The United Kingdom recognises Iraq's serious challenges since its 2014 review as it recovers from Daesh. We commend Government efforts to rehabilitate women survivors following Daesh atrocities, and welcome progress on the domestic violence bill. Proper budgeting and implementation of the National Action Plan for Women will be key to protect women's rights.
We are concerned by the scale of security force violence in recent protests, and reports of media intimidation and supression. Freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association must be protected.
We recommend that Iraq:
1) Reform legislation to ensure justice, and support for survivors of sexual violence and accountability of perpetrators, including specifically making sexual slavery and trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation illegal as a crime separate from kidnapping or detention.
2) Ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture.
3) Protect freedom of peaceful assembly, including by properly investigating violence against protestors.
