A/HRC/44/41/Add.1 VII. Role of the international community 68. Amid the large-scale displacement crisis caused by the conflict against ISIL, the international community has played a crucial role in providing humanitarian assistance to those most in need; for example, in 2019, 85 per cent of beneficiaries, including returnees and outof-camp and in-camp internally displaced persons, targeted by the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan for Iraq23 were reached. It is important to reiterate, however, that a large number of internally displaced persons and returnees remain in acute need in 2020; the international community must therefore continue to dedicate resources to humanitarian assistance. The Special Rapporteur calls upon the international community and donors to continue to support humanitarian assistance efforts in Iraq to fulfil the requirements of the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan for Iraq and the Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19. 69. At the same time, durable solutions, development and stabilization initiatives must be supported and social cohesion promoted in order to address the root causes of the humanitarian crisis and related assistance and protection needs, and to avoid prolonged need for humanitarian aid. A number of initiatives already exist in this regard, including partnerships between the international community and the Government of Iraq, and reconstruction efforts, including through the Funding Facility for Stabilization. Initiatives are not, however, sufficiently coordinated, and they lack a consolidated strategic approach to humanitarian, development and peace work. Development and stabilization efforts must be scaled up through a joint cohesive approach and clear strategy adopted to support durable solutions for internally displaced persons and to unlock protracted displacement, with a focus on promoting social cohesion and reconciliation, the rule of law and governance, with special attention paid to the situation of internally displaced and returnee women and children. Iraq provides an excellent opportunity to adequately implement the humanitarian-development-peace nexus through efforts by the Government and the international community to support durable solutions. VIII. Conclusions and recommendations 70. Much progress has been made in relation to the issue of internal displacement in Iraq. The remaining displaced population nonetheless continues to require humanitarian assistance. Conditions in places of return and the durable solutions available to internally displaced persons remain of paramount concern. The Special Rapporteur encourages the holding of discussions in an inclusive and strategic way to bring clarity to the overall approach of the Government of Iraq and the international community, while ensuring that protection and the principle of “do no harm” remain at the centre of any strategy. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur continues to be at the disposal of the Government of Iraq, in the international prerogative to protect the rights of internally displaced persons and in the national interest of Iraq to fulfil the human rights of its citizens. In the light of the above considerations, the Special Rapporteur makes the recommendations below. A. Overall national response strategy 71. The Special Rapporteur recommends that the Government of Iraq, in consultation with internally displaced persons and with the support of the international community, develop a comprehensive, cohesive and up-to-date strategy, based on a mapping of current initiatives and the identification of gaps, to address the needs of the diverse groups of internally displaced persons, including continuing humanitarian needs, longer-term development targets and durable solutions for internally displaced persons. 23 www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/files/documents/files/iraq_hrp _2020.pdf. 15