Iraq Reaffirms Its Support for Establishing an International Legal Framework to Combat Crimes against Humanity at UN Meetings in New York

Ambassador Lukman Al-Faily, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations in New York, participated in the meetings of the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Humanity, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 19 to 30 January 2026.

The Permanent Representative delivered a statement on behalf of the Republic of Iraq, in which he reaffirmed Iraq’s support for efforts to establish an effective international legal framework to address crimes against humanity. This position is grounded in Iraq’s painful experience, as the Iraqi people were victims of such crimes committed by the terrorist organization ISIS. He further emphasized Iraq’s firm belief that confronting these crimes requires collective international action and close cooperation among States.

Ambassador Al-Faily also stressed the importance of taking into account the national laws of Member States when drafting the envisaged convention, in order to ensure the necessary complementarity between international obligations and domestic legal frameworks. He further commended the efforts of the International Law Commission, which resulted in the preparation of draft articles on the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity, considering them a significant foundation for advancing this process.

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