UN officials urge Iraq to push on with reforms and preserve women’s rights

UN officials urge Iraq to push on with reforms and preserve women’s rights
Iraqi women walk past art work painted on houses in Baghdad’s Al-Anbari neighbourhood on April 10, 2023. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 19 May 2023
Follow

UN officials urge Iraq to push on with reforms and preserve women’s rights

UN officials urge Iraq to push on with reforms and preserve women’s rights
  • The Security Council also heard calls for talks to continue between Iraq and Kuwait about Kuwaitis who disappeared during the Iraqi invasion in 1990
  • The head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq said Iraqi authorities have made some progress with reforms but face serious political and economic challenges

NEW YORK CITY: UN officials on Thursday urged the Iraqi government to push ahead with political and economic reforms, and to continue talks with Kuwait about reparations for the disappearance of Kuwaitis during the Iraqi invasion in 1990.

They also discussed the human rights situation in the country, in particular as it relates to the rights of Iraqi women, and called on other nations in the region to refrain from violating Iraq’s territory and sovereignty.

Speaking during a meeting of the Security Council to discuss Iraq, Jeanine Antoinette Plasschaert, the special representative of the secretary-general for Iraq and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, spoke about the findings of her UN report on the implementation of Resolution 2631. Adopted by the council in 2022, it states the need to “prioritize the provision of advice, support and assistance to the government and people of Iraq on advancing inclusive, political dialogue and national and community-level reconciliation, considering civil society input, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women.”

Plasschaert said Iraqi authorities have made some progress with reforms but still face serious political and economic challenges. Noting that the country has in the past 20 years gone through wars and other destabilizing events and forces, she said the factors contributing to its instability remain essentially the same.

It continues to be the case, she added, that some of the challenges are related to corruption, the influence of non-state actors, factional politics, inequality, unemployment, and an overreliance on oil.

The fact that a new government was formed in the parliament last October is a “positive” step, Plasschaert said, adding that “Iraq had turned a corner” amid hopes that all factions remain committed to reform and working together.

Pascale Baeriswyl, the Swiss ambassador to the UN, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council this month, urged the Iraqi government to introduce reforms to help fight corruption, improve basic services, protect human rights and combat climate change.

Khanim Latif, founder and director of Asuda, a women’s rights organization in Iraqi Kurdistan, told council members that gender-based violence is widespread in Iraq, and that those who work to protect and preserve women’s rights are often targeted.

“In recent months we have witnessed a campaign against women’s rights defenders in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, simply for using the term ‘gender,’” she said.

The prevalence of violence against women, committed by family members or others in the community, must be addressed on a national level, she added, with the assistance of the international community, including pressure on Iraqi authorities when required.

There are few Iraqi women in government or other decision-making positions, Latif said, and so the ability to take action to secure women’s rights and combat violations against them remains “highly restricted” 

She called on the Security Council and the wider international community to encourage the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq to make it part of its mission to monitor the situation of women in the country and more actively support their rights.

Iraq’s representative at the meeting said that his government is working to address all of the issues speakers had raised.

“The government of Iraq perseveres within the framework of national partnership to achieve its ambitious governmental reform program,” he said.

He said the program includes a wide range of measures designed to strengthen the Iraqi state and society. They include “the diversification of the economy, building more robust democratic and security institutions, combating unchecked weapons, strengthening accountability, and consolidating the stability of Iraq,” he added.

He also pledged that Iraq is committed to “promoting human rights and empowerment of women.”

A number of speakers encouraged authorities in Iraq and Kuwait to continue their discussions about the issue of Kuwaiti citizens who disappeared after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and possible reparations.

France’s representative at the meeting condemned violations of Iraq’s sovereignty by some other countries in the region and called for an end to such interference.

Baeriswyl, the Swiss ambassador, concluded the meeting by saying: “I would like to reiterate our commitment to Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to thank Iraq for bringing greater stability to the region by facilitating dialogue.


