Civil society concerned over possible non-renewal of UNITAD’s mandate in Iraq

“This news is all the more alarming since Iraq currently has no legal framework in place to use UNITAD’s evidence."

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2023/09/13 00:15

Christian Ritscher, Special Adviser and Head of the Investigative Team (UNITAD), briefs the Security Council meeting (Photo: UN Photo/Loey Felipe)

Iraq UNITAD Nadia Murad Amal Clooney Yazda

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – 41 civil society organizations on Tuesday expressed their concerns over the news that the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by ISIS (UNITAD) mandate may not be renewed in Iraq beyond Sept. 2024.

“UNITAD was mandated pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 2379 to collect, preserve, and store evidence of ISIL (ISIS) crimes in Iraq in line with the highest possible standards,” the organizations, which included many Yezidi organizations, said in a joint statement.

“UNITAD was established following the tireless advocacy of survivors and several of the undersigned organizations, and in response to the scale of ISIL crimes. This advocacy was aiming to ensure that evidence of ISIL crimes would not get lost until a holistic strategy from both Iraq and the international community would be in place to address ISIL (ISIS) crimes. This has yet to happen.”

The undersigned organizations also stated that they see UNITAD as the only hope to achieve meaningful justice in Iraq. “For its work to stop so abruptly, when not a single ISIL member has been tried in Iraq for core international crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes), would be a disaster for survivors.”

“This news is all the more alarming since Iraq currently has no legal framework in place to use UNITAD’s evidence and also has no experience prosecuting international crimes,” they added.

Therefore, the organizations called on the UN to renew UNITAD’s mandate beyond Sept. 2024 and as long as it is needed to prepare a strategy to prosecute ISIS crimes holistically both in Iraq and other jurisdictions.

Moreover, renowned Yezidi activist Nadia Murad and Barrister Amal Clooney in a statement also said they found it “profoundly distressing for all the survivors who entrusted UNITAD with their testimony, as well as other victims, if this work was terminated before the mandate is fulfilled, and it would send a message that justice for ISIS victims is not only delayed but denied.”

On Tuesday, UNITAD in cooperation with the Parliamentary Development Institute organized a seminar in Baghdad.

During the seminar, Anees Ahmed, UNITAD’s Chief of Office of Evidence Management, said “UNITAD remains ready, willing and eager to provide any requested technical support as Iraq progresses towards enacting the proper legal framework on international crimes, paving the way for holding ISIL perpetrators accountable for their international crimes before Iraqi courts.”