A/HRC/14/14 8. The Government of National Unity formed after the 2005 democratic elections has placed the task of protecting human rights at the core of its programme. Terrorist groups have sought to undermine the rule of law by instilling chaos, creating a feeling of insecurity, destroying infrastructure and targeting scientists. One such group recently threatened to disrupt the forthcoming electoral process. 9. The national report is the outcome of the work of a committee composed of a number of ministries that coordinated with other governmental, parliamentarian, judicial and non-governmental institutions. The committee was open to consultations and networking with civil society organizations and received technical assistance from the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Since the submission of the report, a number of developments have taken place, including the adoption of a new electoral law with new guarantees for the representation of minorities and the adoption of the open list. Moreover, law on civil society organizations was adopted that regulates the work of such organizations and supports their role in society. An independent high commission for human rights is in the process of being put in place. 10. Responding to advance questions, the delegation noted that the Government understood the need to review a large number of laws with a view to harmonizing them with international human rights standards. Iraq has finalized the procedures for acceding to two conventions and has begun to study the possibility of becoming party to additional instruments. The Government has drafted new laws on combating the trafficking in persons; fighting against terrorism, money-laundering and the financing of terrorism; freedom of opinion, assembly and peaceful demonstration; and the protection of journalists. 11. The delegation stressed that, because of the exceptional circumstances in Iraq and the prevalence of terrorist crimes targeting the right to life, the death penalty had been maintained as a means of deterrence and to provide justice to the families of victims. The number of cases in which the death sentence is pronounced has been reduced, and its application is limited to the most serious crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity and crimes of terrorism. All legal guarantees are provided to the accused in all stages of prosecution and until the sentence is carried out, and efforts are being made to reduce the number of executions to a minimum. 12. Torture and ill treatment are criminalized and prohibited in the Constitution and law, and officials accused of such acts are referred to the courts. The Ministry of Human Rights monitors allegations of torture in places of detention. Cases of torture do not represent a systematic policy, but rather occur because of lack of experience on the part of investigators, and constitute individual cases. The judiciary has attached importance to the protection and implementation of legal guarantees at all stages, and confessions obtained under torture are not taken into account. Iraq has finalized the national process of acceding to the Convention against Torture (CAT). 13. There are public annual reports on conditions in prisons and detention centres, which contain detailed information about the measures taken by the judiciary and executive powers. There is also an annual report containing information about the victims of terrorism and violence and about policies to combat terrorism and reduce violence in the country. 14. Terrorist groups have targeted minority groups, including through attacks on places of worship, killings and kidnappings. Efforts to protect minorities include protecting and reconstructing places of worship; ensuring the return of, protection for and financial assistance to displaced minorities; compensating victims; and coordinating directly with the heads of various sects in order to fulfil their needs. 15. In January, the Government launched a national strategy for the alleviation of poverty, in cooperation with the World Bank. The objectives of the strategy were 4