United Nations
General Assembly
A/HRC/44/41/Add.1
Distr.: General
13 May 2020
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Forty-fourth session
15 June–3 July 2020
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Visit to Iraq
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally
displaced persons*, **
Summary
The Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Cecilia
Jimenez-Damary, visited Iraq from 15 to 23 February 2020.
Since the displacement of some 6 million people between 2014 and 2017 as a result
of the conflict against the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Iraq
has faced challenges in supporting the humanitarian needs and achieving durable solutions
for the 1.4 million who remain in displacement, and in addressing the difficulties encountered
by those who returned to their places of origin. The Special Rapporteur raises concerns about
their acute assistance needs and the obstacles to their access to civil documentation and
services, the access constraints faced by humanitarian actors operating in Iraq, and the recent
camp closures and consolidations leading to forced returns and secondary displacement. The
Special Rapporteur also addresses the situation of displaced ethnic and religious minorities,
displaced families with a perceived affiliation to ISIL, and displaced children, and the reports
of sexual and gender-based violence against internally displaced persons.
The Special Rapporteur commends the Government of Iraq for having taken a number
of measures to address internal displacement, with the support of the international
community. The Government must continue to provide humanitarian assistance to internally
displaced persons and returnees in need, and scale up development and stabilization efforts.
To support durable solutions, enhanced and cohesive measures to promote social cohesion,
reconciliation, justice and reparation, with the participation of internally displaced persons,
are essential at the national and local levels.
* The summary of the report is being circulated in all official languages. The report itself, which is
annexed to the summary, is being circulated in the language of submission and Arabic only.
** Agreement was reached to publish the present report after the standard publication date owing to
circumstances beyond the submitters’ control.
GE.20-06664(E)
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