VZCZCXRO0013
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #2227/01 1991444
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171444Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8354
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BAGHDAD 002227 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA, PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PGOV IZ EAID
SUBJECT: NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DISPLACEMENT 
 
¶1. Summary: On July 8 and 9 the GoI Ministry of Displacement and 
Migration (MoDM) held its first National Conference to Address 
Displacement, at which the Minister unveiled the National Policy on 
Displacement.   This policy document has been in the works for four 
years and the Ministry relied on drafting assistance from UNHCR and 
the USAID funded International Medical Corps to produce a final 
version over the past month.  While the document was broadly 
welcomed in Iraq by the humanitarian community, the conference 
provided a forum for a frank discussion of Iraq's displacement 
crisis and potential solutions to it.  Representatives of 
Parliament, governorates, local officials, community and religious 
leaders and several IDPs made impassioned statements about the 
impact of displacement on the country and some sharp criticism of 
the government.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Introduction of National Policy on Displacement 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2. The Minister of Displacement and Migration, Dr. Abdul Samad 
Sultan, Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih, KRG Foreign Minister 
Zebari, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General David 
Shearer and UNHCR Representative Daniel Endres all made speeches 
lauding the process of developing the National Policy, applauding 
the product itself and hoping this would guide the GOI to find 
"durable solutions" to the problems of internal and external 
displacement of some 4 to 5 million Iraqis.  Mr. Abdul Khaliq 
Zangana, the Chairman of the Council of Representatives (CoR) 
Displacement Committee applauded the Policy itself, but placed 
greater emphasis on the difficulties of the tasks ahead, that is, 
actually tackling the very specific, wide ranging and, to date, 
insurmountable, problems of displacement in Iraq and the inadequacy 
of MoDM to so far manage these problems.  He noted that the mandate 
to handle this problem is clear, that monies are available to 
implement solutions and that the MoDM must hire adequate staff and 
begin their task in coordination with other relevant government 
ministries.  Zangana noted his approaches to the Minister of Finance 
to obtain $208m in supplemental funding for the Ministry.  But he 
said that the needs of IDPs and refugees were much greater and 
called on the GOI to appropriate $2 billion to assist the displaced. 
 
 
------------------------- 
The National Policy 
------------------------- 
¶3. Iraq's National Policy on Displacement accepted by the Council of 
Ministers (CoM) in mid-May, is a general framework.  An 
implementation plan is the next step as a follow-on to this 
document. The stated policy aim is "to find durable solutions and 
develop an effective, realistic and comprehensive framework to 
respond to the needs of displaced persons from emergency to 
protracted/prolonged displacement."  The policy establishes a 
definition of an Internally Displaced Person (IDP), the various 
categories of IDPs and the background of how the problem started in 
Iraq, and international guiding principles on treatment and rights 
of IDPs 
 
¶4. The Policy explicitly states that it was developed to be 
consistent with the United Nations' (UN) Guiding Principles on 
Internal Displacement and the UN Principles on Housing and Property 
Restitution for Refugees and Displaced Persons.  Further, it states 
that the GoI's treatment of IDPs will be consistent with 
International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights Law and the related 
Guidelines.  The Policy includes key elements such as: the 
responsibility for IDPs, adherence to international obligations, 
non-discrimination, participation in government, freedom of 
movement, property rights and human rights. The Policy is aimed 
specifically at reconciling the sectarian divide that has arisen 
since 2003.  The last two sentences of the Policy addresses this 
reconciliation, to quote the Policy: "The National Policy on 
Displacement indicates the major themes, pillars and rights that 
have to be approved and supported by all stakeholders in order to 
ensure the development of an Iraqi society that is capable of 
equally protecting and serving all of its members.  Imam Ali once 
said, 'People are either one of two types: they are either your 
brethren in faith or your fellow human counterparts.'" 
 
¶5. Although the Policy does not specifically address Iraqi refugees, 
UNHCR has told us that the Government has committed to meet the 
needs of returning refugees in the same manner as it assists 
returning IDPs. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Reactions and Questions Concerning the National Policy 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶6. The speeches were followed by testimonies from IDPs noting the 
personal difficulties they faced as displaced persons and the 
difficulties of finding adequate solutions to their overwhelming 
situation.  An Iraqi NGO, AMAL, presented a video showing the 
difficulties faced by several IDP families. 
 
