The
conference on "The Constitution and Equality" took
place in the regional capital of Hewler (Erbil) on
August 8th 2005, under the auspices of Prime
Minister Nechirvan Barzani and under the banner
"Equality in the Constitution is the best guarantee
of democracy". The conference was held in a public
forum in the building of the Council of Ministers.
It was chaired by the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional
Government's equality adviser, and supported by the
Organization for the Empowerment of Women. Fifty
women's and NGO organizations sent representatives
from all cities and districts of the region. The
conference discussed the blueprint of Iraq's
constitution released in late July, particularly the
paragraphs that are strongly antagonistic to Kurdish
rights, human rights in general, and women's rights
in particular. |
Prime
Minister of Kurdistan
Regional Government Nechirvan Barzani |
|
The Conference resolved by acclamation that:
1. In Iraq's constitution the borders of
Kurdistan must be recognized according to historical
and geographical facts, as proposed by the Kurdistan
National Assembly, the democratic and sovereign body
that expresses the will of the people of Kurdistan;
2. The right of the people of Kurdistan to
self-determination, both now and in the future, must
be recognized and protected in Iraq's constitution;
3. The benefits of the natural resources of
Iraq must be fairly distributed across Iraq, but
Kurdistan and other regions shall own their natural
resources, especially currently unexploited oil and
gas fields;
4. Kurdish shall be an official and equal
language of the Iraqi federation, both in word and
practice, as promised but not implemented in the
Transitional Administrative Law. Kurdish must be
used in all of Iraq's relevant official insignia,
documentation, and diplomacy in any agreed federal
anthem, and in Iraq's currency and in any shared
federal services.
5. Kurdistan as a federal region shall have
its own constitution that is passed by the Kurdistan
National Assembly and approved by its people in a
referendum.
6. No federal laws shall be imposed on
Kurdistan without the approval of the Kurdistan
National Assembly.
7. Fundamental human rights and freedoms as
recognized in international conventions shall be the
sole basis of individual rights and shall not be
over-ridden by any religious or other sources of
legislation or belief.
8. There shall be a clear constitutional
separation of religious and political matters within
Iraq's federation and within the Kurdistan Region in
particular.
9. Men and women shall have full equal and
effective rights in Iraq's federal constitution, and
in Kurdistan's constitution. No recognition of
religious rights or minority rights shall qualify
this fundamental protection of the equality of men
and women. There shall be an Equality Commission in
Kurdistan tasked to ensure the full and effective
implementation of equality of men and women in
public and private life.
10. The constitution of Iraq and the
constitution of Kurdistan shall respect the full
equality of all nationalities and all religious
communities in Iraq, and no religion shall be a
source or the source of legislation in Kurdistan or
in the federal government of Iraq.
For further information please contact:
Mahabad Qaradaghi
Adviser of Prime Minister in Women Issues
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)
Kurdistan - Arbil [Erbil]
Homepage: www.krg.org
E-mail: mahabado3@hotmail.com or qmahabad@hotmail.com
www.krg.org
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