Working to Make the Administrative Reparation Program for ISIS Atrocities in Iraq More Than “Ink on Paper”

By Dr Bojan Gavrilovic

Merely “ink on paper” was how survivors voiced their doubts about Iraq’s commitment to deliver long-awaited reparation.

Following the genocidal campaign the so called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) waged against Iraq´s ethno-religious communities, reparations and justice became indispensable in addressing ISIS´s dark legacy.

Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR) is an alliance of Iraqi NGOs established by the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights to ensure that survivors of ISIS committed atrocities realize their right to justice and reparations. This unique alliance connecting Iraqi NGOs, human rights activists, survivors, experts and engaged individuals across the religious and ethnic divide contributed to passing of the Yazidi Survivors Law (YSL) in 2021, a pivotal step in Iraq’s efforts to repair the inflicted harm.

The YSL mandates several critical reparative measures for Yazidi, Turkmen, Christian and Shabak female survivors of conflict-related sexual violence such as compensation, rehabilitation, housing, education, employment, genocide recognition, memorialization, search for those still in captivity, opening of mass graves, identification of remains and their return to the families and calls Iraqi institutions to ensure that perpetrators of genocide and crimes against humanity are held accountable.

C4JR carries out activities around supporting YSL implementation through monitoring, reporting, sharing best practices and engaging with international and national stakeholders. Part of that work is also imparting accurate, credible and full information about realization of reparations and ending impunity for ISIS crimes in Iraq to the UN human rights mechanisms, including treaty bodies, special procedures and UPR. To that end, it conducts empirical research, publishes newsletters, annual reports, and podcasts, and promotes survivor-centred practices and ethical engagement with survivors.

You can check out latest C4JR activities and sign up for the newsletter here.

This article was first published in the Community Corner of our Just Reparation newsletter. These contributions are invaluable in enriching our collective understanding and fostering meaningful dialogue within the reparation community of practice. If you would like to be featured, we encourage you to submit your contributions to [email protected].