From 03 to 05 December 2024, the IIJ EU funded CT PHARE facility visited Baghdad, Iraq, for a three-day capacity-building activity focused on “Strengthening Dialogue Between Iraqi Government Authorities and Human Rights Stakeholders while countering terrorism.” This event was organised in collaboration and coordination with the European Union Delegation to Iraq, the European Union Advisory Mission in Iraq (EUAM), who also hosted the team at its premises, and the Office of the National Security Advisory (ONSA) in Iraq.
The capacity building activity was officially opened by CT PHARE Project Lead Mr. Paul Madden, alongside key dignitaries: Major General Basim Karem Mousa Shawaly, Dean of the Intelligence Training Institute at the Federal Intelligence and Investigation Agency (FIIA), Mr. Sirmad Hikmat, Secretary of the National Committee for Counter Terrorism and the Office of the National Security Advisory (ONSA); H.E. Mr. Thomas Seiler, Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Iraq; and Mr. Juha Pippo, Head of the Strategic Civilian SSR Component at the EUAM Iraq.
Over the course of the programme, 55 practitioners and experts gathered, representing a diverse range of organisations and institutions. These included high-level officials from Iraqi Government Ministries – Ministries of Agriculture, of Communications, of Electricity, of Justice, of Higher Education & Scientific Research, of Industry & Minerals, of Interior, of Labour & Social Affairs, of Migration & Displaced, of Trade, of Transportation, and of Planning –, the Council of Ministries, the Counter-Terrorism Services, the High Commission for Human Rights, the Iraqi Integrity Commission , Security Agencies, Baghdad University, Civil Society Organisations, and the Office of the National Security Advisory. The group also included international experts, such as the Senior Strategic Adviser on Counter-terrorism at the EUAM Iraq, Human Rights Adviser at EUAM Iraq, Human Rights Officers from the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR), the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Iraq country team, and the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), and CT PHARE experts.
Throughout the three days, participants engaged in presentations, discussions, and working group sessions. The capacity building activity provided a unique platform for fostering dialogue among different Government of Iraq Ministries Human Rights General Directorates, Security Agencies, and other Iraqi Human Rights stakeholders, whereby addressing critical human rights issues and exploring ways to integrate human rights-based approaches into counter-terrorism policy and strategy development.
A key resource during the workshop, that was presented and used to guide discussions, was the OHCHR Toolkit on Strengthening Human Rights in Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Policy. This Toolkit includes tools for integrating human rights into counter-terrorism strategies (Tool 1), for building institutional human rights capacity in counter-terrorism (Tool 2), and for enhancing government engagement with civil society in counter-terrorism efforts (Tool 3).
Ms. Francesca Amerio, CT PHARE Program Manager, also shared the newly endorsed GCTF Brussels Memorandum on Good Practices for Oversight and Accountability Mechanisms in Counter-Terrorism and gave a presentation on the development and content of the good practices outlined in the framework document.
The IIJ CT PHARE team and EUAM Iraq were honoured to host such high-level representatives from key Iraqi Government Ministries, creating a rare opportunity for decision-makers to engage in open discussions. This interaction which clearly complimented the EU integrated approach to security, supported the participants identifying common challenges and priorities, laying the groundwork for future collaboration. Furthermore, the recommendations generated during the working groups mark an important first step in fostering cooperation between government bodies, human rights organisations, and other human rights stakeholders, ensuring a more collaborative and impactful whole-of-society approach going forward.
The closing ceremony was chaired by Mr. Paul Madden, H.E. Thomas Seiler, and Mr. Morten Hald, EUAM’s Senior Strategic Adviser on Counter-Terrorism. They all emphasised the importance of aligning counter-terrorism policies and strategies with human rights principles through an inclusive approach and stressed the need for continued collaborative efforts.