The Legal Basis for Human Rights Protection Institutions in Iraq

Abstract

The international community has sought to protect human rights and promote respect for them. For this reason, many international treaties and agreements were concluded. Most international conventions and declarations emphasize the protection, respect and promotion of human rights. The United Nations Charter of 1945 comes at the forefront of these charters, which formed the basis for the protection of human rights, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Hence, states stipulated in their constitutions the protection of human rights and enacted laws regulating this.

But stipulating human rights in constitutions and legislation is not enough to say that the state respects human rights and works to protect and promote them in accordance with international standards. There must be national institutions specialized in protecting human rights and independent, and the names of these institutions may vary. It may be a committee, council, institution, or commission. In Iraq, these institutions are represented by the High Commission for Human Rights. It is one of the state agencies, has administrative and financial independence, and has a law that explains its structure and tasks. The Commission consists of a Board of Commissioners and has offices and branches in the governorates and regions. The Commission has tasks and activities that may be powers to protect, or powers to enhance the protection of human rights, or advisory powers with regard to national legislation and proposing accession to international agreements.