As part of the project “Review of the Law on the Protection of the Rights of Components No. (5) of 2015,” enacted by the Kurdistan Parliament, the Investigator Organization for Supporting Rule of Law and Democracy (IOL), in partnership with the Christian Aid Program (CAP), organized a dialogue session on Wednesday, 22 October 2025, to review the aforementioned law. The session was held at the Hyksos Hotel in Ainkawa District, Erbil.
The session aimed to discuss and review the Law on the Protection of the Rights of Components, identify areas requiring amendment, and develop legal and institutional frameworks to safeguard the rights of components. It brought together a wide range of relevant stakeholders from governmental and judicial institutions, Parliament, and civil society.
Participants included Dr. Muna Yaqo, President of the Independent Human Rights Commission, and Floren Gorgis, Head of the Department of Ethnic and Religious Components at the Presidency of the Kurdistan Region, as well as members and advisers of the Kurdistan Parliament representing different components. The session also brought together representatives of the Judicial Council and the Ainkawa Preliminary Court, a representative of the Public Prosecution, lawyers and representatives of the Kurdistan Bar Association, the Director General of Yazidi Affairs, the Director General of Christian Affairs, and the Director General of Coexistence at the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, a representative of the Ainkawa District Administration, and representatives of non-governmental organizations. Mr. Emmanuel, Director of CAP, also participated in the session.
The discussions were chaired by Judge Badradin Barzanji and concluded with a set of recommendations and proposals for amending the law. These recommendations and proposed amendments will be submitted to the Kurdistan Parliament once the parliamentary committees are formed and parliamentary sessions resume, with the aim of strengthening the legal framework for protecting and safeguarding the rights of components.