawi and his cooperation with the Dutch Embassy in Baghdad during his work as the Ambassador of Iraq in The Hague for 2018-2021, which contributed to enhance the relations between the two countries.

They discussed a number of topics on human rights, and ways to activate the bilateral cooperation with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, particularly in the field of exchanging experiences on issues of empowerment of women and refugees, rehabilitation and reintegration of internally displaced persons when they return from their camps, as well as promoting and protecting human rights in Iraq.

Ambassador al-Alawi affirmed that Iraq seeks to address many files, foremost of which are the files of the missing, cases of enforced disappearance, and the receipt of the families of ISIS in the camps by their countries, emphasizing the importance of the participation of the relevant international bodies and organisations to accomplish these files quickly, and to benefit from their experience in this field, especially the International Committee on Missing Persons (ICMP).

On his part, the Dutch Ambassador, Mr Rentenaar, expressed his country’s full readiness to enhance the joint bilateral cooperation between the two countries, affirming the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ support to the efforts of the Republic of Iraq in protecting human rights and consolidating their principles in society, reiterating the readiness to provide support to the families who suffered from the terrorist organization of ISIS.

The Ambassador Al-Alawi extended an invitation to Mr Rentenaar to attend an event that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will organise in cooperation with the Martyrs Foundation on May 16, on the occasion of the National Day of Mass Graves, highlighting the violations and crimes of the former regime against its people to communicate them to the world.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the two sides affirmed their keenness to continue the communication and joint cooperation.