12 March 2013
Item 4: Human Rights situations that require the Council's attention.

General Debate on Human Rights Situations that Require the Council's Attention

Full text of the statement:

The invasion of Iraq, labelled as "liberation" ten years ago, is a crime against peace according to the Nuremberg Charter. As a result, all of the Human Rights of all Iraqis are still being violated all of the time.

The invasion and subsequent counter-insurgency policy, led to hundreds of thousands of killed, and millions displaced. The Constitution imposed by the occupier, renders any political process meaningless.

Notwithstanding the objectives of Security Council Resolution 1859, the Human Rights Council never condemned the illegal invasion and occupation of the state of Iraq.

OHCHR is still reluctant to appoint a Special Rapporteur despite UN reports of continuing abuses.

The four month old uprising of the Iraqis to rid themselves of the regime left by the coalition of the willing is in danger of being crushed. Hence, let no one say "we did not know".

On the tenth anniversary of the invasion, a series of side events are being held at the Palais des Nations on the 14th and 15th of March, to mark 2013 as the year for accountability and justice for Iraq.

This calls for the ending of the occupation legacies; EU countries which has a Partnership agreement and is doing business with Iraq must apply real pressures on the Iraqi government to stamp out human rights abuses, discrimination and corruption; urgent appointment of a Special Rapporteur for Iraq by OHCHR and that impunity should come to an end; immediate moratorium on executions in Iraq, and finally, Mr President, payment of reparations to Iraq for the unlawful acts by the USA, Britain and other states.