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Kurdistan
PM Nechirvan Barzani: Government will encourage, not control,
civil society |
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Kurdistan PM: Government will encourage,
not control, civil society
6.6.2007
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June 6, 2007
Erbil, Kurdistan region (Iraq),-- At a
conference today on the role of civil society, Prime
Minister Barzani said that while the Kurdistan
Regional Government (KRG) would support NGOs, at the
same time civil society had to be independent from
government. He said, “Government should do all it
can to help civil society without trying to control
it”.
A Conference on the role of civil society and NGOs
in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq was held today. KRG
Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani spoke as well as
George Mansour Minister for the Region for Civil
Society Affairs, Ms Pakhshan Zangana MP,
representing the Speaker of the Kurdistan National
Assembly, also addressed the delegates.
Prime Minister Barzani outlined the important role
that civil society must play in the Region, to
“Gather and strengthen the voices with common views
on issues; accomplish projects and work that the
government may not be able to do well; pressurise
the government and society on important issues; and
provide a conducive means and environment to promote
participation in civil life”.
Prime Minister Barzani stressed that civil society
and government should cooperate to raise awareness
of women’s rights, transparency and corruption, the
environment, labour and investment, culture,
education, youth, media and the press, and moral and
ethical education.
In describing the relationship between government
and civil society, Prime Minister Barzani stressed
the importance of civil society’s independence from
government. In order to do this, the PM said, the
KRG is ready for a law to be passed, created by
civil society itself, to “help in the formation,
work and organisation of NGOs and civil society
institutions.” |
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister
Nechirvan Barzani. |
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He said the
Minister for the Region for Civil Society Affairs
should do his utmost to support civil society and
act as an open door and liaison to the government.
The Prime Minister also announced the creation of
the Civic Award, to recognise those who have “worked
actively, courageously, and remarkably in the areas
of democracy, human rights, women’s
rights and civil society”.
Minister George Mansour said, “in order to build a
civil society in Kurdistan, the KRG supports the
free democratic ideas of NGOs and civil society
organisations”. He added, “the duty of NGOs is not
only to defend individual rights but also to educate
individuals on the role they have to play in
economic and national prosperity and protecting the
environment.” He stressed that his ministry’s role
was to “enhance civil society in Kurdistan and
provide it with much needed facilities”.
The conference was attended by Dr Fuad Hussein,
President Masoud Barzani’s Chief of Staff;
representatives of the KRG; a wide variety of
Kurdistan’s NGOs and civil society organisations;
and representatives from the UK, Italy and the UN.
To view Prime Minister's speech at the conference on
civil society, Wednesday 6 June, Erbil, Kurdistan
region.
visit KRG website
Krg org
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