Erdogan tells UN chief Israel must be tried in international courts for Gaza crimes

Erdogan tells UN chief Israel must be tried in international courts for Gaza crimes
Updated 8 sec ago
Follow

Erdogan tells UN chief Israel must be tried in international courts for Gaza crimes

Erdogan tells UN chief Israel must be tried in international courts for Gaza crimes
ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday told United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres that Israel must be held accountable in international courts for what he called war crimes it committed in Gaza, the Turkish presidency said.
Israel has mounted an offensive by air and ground against Hamas militants in Gaza in which more than 15,000 people have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities.
The offensive was launched after Hamas went on a rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking 240 hostage.
In a phone call ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on Gaza planned for Wednesday, Erdogan and Guterres discussed the “expectations of the international community regarding Israel’s unlawful attacks,” access of humanitarian aid into the enclave, and efforts for a lasting peace, the Turkish presidency said.
“During the call, President Erdogan said Israel continues to shamelessly trample on international law, the laws of war, and international humanitarian law by looking in the eyes of the international community, and it must be held accountable for the crimes it committed in front of international law,” it said in a statement.
Turkiye’s foreign ministry said Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan would attend the UN Security Council meeting in New York.
In a statement, it added that Fidan would hold also meet his counterparts as part of a so-called contact group of some Muslim countries, formed by the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) this month to discuss Gaza with Western powers and others.
Turkiye has harshly criticized Israel’s attacks on Gaza and called for an immediate cease-fire to allow for discussions over a two-state solution to the wider Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Erdogan has called the Israeli attacks on Gaza a genocide and accused Israel of being a “teror state.” Israel rejects such charges and say it is acting in self-defense against a foe bent on it destruction.
Turkiye also hosts some members of Hamas, which it does not consider a terrorist group, unlike the United States, European Union, and some Gulf countries. It has accused the West, apart from Spain and Belgium, of complicity due to their support of Israel.

Another Yemeni prisoner dies in Houthi detention, fourth in month

Another Yemeni prisoner dies in Houthi detention, fourth in month
Updated 26 min 45 sec ago
Follow

Another Yemeni prisoner dies in Houthi detention, fourth in month

Another Yemeni prisoner dies in Houthi detention, fourth in month
  • Houthis requested that the family of Yanouf Hassan Ali Al-Batenah collect his remains without providing details regarding the cause of death
  • Al-Batenah, a soldier of the Yemeni army’s 7th Military Region, was seized by the Houthis in Nov. 2020 while fighting with Yemeni government troops in Mas, Marib province

AL-MUKALLA: A Yemeni government soldier has died of torture inside a Houthi detention facility in Sanaa, the fourth confirmed prisoner dying as a result of torture in less than a month, Yemeni government officials and activists said.

The Houthis recently requested that the family of Yanouf Hassan Ali Al-Batenah collect his remains without providing details regarding the cause of death.

Al-Batenah, a soldier of the Yemeni army’s 7th Military Region, was seized by the Houthis in November 2020 while fighting with Yemeni government troops in the Mas area in the province of Marib.

For three years, the Houthis had forcefully disappeared the Yemeni soldier and refused his family’s repeated requests to see him or learn his location.

Yemeni human rights advocates and authorities reported that the 26-year-old soldier was mercilessly tortured to death in a notorious Houthi intelligence jail in Sanaa.

Al-Batenah’s death occurred only days after the Houthis said that Yemeni government soldier Mohammed Ahmed Wahban, who was captured by the Houthis during the same fight in Mas, committed suicide inside the military prison in Sanaa by hanging himself.

Yemeni activists, citing a Houthi death sentence against him, contradicted the Houthis’ assertions, saying that the Houthis brutally tortured and murdered Wahban.

Two more inmates have died within Houthi detentions since late last month, including a Yemeni citizen working for the international organization Save the Children.

The Houthis repeatedly rejected pleas from Save the Children, local and international rights organizations, and foreign envoys in Yemen to provide explanations for the deaths of captives in their hands.

Yemeni Information Minister Muammar Al-Eryani said on Monday that 350 inmates died of abuse within Houthi detention facilities out of 1,635 recorded cases of torture since 2015 and that the Houthis maintain 237 official jails and another 128 hidden prisons throughout territories under their control.

“We reaffirm our request to the International Committee of the Red Cross and international and local human rights groups to launch an open inquiry into the crimes of murder and torture committed by Houthi militia in detention facilities,” the Yemeni minister said on X.

