Iraq UN Human Rights Report Due End Of May

UN To Present Human Rights Report On Conditions In Iraq By End Of May

United Nations human rights experts are working to prepare a comprehensive report covering the situation in Iraq during the past year of occupation by the United States-led coalition forces and will present it to the UN's top human rights body by the end of May.

The document will address the treatment of detainees as well as the military-security situation, including acts of terrorism, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights announced today.

The report will also deal with protection of civilians, displacement, the situation of women and children, freedom of religion or belief, other core rights, oversight and accountability and human rights institutions.

The Acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan, has requested information for the inquiry from L. Paul Bremer, the US Administrator in Iraq, members of the Iraqi Governing Council, and the Foreign Ministers of countries participating in the coalition. He has also contacted concerned international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The team working on the report, which will cover the period from April 2003 to May 2004, plans to visit Amman, Jordan; Beirut and other capitals neighbouring Iraq to conduct interviews on the matter. Should circumstances permit, "the Acting High Commissioner and members of his team would be ready to visit Baghdad for consultations with coalition and Iraqi leaders," the UN rights office said in a statement released in Geneva.

Speaking to reporters there yesterday, UN spokesman José Luis Díaz said long-time human rights expert Jakob Moller would be involved in preparing the report, which will also be released to the press.

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