PM Barzani, UN agency on drugs, crime discuss cooperation to combat narcotics, human trafficking

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Thursday discussed enhancing cooperation between his government and the United Nations to combat human trafficking and narcotics, according to a statement. 

Barzani received the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Ali Elbereir in Erbil, where they discussed bilateral relations.

The premier and the UN official discussed the development of cooperation in the fight against organized crime, narcotics, and human trafficking, a statement from Barzani’s office read.

The officials hailed the Kurdistan Region’s Regional Plan for Human Rights, which is part of the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) ninth cabinet reform program to strengthen the principles of freedom, democracy, and human rights.

Kurdistan Region officials have recently marked the first-anniversary of the Plan at a conference in Erbil. Elbereir and other top UN officials attended the event, where they praised the Region’s efforts to promote human rights.

Consisting of 27 sections, the Plan serves as a roadmap for developing and protecting human rights in the Kurdistan Region for the upcoming five years in almost all sectors, including human rights and good governance, including rule of law, fighting corruption, freedom of expression, women’s rights, prison management, human trafficking, and religious freedoms, among others.

“The KRG will work with its international partners to ensure that Kurdistan Region is fully committed to the international standards of human rights, including freedom of the press,” Barzani said during the event.