Meanwhile, a delegation of EU ambassadors to Yemen completed their visit to Yemen’s temporary capital, Aden, on Tuesday by expressing their support for the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government’s efforts to improve revenues and combat corruption.

“They praised the government’s work aimed at raising revenue and stabilizing the economy, continuing implementing reforms and improving service delivery under extremely challenging circumstances in a very complex regional context,” the EU ambassadors to Yemen said in a joint statement.


Jordan explores feasibility of green hydrogen projects

Jordan explores feasibility of green hydrogen projects
Updated 48 min 45 sec ago
Follow

Jordan explores feasibility of green hydrogen projects

Jordan explores feasibility of green hydrogen projects
  • MoU focused on annual production of 180,000 tons of green ammonia

AMMAN: Jordan’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Saleh Kharabsheh signed a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday with Ahmad Saleh, the chairman of Mass Group Holding, to conduct feasibility studies into the development of green hydrogen projects in Jordan, the Jordan News Agency reported.

Kharabsheh said that the memorandum focused on annual production of 180,000 tons of green ammonia. Once the preliminary studies are completed, and depending on the results, the ministry is to construct a framework agreement to lead to the final investment deal for the project.

Kharabsheh said that it was the ministry’s eighth agreement of its kind regarding the production of green hydrogen and green ammonia, and highlighted the importance of forming partnerships with the private sector.

He expressed optimism about Jordan becoming a regional and global hub for hydrogen production and export, as envisioned by the ministry and the energy sector.

The minister reaffirmed the commitment of the ministry and the sector to streamlining the green hydrogen investment process. He spoke of the importance of the opportunity for both Jordan and investors.

Kharabsheh said that the memorandum was consistent with the government’s efforts to harness significant renewable energy resources, and Jordan’s strategic location in the region, in line with the country’s Economic Modernization Vision for 2023-2033.
 


In Gaza, little solace in truce as people endure grief and deprivation

In Gaza, little solace in truce as people endure grief and deprivation
Updated 28 November 2023
Follow

In Gaza, little solace in truce as people endure grief and deprivation

In Gaza, little solace in truce as people endure grief and deprivation
  • “The struggle for water happens daily, since we were first displaced until now,” said Rami Al-Rizek
  • Now in its fifth day, the pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas has allowed an increased number of aid trucks to enter Gaza from Egypt

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip: Carting heavy cans of water through muddy streets, searching mounds of rubble for clothes, mourning lost relatives and homes — Gazans reprieved from Israeli bombardment during the truce with Hamas were still facing the daily hardships of war.
At a water station in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, people filled plastic containers and lugged them to homes or shelters using carts pulled by donkeys or by hand, bicycles, a shopping trolley, a wheelbarrow, even a wheelchair.
“The struggle for water happens daily, since we were first displaced until now. Even during the cease-fire, they didn’t find a solution to the water problem,” said Rami Al-Rizek, displaced with his family from their home in Gaza City.
Now in its fifth day, the pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas has allowed an increased number of aid trucks to enter Gaza from Egypt, but the humanitarian needs are so immense that many Gazans have felt little or no impact.
“Whether there is a truce or not, we still have no electricity, no water, and none of life’s basic necessities,” said Muath Hamdan, another man waiting at the water station.
It had rained, and a steady stream of children and adults trudged through mud and puddles in sandals and flip flops on their way to the water station. The quest for water was the main activity that could be seen on the streets.
In a different area of Khan Younis, Maryam Abu Rjaileh had returned to her home, reduced to rubble by an Israeli air strike, to search for clothes for her children. The family are now sheltering at a school, in a classroom shared with many others.
“We see our homes getting destroyed, our dreams getting destroyed, we see the efforts we put into our homes all destroyed,” said Abu Rjaileh.
“How can I describe our situation? They gave us a four-day truce, what are these four days? We come here, feel sorry for ourselves and turn back.”

