During conference, Kurdish leaders highlight efforts to promote cultural rights and equality in region

ERBIL, Iraq — The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has reiterated its commitment to upholding the rights of all ethnic and religious groups in the region. In a conference on the protection of cultural rights, the Ministry highlighted the importance of promoting the rights and culture of all citizens of the Kurdistan Region, with Dr. Pashtiwan Sadiq, Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs, and Aidan Marouf, Minister of the Region for Minority Affairs, leading the discussions.

During the conference, Dr. Dindar Zebari, Coordinator of International Recommendations in the Kurdistan Regional Government, emphasized the effective role of the KRG in protecting the rights of all communities, enabling them to participate in social and political life in order to maintain cultural identity, coexistence, and equality.

“One of the most important issues in the human rights plan of the Kurdistan Regional Government is the protection of the rights of the (minority) components, as 14 out of 19 international recommendations submitted to the regional government have been implemented by the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs,” he said.

Regarding the cooperation between the KRG and the United Nations investigation team to promote accountability for crimes committed by the Islamic State (ISIS), Dr. Zebari highlighted the ongoing efforts of the KRG to bring ISIS terrorists to justice, despite the rejection of a draft law by Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court. The KRG aims to recognize the crimes committed by ISIS as genocide and compensate the families of victims for their suffering.

The conference was held in cooperation with the Erbil Governorate Council and the Deidar Organization, and its discussions centered on the role of Law No. 5, enacted in 2015, in protecting the culture of minority components in the Kurdistan Region. The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs affirmed its interest and belief in the rights of all ethnic and religious components of the Kurdistan Region’s population, emphasizing that promoting the rights and culture of all citizens of the region remains a top priority for the regional government.