On 1 March, the Iraqi Council of Representatives adopted the Law on Yazidi Female Survivors. The passage of the law represents a watershed moment in efforts to address the legacy of ISIL crimes against Yazidis and other minority groups, as it officially recognizes acts of genocide against them and establishes a framework for the provision of financial support and other forms of redress to survivors.

Notably, in focusing institutional attention on female survivors of conflict related sexual violence (CRSV), the law places Iraq among the first countries in the Middle East and North Africa region to recognize CRSV survivors and take steps to redress their grievances in line with international standards.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and partners have been supporting Iraqi institutions and other stakeholders in the process of designing the reparations framework since 2019. In December 2020, IOM Iraq facilitated the final legislative deliberations which led to the ultimate revisions and adoption of the law.

Based on global experience and expertise in supporting governments with mass reparations programs, IOM Iraq and partners will now support the Government of Iraq with the challenging task of implementing the law in an efficient and survivor-centric manner.

For more information, please contact IOM Iraq’s Public Information Unit, Tel: +964 751 402 2811, Email: iraqpublicinfo@iom.int