A/HRC/14/14 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its seventh session from 8 to 19 February 2010. The review of Iraq was held at the 13th meeting, on 16 February 2010. The delegation of Iraq was headed by the Minister for Human Rights, H.E. Mrs. Wijdan M. Salim. At its 17th meeting, held on 19 February 2010, the Working Group adopted the report on Iraq. 2. On 7 September 2009, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Iraq: Bosnia and Herzegovina, India and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to resolution 5/1, 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.6/7/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.6/7/IRQ/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/7/IRQ/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Argentina, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland 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. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The delegation emphasized the importance of the universal periodic review. It noted that Iraq had experienced difficult circumstances and that the Iraqi people had faced gross violations owing to the policies of successive Governments, wars, economic sanctions for more than 10 years and fierce terrorist attacks that had claimed the lives of thousands of individuals and affected infrastructure. 6. Since the regime change in the spring of 2003 and the beginning of the establishment of a democratic Government, institutions had been established to address human rights issues, such as the Ministry of Human Rights, which had sought to achieve ambitious goals and to overcome the legacy of human rights violations. On the normative front, Iraq had proceeded to review national legislation, assess its compliance with human rights principles and accede to core international human rights instruments. 7. The Ministry of Human Rights has attached special importance to spreading a culture of human rights through the establishment of institutions, the provision of support to civil society, the inclusion of human rights concepts in educational curriculums and human rights courses in universities, and the adoption of a medium-term plan to disseminate a culture of human rights. 3