CONFERENCE ON THE STATUS OF ARMED FORCES AND GROUPS IN IRAQ

Preliminary Report of the Opening Session:

 
Sunday 9 November 2008
Time:      9h15 - 10h30
 
Chair:     Dr Adnan Mufti, Speaker of the Iraqi-Kurdistan Parliament
Sheikh Hamid Rasheed Maala, Member of theIraqi Parliament

 
Mr Baktiar Amin opened the Conference by thanking the participants and introducing the main speakers of the opening session H.E   Vice-President Kosrat Rassoul Ali and HE Ambassador Maurizio Melani.
 
Then HE Kosrat Ali gave a keynote speak on behalf of the Kurdistan Regional Government-Iraq welcomed the participants to the Kurdistan Region-Iraq. The Vice President noted the Kurdish people and the Kurdish Regional Government desire for peace and dialogue based on the practical and peaceful resolution of any point of difference within the framework of the Iraqi Federal Constitution. The Vice-President noted the historical importance of the Kurdish people and the Peshmergas in the reconstruction of Iraq.    In this respect he acknowledged the role of the Peshmergas in the struggle against the previous oppressive regime. The Vice-President further highlighted the KRG's desire to co-operate with the Federal Government and with all the provinces of Iraq in securing prosperity for all Iraqi people. He noted the importance of entering into a new stage of cooperation grounded in principles of humanity and on the Iraqi constitution. He expressed the need to further deepen the trust and confidence between all the people of Iraq and to work to ensure that the Federal Parliament and Government is responsive to the aspirations of all. The Vice-President recognised the great price for freedom paid by the Peshmergas as well as by all the components of the resistance against the previous regime and extorted participants to continue to work together for the reconstruction of a united and federal Iraq free of discrimination and prejudice. 
 
HE Ambassador Melani expressed his thanks to IAJ and NPWJ for organising the meeting and to the KRG for hosting it. He noted that this event as previous IAJ-NPWJ events in Venice, Rome and Baghdad, aims to establish frank discussions in the search for shared solutions. The Ambassador noted that demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration are essential aspects of the transition to peace and the development of professional armed and security forces. The Ambassador noted the experiences of Italy at the time of its unification and again in the post-war reconstruction and the importance of the engagement of people with different backgrounds in the security forces. The ambassador highlighted the importance of inclusivenesses, the rule of law, the respect of human rights and loyalty to the constitution overcoming any sectarian or political allegiances, noting that the Italian Carabinieri NATO training mission is conducting training of the Iraqi national police on this basis. The Ambassador highlighted the necessity to harmonise national unity with the respect for diversity and of legitimate concerns in a gradual and flexible process of shared recognition of the principle that armed groups cannot operate outside the structures of the state.
 
Dr. Niccolo Figa Talamanca expressed the thanks of NPWJ to the hosts and to the participants and highlighted the crucial role that AIJ and in particular Mr Bakhtiar Amin has played in the successful convening of the meeting. Dr. Figa Talamanca introduced the programme of the four sessions of the Conference, highlighting for each the objective and the questions for discussion, and expressed the readiness of NPWJ to facilitate active engagement of all participants, with the hope to find areas of consensus and to identify specific topics that might require continued separate discussions with a view to moving forward in resolution of the important and delicate issues address by the Conference.
 
Mr. Baktiar Amin welcomed again participants and explained how the conference is part of a series organised by the International Alliance for Justice and No Peace Without Justice, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where senior Iraqi policy-makers discuss the allocation of competences between federal, regional and provincial administrations, in order to promote an open space of dialogue which benefits from he experiences of other federal countries and post-conflict and post-authoritarian transitions. The objective of the Conference is to facilitate an in-depth debate between major Iraqi political actors on the future form and purpose of Iraq's armed groups and armed forces, as part of the process of promoting the peaceful resolution of difference, and strengthening the rule of law, democracy and federalism within Iraqi society.   He further noted that the management of pluralism and the valuing of diversity is key to security and stability. Mr. Amin noted that in the past diversity has been used to divide the people of Iraq instead of recognising its value, with dire consequences on all the people of Iraq. Mr. Amin noted the results of the recent presidential elections as an example of formerly marginalised groups coming to the forefront of policy making and expressed the wish that the recognition of diversity and pluralism as a key value for society will bring Iraq to a new era of peace and prosperity.
 
Download the Preliminary Report of the Opening Session