PAINFUL MEMORIES
In another part of town, Yasser Abu Shamaleh paced over the pile of debris that used to be a block where many of his relatives lived. He said more than 30 of them had been killed — his parents, sisters and brothers, nieces, nephews and cousins.
“Two things made me come to this area. First, my cousin is still under the rubble and no-one has been able to get him out. Second, my painful memories,” he said.
Abu Shamaleh, who said he survived because he, his wife and their five children live in a different building, picked up chunks of concrete and tossed them aside. A rag doll could be seen in the rubble.
“As much as you try to retrieve things, it’s useless. We need machinery and tools to get things out,” he said.
“The truce is the time to lift the rubble and search for all the missing people and bury them. We honor the dead by burying them. What use is the truce if the bodies remain under the rubble?” he said.
The war began when militants from Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, rampaged through southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, including babies and children, and seizing about 240 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
Israel responded with aerial bombardment and a ground assault on Gaza, killing more than 15,000 people, around 40 percent of them children, according to Gazan health officials.
Another Khan Younis resident, Ahmed Al-Najjar, said of the truce: “Four days are not enough, and forty days are not enough, and four years will not be enough to get over the pain.”


US tells Israel any military operation in Gaza must avoid further civilian displacement

US tells Israel any military operation in Gaza must avoid further civilian displacement
Updated 28 November 2023
Follow

US tells Israel any military operation in Gaza must avoid further civilian displacement

US tells Israel any military operation in Gaza must avoid further civilian displacement

WASHINGTON: The Biden administration has told Israel that it must work to avoid “significant further displacement” of Palestinian civilians in southern Gaza if it renews its ground campaign aimed at eradicating the Hamas militant group, senior US officials said.
The administration, seeking to avoid more large-scale civilian casualties or mass displacement like that seen before the current temporary pause in the fighting, underscored to the Israelis that they must operate with far greater precision in southern Gaza than they did in the north, the officials said, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.
Amid mounting international and domestic pressure about the rising Palestinian death toll, the White House has begun to put greater pressure on Israel that the manner of the coming campaign must be “carefully thought through,” according to one of the officials. The Israelis have been receptive when administration officials have raised these concerns, the official said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made clear that Israeli Defense Forces will eventually restart military operations after the conclusion of the current, temporary ceasefire that has allowed for an exchange of hostages taken by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The two sides agreed Monday to extend the truce for an additional two days and to continue swapping hostages for prisoners.
President Joe Biden has said he would like to see the pause — which has also allowed a surge of much-needed humanitarian aid to get into Gaza — continue as long as feasible. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return this week to the Middle East as the US hopes to find a way to extend the ceasefire and get more hostages released, the State Department said Monday. It will be his third trip to the region since Israel’s war with Hamas began last month.
Still, Biden and top officials have also been clear-eyed about Israel’s desire to continue operations focused on Hamas that over the last seven weeks have largely focused on the north. They have said they support Israel’s goal of eliminating Hamas’ control over Gaza and the threat it poses to Israeli civilians, but have grown more vocal about the need to protect the lives of Palestinian civilians. Hamas has been known to seek shelter among the territory’s civilian population, and Israeli officials have released videos from northern Gaza of what they said are weapons stockpiles and firing locations placed among civilian infrastructure.
More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began on Oct. 7, roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. More than 1,200 people have been killed on the Israeli side, mostly civilians killed in the initial attack. At least 77 soldiers have been killed in Israel’s ground offensive.
The US believes roughly 2 million Palestinians are now in south and central Gaza. Biden administration officials have made clear to the Israelis that an already stretched humanitarian support network would be unable to cope with the sort of displacement that those from northern Gaza have endured in Israel’s retaliatory strikes and ground operations.
Biden administration officials have also told the Israelis they expect them to conduct operations in a way that will be “maximally deconflicted” with the operation of humanitarian aid facilities, United Nations-supported shelters and core infrastructure, including electricity and water.
The World Health Organization has warned that the war has caused a burgeoning public health crisis that is a recipe for epidemics as displaced Palestinians have been forced to take shelter in cramped homes and camps.
One administration official said vaccines are among the medical goods flowing into Gaza, but there has also been a focus on potable water supplies and sanitation to prevent outbreaks of typhoid and cholera. To that end, the White House has also pushed to get as much fuel into Gaza as possible — something the Israelis resisted, particularly in the first weeks of war, citing concerns that it would be siphoned by Hamas.
The officials said the US on Tuesday would dispatch the first of three US military humanitarian aid flights to northern Egypt carrying medical supplies, food aid and winter items for Gaza’s civilian population.