BAGHDAD 00002227  002 OF 004 
 
 
 
¶7. The first day of the Conference concluded with a question and 
answer session; this provided an opportunity for representatives of 
the governorates, local communities, religious and community leaders 
to express their spontaneous and considered opinions on the problems 
the country faces with one-sixth of its population displaced. 
Present at the Conference were the governors of Najaf and Diyala 
provinces, several mayors, a variety of tribal and community leaders 
and several Shia and Sunni religious leaders.  Although most of 
those asking a question or making a statement offered an endorsement 
of the MoDM's effort to date they were also very quick to point out 
shortfalls, inadequacies, overwhelming problems and the difficulties 
their communities and the country faced in attempting to solve this 
problem. 
 
¶8. There were several noteworthy statements during this question and 
answer session, among them: 
- Both Sunni and Shia religious leaders acknowledged that the 
sectarian divide must be faced and reconciled before an overall 
solution to the problem of displacement will be found. 
- Both Governors and some regional council representative rejected 
out of hand the idea that local integration would offer any solution 
to the IDP problem; the OI should focus on return of IDPs to their 
original place of residence.  Some participants went further, saying 
that IDPs should be forced to return to their original place of 
residence. 
- The Governors, one politely and one bluntly, stated that the 
policy document was late and was not a plan to help them address 
pressing displacement issues they face. 
- Tribal and religious leaders would have to be engaged and 
continuously involved in the IDP and refugee problem for it to be 
solved. 
- There was some sharp criticism of the GoI response to the problem 
to date and the apparent inability of the MoDM to manage the 
problem. 
- It was noted that IDPs are treated differently from one 
governorate to another and that MoDM should have a stronger 
leadership role in offering a common country-wide approach to the 
problem. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
National Policy Working Groups 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. The second day of the Conference was devoted primarily to four 
working groups with the following topics to discuss: 
- Emergency services and emergency responses to the IDP and refugee 
situation. 
- Property restitution - what is the problem faced and how is this 
to be resolved? 
- Returns - what will allow and facilitate people to return from 
abroad and from internal displacement? 
- Refugees - what is the situation with refugees, what should the 
role of the GoI be in this regard and how will they be 
reintegrated? 
 
¶10. The four hour working group sessions defined the problems and 
put forward recommendations for solutions.  Each group had a 
designated leader from MoDM who made an introductory statement, laid 
out the topic from MoDM's perspective and then moderated the 
discussion.  At the end of the working group sessions these same 
group leaders summarized their discussion and recommendations.  With 
the exception of the property working groups, these statements were 
generally long on delineating the nature of the problems and 
difficulties in each area and rather vague and not particularly 
implementation oriented in the recommended solutions offered. 
 
The Property Restitution Working Group 
 
¶11. This began with a discussion about post 2003 IDP properties 
occupied by squatters. According to a representative from a real 
estate and property disputes committee, this is a law enforcement 
issue, not a legal issue that will require MoDM-MoI-MoD coordination 
(ultimately using force to resolve squatter situation). He proposed 
a rather straight forward plan: 
- Take names from the MoDM registry and survey the displaced 
persons' properties; 
- Share information regarding illegally occupied properties with 
MoI/MoD in order to evict squatters. 
- Use the property survey to account for damaged/destroyed homes 
belonging to IDPs to give MoDM-backed compensation payments to IDPs 
in order to help them return and rehabilitate their properties. 
 
¶12. Discussion continued in this area with a member from a "Baghdad 
Municipal IDP Committee" voicing his plan: 
- Assist IDPs seeking to return work through local IDP committees; 
- Mandate that IDP committees, working through "Municipal" Council, 
checks up on the IDPs' homes to ensure they are acceptable for 
return and advise families if it's safe or not to return. 
 
