Finland contributes 300,000 euros to UNITAD for witness protection in Iraq

Finland’s contribution will “enable vital psychological support to be maintained to assist witnesses, while also enhancing the professional capacities of (the) Iraqi mental health service providers who offer specialist aftercare to witnesses.”
UNITAD head Christian Ritscher. (Photo: UNITAD)
UNITAD head Christian Ritscher. (Photo: UNITAD)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland has contributed 300,000 euros to the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by ISIS (UNITAD).

“A substantial part of this contribution will allow UNITAD to broaden the implementation of its psychosocial capacity-building activities for Iraqi judicial and investigative authorities, and other relevant national entities with respect to support and sensitivity to the needs of victims and witnesses,” UNITAD said in a statement.

“The capacity building activities focus on access to clinical supervision and mentoring for staff who work on mental health and medical needs of survivors of ISIS crimes,” the statement added.

UNITAD also stressed its commitment to ensure “the psychological safety of victims, survivors and witnesses of ISIS crimes so that they can testify in an emotionally safe environment to reduce the risk of re-traumatization.”

According to UNITAD, Finland’s contribution will “enable vital psychological support to be maintained to assist witnesses, while also enhancing the professional capacities of (the) Iraqi mental health service providers who offer specialist aftercare to witnesses.”

"We are very happy to support the witness protection work of the Investigative Team,” said Kaija Suvanto, Director General of the Legal Service of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

“Finland is a strong proponent of multilateralism and the rules based international order,” she added. “We therefore look forward to deepening further our cooperation with the UNITAD, too.”

In October, Germany provided one million euros to UNITAD to help its investigations into ISIS financing

Read More: Germany provides one million euros to UNITAD to help its investigations into ISIS financing 

UNITAD is currently led by former Federal Public Prosecutor Christian Ritscher from Germany, who was appointed in September. It was established by UN Security Council Resolution 2379 in 2017 to support domestic efforts to hold ISIS accountable by collecting, preserving, and storing evidence of that group’s war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Read More: UN appoints new head of investigative body for ISIS war crimes