UN rights agency to send team to Iraq in bid to bring ‘hope for a better future’

The United Nations human rights agency is preparing to send a 12-member team to Iraq next week to bring “hope for a better future” to the Iraqi people with a renewed focus on the economic, social and cultural rights.

“The many conflicts in the world today, and in particular the war in Iraq, demonstrate clearly how the denial and violation of economic, social and cultural rights negatively affect a country and its people,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello said in his opening address to the 30th session of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Geneva yesterday, announcing the mission.

“Now, efforts are focused on bringing to the Iraqi people hope for a better future,” he added. “My Office has devoted, and will continue to devote, considerable attention and as much resources as we can to the rebuilding efforts, and we hope to focus particularly on the economic, social and cultural rights.

“We should have an initial presence in Iraq by next week – perhaps a dozen human rights officers, mainly working with the initial humanitarian effort.”