¶13. The issue of media involvement was discussed at length. Major 
 
BAGHDAD 00002227  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
General Abdul Ameer of the 6th Iraqi Army Division, whose unit 
provides security in the Hurriyah area of Baghdad where there are 
significant returns, stated that he felt media involvement would be 
necessary to encourage IDPs to return to safe neighborhoods. The 
Municipal IDP Committee member reiterated his position to keep the 
media out.  General Ameer supported a plan to establish an inventory 
of homes belonging to displaced families. According to him, an 
inventory of homes within the Baghdad security districts exists, and 
he supports sharing them with Property "Emergency Rooms" throughout 
Baghdad.  The General went on to say that his forces would be ready 
to carry out evictions but would require the legal authorization to 
do so. A religious leader from Kirkuk also added that the military 
should be used to handle evictions.  The MoDM representative stated 
that it's not just about using force, and he went on to share that 
force alone only creates more displacement. 
 
¶14. The issue was also raised that perhaps compensation payments 
should be considered for both parties involved, the returning family 
and the IDP or squatter occupants of the home. That way, returnees 
would have a monetary incentive to return and squatters would have 
an incentive to leave without being forced to do so. 
 
¶15. Positive Trends Noted by the Working Group: 
- Municipal IDP committees working with returnee families to ensure 
safe returns; 
- Vetting of properties prior to returns; 
- Compensation payments for damaged homes; 
- Incentive payments to returnees and perhaps to squatters; 
- An MoDM representative was on hand to hear and share 
ideas/concerns with fellow Iraqis and concern against the use of 
forced evictions. 
 
¶16. Negative Trends Noted by the Working Group: 
- The evictions issue still lingers. 
- Other than the idea proposed about incentive payments to 
squatters, there is still no constructive debate about what to do 
with squatters once they are evicted. It appeared that the push 
among many contributors is to simply get the squatters out. 
- IOM raised the issue of some IDPs not wanting to return from their 
areas of displacement. Several WG members voiced the idea of 
"persuading" IDPs to return. When asked what if IDPs still don't 
want to return after persuasion or incentives, one gentleman 
proposed that they be persuaded again. 
 
The Refugee Working Group 
 
¶17. The refugee working group discussion focused on: 
- Need for GoI communication with and support for refugees 
- Need for MoDM to have offices within the countries that have large 
groups of Iraqi refugees so that communication and assistance can be 
direct and efficient. 
- Refugees will need assistance to transition back to life in Iraq. 
 
- There are groups of refugees that left out of fear of violence but 
other groups who left because of their connections with the former 
regime, how will this latter group be handled? 
 
The Returnees Durable Solutions Working Group 
 
¶18. In this working group, the following items were identified as 
key elements in finding a durable solution for internal and refugee 
returnees: 
- Return of property to rightful owner; 
- Political participation of returnees; 
- Protection of minorities; 
- Improving environmental factors (i.e. marshlands, flooding, 
pollution, etc.); 
- Issuing of certificates to IDPs to verify their identity and 
circumstances; 
- Employment for those returning identified; 
- Justice and fairness in the treatment of returnees; 
- Education and health care provided; 
- Water and sanitation issues managed in areas of return; 
- Electricity, communication, infrastructure issues anticipated and 
managed in areas of return. 
 
¶19. Additional issues that were discussed during this working 
group: 
- The media does not provide sufficient coverage and/or information 
regarding the situation of IDP's. 
- Financial incentives such as zero per cent interest loans should 
be available to establish businesses. 
- IDP's should be classified based on their intentions (i.e. won't 
return regardless of condition, will return when allowed, etc.) and 
procedures to handle these groups delineated. 
- The psychological impact of displacement must be considered. 
- Districts of Iraq should be classified based on level of security 
for returnees so resources can be allocated correctly. 
 
¶20. Summary. Overall the Conference offered MoDM an opportunity to 
unveil the National Policy and to explain its workings and goals to 
 
BAGHDAD 00002227  004 OF 004 
 
 
leaders throughout the country and to the media.  UNHCR and IMC 
worked hand in hand with the MoDM on developing the National Policy. 
UNOPS organized the Conference.  While this National Policy 
carefully documents the rights and needs of the displaced, the GOI's 
challenge will be to implement and fund the commitments it makes. 
UNHCR will provide a summarized report of the conference with a 
transcript of the key speeches and the outcomes from the working 
groups in about two weeks. End Summary. 
 
CROCKER