Conducting the Third and Final Training Course on the “International Protocol on the Investigation of Sexual Crimes in Conflict-Related Situations”

Within the framework of the “Review of Mandatory Forensic Medical Reports” project, in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and with the support of the European Regional Development and Protection Program (RDPP), and in conjunction with the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1888, adopted on 19 June 2010, the Investigator Organization for supporting role of law and Democracy conducted the third and final training course on the “International Protocol on the Investigation of Sexual Crimes in Conflict-Related Situations” in Erbil on 18 and 19 June 2022.
The course brought together judicial investigators affiliated with the Judicial Council, lawyers affiliated with the Bar Association, doctors and healthcare professionals from the Ministry of Health, and investigative officers from the Ministry of Interior.
The two-day course was held at the Dedeman Hotel. At the beginning of the course, Mr. Ali Abdulrahman, Project Manager, provided a brief overview of the stages of project implementation. This was followed by training sessions delivered by Dr. Ahmed Miran, PhD in International Crimes.
On the first day, the sessions addressed topics related to the philosophy of war, international crimes, sexual crimes, and responsibility for international crimes.
The second day focused on the concept and definitions of sexual violence, the main forms of sexual crimes, as well as the use of the International Protocol in investigating such crimes and collecting relevant evidence and information.
The participants were subsequently divided into four groups to carry out a group activity. Each group was assigned a section of the International Protocol on the Investigation of Sexual Crimes in Conflict-Related Situations. The groups worked for 45 minutes to identify the key points in their assigned sections and record their findings on presentation sheets. At the conclusion of the activity, group representatives presented their findings and understanding of the assigned sections in detail to the participants. Certificates of participation were distributed at the end of the training course.
Furthermore, the same training course had previously been conducted in Sulaymaniyah on 10–11 May 2022 and in Duhok on 24–25 May 2022 for similar professional and institutional groups.