Yazda welcomes the publication of a milestone report by C4JR outlining recommendations for criminal accountability concerning ISIL crimes in Iraq in light of Iraq’s request to terminate UNITAD’s mandate in September 2024.

The release of this crucial report follows the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution to extend the mandate of the Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) only until September 2024 (UNSC resolution 2697/2023). The report reflects the concerns and recommendations of Iraqi NGOs and survivors' networks.

Yazda, a member of the Coalition for Just Reparations (Coalition for Just Reparations), joined an alliance of Iraqi NGOs in calling for comprehensive reparations for survivors of atrocity crimes perpetrated during the ISIL conflict in Iraq. In September 2023, prior to the passing of resolution 2697 by the UNSC, Yazda led the publication of a statement endorsed by 50 organizations expressing concerns about the imminent closure of UNITAD. Subsequently, within C4JR, Yazda facilitated consultations with NGOs online and in person, ensuring that their feedback was communicated to the UN, particularly in preparation for the UN Secretary-General's report released in January 2024 on Iraq’s request to receive UNITAD’s evidence. In parallel, Yazda consulted survivors’ networks, including Hope Givers, Survivors Voice Network (SVN), Speicher-1700 NGO, and the Yazidi Survivors Networks (YSN), incorporating their perspectives into the report.

Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director at Yazda and co-author of the report, comments: “The report, especially its concrete recommendations, is a testament to the deep knowledge of Iraqi civil society on issues of justice and the lack thereof in Iraq. Iraqi organizations are the experts and should not be ignored. We advocated for the creation of UNITAD but were not involved in its termination. To this day, we have not been presented with a clear strategy from Iraq and the international community regarding the fate and more importantly, the use, of the evidence collected by UNITAD and what comes next. While UNITAD’s completion roadmap, due on 15 March 2024, may provide some answers, we were not meaningfully consulted on it either. Moving forward, we want to be part of the conversation and of the solution.”