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Safia Taleb Al-Suhail

		Personal Information
Date of Birth	: 1965
Marital Status	Married to His Excellency former Minister of Human Rights, Mr. Bakhtiar Jabbar Amin Al-Jaf.
Children	: One son, Miro Taleb, “Prince Taleb,” born in 2001, a university student.

Academic achievement and scientific experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and Political Science from Jordanian University in Amman 1989 AD.
• Postgraduate courses in international relations, international humanitarian law, conflict management, international organizations, leadership, diplomacy and media from a number of specialized international institutes and institutions.

Family and political background:

• She was born to one of the ancient Iraqi Arab families, “Al-Suhail Family”, sheikhs of the Tamim tribe in Iraq. Her father, Sheikh Taleb Ali Al-Suhail, a political, was sheikh of Tamim Tribe and one of its most prominent political leaders. He was murdered in a political assassination in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, in April 1994.
• An independent liberal politician who joined a number of leadership constituent political committees and councils, including membership such as the political council of the Iraqi leadership formed at the London Conference of the Iraqi opposition in 2001,  “Coordination and Follow-up Committee,” a member of the preparatory leadership committee of the constituent conference of the Iraqi National Council in Baghdad, formed of 25 Iraqi political figures headed by President Fuad Masoum and membership of representatives of political parties and independent personalities.

In the period between 1994 – 2003, she was known for her opposition activities and legal pursue of the previous regime for its crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes. In addition, she testified before a number of international institutions including the United Nations in New York and the European Parliament in Brussels and various capitals. She also joined the International Coalition for Justice (A network of 270 organizations from more than 120 countries), headquartered in Paris, in which she headed the Middle East and North Africa department.

She launched a political feminist initiative under the slogan “Voice of Iraqi Women”, which brought together a number of victims of the former regime and worked for the prosecution of criminals and the achievement of justice. In 2003, she organized the first women’s conference held in Baghdad in May of the same year in which she called for women’s participation in politics and decision-making. Furthermore, she supported extensive pressure groups at the national level to establish rights in the Iraqi State Administration Law, the new Iraqi constitution of 2005, and the women’s quota.

• She was known for her interest and support of freedoms and rights, support of civil society, youth and people with special needs, culture, heritage and arts. Her cultural council, established in 2007, has been one of the most important cultural activities of the Baghdadi councils.

Political and diplomatic positions:

She was appointed as an ambassador extraordinary and commissioner in 2004, to be the first Iraqi woman appointed in this position in the history of the Iraqi state.

• Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2022-2023).
• Head of Europe Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2022.
• Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Republic of Iraq to the Italian Republic and non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Republic of Malta and San Marino. (2020-2022)
• Permanent Representative of Republic of Iraq in the United Nations Agencies in Rome (FAO, WFP IFAD. (2020-2022)
• Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Republic of Iraq to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Palestine. (2016-2019)
• Head of the Europe Department at the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Center. (2014-2016)
• An elected member of the Iraqi Parliament for the first and second terms representing the capital, Baghdad. (2006-2014)
• Senior member of the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee.
• She headed several parliamentary friendship committees such as the Friendship Committee with the European Union.
• An ambassador at the center of the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2004.
• A leading member of a number of committees, national conferences, and constituent   meetings of the Iraqi political leadership during the transitional period 2003-2004.
• Independent member of the Pursue and Coordination Committee of the Political Leadership of the Iraqi Opposition for the London Conference in which she participated in the preparatory transitional political meetings in Salah al-Din meetings of the Iraqi leadership 2001-2003

Medals and Honors

She was granted many decorations, certificates of appreciation, and medals of honor, the most prominent of which are:

• The “Jerusalem Star” medal, granted to her by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which is the highest award presented to diplomatic and political figures in 2019.
• Honored by His Holiness, Pope Francis I, in the Vatican 2021.
• “Minerva” Award granted by the Municipality of Rome and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the “Women’s Club” Association sponsored by the Presidency of the Italian Republic for her excellence and activities in supporting women’s political participation and her humanitarian, human rights and cultural concerns 2011.
• A certificate of appreciation from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the most important United Nations agency in Rome, presented to her by the Executive Director, Mr. Que Dino, at a farewell ceremony at the FAO Center in Rome, in appreciation of her efforts as a permanent representative to Iraq, her distinction in heading the Near East and North Africa group and her success in organizing and hosting Iraq for the regional conference of ministers of agriculture after a breakdown of more than decades from Iraq and the regional region.
• A certificate of appreciation from the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) for her outstanding performance in representing Iraq to the United Nations, submitted by the Executive Director, Mr. David Beasley, for her efforts as a permanent representative of Iraq to the United Nations agency.
• “Marzani” international journalistic and literary award granted by the “Campania, Europe, Mediterranean” association and the Italian-Arab “Friendship” association, under the supervision of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for her contribution to strengthening Italian-Arab relations 2021
• Medal honor of the Italian-Arab International Press Agency 2022
• A number of letters of thanks and appreciation from the Presidents of the Republic, Ministers, representatives, and the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament.