VZCZCXRO8693
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #2979/01 2481419
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051419Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3201
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002979 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/I, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM PINR IZ
SUBJECT: NINEWA: HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE TAKING THE FIRST 
STEPS TOWARD EFFECTIVENESS 
 
REF: BAGHDAD 2691 
 
This is a message from the Ninewa Provincial Reconstruction 
Team. 
 
Summary 
------- 
¶1. (SBU) The chairman and two other representatives from the 
Human Rights Committee (HRC) of the Ninewa Provincial 
Council, northern Iraq, told the Rule of Law Section of the 
Ninewa Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in August that 
the committee was committed to protecting the dignity and 
human rights of the people in Ninewa, despite criticism that 
the HRC was unwilling to engage local human rights NGOs. 
However, it appeared that the newly re-formed committee was 
waiting for the Provincial Council to approve its charter 
before engaging organizations or beginning its work.  The 
chairman of the HRC said that he planned to work with 
registered NGOs in the province.  He stressed that the HRC 
would not play favorites when investigating cases, and 
planned to investigate cases, including against the security 
forces, with equal vigor. 
 
HRC Committed to Human Rights 
----------------------------- 
¶2. (SBU) In an August 13 meeting, the chairman and two 
members of the Human Rights Committee of the Provincial 
Council for Ninewa Province, northern Iraq, told the PRT that 
the committee was committed to protecting the dignity and 
human rights of the people in Ninewa.  Human rights was a new 
concept for Iraqis, but the committee wanted to see respect 
for individual rights become a part of Iraqi society.  The 
committee saw its main tasks as investigating allegations of 
abuse against detainees and problems relating to internally 
displaced persons.  There would be an open line of 
communications between the HRC and the various groups, both 
Government of Iraq (GOI) and NGOs. 
 
HRC Has Five Main Goals 
----------------------- 
¶3. (SBU) Based on a training provided to them from the 
Research Triangle Institute (RTI) (an executing agent of 
USAID) on local government procedures, the HRC created a 
committee charter with five main goals.  (Note:  The RTI 
training focused on helping committees develop charters and 
to define roles, responsibilities, authorities, and 
limitations, among other things.  End note.)  These five 
goals are: 
 
- To establish a database of human rights violations in the 
province, working with the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights. 
 
- To adopt a system for human rights education in the 
province, through conferences, meetings, and the media. 
 
- To provide support and coordination with the government 
authorities, government offices and not-for-profit 
organizations working on human rights issues. 
 
- To submit ideas to the Iraqi Parliament and the Provincial 
Council for laws and regulations to protect and defend human 
rights. 
 
- To investigate allegations of human rights abuses through 
site visits to jails and other means. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The chairman of the HRC stressed that, in order to 
begin its work, the committee needed authorization from the 
PC for its charter.  Once the charter is approved, the HRC 
would begin to compile the database of allegations and 
produce a "periodic report" to the head of the PC. 
 
HRC Will Work With Registered NGOs 
---------------------------------- 
¶5. (SBU) The chairman of the HRC stated that he planned to 
work with any "legally registered NGO in the province" on 
human rights issues.  However, he stressed that the HRC would 
not work with unregistered NGOs.  The deputy chairman of the 
HRC added that there were at least 213 human rights NGOs 
working in the province.  Of this number, only 32 were 
registered with the government.  The chairman said that he 
would push the GOI to force the unregistered NGOs to register 
or close down.  The committee members said they would provide 
the PRT with a list of the 32 registered and the 213 total 
NGOs in the province. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The chairman of the HRC said he had "received a 
letter" asking the HRC not to work with unregistered NGOs in 
the province.  Until the charter was approved by the PC and 
 
BAGHDAD 00002979  002 OF 002 
 
 
the HRC had a mandate to work, the HRC did not plan to meet 
with any human rights groups.  The HRC would focus on 
procedure in the beginning, ensuring that things were done 
correctly and in accordance to the laws.  Only after that 
would they begin to meet with groups and do their work. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶7. (SBU) The PRT will continue to meet with the HRC to 
encourage and support it as it moves forward with its plans. 
The PRT also plans to seek out and meet with as many of the 
registered human rights NGOs as possible to get a better 
grasp on the human rights activities in the province, and 
support the Iraqis, taking steps in the right direction 
toward solving their own problems themselves. 
CROCKER