A/HRC/28/14 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, held its twentieth session from 27 October to 7 November 2014. The review of Iraq was held at the 12th meeting on 3 November 2014. The delegation of Iraq was headed by Abdulkareem Abdulah Shallal AlJanabi, Deputy Minister of Human Rights. At its 17th meeting held on 6 November 2014, the Working Group adopted the report on Iraq. 2. On 15 January 2014, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Iraq: Burkina Faso, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the United Arab Emirates. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of Iraq: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/20/IRQ/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/20/IRQ/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/20/IRQ/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Liechtenstein, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was transmitted to Iraq through the troika. Those questions are available on the extranet of the universal periodic review (UPR). I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The head of the delegation said that strictly monitored local, regional and national elections had been held in 2013 and 2014. Their success had met with international acclaim. Minorities were represented by means of quotas in the Council of Representatives and in local and governorate councils. 6. A governmental committee chaired by the Ministry of Human Rights had been established to prepare the UPR report. It was composed of representatives of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, several ministries and the Kurdistan region. A number of workshops and training courses had been organized for the Committee members and ministry focal points. Consultations had been held with the High Commission for Human Rights of Iraq, the Independent Commission for Human Rights in the Kurdistan Region and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Baghdad and the Kurdistan region. 7. Since the first UPR cycle, Iraq had ratified the ICPPED, CAT and CRPD. It had withdrawn its reservation to article 9 of CEDAW, and the Council of Representatives was currently considering the possibility of ratifying ICRMW. Iraq had also acceded to other international treaties which focused, inter alia, on combating terrorism, hostage-taking, child abduction and the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms. 3